*Olivia*


    I sat in the backseat of my car as Aiden drove, and Ava chatted happily to her brother. Crossing my arms, I stared nervously out the window. Guilt ate away at me for identally hanging up on Alexander and for not telling him that I was headed to Ld this weekend, too. My stomach stiffened with fear as I thought about how he would react if he knew I had copied his travel ns.


    Ava straightened in her seat, startling me out of my thoughts. “Hey…is that Alexander’s car?” she asked.


    My heart raced as I looked behind us, and sure enough, I spotted Alexander’s, although Richard was the one driving. They were only a few cars behind us.


    This wasn’t good.


    Ava turned around and looked at me with confusion. “Why is Alexander following us?”


    I sighed and decided toe clean. “He isn’t. Alexander nned a trip to Ld for a different reason before we nned ours.” I couldn’t help the bitterness in my voice wheι. pictured Naomi’s perfect face.


    But I had bigger problems right now. I’d managed to get a quick peak at Alexander’s face, and he had been frowning, his dark eyes in angry slits. Quickly, I took my phone out to message Gai


    and asked why Alexander looked so mad.


    I waited for a full five minutes, but she didn’t reply.


    Pretty soon, Alexander’s car was right behind us, and my stomach rolled with anxiety.


    I didn’t want to find out what would happen if he caught up to <ol><li>us. </li></ol>


    Alexander and I locked eyes. My stomach knotted with worry when I saw his jaw clench. His gaze shot to Aiden in the driver’s seat, and his eyes sparked with rage.


    Why was he so angry that there was a guy with us? He was the one who was going to Ld to meet a woman. And it wasn’t even like I was romantically interested in Aiden. He was Ava’s brother and not even old enough to legally drink. Did he really think I’d be interested in a college student?”


    “Olivia, why is Alexander going to Ld, too?” Ava asked. “Didn’t we decide not to tell him about our n for now?”


    “What n?” Aiden questioned.


    “Mind your business and focus on the road,” Ava snapped.


    Which made the two siblings quip back and forth for a few minutes.


    I turned away from the window so I wouldn’t have to look at Alexander anymore.


    Because of their sibling banter, I thought I had gotten out of answering Ava’s question, but when she had finished bickering with Aiden, she turned and raised her eyebrows at me.


    “Why is he going to the same ce as us?”


    “He’s here to meet….a woman. The same one he went on a blind date with that he made me join. Her name’s Naomi Wright.”


    I had to force myself to say the name of the woman Alexander was meeting out loud. It just made it even more real.


    My friend spun around, and she lifted her chin. “Are you kidding me?”


    “No,” I muttered, wishing it was all a joke.


    “What an asshole!” she raged “How dare Alexander y with your feelings. I’ve seen the way he acts around you! No man who has tonic feelings for a woman stares at her the way Alexander looks at you.”


    A lump developed in my throat. “He…he looks at me a certain way?”


    Ava’s eyes softened. “You haven’t noticed? Alexander’s always looking at you no matter who’s in the room. He looks at you with such burning intensity, I can’t believe a fire hasn’t started between you guys.”


    That made a smallugh burst past my lips despite everything.


    “Let’s ditch this loser,” Ava said, ring at Alexander’s car. “Take this exit.”


    She pointed at the exit before our stop, and Aiden s


    car.


    ved the


    My stomach jolted, but Ava’s brother seemed to know what he was doing as he smoothly drove down the exit ramp.


    1514


    288 Vou


    I turned around, and my shoulders slumped when I didn’t see Alexander’s car anymore.


    As Aiden navigated through the busy traffic, my phone chimed with a text message from Gai. My head tilted when I read the message. It only consisted of five words: ‘Everything is fine with Alexander.‘


    I looked out the window, lost in thought. After a few moments, I shrugged. I guess I had just overreacted, and Alexander hadn’t been following us. Maybe I had misinterpreted his facial expressions, too. Maybe he wasn’t pissed. He had simply just been on the same highway.


    Twenty minutester, Aiden pulled into the parking garage across the Ld Hotel. Ava bribed him with five dors to carry most of our luggage.


    “Gotta love how broke college kids are,<i>” </i>she joked as we walked into the fancy hotel.


    Ava took care of the check–in process, and we quickly got our room keys. As we walked to the elevators, my eyes widened when I saw the woman who was already in the elevator.


    The woman who Alexander had traveled all this way to meet.


    Naomi Wright, heiress of the Wright Group.


    Aiden


    Ava and Aiden were already in the elevator, so I had no choice but to step on. As the doors slid closed, I stood bel and Ava, hoping that I wouldn’t have to talk to her.


    Thankfully, Naomi was already engaged in a conversation with her friend.


    65714


    1514


    “You know that your whole thing with Alexander ispletely backward, right?” Naomi’s friend said. “Since he’s the oldest of the Green’s sons, he’s supposed to be courting you. Not the other way around.”


    Naomi smiled and shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t mind. Alexander is worth chasing after.”


    The backs of my eyes pricked with emotion.


    Wow.


    Naomi actually cared about Alexander. Hot guilt shot through me from the uncharitable things I’ve been thinking about her. Silently, I wished her well, and I hoped she would find happiness. Even if it was with Alexander.