A hot flush spread across my cheeks, and tears started to slowly fall from my eyes. I didn’t want to cry in front of Alexander, so I excused myself to the restroom. In the bathroom, my fingers were shaking as I wiped off the streaks from where my mascara had smudged below my eyes. After I sshed cold water on my face, I felt ready to face him again.


    As I smoothed my dress, I shook my head at myself. I couldn’t believe that I had tried to distract him from asking if I would fight for his love against Duke. Then, my own strategy blew up on my face because I ended up tearing up talking about my childhood pet that had died so many years ago. I had no idea talking about Loue would still make


    me cry.


    I set my purse on the counter so that I could look through it to find my makeup to touch it up. But my stomach dropped when I realized that my cell phone was missing from my purse.


    Panic coursed through me as I ran out of the bathroom. Thankfully, as soon as I looked at Alexander, my shoulders slumped in relief. In his giant hands was my cell phone. He had also managed to coax the kitten out from under the bench.


    The kitten seemedfortable in Alexander’s hands, and I couldn’t help the huge grin that spread across my face when I saw him holding such a little animal. My first instinct was to reach for the cat, but she seemed so content in Alexander’s arms. I didn’t want to scare her into hiding under the bench again.


    “Thank you,” I told him gratefully and held out my hand for my phone. “Did my phone drop out of my purse when I was crouching down to


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    look at this kitten?”


    “Yes,” he answered and leaned over to put my phone into my hands.


    But right before he could give me it, my phone began to vibrate . repeatedly. I had no idea who would be blowing up my phone so much.


    Alexander smirked, but I saw his eyes spark with suspicion as he pulled back my phone and looked down at it curiously.


    My stomach stiffened with fear. I didn’t know who was trying to get in contact with me, but I knew I didn’t want Alexander going through my phone.


    “Come on, Alexander,” I said and gestured for him to hand me my phone. “Give it back.”


    “Not until I find out who wants to talk to you so badly.” I could hear the undercurrent behind his words. When he looked down at my screen, a wicked expression crossed his face. “Oh, this is hrious, you have to read this.”


    I swallowed past the lump that developed in my throat. Who could have messaged me that would make him look like that?


    *Olivia*


    I saw my friend Rose’s name sh on the screen, but Alexander pulled my phone back before I could grab it.


    I narrowed my eyes and groaned in frustration. At that moment, the kitten let out a small, sweet meow. Alexander looked down at her and grinned. I used this distraction to lunge for my phone.


    But all that I did was end up tripping over my own feet and embarrassingly crashing onto the bench beside him.


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    This startled the kitten, and she squeaked, then tried to squirm out of Alexander’s grip. Thankfully, he was able to keep a hold of her. As he gently stroked her soft fur to calm the kitten down, Alexander looked at me and raised his eyebrows, silently questioning my overreaction.


    A warm blush spread across my cheeks. “Um…sorry,” I murmured. “I’m talking about something…private with my friend. Something, uh, personal about her, and I didn’t want anyone to read it.”


    This was aplete lie, but I had toe up with something to exin my dramatic attempt to get my phone from him. The truth was, I was just a very private person. It felt like Alexander already knew so much about my life, I just wanted to keep some things for myself.


    I also didn’t want him to read anything that would embarrass me beyond belief. But my dive for my phone had already aplished


    that.