Watch Me Win, Alpha

I giggled. “Just making sure I’m not dreaming.”

“Here, let me help you out then.” He reached over and pinched me lightly. The spot stung, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

We were stopped at a light, and Richard looked back at us. “Hey, you two, hands where I can see them back there!” he teased.

“Olivia is the one who can’t keep her hands off of me,” Alexander protested and chuckled under his breath. “I should figure out a payment system for what you owe me for how handsy you’ve gotten.”

His voice still held humor, but there was an undercurrent behind his words. They reminded me of how I had misinterpreted him asking me for money last night after we made out. That made me spiral in shame, and I let go of Alexander’s hand and inched away from him. Exhaustion flowed through my body, and I leaned my forehead against the cool window and allowed my eyes to flutter close.

Once we got to my apartment building, Alexander instructed Richard to drop us off at the front and then park the car in the parking garage across the street. Had he done this to get me alone?

When we were in the elevator, Alexander put his hand lightly on the small of my back, making my stomach flip. “Since you didn’t have dinner, would you like to eat at my apartment?” he asked. “Mike is preparing a delicious dinner of pot roast, seafood congee, and your favorite abalone.”

I was about to accept his invitation, but something crossed my mind

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up making out in a public park last night. Was it wise

elevator dinged and opened. “I’m exhausted,

exited the elevator. A large part of me was screaming at me to go back to his side, but I

in the pit of my stomach. Guilt for turning down Alexander joined the feeling until my stomach was bubbling with shame. My apartment felt cold and dark even when I flipped all the lights on. When I set my bag down on the floor, I realized that I hadn’t thanked Alexander for all the help he gave Ava and me in Luceland. Without him, we would probably still be in jail right now, and Chloe and her mother wouldn’t be where they belonged–behind

passionate kisses we shared and the sharp words we exchanged–how was I ever

*Olivia*

Alexander about that–but I just didn’t have the energy to do it. For five minutes, I stared at my fridge, going back and forth with

when my phone vibrated with a text, making it move slightly on my marbled kitchen counter. When I picked up the phone, my stomach jolted, thinking that the message was