Alexei (Chicago Blaze 5)

“So that was a pretty short convo then, huh? About ten seconds?” I say, my tone clipped and accusing.

Graysen’s eyes soften. “I asked him about you, Alexei. I didn’t tell him anything, but I did ask him some questions.”

“Why the fuck would you need to do that? I’m right here. Just ask me.”

“Another perspective never hurts.”

I stand up, frustration coursing through my veins. “This is bullshit. All of it.”

“Why? Sit down and tell me how you’re feeling.”

“I feel the same whether I’m sitting or standing. And that’s pissed as fuck. You know how it is between Anton and me. I told you in the beginning. He thinks I’m a massive screw up. Thinks he’s better than me.”

I head for the door, feeling like I’ve been blindsided.

“Alexei, don’t go. I think—”

I turn on her. “You’ve got me all figured out then, huh? Did Anton tell you I’m an ungrateful prick? That I don’t appreciate our parents’ sacrifices?”

“No.”

“Bullshit.”

“Will you please sit back down?”

Before she revealed she’s spoken with Anton, I would have. When it’s just me and Graysen, I’ve started feeling like I’m talking to a friend. And the way she opened up to me just now—even a little bit—added to those feelings.

But then she stabbed me in the back. No one’s ever judged me the way Anton does. I love my brother, but the thought of him coming here to lecture me makes me want to drink more than anything has since I got here.

So I leave before I say anything to Graysen I may regret later. I probably just trashed all the progress I’ve made in her eyes, but I have to be alone right now.

I walk to the Beckett Center’s swank gym and hit the track, still not able to run at full strength due to my hip, but in need of a release. It’ll take a lot of laps to calm my anger, but that’s okay. It’s not like I have anything else to do.9GraysenI groan and set my phone on the kitchen counter, pushing it out of my line of sight.

“What?” Amelia asks me, looking up from her bowl of ramen.

I hope that handbag she’s saving for is worth dying of high blood pressure. She’s been on an all-ramen-all-the-time dinner diet for weeks now.

“Jake keeps asking me to get together.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of the idea with online dating. Did you just want to exchange messages for the next twenty years?”

“I don’t know.” I sit down across from her and reach into the deli bag I brought home with a sandwich and a cup of soup inside for dinner. “I just really don’t want to go on a date.”

“Why not? From the messages you’ve shown me, he sounds pretty great.”

I glare at her as I pull the plastic lid off my cup of soup. “Exactly. Doesn’t everyone? Hey, I’m Jake and I love kids, dogs and hiking. Check out my attractive photos and by the way, let’s get together so you can find out my real name’s Jeffrey Dahmer and I want to wear your skin after I cut it from your dead body.”

“Oh my gosh. You did not just say that.” Amelia rolls her eyes. “You need this ramen more than I do. You’ve got a raging case of PMS.”

“I’m not PMSing,” I snap.

“Are too. We’ve synced up cycles, remember?”

I ignore her, biting into my pastrami melt. Sometimes it’s a pain in the ass that she knows me so well. Setting my sandwich down, I busy myself emptying the contents of my bag.

“Just meet up for coffee or something,” Amelia says.

“Why the hell do they give me two sets of cutlery and two mints every time I order a full size sandwich and a cup of soup?” I rant. “Like that’s really so much food it has to be for two people?”

“I feel ya, girl. Sometimes a bitch is hangry.”

“Fuck them. I’m never going there again.”

“Ohmygod, Graysen,” Amelia says, laughing. “Will you just tell me what’s wrong? You’re never this pissed off.”

I take another bite of my sandwich, stewing over my feelings.

“I had a bad day,” I finally say.

“Yeah…?” Amelia gives me an expectant look.

“A patient who’s been making great progress stormed out of his session this morning.”

“The hot one or the married one?”

I regret telling her I found one of my patients attractive. Since she knows I have two men and two women, Amelia can figure out things with Alexei pretty easily now.

“The hot one.”

“That happens, though. Sometimes expressing anger is progress.”

I sigh. “He was angry at me, though.”

“Did you deserve it?”

I shake my head. “All I did was talk to one of his family members.”

“Sounds like he’s just a hothead.”

“Not usually, but today he was.”

“He’ll be back tomorrow.”

I nod, about to take another bite of my sandwich before setting it down instead.

“My mom called me this afternoon,” I say softly.