Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Helios cupped her face and kissed her. To hell with his plan of making MJ suffer from physical longing so that she would fall in love with him more quickly. Right now, they both needed this kiss and what she needed, he had sworn to give.
“I won’t ever make you feel like you had to earn my love again, brat. You never have to, remember that. It’s always here in my heart.”
A full second passed before MJ pulled back a little so she could look at Helios’ expression and ask, “I really love how you’re saying all these things, but...how do you manage to say it with a completely straight face?”
Helios slammed her head back against his chest. “Shut up. And I have no fucking idea how,” he snarled in answer as color stained his cheeks. “Must be because I love you that much.”
“MJ? I was told you’re here—oh.”
MJ couldn’t get away fast enough from Helios at the sudden appearance of one of the dorm’s first-year residents.
Helios reluctantly let her go, knowing that even now MJ wasn’t completely comfortable with having other people see them together. It was another reason why he had been withholding sex. He couldn’t help but feel irritated and hurt, like a goddamn infatuated schoolboy, knowing that while MJ wanted him in the bedroom, she didn’t want to be associated with him outside it.
MJ self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ears. “Tammy, hey. What is it?”
“I was just wondering if I could have a...” She stopped, looking at Helios awkwardly.
Helios took that as a cue to move further back into the bathroom and start cleaning the toilet again. If the others at the Afxisi could see him now, Helios thought darkly. They would never let him live this down.
When Helios was gone from sight, Tanya whispered, “Can you lend me a napkin?”
“Oh. Sure.” Poking her head back into the bathroom, she hollered out to Helios, “I’ll be right back, President. I just need to get something from my room.”
“Sure – and my name is not President. How many times do I have to tell you that?” he yelled back.
MJ hurried up her floor with a smile on her face.
When she reached her room, she grabbed a few extra pads from her table. On her way out, she bumped into Katya, who had a troubled expression on her face. When Katya saw her, she asked immediately, “Are you okay?”
“I am...why wouldn’t I be?” MJ asked, confused.
Katya looked at her face for one long moment. “You don’t know,” she said finally.
“No. I guess I don’t. What is it?”
Katya slowly handed her phone to MJ. The browser was on a Greek newspaper’s website, and the biggest photo on its homepage was of Helios at some club in Miami in a liplock with a Russian model. “W-what does the article say?” MJ whispered.
“I think you should talk about it with Helios first,” Katya said uneasily. “I don’t think it’s true—”
MJ looked at her friend pleadingly.
Katya exhaled. “It says that Helios has been out partying every night since he retired from bike racing.”
They heard the sound of heavy footsteps headed towards them at the end of Katya’s words. When they looked up, Helios was there, looking like he had run like hell to get to them.
Helios cursed silently when he saw MJ’s pale face. She had heard about it, too, then. He did not blame Katya Vlahos at all for telling her. She was only looking out for her friend, the same way his friends were looking out for him, with Yuri calling him right away the moment he heard about the news breaking out in Greek media.
When he looked at Katya, the other girl asked MJ, “Are you okay if I leave or do you want me here?”
MJ swallowed. “I’m...okay. You can go.” She talked without really hearing herself. It was like she was floating, and everything was happening to another MJ, not her. Just when things were starting to look right, this had to happen. She could almost hear James’ voice inside her head, taunting her. Do you really think you deserve to be happy? You don’t, MJ. You never did.
And James should know. He was a famous racer once. He knew how it felt to be loved by many. MJ didn’t, and maybe she was never meant to because she wasn’t the kind to be loved.
It was only when Helios started shaking her shoulders that she looked up and realized she was already in his arms.
“It’s not true,” Helios said fiercely. “That photo was taken years ago. I have no fucking idea why they’re lying about me all of a sudden, but it’s not true.”
She didn’t, couldn’t answer.
“I’m heading back to Greece tonight to figure out what’s going on. But I promise you, nothing in that stupid article is the truth. I’ve been in the club every night, MJ. I’ve got the CCTV footage to prove it—”