by Marian Tee
All three grinned.
“You didn’t really think we’d let him leave the club without finding out why, did you?” Yuri asked.
Kellion was grinning broadly. “Oh man, the ribbing he got from the boys. Helios being ordinary? Like fuck that’s possible.”
Their amusement was so infectious that she couldn’t stop herself from smiling a little, too. “I am kinda worried about it, too. Being an R.A.’s no joke.” They started walking together, with MJ flanked on one side by Yuri and Kellion and Andreus on the other side. The sight of it had all the girls they passed by dying with envy, but it was something MJ was oblivious to. In MJ’s mind, the three bikers were more like big brothers. In MJ’s mind, only one man could make her heart race.
Yuri and the others knew that, too, and the fact was both amusing and comforting. It was nice to be in the company of a girl whose mind wasn’t completely consumed with thoughts of either seducing them, or worse, making them fall in love.
“How did you find Helios’ new look?” Yuri asked.
“It was okay.” She looked up at him, asking, “Do you know why he had it cut?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head. She was about to say something else when something was thrown towards them. “What was that?” She tried to pick up whatever was thrown at them, but Andreus kept her from bending down.
“Don’t bother looking,” Kellion told her.
But she had always been the stubborn type. Even as the three tried to drag her forward, she still looked over her shoulder, and a choking laugh escaped her. “Did someone just throw her panties at you?”
Not one of the guys answered her, and not one of them appeared surprised at what she said. She gasped again. “Does this happen to you all the time?”
No answer.
A thought occurred to her, and she asked uneasily, “Does this happen to…also?”
Kellion asked innocently, “Who is “Also”?”
MJ just glared at him in response.
Kellion threw his hands up. “I absolutely have no idea—”
She growled, “Helios.” Color flamed her cheeks the moment she said his name, feeling like she had betrayed herself by doing so. Where had her vow of living a Helios-free life gone?
“No one does it to Helios.” It was Yuri who answered. “You know how serious he is. Everyone knows he’s likely to sue them for sexual harassment if they’re stupid enough to do it to him.”
She was about to sigh in relief, secretly of course, when Kellion added, “But it’s different now.”
“Different? Why is it different now?” The words came out as a squeak, a result of the anxiety pangs that were suddenly constricting MJ’s chest.
Andreus rolled his eyes. “Because you wanted him to be normal, didn’t you?” By this time, they had reached the street of her dorm, and that was when MJ saw the huge crowd of students that had gathered in front of her place.
“A normal Helios is someone who knows how to smile, someone who’s not arrogant as hell, and someone who’d be forced to talk more than a few times.” Andreus nodded towards the street party that seemed to have spontaneously started. “You think that crowd of groupies will stop at throwing panties?”
“But I didn’t tell anyone about it…about what we talked about.”
Andreus snorted. “You dumped our President in public, MJ. Did you really think no one would care to eavesdrop while you guys were talking?”
****
“Knock, knock,” a voice caroled outside MJ’s room before the door was opened and Katya came sashaying in. She smirked at the sight of her dorm mate trying to study on her desk, trying being the operative word.
“You’re hopeless.” Perching on the side of MJ’s table, she grabbed the textbook in front of her friend and tossed it to the bed.
“Katya!”
“There. I got your attention. Why are you hiding here when your man’s being eye-gang-banged by every girl in school?”
“He’s not my man.”
“See? You should have said ‘who’. Who’s being molested by the crowds of hungry women outside? But you didn’t so yeah, he’s your man, whether you admit it or not.”
MJ was tempted to cover her ears. Since she had come home, she had been tortured by the squeals and shrieks that had come from the crowd of girls, all of them ostensibly interested in checking out the one vacant room at the dorm. But of course, everyone knew that they only wanted more time spent with Helios.
And now here was Katya, torturing her even more. “Do I have to remind you he’s Greek?” she asked her friend. “You shouldn’t care about him.”
“I don’t,” Katya answered right away. “But I do care about you.” She jumped off the desk and walked to the window. Taking a peek, she saw that the lineup for girls queuing to see the room hadn’t gotten any shorter. News about Helios Andreadis’ newfound “friendliness” had definitely spread.
“Can you tell me one thing? Why did he decide to change?”
MJ mumbled the truth.
Katya’s eyebrows shot up. “Does that mean not being arrogant, too? Because trust me. That’s impossible for Greek men.”
MJ lifted her shoulders in an awkward shrug. “I wouldn’t know. It’s not like I can put it to a test—” Katya grabbed her hand and dragged her out of her seat. “Hey, what? What are you doing?”
“Let’s go put it to a test then.” Katya’s normally carefree smile became sober. “You were the first girl who didn’t care how bitchy I was. I felt terribly alone before you became my friend, you know. I’ve always wanted to return the favor, and now’s my chance.”
Thirty minutes later, MJ found herself saying ‘hi’ to a friend of Katya’s at the sidewalk. Jack was a good-looking junior with an almost obnoxious air around him. As Jack introduced himself, MJ threw Katya a panicky look. This is really your friend?
Trust me, Katya mouthed back and winked.
MJ had no energy to wink back.
Jack slung an arm around MJ’s shoulders. “So, Katya was telling me about a vacant room here in your dorm. Maybe we can check it out?”
Yuri, Kellion, and Andreus were still out in the small yard in front of the dorm, surrounded by women as usual. When MJ and Jack walked past them, she could feel the trio following them with cold looks. Jack said loudly, “Those three are Helios Andreadis’ watchdogs, aren’t they? Do they bark when he gives orders?”
Behind MJ, she heard a commotion, and then Yuri speaking in Greek in a low voice, probably calming the hot-headed Andreus down.
MJ tried to get out of Jack’s hold, disliking the way he seemed to have fun baiting her friends. But when she looked up, she saw the way Jack’s eyes were twinkling and knew that somehow, all of it was for show.
Jack bent his head down, murmuring in her ear, “I owe Katya a favor.”
She whispered back, “And she made you pay by acting like a jerk?”
Jack’s chuckle tickled her ear. “Something like that.”
When Jack moved away, that was when she saw Helios standing at the main entranceway of the dorm, a stony look on his beautiful face.
She opened her mouth to explain, but Helios beat her to talking. “Visiting hours are over.”
Instead of her lips moving, her jaw dropped instead. “It’s only six in the evening.”
Helios said indifferently, “New R.A., new rules.”
Chapter Six
“New R.A., new rules?” Kellion repeated Helios’ words in Greek when his friend joined them in the front yard.
In retaliation, Helios handed out the cans of beers he had with him to Yuri and Andreus while throwing the last one at Kellion. If not for the other man’s quick reflexes, the can would have hit Kellion smack in the face.
Kellion only burst into laughter in this added show of temper.
“What was I supposed to say? Admit I was jealous and furious in front of that baby-faced asshole?” Helios gritted out in the same language, knowing it was the only
way to keep their discussion private. Afxisi had long made it their business to know every Greek-speaking student in the uni, whether native or not, and none of them seemed to be here. He glanced at Yuri, waiting for the younger man to weigh in, but instead he caught a fascinated look on the other man’s face. “What?”
Yuri shook his head, smiling a little. “I was just…reminiscing. I remember I was having this kind of conversation with MJ. That time, she ended up saying the opposite of what she wanted to say.”
When Yuri didn’t say anything else, Helios growled, “Are you waiting for me to beg?”
Yuri’s smile turned into a full-fledged grin, and the look of it had the hearts of the dozens of girls hanging around them fluttering. All of them had heard the rumors about Yuri turning into a dangerous beast in the bedroom, which was so at odds with his angelic appearance it had the girls desperate to learn the truth for themselves.
“Spill it,” Andreus ordered. “I’m curious myself.”
“Well, it was that time when MJ dared you to stop her.”
Helios frowned. “Stop her from what?”
“Err…from seeing me?”
A look of comprehension dawned on Helios’ face, and color tinted his high-boned cheeks. Kellion and Andreus were looking back and forth between him and Yuri. “No fuck,” Andreus finally said. “You were even jealous of Yuri?”
Kellion whistled. “Way to go, President. Now I know how stupid you can be where MJ’s concerned.”
Helios said mildly to his ex-VP, “Fuck off.”
But Kellion only shook his head in mock despair. “I only used to think that you’d find being ‘normal’ – and that means giving up 99% of your ego, you understand – difficult. But after what Yuri’s told us, it’s going to be impossible. No wonder you reacted that way to MJ’s guest.”
“You wanted to beat him up, too. Don’t tell me you didn’t.”
“Yeah, I did. And I could and I would. But that’s me being me. You, on the other hand, have sworn to act normal for the girl you love. And just in case you missed the memo, President, it’s not normal for an R.A. to change house rules just like that.”
Helios’ jaw clenched.
“For the record, President,” Yuri murmured, “I think when MJ told you she wanted a normal guy to love, she only meant someone who didn’t go to such lengths to keep himself from getting hurt…to the point he’d end up hurting the one he really loved.”
Behind them, Andreus asked laconically, “That’s all well and good, but can someone tell me when the fuck did the Afxisi become a club for the next Ann Landers?” The typical rude comment from Andreus served to lighten the atmosphere, and even Helios felt himself relaxing.
“If it were me, President, I think the solution is simple. Find a private place for you and MJ and seduce her. It is how you made her fall in love with you, ne?”
Helios cocked his head to the side. “That’s also a good point.”
“Not from where I’m standing,” Yuri refuted casually, his words a subtle reminder that he was Hallie’s brother.
Andreus flushed at Yuri’s dig. All of them knew that Hallie carried a torch for him, and it was something he had succeeded in ignoring – so far.
Kellion nudged Helios. “The last two girls who checked out the room are leaving. You should go now if you don’t want MJ and the other dude going in there alone.”
****
“I’m so sorry for what happened back there,” MJ apologized as she and Jack headed to the line of students who were waiting to inspect the dorm’s sole vacant room.
“It’s fine. Kat warned me beforehand about how jealous your R.A. can be.”
MJ flushed. “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
Jack grinned. “You’re sweet, you know that?” When MJ looked at him in confusion, he continued, “Did you really think I wouldn’t be aware you and Helios Andreadis were a couple?” At her wide-eyed look, he exclaimed, “Seriously? Have you been living under a rock or something? He’s a famous biker, babe. Not just here in school, but all around the freaking world. Of course people know who he was dating.”
When he put it like that, she realized how silly she was not to have realized that people would be interested in Helios’ love life. “I didn’t really know…or notice. I was…part of their club the first day of school and after that, my life got really busy with my chores as a volunteer, then I also had my grades to maintain for my scholarship…I didn’t really have any time to do anything else.”
“You don’t have Facebook? Or Instagram or Twitter?”
She shook her head. Avoiding social media had been another way for her to avoid being connected in any way to her past life, but now she realized how doing so had also left her out of touch with what was going on around her.
Jack was typing something on his iPhone. “Here. Maybe you should see for yourself what’s happened.”
Taking his phone, she saw on the screen a Facebook page for Helios. Her eyes widened at the numerous candid photos it had – she didn’t think Helios was the type to take these himself, which meant he had a lot of fans.
Looking at the photos, something about it seemed awfully familiar. After a moment, she realized that the photos taken in the past week had all been from the same location - the street behind the building where her classes were held. Did it mean Helios had been following her all this time?
“It’s your turn now.”
MJ’s head snapped up, stunned to find Helios suddenly standing in front of her, a still-hostile look on his face when he glanced at Jack. “Are you still interested in checking out the room?”
“Of course. Anything to keep me close to MJ,” Jack said, smiling charmingly.
The realization of how close Helios had been all this time made her feel awkward and self-conscious. Returning Jack’s phone to him, she muttered “thanks” while pleading at him with her eyes not to mention anything in front of Helios.
“If you want me to keep a secret,” Jack said wickedly, “you can seal my lips with yours—”
His lips were sealed with Helios’ fist instead.
“Jack!” MJ screamed as her companion fell to the ground. Kneeling down, she demanded worriedly, “Are you all right?” She tried helping him up but Jack waved her away, choosing to push himself up on his own. He shook his head, touching his jaw gingerly. “He took me by surprise, that’s all.” He looked up at Helios. “Care to do it again now that I’m aware you’re dying to beat me up?”
Helios’ rage and jealousy were fast reaching its boiling point at the way MJ was still clinging to the other man. “Any time.”
MJ gasped at Helios’ answer. “Are you—oh my God, why did you even hit him in the first place? He hasn’t done anything wro—” The resentful glare Helios threw at her shocked MJ so much she found herself trailing off.
“I need to talk to you for a moment,” Helios bit out.
She shook her head. “No. I have to take care of Jack—”
Hearing another man’s name on her lips was the last straw. “Now.” Helios pulled her up and dragged her with him back into the dorm.
MJ swallowed the urge to resist, not wanting to create an even greater scandal. After what Jack had revealed to her, she knew now that what had happened would be all over the Internet in minutes. She looked at Jack over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back—”
Helios yanked her to his side, and she fell against him as they disappeared into the corner of the hallway of Helios’ room. “Not while I’m fucking here, you won’t,” he snarled. When he opened the door, he pulled her inside and kicked the door shut, locking it right after.
When Helios turned to face her, she demanded, “What’s wrong with you? Why did you hit him?”
He roared back, “He’s flirting with you in front of me. Did you truly think I would not react?”
She couldn’t be further surprised. In the past, she had tried getting Helios to admit in private that he was jealous about the time she spent cleaning the officers’ bedro
oms, and he had almost bitten her head off for it. And yet here he was now, saying something that he would once rather choke on a mouthful of thorns for.
“That’s not how a normal guy reacts.” The words just came out of her mouth and when Helios flinched, she regretted saying it right away. She hadn’t meant to say it, but she had still done so in the end.
Helios’ fists clenched. “This is what a normal guy in my book does. If I had been acting like who I really was, if I had been the President of the Afxisi, I’d have knocked him out cold.”
Deeeeeym, MJ thought helplessly as she found her anger over Helios’ mistreatment of Jack disappearing at his words. Those words were so cool, and only someone like Helios Andreadis would have been able to speak them without looking like he was exaggerating.
When Helios saw MJ squeeze her eyes shut, a look of pain on her face, he forgot about his jealous anger and stalked towards her, demanding tautly, “What’s wrong? Are you sick? Are you hurt?”
A crazed laugh escaped her. “Everything’s wrong with me.” She looked at him with teary eyes. “I want to forget you. I wish I could go back to the day that I didn’t even know someone like you existed—”
Helios shook his head fiercely. “No. Don’t say that.”
“Why?” she cried out. “Because you miss having a stupid little girl who follows you around like a puppy dog as a girlfriend?”
He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her. The torment in her eyes told him that it was time to reveal another truth to her. If he wanted them to be together, the right way, there must be no secrets kept between them. He said raggedly, “Because I know that the day you found out about me was the day you chose to live.”
Chapter Seven
“How much do you know?” It was minutes later when MJ finally managed to speak. Helios’ revelation had so shocked her that she had been left immobile and speechless, and she had not resisted when Helios guided her to the couch and had her drink a glass of water.
Helios knelt down on the floor in front of her. “Everything.” He took her hands in his, and the cold clammy feel of her palms made him curse silently. When she tried to pull her hands away, he held on to it more tightly. “Look at me.”