Nikolai’s world crumbled the day he met her. Everything he had known about himself, love, friendship, and everything else his parents had taught him, meant nothing now. His parents’ principles? Tossed out like a broken glass. The way he had to dress, talk, and behave in public? Gone in one ear and right out the other. But there were a few things she couldn’t change, pains she couldn’t soothe. Not after years of believing something was wrong with him. That he had to be abnormal and broken, otherwise why would his parents tell him those words over and over again during his whole teenage years? No matter how much they had told him, emphasized that they loved him, some words would always have the same effect as a sharp knife through his heart.

Evie had dropped a bomb in his life, and he couldn’t be more grateful to her.

The day they met, the room could have been on fire and Nikolai wouldn’t have cared. Eyes fixed on her, sitting only a few tables across from him, the beauty of her smile and the warm aura she had given off had transfixed him. Later in the evening when he had finally found the courage to introduce himself to her, or rather after his dad had 'advised' him to dance with his friend's daughter, he had wished to be anywhere else but here in front of a girl who had taken his breath away. Or maybe Nikolai couldn't breathe because of his tie. The only word that had left his mouth was a quick hello before walking back to his table, head low and face red thanks to the people behind him, laughing.

Shyness had and always will be his greatest flaw.

But Evie hadn’t minded the shyness, had told him it made him look cuter than what he already was. Heat had spread to his face and neck, and, unable to utter a word, Nikolai had taken her hand in his, oh so gentle, and dragged her to the dance floor. Not because his father had told him to. Not because it was what everyone expected from him. But because Nikolai wanted to dance with her.

Even though Nikolai was a horrible dancer, he wanted to stay close to her, as much as she would allow him. He wanted to learn more about her, spend this boring wedding with her. And maybe, when time would come for him to follow his parents back home, maybe Nikolai could consider her a friend.