Nothing Burns Like You | 18+ Mafia Romance

24 It's A Game You'll Lose

CLARA ROSSI

Having a post-traumatic stress disorder sucked.

As if life didn't already feel out of control, every little thing triggered me. Thank God my therapist was smart. She taught me coping mechanisms. For the panic attacks, the spiraling thoughts, the irrational guilt. It would take a while to fully recover, but I would get there one day.

The next morning, I went to the nearest community college with Charlotte. We signed up for classes (mostly in business and finance) which would be useful later.

I had a plan. I would not be a victim of my dad's mistakes. Once they caught him and we returned to our lives, I'd repair the damage he created.

It was near five and windy when we finished class. I was laughing at something she said on our way out of the building when I saw Daniel and Niko chit-chatting with two girls.

When we reached them, the women had left already. I could've sworn Daniel looked annoyed, but he wiped any trace of it away in a blink.

"Where's Andrei?" Charlotte asked.

"At work." Niko didn't make eye-contact with her. He was scanning every passing soul over our shoulders. "Daniel and I finished early. Thought we should come by and check out the place..."

Was this the same jokester who laughed anytime at anything? Because right now, he looked like he could beat a guy with a baseball bat and enjoy every second of it. So this was his other side. No wonder Charlotte never had a boyfriend.

Daniel was wearing a black leather jacket. The wind was messing with his dirty gold hair and the sun was making his hazel eyes shine even more. He smiled at me, innocent yet wicked, a contrast that never failed to affect me.

"How was school?"

I rolled my eyes, striding past him to get in the car. Go flirt with those women, prick.

"What's wrong? Did you change your mind about college?" He followed.

"Nope."

"Uh-oh. Did mother nature visit your uterus?"

I almost, almost laughed. He opened the car door for me, that infuriating amusement still on his mouth. The mouth that knew how to steal my air. Even if it was just that one time at the concert. 

"Hey, how come you're not wearing the necklace?" He asked from the front seat as Niko got behind the wheel, and we slid in the back.

Because it was a ridiculously intimate gesture. Or maybe it was just me thinking that. And if I wore it, maybe it would mean too little to him and too much for me. "It didn't match my outfit."

"Oh."

I switched topics. "Are we going to get a third car or what?"

"What do you need a third car for?"

"To eat it. What do you think?" I couldn't believe the sarcastic look he gave me through the rearview mirror. "What? We don't need you two following us like creepy stalkers."

"Be glad I'm letting you go to college." His voice was bitter. "It's already stressing out."

"Be glad? Excuse me?"

"No one can be trusted. Not your professors. Not your classmates. Literally anyone could be a spy, just waiting for us to let our guard down."

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" Niko asked.

"Not even a little bit. Thanks for asking."

"CJ said that statistically no one has ever been killed in the Witness Protection Program," I argued. "Plus, we have to blend in, don't we?"