ARABELLA.I look back at Alex, and shock is written over his face as he murmurs the name again. "Sofia?""Alexander?" My head snaps in the other direction, and the girl has a smile on her face as she moves toward us. "Xander?" She repeats, and when she’s within a close distance, I note the green eyes Alex spoke about.He was right. Her eyes are stunning. And not just her eyes. She’s stunning. She’s in a short gown that crosses her mid-thighs, and her bob hair is well-dressed over her head. She moves with class and elegance, her short heels clicking loud against the ground and the smile never leaving her lips. I see what he meant when he said she’s almost like royalty."Hey! It’s really you." She smiles wider as she moves into his arms without an invitation, and Alex stands still, seeming to still be in astonishment."I– what are you doing here? How are you here?" Alex finally finds his words as he pulls away from her, and she says, "It’s kind of a long story, but I’ve been here for a w

ARABELLA.The rest of the semester quickly runs out, and things have been going extremely well between Alexander and I. Weeks pass by, and we no longer have to hide our relationship from my brother, and he’s been to my place several times, especially when Sinclair isn’t around. I’ve been trying to help him with his classes, though I don’t have full knowledge since they’re different from mine, and he tries. When we aren’t distracted by something else.Like we are right now."Ashley is downstairs." I moan as Alex pins me against my door, his hips rocking into mine, and I can feel how hard he is. He pushes his face from my neck to whisper into my ear. "I know. We’re studying, aren’t we?"There’s a smirk on his face as he pulls back to look at me, and the sound of my loud breathing fills the air as Alex’s hand travels down my chest. I gasp when he presses two fingers to the front of my Jean, my body squirming against the door."You’re so wet, Arabella." He whispers, his eyes not leaving mi

DEX. "So, what’s it like at your new place?" I ask Veronica as we stroll down the street with cups of ice cream in hand. She takes a spoonful of her chocolate one before she speaks. "I manage. It’s not exactly the luxury like yours." She meets my eyes and chuckles. "But I love it better than my last home, and once I get the next two months' payment, I should be able to move to a better apartment." "I still want you to consider my offer," I tell her, and she shakes her head. "No. I don’t want your money, Dex. That remains my answer, no matter how many times you ask." "Yeah, but it’s not like you won’t return it. I’m just lending it to you to make things easier. I know you need money for other stuff, Veronica. You can’t just dump every cash you get into your house." "I can take care of myself." She insists, and I sigh as I take a lick from my vanilla-flavored ice cream. Two weeks ago, Veronica moved out of her home, and we’ve been seeing each other often. Though I’ve offered my hel

DEX. "Do you want to come here?" Veronica asks after a long while, and I turn my head to her, my eyes moving down her body before I shake my head. "No. I’m good on the couch. The rain will be over soon, so…" I trail off, and I watch as she starts to get out of bed. It doesn’t take long for her to stand before me. "Are you sure you’re okay, Dex? You’ve been acting weird since I kissed you." She says, and I lick my lips as I close my hand over my pants and shift in my seat, a movement I hope she doesn’t notice. "I’m good," I reply curtly, and she frowns. "Did I do something wrong? You didn’t like the kiss? You kissed me back, though? I’m sorry if I got things con—" "No." I cut in before she can get out any more words. I let out a shaky breath and shut my eyes. When I open them, Veronica’s blue eyes are staring at me, waiting for me to continue, and I swallow, pushing aside my fluster. "I liked the kiss. I just… I think I liked it a bit too much." EARLIER. My body goes rigid as Vero

ARABELLA. "You’ve been frowning ever since I received that call." Alex chuckles as he comes out of the bathroom with his wet clothes in hand, and I shift closer to the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I just don’t feel too good about it. You’re sure you have to go?" I ask, and he stays silent as he drops his clothes on my desk. He strides to me and crouches before me, grabbing both my hands, and I lower my gaze. "It’s just my brother, babe. I’m sure everything is good." "And if it isn’t?" I lift a brow, and he smiles, pushing forward to press his lips to the corner of my mouth. I shut my eyes to feel the contact before Alex draws back and raises to his feet. "I’ll be fine. You should take a break from worrying so much about me. I’m sure it’s starting to get exhausting." I shake my head as I stare up at him. "No. I quite love my job." Alex laughs before he drops my hands and turns back to grab his clothes. When he meets my eyes again, he says, "I’ll be back before you know it." I nod and s