Under the spotlight

chapter 48: Love

The next day we all woke up ready to go around the city. During dinner I had promised to show them everything and tell them a lot of stories about the places we were going to visit. Grandpa had ended up falling too hard for Nikolai when it came down to their cards and Granny had loved to hear Dominique playing the piano for everyone. And Sebastian, well let's just say that he was a little bit more shy than the other two. Which left us together, cuddling while the other tried really hard to impress my Grannies.

The first stop we made were my favorite shops. There we got to meet people that I had forgotten existed. At first it was weird, all they kept saying was how different I looked and how professional I seemed. We had our fair amount of stares, and I couldn't expect any less from people here. I walked around surrounded by three gorgeous men that were strangers to everybody. It was worth the stare from everybody.

Around lunch time we decided to go to the nearest mall. We wanted to eat something and that seemed like the best place to go. Oh boy was that a bad idea. As soon as we were on the food patio I realized I knew most people. Vancouver was big, but this was the most visited mall. Most people my age probably went there. so when I started to see familiar faces, it was inevitable to feel all flustrated.

We sat down at one table, one at the very corner, but people had already seen me. Some were staring, others murmured, all in all, I felt very watched. My knee had been bouncing, as usual when I was anxious, but Nikolai had put his hand on it and was lightly brushing his thumb over it. With his other hand he grabbed my chin and made me look at him.

"Focus on me, on you, not on them, okay little one?" His eyebrow arched and I simply nodded, incapable of forming coherent words. "Do you want to leave? We can eat anywhere else,"

"No," I said very surely, I didn't want us to leave. "I'm okay," I swallowed and smiled like I could.

The guys exchanged looks with each other but then nodded and dropped it. Without saying anything else we made our way through the different food shops and grabbed the food we wanted. We settled down with our burgers and fries and started eating. For a moment I had been so distracted that I forgot all about the people around us. But, like everything good, the moment ended with two girls approaching us. I could recognize them from my high school but I had never spoken to them in my life.

They stared at us for a moment with fake smiles. I knew they were waiting for me to introduce them with the guys, but I was going to start laughing if they actually thought I would. I shook my head annoyingly at them, waiting for them to say something, anything. One of them, with thick brown hair and a pink shirt, cleared her throat and smiled even wider.

"Hi! We went to high school together," She said and held her hand up for me. "I'm sorry I don't remember your name, Abigail?"

"Agnes,"

"Right! The girl with the dead parents wasn't it?" Her words cut sharp like a knife.

I sucked in air trying not to let my anger show but my expression stayed in a constant poker face. I knew the guys probably looked furious. Calmly I fisted my hands under the table and didn't answer. The girl retrieved her hand, realizing she had gone too far. The one to her side elbowed her on the arm and the brunette shrugged with an uncomfortable expression.

"Well, glad you are around," The other one said, then glanced at the boys and flashed a cocky smile that made me want to rip her throat.

And just like they had come they left. Under the table, Nikolai was grabbing my fisted hand in a soft manner. I found myself calming at his soothing touch. I didn't know why those girls had made me feel so jealous, but I didn't like it, not one bit.