Chapter 1
"Alexander, what's wrong?" I asked.
I looked up and caught his gaze, those dark eyes staring back at me.
In the hotel room, the only light was a dim nightlight.
I couldn't make out the expression on the boy standing half a head taller than me.
Just moments ago, Alexander Carter had me backed up against the cabinet.
He caged me in with his body, both hands pressed against the cabinet, leaving me no way out.
All I could do was look up at him.
"Did you go to that mixer today?" he asked.
As he spoke, he lifted his left hand and started playing with a lock of my hair.
"Not really. It was just a few people hanging out, chatting, and playing games," I replied.
"Were there a lot of guys?" he asked.
"Yeah, about three or four," I replied.
"Did any of them ask for your number?" he asked.
"Yeah, I gave my number to two of them," I replied.
His question came out of nowhere.
As soon as I finished speaking, his hand stopped moving.
"Why? Do you think they're good-looking?" he asked.
"They're alright. I just thought I could make some friends," I replied.
"What kind of friends are you talking about? You've got a total hottie standing right in front of you. If you don't want to be friends with me, who else would you pick?" Alexander teased.
Alexander leaned in, closing the gap between us until there was barely an inch left, so close I could feel his breath.
"Aren't we already friends" I said.
Then I suddenly realized what kind of 'friend' he was talking about.
"Alexandra, don't play dumb," Alexander said.
My face flushed red, and I had no idea how to respond.
After wrestling with my thoughts for a second, I pushed him away hard and bolted out of the room.
Alexander stumbled back a couple of steps.
He watched me run off, then looked down and couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself.
Then, he strode after me.
*****
I was born into an average family in a not-so-big city.
My mom always preferred sons over daughters, after I was born, she still kept wishing for a boy.
But my dad wasn't having it.
He thought having a daughter was more than enough, no need for another kid, plus it would just be tough on my mom's health.
And honestly, we couldn't really afford another kid anyway.
My dad once told me, back when I was born, I was just this tiny little thing, lying in the hospital bed.
My eyes were always shut tight, and he'd call out to me from outside, but I just ignored him completely.
My grandma would always chide him, "She's just a newborn. How do you expect her to pay attention to you?"
Back when I was in my last year of kindergarten, a new family moved in just down the street.
Word was, the father of the family landed some official position in our city, so that's why they moved here.
On the very first day they moved in, my dad and I ran into our new neighbor on the way to kindergarten.
He looked to be in his thirties.
He told us he'd lost his wife last year, and that's why he decided to move here for the job.
He also had a kid with him.
My dad smiled and introduced me, then asked how old his kid was.
The man said the his kid was about my age and was in the final year of kindergarten, just like me.
My dad said I could keep an eye on the kid at kindergarten.
I couldn't wait, so I pulled on his sleeve and told him we'd be late.
He finally got it and grabbed my hand, hurrying off with me.
When school let out that afternoon, I saw the man in the teacher's office.
I tiptoed and peeked inside, but his kid was nowhere to be seen.
When I got home, I told my dad about it.
"That boy is actually pretty cute," he said.
"Oh? Is he as pretty as me?" I teased.
"Hahaha, no way, he's not as pretty as you," my dad laughed.
My mom, with a straight face, said, "That's not the same. Boys and girls are pretty in different ways."
I just pouted.
I had to see that cute boy the next day.
*****
The next morning, my dad and I were just about to pass by the man's house on our way to kindergarten.
It just so happened that both dads were dropping their kids off, so they started chatting.
And that was when I finally laid eyes on that pretty boy.
His lips were rosy, his teeth perfectly white, and his features were so delicate, he looked so aloof, like he didn't want anyone getting close.
He was honestly gorgeous.
That was my very first impression of Alexander.
I just stood there, staring at him in a daze.
But he just gave me a dismissive glance and looked away, like I wasn't even worth his time.
Alexander's dad noticed the way we were looking at each other.
He bent down with a smile and said, "Alexandra, do you think Alexander is good-looking too?"
I looked up at him and realized just how much he and Alexander looked alike.
Alexander, his name!
I nodded and smiled. "Uncle, you can call me Alex."
Mr. Carter laughed, "Alex? That's what I call my son at home too."
"Really? That's such a funny coincidence," my dad chuckled as he messed up my hair.
I glanced back at him. "You can call me Alex too. And can I call you Alexander?"
But Alexander still completely ignored me.
The two dads were so caught up in their conversation. They didn't even notice us anymore.
They walked ahead, leaving us behind.
He was aloof, always keeping to himself.
That was my second impression of Alexander.
When we got to kindergarten, the dads left.
Alexander and I walked side by side.
"We're in the same class, so let's wait for our dads together after school, okay?" I said.
"Come play with me! I have lots of friends," I added.
Before I could even finish my sentence, Alexander stopped and gave me an annoyed glare.
"You're so loud, you know that? Quit bugging me, you little twerp," he said.
With that, he walked off.
Little twerp? Seriously? We were the same age, and I felt a bit annoyed.
I huffed, stomped my foot, and stormed past him into the classroom.
After that, I totally ignored him and refused to say a single word.
Honestly, he didn't need me at all.
He was so good-looking, every girl in class wanted to talk to him.
But he never gave them the time of day.
By the time lunch break was over, nobody even bothered trying to talk to him anymore.