Fated To The Four Notorious Alpha Brothers

"Uhm, we'll move to the next shop; you two lovebirds should catch up," Everett said, then left with Tate.

"Watch the shop." The older man cleared his throat and also left, leaving just the two of us.

"Hey," I said, pulling out of the hug to look at his face.

"Oh, hey! Where have you been? I often see your parents and ask about you. They tell me you left for school, but they never mention where you go. They also refused to give me your contact information. I couldn't reach Ruby either," he rushed his words.

"Oh, really?" My parents never mentioned this.

"I heard your family won the lottery," he chuckled. "Is it true?"

A lottery? This is news to me. Did my parents also lie to him? Maybe.

"Yeah, we did," I laughed as well. "My dad... my dad won..."

"I heard it was your mom, though," he interjected.

Oh, is it my mom?

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot. It's my mom. She won the lottery. She dreamed, saw the numbers, and decided to play, but..."

"I heard a friend got the ticket for her, or is that part a lie?" he cut in again.

"Oh no, that's true as well. That part happened," I said, shaking my head and forcing a smile.

"But what are you doing here?" I looked around the jewelry shop. "Do you work here now?"

"Yes," he smiled. "The man you saw earlier is the manager. He's never in a good mood," he chuckled.

"Oh, your dimples," I pointed at his cute dimples, and he grinned. Those dimples were one of the reasons I fell for him. But there were several other reasons I liked Cole. He was the most handsome guy back in school, the smartest, and very kind. Many girls liked him, but he loved his books more, so he never dated anyone until graduation.

Cole. My first love. I can't believe I forgot him.

"I searched for you after our final exams but couldn't find you. You didn't write the finals?"

"I couldn't, yeah," I grumbled. The brothers didn't let me. They forcibly took me.

"But you're in school, right? What are you studying?"

"Business."

"At what uni?"

"Princess A..." I started but paused.

"A very good college. It's not that popular, but it's excellent. I love the professors there. What about you? Were you able to get into med school?"

"Oh, great, that suits you," he smiled again.

"What about you? Did you get into med school or...?"

"No, I couldn't. My dad suddenly passed away shortly after high school, so..."

"Moon goddess! I wasn't aware of this, Cole." I gasped, placing my hands over my mouth.

"Yeah, it's been a while. I've gotten over it."

"What about your siblings?" I remembered he also has younger siblings, even younger than mine.

"Oh, they're in school."

They are? Is he the one taking care of them now? Since he's working here, he must be. That means he wasn't able to get into med school, and even with a scholarship, he might have chosen to stay home with his siblings.

Oh my goodness. What about his future? He had everything planned out. He had the most promising future in school; it's hard to believe this happened to him.

I feel so bad for him right now.

"You look great, by the way. It feels nice meeting you again," he beamed.

"Same here. You've gotten more handsome." And, oh, it's not a lie. His problems haven't affected his looks at all.

He chuckled. "That's a lie; I'm just an average guy."

"Average?" I gasped, wide-eyed. "You were really popular back in school; so many girls liked you. We all had a crush on you."

"We?" He looked at me.

"Yes, we." I nodded.

"Including you?"

"Y...yes." Would it be wrong to admit I used to like him? I don't think so.

"What about now?" He asked.

"Now? I still think you look great," I admitted.

He chuckled, glancing at the floor before meeting my eyes again.

"You know, I was actually planning to ask you out after our finals, but I couldn't because..."

He planned to ask me out? He liked me? Moon goddess. My hands flew to my face in shock.

Of all the girls? He liked me.

"You... you liked me?" I asked.

"Yeah, I thought it was obvious. You didn't notice?" He nervously touched his hair.

"No, I didn't."

"I always greeted you in the morning, visited your class, and spoke to you in the hallway."

Yeah, he did all that.

"I never did that with any other girl," he admitted.

Oh, he never did? Ruby once mentioned Cole liking me, but I never believed her. I thought it was impossible for a perfect guy to like someone like me. Not that I looked bad, but there were other girls prettier and wealthier. Even the head alpha's daughter liked him, so I thought... Sigh. I had it all wrong.

"I wasn't aware of this; I'm sorry," I apologized.

"There's no need to apologize. We can meet up now that you're back. It's not too late," he said. "Can I have your contact?"

Oh, my contact? My contact... I don't think I can give it to him. Maybe I should get a secret phone? Yes, I'll get a new phone with a new number.

"I'm here to get a phone, actually. I'll give you my contact once I have one."

"Oh, great," he smiled, then leaned forward and took my hands, interlocking our fingers and meeting my confused gaze.

"You know, just like before..." he started, "I never stopped liking you. I've always had you in mind, always worried about your well-being, wondering if you were okay, if someone was bullying you or making fun of you. I've never stopped worrying, not for a day," he confessed.

"That's how much I like you." He went silent for a moment before continuing.

"I've always wanted to do this. I know you might find this rude, but I hope you can forgive me. I don't think I can wait another day."

"What...?" I asked. What does he plan to do?

But he stayed quiet. Why is he hesitating? I opened my mouth to ask, but before I could, his lips came crashing down on mine.

A gasp escaped me, and I tried to break away, but he didn't let me and only deepened the kiss. The next second, I found myself holding onto him.