Artemi and I were still fighting a week later. We hadn't talked since their game where he yelled at me. I know he needed space and I was giving it to him.
Of course, I did miss him a lot. I had to stop myself from calling him almost every night. I did text him one Friday night however, to tell him that I would pick him up at 4:00 so we could have dinner with my parents the following day if he still wanted to. He responded, saying that he would love to still go. Hopefully that meant he wasn't still mad at me.
I put on a casual dress and some wedges for dinner. It was pretty low key but my parents loved a good first impression.
I drove over to Artemis place to pick him up. I texted him saying that I was waiting outside and he came down a few minutes later. "You look beautiful," he said and pecked my cheek.
"Thanks," I replied. The rest of the drive was silent. If he didn't want to say anything then that was fine but I wasn't saying anything either. I wasn't the one that had to apologize.
I pulled into my parents driveway and parked the car. I got out and walked to the front door, Artemi following me. I rang the doorbell and waited for my mom to come to the door. Art began to talk but was cut off by my mom answering the door.
She greeted us and gave me a hug and shook Artemi's hand. We followed her into the house and talked to my parents a tour. "So Artemi, that's a foreign name. Where are you from?" My dad asked intrigued.
"I'm from Russia," he answered.
"What brings you to America? Claire said you live in Chicago too," my mom asked.
I bit my lip as Artemi responded that he played hockey. My dad's eyes narrowed and my mom pursed her lips in a tight line.
I grabbed Artemi's hand and stood up. "I'm going to give him the tour while you guys make dinner."
I dragged him upstairs and into my old room. I shut the door behind us and turned to face him. Before I knew it his lips were on mine and I was kissing him back almost immediately.
"I'm so sorry," he mumbled against my lips. He pulled back to look me in the eyes. "I know there's no excuse for the way I treated you but I swear I'll do my best so it never happens again."
I pecked his lips again. "I forgive you."
He broke out in a smile which quickly disappeared. "Your parents don't like me."
I put my hand on his bicep. "Look, they don't hate you. They just have a thin against hockey players."
"Which I am one," he pointed out.
I signed. "I can't change their opinion on you, but all that matters is that I like you. So let's go down there and show them that even if they don't like you were not separating any time soon."
He grinned again and said, "я люблю тебя."
I smiled back. "I still don't know what that means but let's go."
During dinner, things were a little awkward. "So Artemi, you said you play for the Blackhawks?" My mom asked.
Artemi nodded and my dad said, "Too bad we're Red Wings fans."
"Dad!" I was horrified at the way my parents were acting. I'm sure my over protective older brother would act better than them. "What is your problem with him?" They'd been acting like this all night.
He didn't answer my question, instead he turned to Artemi. "So when you leave her every week for road trips just make sure I don't find out about the girls you're cheating on my daughter with."
I gasped and Art looked angry. "I don't sleep around, sir. And when I do leave her for road trips I make sure to call her every day," he responded in a voice calmer than I expected.
My dad snorted and my mother shook her head. "We all know how you hockey players are," she said.
I stood up and grabbed Artemi's hand. "If you two can't act your age then we're leaving. I finally bring home a guy I love and you're so rude to him and me! I don't want to be here anymore and I'm pretty sure Artemi doesn't want to either."
I walked to the front door and put my shoes on. Art followed suit and we left, slamming the front door. I rested my forehead on the steering wheel of the car. "Art I'm so so sorry for them, they're not usually like this-"
"You love me?" He cut me off.
"What? Oh, uh- yeah, I do. I love you," I said with a small smile.
"я люблю тебя," Artemi responded back.
I glared at him. "Are you ever going to tell me what that means?"
He smirked. "I love you," he translated.
My eyes widened and I nodded in understanding. I kissed his cheek and began driving back home. "I love you." Saying that would never get old and definitely put me in a better mood for the rest of the night. "And I'm sorry for my parents again."
"It's okay," he responded and left a light kiss on the back of my hand before resting them on his thigh. We drove back home and cuddled for the rest of the night, but I wouldn't have changed it.
