Alexander didn’t have an answer to give his mentor, Desmond Rotterdam, and flashed a fake smile at him when they embraced. “Nice to see you back for good, son. I’m eagerly waiting for you to start your training.”
“Me too, uncle Desmond. It has been my passion to own a restaurant chain and I can’t wait to start,” said Alexander, too engrossed in his dream topic to give Beatrix a thought. He was extremely ambitious and could do anything to achieve his aspirations, except marry Beatrix, of course. His parents joined them and soon they started having a detailed discussion about the weekend getaway they wanted to go to.
Alyssa left the party with her friends, not liking what was going on. Her heart constricted with pain for her best friend, who was oblivious to everything. “Do you really think your brother will marry Beatrix?” asked Skylar, unable to stop herself.
“I don’t know what to think of it. I thought he cared about Eva,” said Alyssa with a sigh.
“Tell nothing to Eva now. She’ll be heartbroken. Let’s wait and watch what happens,” suggested Hayley as she dropped each of her friends home.
The next day, Eva called up Alyssa to inform her she was unwell and wouldn’t attend prom night. A disappointed Alyssa dressed up and went with Frank, who was the clown of their class. He drove her in his dad’s Cadillac like a true gentleman while his jokes cheered her up and she forgot about Eva and her brother.
“Whoa! What’s your brother doing here?” asked Frank as he parked his car, doing a double take at the sight of Alexander waiting outside the school gates. Alyssa’s jaws dropped at the sight of her brother glaring at her.
“Who’s this? I thought I asked you not to attend this f*cking party.” Frank trembled at the sight of Alexander and was ready to flee, but Alyssa grabbed his sleeve, determined to attend it.
“It’s not any f*cking party, bro. It’s our prom night, the last opportunity to meet our friends before heading off to college. What problems can you possibly have with it?” she demanded angrily. A few of her batch mates gathered around to watch, and they pleaded with Alexander to allow Alyssa to attend it. Alexander had to give in ultimately.
“Fine. Bring her home before 10 o’clock,” he ordered a trembling Frank. Before he could ask Alyssa about her best friend, she disappeared inside, pulling Frank along with her. Alexander waited to see Eva arrive with Georgia’s cousin, but even after an hour, there was no sign of Eva. He met Skylar and Sienna with their partners. His eyes popped out at seeing Ashton and Hayley emerge from a car together.
“What are you doing here, bro? Alyssa has already gone inside,” said Ashton.
“Yes, I just met her. I’ll be on my way.” He couldn’t ask about Eva, although he was dying to. When everyone had gone in, he saw one of their batch mate going in with her date.
“Excuse me. Sorry to bother you. Can you please send Eva Ann Rayner outside? I need to see her. It’s important,” said Alexander. The girl nodded and dashed inside while Alexander waited for nearly ten minutes. Maybe the girl forgot his request. Alexander was about to leave when the sound of footsteps made him turn and look.
“Eva isn’t there at the party. I’ve looked for her everywhere,” the girl informed him.
“Oh, thanks.” The girl went back to the party and Alexander drove over to Eva’s apartment to check on her. Why hadn’t Eva attended the party with Georgia’s cousin? Would she go with him if he offered to take her? Seeing Ashton with Hayley, he longed to be her date tonight. Of course, it had nothing to do with being attracted to her. That was just a momentary whim at seeing her after so many years! He was sure he wouldn’t feel it again when he saw her the next time! He was just offering to be her date out of guilt for blasting her unnecessarily.
Eva lay on her bed, closing her eyes to sleep, yet her head throbbed out of sleeplessness and too much weeping. She didn’t feel a thing about not being invited to Alexander’s party, but his words had affected her deeply. They had pierced her heart, and she just couldn’t console herself. With Robin and Georgia away on a camping trip and Brianna at a friend’s house, Eva was thankful to get the place all to herself for a few days. She could nurse her broken heart without being disturbed.
The doorbell rang, and she groaned, knowing that it would be Brianna now, back from her friend’s house. She didn’t wish to face her interrogation now! The doorbell rang again, and she quickly fixed her face and dragged her tired body to open the door.
To her immense surprise, there stood Alexander instead of Brianna at her doorstep, looking curiously at her. “What are you doing here? Alyssa isn’t with me,” she said, attempting to close the door in his face, but he wedged his foot in between to prevent her from banging it shut. He forcefully opened the door wide and entered her tiny apartment.
“What happened to you? Why didn’t you attend the prom night?” he asked suspiciously, looking around for something or someone. “Are you with someone?” he glanced at the two bedrooms even more suspiciously. Eva’s blood boiled in her veins at the insinuation. Did he seriously think she was too busy screwing some guy at home to attend her prom night?
“It’s none of your business, Alexander. I don’t owe you an explanation. Get out,” she seethed, but Alexander was too jealous to think straight. He peered into both bedrooms and looked around the place to ensure she was alone. “Now that you’ve checked, can you please leave?”
“What happened to you? Are you sick or something?” he asked, his attention fixed on her broken face.
“Thanks for your concern. You can see yourself out. Good night,” she said, trudging back to her bedroom. She would have nothing to do with him anymore. Alexander caught her hand and pulled her roughly towards him. The wish to feel her soft body in his arms was driving him wild ever since he held her in the elevator. Eva gasped with surprise as her body suddenly collided with his hard chest. His arm clamped around her like a steel band, and she was trapped.
“Go away, Alexander. I’m sure you have more important things to do,” she said, placing her hands on his chest to push him away, but he didn’t budge even an inch. “No, I don’t. Tell me why you didn’t go to the party and I’ll go.”
“I’m not well.”
“What happened to you?”
“Nothing serious, just a headache,” she said, not going into any details. The faster he left her, the better it would be for her broken heart.
“Or is it that your date has ditched you? You can go with me if you want to,” said Alexander with a smirk, expecting her to jump at the idea.
“No, he didn’t. I’m not interested anymore.”
“Why? Is it because I offered to accompany you? Maybe you prefer younger random guys, right?” asked Alexander, feeling insulted. His whole body reacted to her rebuff, and he felt like killing the guy who might have stood her up.
“I don’t go out with random guys for your information! At Alyssa’s insistence, I asked Jamie to accompany me. He’s younger than me and looks up to me as an older sister. Stop judging other people you know nothing about.” Alexander released her, shocked by her words. He felt like punishing himself for hurting her. Eva went to her bedroom and closed her door in his face. Alexander stood transfixed on the spot for a minute, trying to come to terms with what she had just said. Why did he have to overreact unnecessarily? He knocked on her door, ready to make amends for being so inconsiderate and rude.
“Eva, I’m sorry. Please, will you open the door?” he pleaded, wanting to make it up to her.
“I’m sleeping. Good night Alexander,” came her muffled reply, but Alexander wasn’t one to be discouraged so easily.
“I can’t have a good night on an empty stomach. Please, will you have dinner with me? I’m starving.” After a minute, the door opened and Eva emerged from her room. Alexander grinned at her sweet and caring nature.
“What will you have?” she asked, but Alexander shook his head.
“I’m ordering us dinner. What will you have?”
“Pizza,” she said shyly, while his smile widened with relief.
“Pizza it is then.” They ordered their pizza and sat down on the sofa to wait for their food.
“You didn’t answer my question,” said Eva, wondering what he was doing at her house!
“What question?”
“What are you doing here at my place?” she asked curiously.
“I was there at your school first.” Eva’s eyes widened at his admission while Alexander chided himself for that slip of the tongue.
“What were you doing there?” Alexander searched his brain for an answer. Could he tell her he was too jealous to sit at home? He had gone to beat her date up and accompany her instead!