Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
“Olivia, I…”
Before he could finish his sentence, I was racing out of the crowded restaurant, my skin flushed, and all the passive-aggressive comments he had made during our meal bouncing around my head. I was sick of men right now. First, Ethan had to give me a hard time first thing in the morning, and now Alexander wanted to make thinly veiled comments about how I had used him last night.
When I entered the elevator, I leaned against the cold steel and crossed my arms. I needed a break from everyone. Back in my hotel room, I quickly undressed for a shower. The warm spray did a good job unknotting my muscles. But as I lathered my body with lavender- scented body wash, all I could think of was Alexander’s warm hands roaming my skin last night. I blushed and leaned my head against the cool tile of the shower. How had I let my life get so complicated? I had come to Luceland to catch Chloe, and I’d made little progress on that front. Then, I ate dinner with my boss and ended the night by making out with him.
What the hell had I been thinking?
After I rinsed off and threw on the first clean clothes I could hunt down, I walked out of the bathroom and almost ran into Ava.
“Hey, girl. How was your breakfast?” Ava asked in an annoying, singsongy voice.
“Not great,” I said honestly. “Especially because you didn’t help me out when you saw Ethan forcing me to have breakfast with him.”
“That’s because Richard-“
I cut her off with a sharp look. “It’s fine.”
Ava went a little red, but her gaze lowered to the same marks on my neck that Ethan had noticed. I haven’t had time to cover them with makeup yet.
“Ooo, seems like Alexander got a little possessive last night,” she teased and raised her eyebrows playfully. “Care to share?”
“No,” I said flatly, still hurt by her not helping me out with Ethan. “I have to dry my hair.”
After I was done blow drying my hair, regret for how I treated Ava crept up on me like a fog. Soon, it had enveloped me, and I knew that I needed to make things right between us again. For myself and because I couldn’t move forward in the plan without her.
In the living area, Ava was sitting on the couch with her feet tucked under her, and she was reading a book.
“Listen, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” I said,
She shut her book. I’m sorry I didn’t help out with Ethan.”
Her apology loosened the tightness in my chest. But when I sat down next to her, a lump developed in my throat. “I have something serious to talk to you about.”
Her eyes widened. “Okay…”
I explained to her about what Alexander had revealed to me last night: How Kelly lied about her grandmother and how he had met with Russell’s uncle and if we should meet with him.
When I was finished, it took a minute for Ava to respond. When she collected her thoughts, her answer surprised me.
“Wow, I can’t believe Alexander did that for you and didn’t even want to take credit at first!” she said and gently bumped her shoulder with mine. “Come on, give the guy a chance. He’s handsome, kind, and generous.
“1
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah and he also has the worst mood swings.”
Ava’s face softened. “Is that the only reason that you don’t want to date him?” she asked gently.
I wrung my hands together. “No…” I swallowed thickly. “I’m afraid that I’m just a stepping stone in Alexander’s life. Even if he doesn’t end up with someone like Naomi, that doesn’t mean that he will want to be with me. Everyone in high society would look down at him if he married someone of my low status.” I averted my gaze, and my body flushed. “Every touch, kiss, and moment that I spend with him is like a wonderful dream, but I’m always dreading the time when the alarm clock will ring and I have to wake up from the fantasy.”
“But if you don’t even shoot your shot with Alexander, he might think you’re not interested and move on,” Ava pointed out. “Not trying is even worse than trying and failing.”
She did have a good point, but I shook my head. “A brief moment of heartbreak is better than the pain after falling for someone just for them to end things. I can’t fall in love with Alexander because I know that he will just break my heart. I can’t go through that.” I bit my lip as pain sliced through me. “Not with him.”
Ava let out a frustrated sigh. “Why do you think so much? Why are you so anti-love?”
I stayed silent as her words hung in the air around us. Did she actually not know why? My ex-husband had cheated on me, and now his mistress was trying to ruin my life. After going through that, who wouldn’t be cautious with their heart? Even talking about this with her was hard for me.
Inwardly, I thought about how I should distance myself from Alexander. It would be better for both of us if I did. He deserved someone who was open to falling in love. Not a cynic like me. Alexander needed a woman who was passionate about him.
As if he knew I was thinking about him, my phone lit up with an incoming call from where I had placed it on the coffee table. My stomach swooped when I saw Alexander’s name.
“Uh, hello?” I answered, beyond flustered to be talking to him after the conversation I just had with Ava. If only he knew.
Alexander’s voice was gentle, probably hearing how anxiety-filled my voice sounded. “Why don’t we put a pin in last night for now?” he suggested. “I just talked to Russell’s uncle, and he agreed to meet with you guys today. Does that work for you?”
My shoulders slumped with relief since he had been the one to suggest not to talk about what happened under the oak tree. “Yes,” I said gratefully.
“Would you like me to come with you?”
I paused. Was that smart? I never knew which version of Alexander I was going to get. But it would be smart to bring him with because he already knew Russell’s uncle. Also, I couldn’t lie; his presence did bring me comfort.
“That would be wonderful. We will meet you in the lobby in ten minutes,” I said..
After I explained the situation to Ava, we headed down to the lobby. When we got there, I searched for Alexander, but we were a little early. As I sat in one of the comfortable chairs to wait, my stomach jolted. On the phone, Alexander had said that we didn’t have to talk about last night…yet.
That meant that he wanted to talk about it later.
Great.
DGO
*Olivia*
Just when I had this thought, the elevator doors in front of me slid open, and my mouth dried when I watched Alexander walk out of it. He was wearing the same outfit that he had during breakfast-a white dress shirt and jeans. His dark hair was still slightly damp from a shower. Begrudgingly, I had to admit he was the most handsome man that I had ever seen.
As soon as he stepped into the lobby, his eyes met mine. I couldn’t decipher the deep emotion on his face, but his expression still made me avert my gaze away from his.
Gai was behind him, and she led us to a white van and explained that Alexander had rented the van this weekend in order to transport us all. Richard was in the driver’s seat, and Aiden was next to him in the passenger side.
I climbed into the very backseat, expecting Ava to take the spot beside me on the bench, but she smirked at me, then rearranged her face until she was frowning.
“I get really car sick if I sit in the backseat,” my friend said.
“Alexander, will you sit in the back with Olivia? I’ll get sick riding back there.”.
I glared at her as Alexander jumped at the chance to sit next to me.
“Since when do you get car sick?” Aiden asked as he turned to look at his sister.
She swatted him on the back of his head. “Since always,” she snapped.
Alexander sat right next to me, and my stomach jolted when the side of his warm body pressed against mine. I almost moaned out loud when he lightly put his hand on my knee. He leaned in close and put his lips beside my ear.
“If you get dizzy back here, you can always lean on my shoulder,” he murmured.
I wasn’t in the mood for his filtration after being abandoned by my best friend. I raised my chin and turned away from him. “I don’t get car sick like Ava,” I said shortly.
He gently bumped his shoulder with mine, and I hated the way it sent an electric shock through me. “It’s okay to show a little weakness every once in a while.”
“Maybe you should take your own advice,” I muttered and crossed my arms.
Before Richard started the car, Ava whispered something in his ear. He nodded, and then when he started the car, he looked back at Alexander and me, then deliberately swerved around the fountain near the hotel’s entrance. This caused me to fall to the side, straight into Alexander’s warm embrace. His arms circled around me protectively so I wouldn’t fall forward.
