We both freeze at the sound of Jordan’s voice. My eyes widen comically, and when I roll on my back and sink into the snow, I jerk my chin as a form of greeting. “Wanna join?”
Jordan lifts his hands, a Red Bull in his right one. “I’m good here.” He looks back and forth between us, his eyebrows high with uncertainty. Aside from that, I can’t really read his expression, and that frustrates the shit out of me. Is he mad? Amused? Happy? The fucker is way harder to read than his sister.
“Jordy,” Alara grumbles, trying to distract her brother from the fact that I was practically lying on top of her in broad daylight. You can’t blame me for being a total idiot around her. I can’t think properly. “Why are you drinking a Red Bull? It’s, like, ten in the morning.”
“No sleep,” he replies, before shifting the can to his left hand to give his right one to Alara to hold on to. He pulls her up, then helps me up as well. “I’ve got an insane workload at the moment. My PA is sick.”
Alara is dusting off her ass as her brows pull together. “Oh, that sucks. You can give me access to your socials, if you want. I’m happy to help.”
The fact she didn’t even think twice before offering her help is so alluring. Her selflessness is most definitely my favorite thing about her.
“Are you sure? You’re already busy with everything else.”
“I don’t mind.” There it is, the dazzling smile that flips my world on its axis. “Really. I love the work I do for Rock Snow, so I’m happy to do it for you too.”
Jordan’s phone rings. He throws his head back, groans, takes a long sip of his energy drink, and says, “Fuckin’ won’t stop ringing. Alright, let’s meet up later and we can go over what you can do for me.” He’s already walking toward the store when he yells over his shoulder. “Thanks, Al!”
I’m mostly done with wiping the snow off my clothes, so I help Alara by brushing my hands over her hair after making sure Jordan is out of sight. “I hope you don’t get sick,” I mumble.
“I’ll be okay.”
If she keeps looking at me like this – tenderly, adoringly – I might sayfuck itto all our rules and kiss her right here, right now. I’m aware no one really comes out here, but the office has a view over the backyard, and I’d bet everything that Joe is looking out at us.
Part of me wants to walk up to him and tell him I only have good intentions regarding his daughter, and the other part of me knows it’s something peopleonlydo when they’re in relationships. Besides, Joe knows that I’m a good, correct, and respectful man.
“So, I’ve been doing a bit of thinking,” I inform her, putting my fingers on either side of her neck. She squeals and pries my hands off.
“Sounds dangerous. Did your head hurt? Did you need a few hours of rest after making your brain work?”
“You have no idea. I was exhausted,” I deadpan. “No, but seriously. You’re really talented at what you’re doing with thecontent creation and social media management, so I think you should look into pursuing a master’s in social media marketing.”
“You really think it’s something for me?” She tilts her head.
Her unknown future is something that obviously dims her light, so I’ll do anything to help her. I want to see her shine the way she brightly and openly does it when she’s happy. “Positive. Look, what you’re doing for Rock Snow, and now Jordan’s line? You love it so much. Why not just continue down this path?”
Studying my face for a beat, she stays silent before nodding. There’s a flicker of surprise in her eyes, as if she wasn’t expecting me to be so supportive. In a way, I understand the pressure she’s putting on herself, so that probably explains my need to soothe her nerves. “I’ll have a look into the program.”
“Good, but don’t stress yourself out. I’ll help you figure this out.” My fingers twitch with the sudden urge to touch her again. “Now, let’s get back inside and resume our work. I kinda want to be done with rearranging my three thousand boxes of mid-layers in the aisle.”
She rolls her eyes in amusement as we walk back toward the shop. “You have two boxes.”
“Feels like three million,” I mumble.
She brushes past me when I open the door, chuckling. “Let’s meet up for lunch?”
I grin, watching her walk toward the little room she’s transformed into her office. It’s like I can’t stay away from her. Like she lights me up from the inside just by looking at me. “Yes, please.”
Alara doesn’t know this, but when I’m with her, everything stops hurting. Everything becomes brighter. She’s the clarity I didn’t seek out before coming here, but which has now stumbled upon me like a rainbow after a storm. She’s the calm I look forward to after a tempest.
Alara started out as my key to redemption – she’s the onlyone who can convince Coach that I’ve polished my image. But, then, she became a great source of distraction and made me forget about my pain and the pressure that’s weighed me down. Now, she’s becoming, slowly but surely, my everything. And I don’t know what to do with myself.
I’m terrified to admit this, but she’s managed to unravel me. Every rule I set, every promise I made to myself was being held together by a little knot, and Alara has effortlessly untied the bow. Now, my walls have crumbled. And, now, I don’t know how to stop my romantic feelings from ruining my plan.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ALARA
“What’s making you smile like that?”
