Chapter 6
“Olivia?”
I freeze, my hand tightening automatically around Alexander’s scarf, still draped around my neck. My heart sinks as I recognize the voice. Taking a deep breath, I turn around, schooling my expression into a mask of indifference.
Seeing my cousin sashay towards me, her eyes gleaming, I know exactly why she’s tripping over herself to reach me.
She wants to rub her victory in my face.
The way the bright blue gaze of her contacts fixes on me makes me brace my shoulders.
Her impossibly perfect blonde hair bounces with each step as she pulls Chase along beside her.
Chase hasn’t changed much in the year since I’ve seen him—still boyishly handsome with that perfect wave in his light brown hair. His pale blue eyes dart nervously around, looking anywhere but at me.
I steel myself for the tidal wave of emotions I’ve been dreading, but it doesn’t come. Instead, there’s just a dull ache, like pressing on an old bruise. Ten years of my life spent with this man, and all I feel now is a vague sense of nostalgia mixed with hurt.
“Hey,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady.
Amber smiles, her eyes glinting. “I didn’t know you were back in town. I thought you weren’t coming home this Christmas.”
“I just got in this morning,” I reply calmly.
“Oh,” Amber says. “I thought you might have been avoiding the two of us, now that you know...” She deliberately pauses, then glances up at Chase with a giggle, pressing her chest against his arm.
From inside the jewelry store behind us, “Jingle Bell Rock” blasts out as the door opens, a cheerful customer exiting with a small bag. The music fades as the door swings shut, but the jaunty tune sticks in my head, a ridiculous counterpoint to this awkward standoff.
Chase shifts uncomfortably. “How have you been, Olivia?”
Before I can respond, Amber hits him lightly in the chest and whispers loudly, “Why would you ask her that? That’s so insensitive.” She looks at me, shaking her head in a manner that’s probably meant to be sympathetic but comes off as a little gleeful. “Are you doing okay?”
I know exactly what she’s doing, so I muster up my most charming smile—the one I use on Alexander when he’s being a pain in the ass in the office. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I see a flicker of annoyance in Amber’s eyes.
“Well, I know it must be hard to see me and Chase together.” Amber says loudly, dropping all pretenses, “You don’t have to pretend to be strong.
This is the first time you’re single over the holidays and Christmas at that.
I know you have to be a little embarrassed.
I mean, come on. Coming back home, after being dumped—”
Then, I hear Alexander’s voice. “Who’s single?”
He comes up behind me, his presence warm and solid as he stands at my side. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” The warm pressure of Alexander’s hand at the small of my back sends a wave of relief through me. His presence is like a shield, solid and protective, as he stands beside me.
“Not at all,” I reply, leaning into him slightly. “Alexander, this is my cousin Amber and her boyfriend Chase.” I smile at Amber, showing teeth. “This is Alexander, my boyfriend.” I want to say ‘my super rich boyfriend,’ but that might come off as a little too petty.
Chase stiffens immediately, his eyes widening as they dart from me to Alexander. Amber’s expression shifts from smug satisfaction to disbelief, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ of surprise.
“Boyfriend?” she repeats, not even trying to hide her annoyance. “Your parents never mentioned you’d found someone.”
“That’s why I brought him home,” I say sweetly. “To introduce him to my family.”
Amber’s eyes narrow. “You sure moved on fast.”
“When I found out Olivia was single,” Alexander starts, smiling at me so warmly that I have to struggle not to check his temperature to see if he’s okay, his voice a perfect blend of confidence and affection, “I didn’t waste any time making my move.”
The implication makes my breath catch—that he’s been waiting, watching, wanting me for far longer. I know it’s all for show. I do. But when he looks at me like this, I have difficulty remembering what we’re doing.
I’ve always been attracted to Alexander, but his cold demeanor and sharp tongue that’s known to cause permanent whiplash has made it easy to not progress beyond the initial crush. Alexander has always been married to his work, and he’s never so much as spared me a second glance.
So for him to act like this, behave in front of my parents like a doting lover, touch me so easily, kiss me like I’ve always been his, it makes my heart tighten in unease. Was he always this good of an actor? Have I misunderstood him this whole time?
My head tells me to not forget that this is all part of agreement. But my heart wonders. It wants.
Amber’s gaze flicks over Alexander dismissively. “And what do you do for a living?” she asks rudely.
My blood boils at her tone. I open my mouth to say something nasty, but Alexander’s arm slides around my waist, pulling me closer to him.
“I’m Alexander Castellano,” he says, his tone pleasant but with an undercurrent of steel. “I run Castellano Group—real estate development, investments, technology.”
Recognition flashes in Chase’s eyes. “Wait—Castellano Group? Isn’t that where you work, Olivia?” He turns to me, then back to Alexander, his expression shifting from confusion to shock. “He’s your boss?”
“The very same,” Alexander confirms.
Chase’s face darkens, a flush creeping up his neck. “So that’s why you never wanted to come home,” he says, his voice rising. “You were too busy cheating on me with your boss. I always knew there was someone else!” A few passersby slow down, openly staring at the drama unfolding on the sidewalk.
Of all the ridiculous…
I straighten my spine, meeting Chase’s gaze with a cool, level stare that I’ve perfected in countless boardroom confrontations.
“Unlike some people,” I say, my voice soft but razor-sharp, “I understand what loyalty means. Alexander and I got together after you decided my cousin was a better option, a month after you and I ended things.” I brush an imaginary piece of lint from my sleeve.
“Some of us don’t need to test-drive someone new while we’re still committed to someone else.
Don’t assume everyone is a walking, talking garbage dump just because you are. ”
Chase’s face turns an angry red all the way to the tips of his ears. His mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water as he struggles to form a coherent response. Amber gasps, her perfectly manicured hand flying to her chest in outrage, her expression a mixture of humiliation and fury.
“How dare you—” she starts, her voice rising to a pitch that could shatter glass.
I cut her off with a serene smile. “It’s fine, Amber. Really.” I tilt my head slightly, the picture of magnanimity. “If Chase hadn’t cheated on me, I wouldn’t have gotten together with Alexander. Honestly, I’ve been happier in these past few months than the last ten years. So thank you.”
Amber stands there, sputtering, as Chase’s eyes narrow, hurt evident in them. “What the fuck is that supposed to—”
Ignoring him, I turn to Alexander. “We should go. We don’t want Sophie to catch the bus home.”
“Of course,” he agrees without hesitation. His gaze shifts back to Chase and Amber, his expression cooling several degrees while maintaining perfect politeness. “It was... nice... meeting you both.” The slight pauses speak volumes, and I have to press my lips together to stifle a laugh.
I don’t even bother saying goodbye, just brushing past Chase, my head held high. Neither of us speaks until we’re a good block down the street, well out of earshot. Only then do I let out the long breath I’ve been holding, my shoulders dropping as tension drains away.
“Thank god that’s over and done with,” I murmur, relief washing over me. “I’ve been dreading that first meeting for weeks.”
Alexander studies me, his gray eyes searching my face. “Are you alright?”
The genuine concern in his voice catches me off guard.
I look up at him and give him a wan smile.
“Not completely. But I’ll get there. Seeing them together was just…
” I trail off, unable to form the words.
Finally, I murmur, “I’m glad you talked me into this.
I don’t think I would have been able to face them alone. ”
“It’s not over yet,” he reminds me, his voice low.
“I know,” I nod, “but the roughest part is over. The first run-in. Everything else I can handle.”
“And the proposal?” he prods. My chest tightens, and I look ahead. One minute I think I’m fine, and the other this wave of emotion drowns me.
“I just have to bear this till we go back.” I meet his gaze, my smile tense. “And then it’s over. I’ll get through this. You’re here. I’ll be fine.”
“You have a lot of faith in me, Olivia,” Alexander pushes a strand of my hair out of my eyes, and my heart stutters.
“Maybe it comes from working by your side for so long,” I say weakly. “Either way, the fact it’s you here and not someone else is oddly reassuring.”
He just gives me a slow smile and offers me his arm. After a moment, I take it. The stage has been set. Now I have to make sure I play the part well.
We make our way to the high school, the afternoon air growing chillier as the sun slides lower in the sky. Students are already pouring out the front doors when we arrive. Sophie emerges from the crowd, and my heart swells at the sight of her.
My little sister isn’t so little anymore. She’s all long limbs and attitude in her oversized flannel and ripped jeans, her dark hair falling in waves past her shoulders. She’s laughing with another girl, completely oblivious to our presence, and for a moment I just drink in the sight of her.
“Sophie!” I call out, waving.
She looks up, eyes scanning the crowd, and then her whole face transforms. “OLIVIA!”