Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 40

Ria's POV:

The last week of November always brought a certain kind of chill in the air, the type that made you want to burrow into your warmest sweaters and avoid any unnecessary time outside. Today was no different. The cold bit at my cheeks as I hurried out of my statistics class, my thoughts tangled in a mess of homework deadlines and the upcoming Thanksgiving break.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice Nikolai leaning against the wall just outside the lecture hall, a steaming cup of black tea and a pack of Reese's in hand. He had that signature smirk on his face, the one that always managed to disarm me no matter how hard I tried to steel myself against it.

"Black tea and Reese's?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at him as I approached. "What's the occasion?"

"Does there need to be one?" he replied smoothly, handing them over as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I accepted them, warmth from the tea seeping into my frozen fingers. "You keep this up, and people might think you're actually nice," I teased, though there was a nervous edge to my voice that I hoped he didn't pick up on.

Nikolai's grin widened. "Too late to start worrying about my reputation now, Victoria. Let me drive you home. It's freezing out here, and I need to talk to you about something."

A flicker of anxiety sparked in my chest at that. "Talk to me about what?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual, but I knew Nikolai wasn't the type to miss anything.

"You'll see," he said, far too vaguely for my liking. Then, as if sensing my hesitation, he added, "Come on, it's just a ride home. I'm not going to kidnap you."

I let out a breath. "Okay," I muttered, falling into step beside him as he led the way to his car.

Nikolai chatted easily as we walked, slipping into conversation as if we were old friends, while I tried to keep my nerves from getting the best of me. When we reached his car, he opened the passenger door for me with a flourish, like a gentleman straight out of a movie.

"Such chivalry," I murmured, trying to hide the flutter in my chest as I slid into the seat.

He chuckled, leaning in to buckle my seatbelt for me. The proximity made my breath hitch—his face was so close to mine, I could smell the faint scent of his fresh aftershave, something icy and woodsy. For a second, I forgot how to breathe.

But before I could fully process it, he was already moving around to the driver's side. I let out a shaky breath, my fingers fiddling with the edge of the Reese's wrapper as he started the car. The heat kicked in, filling the space with warm air, but it did nothing to ease the tension coiling in my stomach.

"So," Nikolai began as he pulled out onto the road, his tone casual but tinged with something I couldn't quite place, "I had this cognitive psych makeup exam last Friday."

I perked up, curiosity piqued despite the nerves buzzing under my skin. "Really? How did it go?"

He reached into myglove compartment and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, handing it to me as we stopped at a red light. "Got the results back today."

I unfolded the paper carefully, my eyes scanning over the score. When I saw the big, bold '90%' written at the top, I nearly shrieked with joy.

"Nik, that's amazing!" I exclaimed, turning to him with a wide smile. "You did so well!"

His lips quirked up into a grin, pleased but trying to play it cool. "Yeah, it's not bad."

"Not bad?" I repeated, practically bouncing in my seat. "It's fantastic! You've been working so hard for this!"