Leilani.
"Snap back to earth, Sweetcakes!" The clicking sound of someone's fingers, accompanied with those words snapped my back to reality, and I blinked in surprise, blushing when I realized that I was still standing in front of my car, with my keys in hand, but several minutes had passed and I hadn't left the spot.
What the fuck?
I quickly looked behind me to look for my father, and thankfully, he was no longer there. I sighed.
"You looked like you had seen a ghost and needed a push." Jarek continued talking animatedly, and when I wouldn't respond right away, he stopped, narrowed his eyes at me and whispered;
"You did see someone."
Now, that made me smile. I shook my head at him and turned to unlock my door. But he was fast. Damn, sometimes I almost forget he's an Alpha.
His large hands suddenly circled around my wrist so fast, and before I could react, he had snatched my keys out of my deft fingers and was dangling them in front of me with a triumphant smile. He then carefully let go of me and folded his arms across his chest, his voice dropping as he asked;
"Who was it? Was it one of those stupid Alpha triplets… or your sister? Who the fuck came here to disturb you?"
"My father."
At that, he froze. His eyes bulged and he stuttered; "W-what?"
"Yes, my father," I responded with a smile. "He came here to tell me about how Chalice applied for a job here last week, and how much she needs the job. He wants me to put in a word on her behalf so that she can be accepted here…"
He scoffed. "As if!"
"What?"
"As if I'll ever allow her work here and create more problems for you than she's already done in the past." He answered without hesitation, and I couldn't help the strange sense of warmth that immediately coursed through me.
Whenever Jarek was like this… so protective of me… so scary, it always made me feel so chummy; happy too. It always made me wonder how different life would've been if I had been loved by my family the way he likes me.
"I found her résumé…" I drawled, a small smile playing on my lips, "…and I trashed it!"
"You did what?" Now, Jarek burst out laughing. He laughed so hard the corners around his eyes crinkled and until tears began to form in his eyes.
Using one hand to hold his stomach and the other to pat my back, he grunted; "You really did that?"
"Yes," I whispered, lowering my head to hide my embarrassed blush. "I know it's wrong but I also know how bratty she is and how inconvenient she would make this place feel as soon as she starts working here, so I thrashed her resumè before it even went into vetting."
At that, Jarek began to laugh again. He laughed so much that I found myself subconsciously joining in; And then he stopped suddenly to turn to me.
"That means she submitted her resumè countless times."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He smirked at me mischievously then winked. "I threw away her resumè as soon as I found it at first," he drawled, causing my eyes to widen in shock. "…then when I noticed that she submitted another one, I threw that away as well, thinking that was all. I didn't realize she submitted it thrice. Such a resilient woman!"
The sarcasm in his voice had me grinning like a fool. And then I too began to laugh.
—
Jarek.
I stopped laughing when Leilani began to laugh. And it wasn't because I didn't want to. It was because I wanted to memorize that sound.
I wanted to box it up like a present and then store it at the back of my mind where I could reopen it every night before bed until it was etched into my soul like a tattoo.
And because I wanted to look at her— like really look at her as she threw her head back and laughed so freely, my heart began to ache.
Goddess, I wanted the woman so much. I needed her like a wolf needed its furs.
A slow smile crept up my face when she slapped my arm playfully, her eyes alight with glee as she squealed; "You're just as bad as me, if not worse!"
"Oh, you're worse darling!" I joked, "…because you look so innocent, no one would ever believe you're capable of perpetrating such evil."
At that, she laughed again, wilder this time, the sweet sound enveloping me like a cloak.
I know I am about to sound cheesy right now, but time seemed to still when she laughed. Even the wind seemed to know the exact direction to blow in as it gently ruffled her silver hair, making her look like one of those characters straight out of a beautiful movie.
Oh, what I'll do to keep her laughing forever….
She slapped my arm again and this time, a tingling sensation coursed through my veins at the contact. I sighed. "Stop, I know I am not that funny."
—I know I'm not funny, I just want your beautiful laughter to stop messing with me.
Leilani grinned at me. "You are."
"Oh, no. Don't say that to anyone. I never want to hear it elsewhere!" I snapped, making it a point to glance around us fearfully.
"Why? Because you think it'll ruin your 'cool and brooding' reputation?" She teased.
"Yes, exactly that and because people would then begin to think I am approachable!"
Leilani chuckled and I couldn't help but realize that I loved it when she was this excited. I loved it a little too much, and wanted to se with happen so often, I could trade one of my kidneys for it.
I begrudgingly handed her back her keys but just as I was about to turn away, she shocked me immensely by asking; "Would you like to join me at my house for dinner?"
I froze. My heart leapt into my skull—if that was even possible, and my hands, fuck I hate to say this, but my hands trembled too.
"What… me?" I croaked out, "…what makes you think that a nobody like me is suddenly worthy to grace your exquisite abode?"
She rolled her eyes; "Jay please…"
Jay
Jay
J—fucking-AY!
She doesn't know it, but that nickname always makes my heart flutter. It always makes my face heat up, and that is strange because my face isn't supposed to heat up.
I shouldn't be so unruly, so timid, so attracted… so easily manipulated by and around her.
I shook my head and cleared my throat. "When do you want me to come over?"
"Today, duhh!" She snapped. "I'm talking about dinner today. You want to get rid of me so quickly, but trust me, you've failed. Woefully!"
"You know, since you're asking me out on a date, you should be more polite, right?" I teased, and again, she slapped my arm.
But this time, her hands lingered for a second too long.
Her eyes bore into mine a little too intensely.
I gulped. Focus. Focus!
I shrugged off these weird feelings as she got into her car, and after calling my driver to pick mine up later, I went in after her, allowing her to drive— and only because she insisted.
We arrived in front of her newly sought luxurious home several minutes later, but as soon as we arrived at her front porch, we stopped. Because…
On one corner was a large bouquet of red roses.
And on the other was a small box, and a note that read;
"You need to know the truth, Leilani. Your entire life has been a lie."
She froze. And then slowly…. Very slowly turned to me.