Arranged To Be|18+✔️

'27

Walking the beach with Czar was the most stressful thing ever. He kept complaining about the sand getting between his toes and how hard it made it to walk. Every time I turned my head, he was trying to push me into the water, which had gotten colder since the sun had gone down.

"Knock it off," I said, kicking sand at him after his tenth attempt to shove me into the ocean.

"It's just a little water," Czar said innocently.

I rolled my eyes and turned my gaze back to the horizon. "It's beautiful here."

"Mhm," he murmured, right before pushing me square in the back.

I let out a loud yelp as I toppled into the ice-cold water. I splashed around, panicked. "My hair!" I cried out.

Salt water was the enemy of my curls. It would take days to fix this.

Czar, still laughing, pulled me out with ease. I stood there soaked, shivering.

"That wasn't funny," I grumbled.

He was still laughing, but to his credit, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around me. We started heading back to the hotel, the sand sticking to my legs and the cold air nipping at my skin.

"So," Czar said, breaking the silence. "What made you want to be a fashion designer?"

I glanced at him. "When I was maybe nine or ten, my mom bought me a sewing machine. She caught me doodling dress designs in my notebooks and wanted me to chase that dream. Been chasing it ever since."

Czar chuckled. "When I was ten, I got my first gun."

I turned to look at him, startled.

He raised a brow. "Don't worry. My parents didn't let me use it until I was twelve."

I laughed softly, then pulled the jacket tighter around me.

"Sorry about pushing you in the water," he said.

"It's fine."

He paused. "I'm sorry that you're in this mess too. Maybe when this is over, you'll find someone who really cares about you."

His Russian accent was thicker than usual. He didn't meet my eyes.

"And maybe you'll find a nice girl who got her first gun at nine," I teased.

He let out a small laugh, but didn't say anything else.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I was trembling from head to toe. Czar hit the elevator button and we stepped in together, the warmth slowly thawing out my frozen limbs.

When we reached our room, I didn't hesitate to grab my things and head straight into the bathroom. The shower was hot and cleansing, but washing my hair again was exhausting. The salty water made it dry and tangled.

After blow-drying  it, detangling, and pulling it into a loose bun, I changed into a plain white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. I brushed my teeth, took a deep breath, and stepped back out.

Czar was lying on the bed, scrolling through his phone with furrowed brows.

"Any updates?" I asked.

"No. Just checking in with Anderi. Making sure everything's okay back home."

I sat at the edge of the bed. "I miss Lada."

"I'm sure she misses you too," he replied, locking his phone and setting it on the dresser.

I laid back on the bed with a long exhale. Suddenly, I felt the mattress dip beside me. I opened my eyes and turned, Czar was lying next to me, his face close. His blue eyes burned into mine.

"What are—"

He pressed a finger to my lips. "Shh. I just want to look at you for a while."

So we stayed like that. Just staring. The silence was oddly comforting. No yelling. No tension. Just... us.

Then, slowly, he leaned in. His eyes flicked to my lips. I closed the space and kissed him.

It was hot, desperate. Our hands roamed, our bodies tangled. Before I knew it, he was on top of me. The kiss deepened, wild and consuming. I reached for his shirt, pulling it up—

But he suddenly pulled away.

"We can't," he panted. "I-I can't."

He ran his hands through his hair and stood.

"Don't go," I said quietly.

But he didn't respond. He walked out, closing the door behind him.

~*~

Here it is! The long awaited updates (which I am so sorry, college applications have consumed me.) I hoped you enjoyed this chapter even though it was kind of short, I'm working out my schedule and I am hoping to update more. Don't forget to like, comment, and vote. Until next time my lovelies.