Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose. Chapter 40: Two Presents

Leilani.

"Snap back to earth, Sweetcakes!" The clicking sound of soone’s fingers, accompanied with those words snapped 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 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 and whispered;

"You did see soone."

Now, that made smile. I shook my head at him and turned to unlock my door. But he was fast. Damn, sotis 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 with a triumphant smile. He then carefully let go of 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 ca 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 ca here to tell about how Chalice applied for a job here last week, and how much she needs the job. He wants 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 imdiately coursed through .

Whenever Jarek was like this... so protective of ... so scary, it always made feel so chummy; happy too. It always made wonder how different life would’ve been if I had been loved by my family the way he likes .

"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 trashed 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 .

"That ans she submitted her resumè countless tis."

I frowned. "What do you an?"

He smirked at 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 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 morize 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 , 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 ti, the sweet sound enveloping like a cloak.

I know I am about to sound cheesy right now, but ti seed to still when she laughed. Even the wind seed 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 ti, 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 ssing with .

Leilani grinned at . "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 see it happen so often.

Hell, 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 imnsely by asking; "Would you like to join 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... ?" I croaked out, "...what makes you think that a nobody like 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 nickna 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 to co over?"

"Today, duhh!" She snapped. "I’m talking about dinner today. You want to get rid of so quickly, but trust , you’ve failed. Woefully!"

"You know, since you’re asking out on a date, you should be more polite, right?" I teased, and again, she slapped my arm.

But this ti, 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 ho 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 .