Chapter 244: Can’t Help But Love You, Even Though I Try Not To

[FROLO]

"You’re not leaving unless you tell me what’s wrong," Sergei said, and Katya almost facepalmed.

How could he tell Sergei that he was the problem? That in a bid to forget this man, Katya had tried everything and still failed?

That every look from Sergei had him feeling some type of way, and now he was trapped with the man in a bathroom because Sergei didn’t want to let him leave?

"Nothing is wrong. You may be used to fixing things, but there’s nothing to fix here," Katya rambled, biting his lip nervously.

And Sergei stared.

At Katya’s face.

At the lip between his teeth.

"Solnyshka—"

"Get over yourself. I have to leave. My boyfriend is waiting for me," Katya said determinedly.

However, this time, the distance that Sergei had been keeping... closed real fast.

"Your boyfriend, huh?" the alpha asked, a slow smirk playing on his lips like this was one of the things he didn’t think he’d be doing on such a day.

"You have a date, don’t you?" Katya bit back defensively.

"Moy... Moy Solnyshka..." Sergei breathed when Katya’s back hit the sink, much to the omega’s dismay.

When had he even made the turn to the sink?

Gods, he was screwed.

"What do you want, Sergei?" Katya said, and the alpha stepped back just to laugh at Katya, their eyes never leaving each other.

"Sergei?"

"That’s your name, is it not?" Katya grumbled as he fixed his tie and stepped from the sink.

He was eyeing the last stall on the row, the one next to the wall, because he was sure that once he got there, there was no other option than Sergei leaving him be.

And it was a good plan even as he intentionally stepped back.

"You’re jealous, little wolf," Sergei said as he kept laughing.

And Katya seemed to short-circuit at the new name because he wasn’t even sure what he was doing anymore.

"In your dreams. Not everyone swoons for you," Katya said, before he realized how much the conversation had shifted.

When the fuck had he gone from being professional coworkers with Sergei Moskowsky to talking to the man like they’d known each other for the longest time?

Oh, his mind was tripping.

His mouth, perhaps, because this was a whole lot of unexplainable trouble he was getting himself into. How was he to even look at this man again when they saw each other at work tomorrow?

Katya wanted to die. Disappear and never be seen again.

What had he gotten himself into?

"Talk to me, or we’re both not leaving... And you’ll have to explain to your boyfriend why you took so long in here," Sergei said, not stepping back.

Katya had thought the little pause meant he was finally leaving, but this man wasn’t even moving.

"Don’t come any closer," Katya warned.

Sergei didn’t listen, and closed the distance between them in three steps, sending Katya’s good plan of hiding in the stall right out the window.

"She’s not my date... I promise, Solnyshka," Sergei said quietly, lifting Katya’s chin so the omega was looking at him again.

"I don’t care. I’m glad she’s good company for you on this day," Katya said, his tone going back to the same professional tone he’d been giving Sergei the past three weeks.

And of course, Sergei noticed.

"Don’t do that," Sergei said, almost pleading.

"You’re in my space..."

"Don’t talk to me like you don’t know I love you, Solnyshka," Sergei said, and Katya’s world went quiet.

He didn’t trust himself to make a sound.

And as if on cue, his tear glands let go.

Damn.

"You’re crying, Solnyshka," Sergei said, lifting his thumb to wipe a tear from Katya’s face.

It was so gentle, so light. It shouldn’t have meant anything.

But when Katya closed his eyes...

When Katya breathed with his mouth, his lips were trembling instead...

When he pleaded with Sergei...

"Don’t, Vladimir... please don’t," Katya breathed desperately.

Sergei knew.

"I splashed water on my face earlier," Katya said, his beautiful black eyes looking right back at Sergei’s fierce ones.

The tension was insane even as Sergei’s thumb lingered on Katya’s cheek, staying so close to the omega’s lips. Self-control was definitely a need in that moment.

"I didn’t come with her... I... I came to the venue early from the cemetery. I was waiting for you. Then you walked in with Alek, and I figured I’d keep my distance.

"I only came down to the middle to mingle because you were there, Solnyshka. I wanted to tell you I came for you," Sergei said, his eyes still holding Katya’s.

"It’s not my business what you do with her," Katya sniffled.

"Something tells me you feel the way I feel, Moy lyubim," Sergei whispered, his eyes skimming from Katya’s eyes and down his face before they settled on Katya’s lips.

"Ngh..." Katya let out softly, Sergei’s hold on his jaw keeping him steady.

If the alpha let go, Katya would probably melt into a puddle.

"I love Alek," Katya forced out.

"That’s cute, little wolf," Sergei said as his left hand fixed Katya’s hair, while his right thumb played a little closer to Katya’s lips.

And Katya bit his lower lip nervously.

"You keep biting that lip, Solnyshka, and I’ll—" Sergei began only for his phone to ring, snapping them both out of their trance.

"Saved by the bell, Moy lyubim," Sergei said amusedly, fixing Katya’s collar, his hand lingering a little longer than usual, as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

Katya used that as his chance to escape. Running toward the door and into the hallway.

He hunched over, catching his breath in the hallway, only for his boyfriend’s voice to have him let out a screech.

"Little rose? You okay?"

Before Katya could answer him, the door opened, and through it came Sergei.

Unlike all the other times he’d been courteous around Alek, the look on Sergei’s face was different.

"Hello, Senator," Sergei smiled before adding, "See you in the ballroom, Solnyshka."

He said it while looking into Alek’s eyes.

Katya didn’t even respond before Sergei was gone.

And Alek knew something had happened because Sergei Moskowsky had just indirectly challenged him for his omega.

What the fuck?

As if that wasn’t enough, Alek rushed to where Katya was hunched over and helped his boyfriend up. It was a harmless decision, a routine that anyone would fall into.

But when Alek pulled Katya into a hug to steady the omega...

He smelled it.

Sergei’s scent was in the one place that Katya would never have thought to look.

It was faint enough not to be noticed by anyone but targeted enough for Alek to know that this was intentional. Because for the first time in the two years he had been a part of Katya and Sergei’s life, Sergei had left his scent.

He had left it in the one place that only an alpha could tell.

It was deliberate.

Alek knew he was right.

The alpha must have done something to shake his omega.

Even worse, maybe he had confessed to Katya, which was why Katya had bolted... right?

"I don’t feel too good," Katya said, his legs shaking.