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!”
She’s running before I can blink, weaving through clusters of students with reckless abandon, and then she’s throwing herself into my arms with such force I nearly stumble backward.
“You’re here!You’re here!I’ve missed you so much!”she squeals, squeezing me tight enough to crack ribs.
I laugh, planting a kiss on the top of her head.“I missed you, too, kiddo.”
She pulls back, a thousand-watt smile lighting her face, and then she notices Alexander standing beside me.Her expression shifts instantly—narrowed eyes, raised chin, pure teenage suspicion.
“Who’s this?”she asks bluntly, not even trying to be subtle as she looks him up and down.
“Sophie, this is Alexander,” I say.“My boyfriend.”
Her eyes widen.“Your boyfriend?When did you get a boyfriend?”
