Chapter 921

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Rika

~~n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

I can’t believe that I was doing this. I can’t believe that I was sneaking away and going on a date with Clovio out of the blue like this. It was so exciting, so fun. And it was also more than a little scary. If we weren’t back in time for Lucas and Westin to pick us up, then I would be in so much trouble. I didn’t care though. I wanted to do this. I wanted to have some fun with Clovio. And I wanted to kiss him again.

I couldn’t contain the smile as we left the fountain behind us. I could feel the heat in my palm as Clovio held my hand while we ran away from the campus toward the parking lot.

“Where did you park today, Rika?” he called out to me in a slightly winded, yet very excited voice. I could practically feel the excitement that was coursing through him.

“I..I was dropped off today. M..my parents are strict and overprotective. S..so my dad drove me today.”

.....

“What about you, Lyssa.” Warrick called back to her, turning to look at her more than the path ahead of him.

“The same. My parents are not as strict, but they drove me and my siblings today.” She looked embarrassed. I didn’t blame her. I had been completely mortified to tell Clovio that my dad had driven me to school today. What was I, a fucking baby in kindergarten? This was bullshit. I was an adult. I was supposed to be doing what I wanted. I was supposed to be having a life of my own. I didn’t want to have all of this drama and shit that was delaying my life. I wanted to be me. Why couldn’t they understand that? Why did they insist on treating me like a little girl?

“Rika?” Clovio was calling out to me in an attempt to get my attention. “Is everything OK?” He looked worried about me. It was a look that almost perfectly matched the one that Warrick had given to Lyssa earlier. I knew that he cared for me. I could see it there in his eyes.

“U...uhm, yes. I am fine. Sorry, I was just lost in thought.” I smiled at him. “My parents are being jerks to me right now, that is all.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t know about that. However, there were people at the orphanage that acted parentally toward us. They often did not agree with us on the things that we wanted, so I can guess at what it is that you are feeling at the moment.” He was smiling and acting like it was nothing at all, but I can’t believe that I just did that. I made him feel like nothing normal at all. He is an orphan. He doesn’t have parents. And here I am acting like they are the worst thing in the world. He probably grew up wanting nothing more than to have parents.

I wanted to sigh. I wanted to make things better for him. Hell, I wanted to take him to the castle and show him how awesome my parents could usually be. I just knew that my parents would love him. He was such an amazing guy. And, well, if he and I are truly meant to be, then I would end up taking him there eventually, right?

I didn’t know if we should go there anytime soon, but I wanted to take him there eventually. I wanted him to know who and what I really was. If he and I were meant to be, then he would find out in the end.

While I was lost in thought once again, Clovio and Warrick started to take us away from the school in a different direction. We weren’t going by car, so there was less that we could do now, but I didn’t care. As long as I was with Clovio that was all that mattered to me. I just wanted to know that we were together. I felt like I was falling in love with him. He was just so perfect all the time.

“Are you hungry?” Warrick asked when we slowed down and looked toward the city around us. “We can take a cab and go to a restaurant.”

“Cabs are expensive, Warrick.” Clovio reminded him as he thought about how much this day was going to cost us.

“No worries, I am paying for today.” I smiled at him.

“I cannot let you do that.” Clovio’s eyes went wide with shock as he heard what I had just said. It looked like the very idea was something foul to him.

“I insist.” I waved away his manly way of thinking. “I am not limited on my spending like you. I have my own money and my parents are actually generous when it comes to letting me have money whenever I need it.” No need to tell him that my parents are the richest people in the world. And Lyssa’s were, of course, second on that list. We could cover all the dates that we went on with these men and it wouldn’t be an issue to us at all.

“I don’t think that it is right though. We should pay. That is how it is supposed to be.” Clovio looked conflicted.

“This is the modern world, Clovio, we’re able to pay as well. That’s just how it is. Plus, you need to be wise with your budget. And it was us that wanted to go out, so it is us that should be paying. I am paying for everything today and that is final.” I put my hands on my hips and set my shoulders. I was showing him that I was determined to have my way here and that he was not going to change my mind at all.

“Hahh. I cannot win against you, can I, Rika?” He smiled and finally relented.

“Nope, you can’t.” I smiled at him while I had to almost physically restrain myself from pumping my fist in the air. I won the little argument. This is the best. It’s like we’re in a real relationship. “Just accept it now, Clovio, I am very stubborn. Now come on, I want to eat at Franny’s.”

“I’ve noticed the stubbornness.” He said as he took my hand. “But who is Franny?”

Franny was this old lady that ran a restaurant. Now her grandkids run it since she died some time ago. My mom loves this place and has been coming here since she was my age.” I was pulling him toward the diner as I spoke. I had already eaten breakfast, but I was hungry again for some reason. Maybe it was just the thought of good food, or maybe it was the prospect of going on a date with Clovio, whatever it was though, I was hungry and happy.

We sat down in Franny’s about ten minutes later. I made sure that I didn’t take the table that I usually sat in with my family. I was going to the restaurant that I went to with my family, but I drew the line at sitting at the family table.

“Rika? It’s nice to see you.” The waiter that was usually here when we came in for a spontaneous meal walked over to the table. “How are your parents doing?”

“Oh, hi Ewan. They are good.” I smiled back at him. “They are at home. I am here on a.. on a date.” I turned to look at Clovio so that he could confirm this for me.

“Our second date.” He took my hand and squeezed it gently.

“Oh, that’s nice. And I see that it’s a double date. How are you today, Alyssa?” This was the bad thing about coming here. I should have chosen a different place to go. My parents weren’t going to be happy when they found out about this from Ewan the next time that we came here.

“I am fine.” Lyssa nodded at him. “This is my boyfriend, Warrick.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Warrick.” Ewan shook his hand. “I am Ewan, grandson to the late and great Franny that opened this restaurant. I have not seen you two gentlemen here before, so I do hope that you enjoy the food.”

“Thank you.” Clovio nodded at him. “I am sure that it is going to be amazing. My name is Clovio, and it is good to meet you Mr. Ewan.”

“Ha ha ha, he’s a polite one, Rika. That is good. But you don’t need to be so formal with me. Ewan will be fine.”

“Of course.” Clovio nodded at him. Following that little exchange, we looked at the menus and ordered some food. I chose to get some pancakes and bacon with a cinnamon de leche latte. It was something that I only ever got here because they made them so good. And I loved it. Lyssa got a breakfast sandwich and a fruit smoothie. Both Clovio and Warrick got the full breakfast sampler. It came with a smaller portion of almost everything on their breakfast menu. And it was a lot of food. They also got sodas to drink. They were just like the men in our pack and it was kind of funny. If they were just to eat with my family and the others in the pack, they would fit in just fine. No one would ever think that they weren’t wolves with how much they were planning on eating. Maybe it wasn’t just a shifter thing. Maybe it was just a man thing.

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