Page 60 of Mistaken Prejudice
“Is that clear?” she repeated slowly and cruelly.
“No, you—”
“Yes, it is,” Andrei cut into my words. “We’ll be on our best behavior.”
Because he sat with his back to me, I couldn’t see his face as he talked. But from the sound of his voice, I knew better than to interrupt him.
“Very good.” She nodded her approval, and without another word, left the class, leaving the door open behind her.
“What the hell was that?” I protested the second she was out of the room. “The way she just talked was so wrong on so many levels.” While I was upset, the others looked calm as they packed their bags. Not even Andrei seemed to be upset.
“It’s fine, Miles,” Andrei said nonchalantly as he threw his bag over his shoulder.
“Fine? It’s not fine. Wait until my father hears about it—”
“He won’t hear about it,” he snapped as he turned to look at me. His brows were pulled together, his jaw set, and it took him a moment to calm down his features. He rubbed his face with his hand and then pushed it through his thick hair. “Fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. Just don’t tell your dad. Or anyone, okay?”
I clenched my fist around my Ranieri bag. “How do you expect me to say nothing after hearing how she talked to you? It’s pure discrimination. She treated you guys like you’re—”
“Criminals?” Diesel sneered, and I looked away from Andrei to find him leaning against the doorframe. His hands crossed over his chest. “Wake up, Sunshine.” He gave me a self-satisfied grin. “That’s what we are. We’re the shit smeared under her expensive shoes.”
“Way to go into details,” Levi murmured as he passed Diesel to get outside. Diesel then turned his head and called after him.
“What? She’s the one who called us crap.”
Jessie snickered from beside me. “Yeah. We’ve been called a lot worse. Remember the old principal? He used to call us wasted sperm.” He laughed and stopped in front of Diesel. “I prefer sperm over shit.”
“Of course you do.” Diesel wrapped his arm around Jessie. “You slut.”
“You slut shame me now?” He gasped as they both rolled out the door, and it was only me and Andrei left in the class.
“Andrei,” I started saying, but he cut me off by shaking his head.
“Forget about it, please, just…” He didn’t finish what he had to say. Instead, he stepped toward me and grabbed the back of my neck. He pulled me closer and pressed his lips to my forehead before letting me go. “I got to go now. I’ve got work. But I’ll call you later.”
And just like that, I was left alone.
Chapter 19
Andrei
“Ouch,” I whined when somebody hit my shoulder. Very hard, may I say.
I took my eyes away from my Algebra book and looked over to find an angry-looking Miles standing above me with one hand gripping his backpack and the other clenched in a fist. He had every right to be mad at me, considering I’d been practically avoiding him for the past three days. In my defense, I’d spent most of the time working at the beach club and studying.
“What the actual fuck, Andrei?” he asked before sitting down on the stone bench beside me. I decided to spend my free hour studying outside, but that wouldn’t happen anymore.
“Hey, Zaychik.” I leaned forward to kiss him, but he cupped my cheeks and kept me away from his beautiful face.
“Don’t Zaychik me now.” He frowned at me and let go of my face. “You’ve been ignoring me for three days, Andrei.”
“Who, me? Ignoring you? No way, baby.” The lie was obvious in my voice, and the disappointment on Miles’s face made my heart ache. I let out a long breath and rubbed my face with my hands before throwing one leg over the bench and turning so I’d sit in front of him.
“Listen,” I started saying and paused because suddenly, my reasons to avoid him made me look small and foolish. “I didn’t mean to avoid you, but I guess it turned out that way. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
He shook his head. “No,” he said shortly, and my heart sank. Thankfully, he didn’t stop there. “I mean, not before you tell me why.”
I was too embarrassed to admit the reason. The last thing I wanted was for Miles to see me for my insecurities.
