Chapter 4

• ALICIA’S POV
• The smell of sizzling eggs pulled me from my half-sleep. I shuffled into the kitchen, my eyes still heavy, to find Camren, my brother, already at the stove, flipping an omelet like a pro.
• "Morning, sunshine!" he called out, his voice a warm rumble.
• "Hey," I mumbled, pulling out a chair at the wide luxurious kitchen table.
• Camren slid a plate in front of me, piled high with fluffy eggs and a slice of toast. "So," he started, his voice a little softer now, "about last night… I was wrong, okay? I shouldn't have just hid the fact that Harden would be showing up without telling you."
• I picked at my eggs, my stomach doing a little flip-flop at the mention of Harden's name. "But… I thought you said you were going out, for your birthday party," Camren continued, a hint of confusion in his voice. "All through the night with your friends?"
• I winced. That 'party' was a total lie. I'd just wanted to go to Steven's place, sort things out, maybe even have a sleepover. "Ugh… p…plans changed, you know how it is."
• Camren nodded slowly, then took a deep breath. "Look, I want you to know that Harden isn't going to—"
• "W-why don't we talk about this some other time?" I interrupted, practically jumping up from my chair. "My shift starts soon, and I really don't want my boss to fire me. I need to make money so we can leave here!" I hoped my urgency would make him drop it. I didn’t want Harden to come downstairs and meet me, it would be so damn awkward.
• Camren sighed, putting the gas off on the stove. "Fine," he conceded. "But I'm really sorry for not telling you beforehand. Hey, would you be out with Steven tonight?"
• My heart did a strange little dance. I hadn’t told him about what I’d found out. The thought of spilling everything to my brother felt… embarrassing, painful even. "Uh… not sure yet!"
• Camren walked over to me, his brow furrowed with concern. "You haven't been your normal cheerful self since yesterday, Licia. Is anything bothering you?"
• I quickly shook my head. "None to bother your head about, seriously. I really need to leave, okay? Love you!" I made a move for the door, but Camren caught my arm gently.
• "What about my goodbye kiss?" he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
• I groaned a little, but a small smile touched my lips. I leaned in and gave him a quick, soft kiss on his cheek. I grabbed my worn jacket and headed for the living room. My heart started thumping like a drum solo against my ribs when I stopped at the living room. What had happened last night kept replaying in my mind, like a broken record. "Licia, stop it!" I whispered to myself. "You have to stop thinking about that. He's your brother's friend!"
• Camren had tried to explain that Harden was back for some super important business, but my brain just couldn't make sense of it. What kind of business did he do that gave him so much money, enough to own a huge mansion like this? It just didn't add up.
• I took a deep, shaky breath, pushed open the front door, and practically ran out to the bus stop.
• When I finally got to the hotel where I worked as a kitchen assistant, my best friend, Lisa, was already there, buzzing around like a busy bee.
• "Ohhh, girl, tell me everything!" Lisa practically bounced over, her eyes wide with excitement. "How was your birthday yesterday? It must have been all hot and crazy! Give me all the juicy updates!"
• “Enough of gossiping and get to work!” The kitchen chief yelled at us.
• I forced a small smile. "Why d-d-don't we… finish work first?" I stammered, glancing around the busy kitchen. "I can tell you all about it during our lunch break, promise."
• Lisa nodded, a knowing grin spreading across her face. "Deal! But you owe me all the details!"
• •
• •
• The air in The Crunchy Bite restaurant was usually filled with conversation and the clatter of cutlery, but for Lisa and me, it was charged with a different kind of energy. Our lunch break was ticking away, and we had just enough time to grab some snacks and unpack a bombshell before heading back to work.
• "You can't be serious? He rejected you?" Lisa's voice was a furious whisper, barely audible over the cafe's chatter. She slammed her juice bottle onto the table, causing a few drops to spill, her eyes wide with disbelief.
• I took a slow sip of my Oreo milkshake, the sweetness doing little to soothe the bitter taste in my mouth. "Yeah, I know, right?"
• "That absolute jerk! Why would he even think of rejecting you after all these years?" she scoffed, leaning closer. "Or is there something I'm missing here?"
• I hesitated, glancing around the busy cafe. "I think Steven is..." I began, my voice barely a whisper.
• "You think he's what?" Lisa pressed, her gaze fixed on me.
• I took another quick look around, making sure no one was within earshot. Then, I leaned in even closer. "Gay!"
• "Holy shit… stop playing!" Lisa's eyes went wide like saucers, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp.
• "You know how I told you he'd been avoiding my calls and not replying to my messages? And you suggested I go to his apartment to find out why?"
• "Yes, yes! So what happened?" Her voice was laced with urgency.
• "Well, I went there," I began, the words tumbling out, "and I found my fucking mate banging another man, Lisa! I'd never seen Steven moan and lose himself like he did with that guy. And he was at the receiving end!" I shrugged, taking a large gulp of my milkshake, trying to wash away the memory.
• Lisa was speechless for a moment, her jaw practically on the table. "What the full fuck? So all this while, he knew he was gay and still accepted you as his mate from the beginning? I need to go have a talk with him!" She started gathering her things, clearly ready to storm out.
• "Hey, hold on!" I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "He's n-not worth it!"
• "So, what did he say when you caught him? Did he even try to explain?" Her eyes were still burning with anger.
• "Well," I said, a bitter laugh escaping me, "he said he didn't know how to tell me that he'd chosen a man over me. And then, get this, he said he gets turned off when I stutter during sex. He said I was better off mute!" The last word hung in the air, a cruel, stinging blow.
• That was the last straw for Lisa. Her face contorted with fury. "That animal needs to pay! We have to go to his apartment and make him pay! He should be damn lucky he got the chance to have someone like you as a mate!" she practically yelled, drawing a few curious glances from nearby tables.
• "Hey, hey!" I pulled her back down. "You need to give it up. He rejected me, and I think I'll be fine with it... I just need some time to heal."
• Lisa's anger softened, replaced by deep concern. "Oh, girl, why didn't you come by my place last night? I would've made you feel so much better. You shouldn't have to go through something this tough alone!" She reached across the table and squeezed my hand, and in that moment, I felt so incredibly grateful to have her as a friend. "I know it's been years since you two dated, but I know for sure that there's someone better than him out there. Someone who would instantly make you feel connection, electric sparks, and more heat than that bullshit of an ex-mate!"
• Her last words echoed in my head, replaying over and over: 'Someone who would instantly make you feel connection, electric sparks, and more heat than that bullshit of an ex-mate!'
• I could only think of one person. The one person I was forbidden to think about.
• Harden.