- "Anders Larzelere, The Love Of My Life."

In the past twenty minutes, I've met so many people, people of different shapes, sizes, colors, hair etc. My cheeks ache from smiling so hard all the time. But I've noticed one thing similar about all of them.

All of them look hard.

Strong.

Something about the way these people move, make it look...effortless.

Like they were born with this grace and litheness.

I roll my eyes at myself.

C'mon, Anders. They're just people. You're thinking that, because you just got knocked down by a girl.

"Anders." I look up to see Alarice coming towards me, smiling. Once she reaches me, she grabs ahold of my hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. A strange jolt makes my heart soar at that, but I ignore the stupid feeling.

"Hm?"

"My Dad will be here soon." She informs, looking excited about it.

"Oh," I reply, feeling the dragonflies in my stomach flap their wings rapidly in a nervous flutter.

Gulp.

Her Dad. Mariano DeVega.

"Okay." I nod my head, trying to look unaffected.

"Hey." She steps forward, grabbing my other hand in hers too. I avoid her eyes, feeling shy all of a sudden. "Anders. Look." I reluctantly turn to meet her sun golden orbs.

Whoa. She's too close.

I cough slightly, blushing.

She jumps back, letting one of her hands drop.

"Um, It's no problem. I can handle it." I shrug, trying to look at her eyes once again, but failing miserably.

"It will not be that bad." She says softly, and the way she's looking at me makes it almost intimate, "I mean, he's okay with me marrying anyone, as long as I love him and he loves me." She says, looking at me with another cute smile.

I knit my brows in confusion.

"But, we're not in love." I point to the space between us with a small wave of my hand.

Her smile vanishes.

"Yeah..." She sighs. "But," She brightens up once again, looking like she just got the perfect idea. "He doesn't know it." She snaps her fingers in front of her, grinning.

I smile in amusement.

"You know, I still don't get the point of this whole marriage. I mean, A competition? Really?" My brows shoot up, past the locks of hair covering my forehead as I press my lips together in doubt.

She clears her throat. "Haha," She laughs nervously, looking both sides as if to check if anyone is eavesdropping in on our conversation. "You won't. All I'm asking of you, is to just go with the flow." She whispers, leaning forward.

"Okay." I sigh. "I won't question it." I nod once.

She nods back, smiling in a satisfied manner.

"Alarice!" Someone calls, and I turn around to see a tall guy about the same age as us, with brown eyes that are drowning in amusement, jogging our way.

Alarice lets her fingers untwine from mine, and that alone makes me feel sour. In addition to this guy who's currently making her grin. The way she grins at me.

Whoa. Calm down there, tiger. She's not yours or anything. Annnnd, you're in lurve with Paige.

I then feel ashamed of myself.

I left that girl in the middle of the date.

I wonder what she's thinking of me, now?

R.I.P, My dream life and future with Paige. I'll meet you in heaven.

"Hey," Alarice smiles, as the guy reaches us and comes to a halt.

"Kade, meet Anders." 'Kade' grins in a friendly manner, but I don't like it. He's behaving way too friendly and we just met! "Anders, Kade. My Bet—best friend," Alarice introduces me, stammering over her last words.

Maybe he's her ex? That's why she's so hesitant to tell the words, 'Best-friend'.

A flare of foreign anger flows through me.

What. The. Hell.

Stop this nonsense right now, Anders!

"Anders."

"Huh?" I jerk out of my thoughts, looking at Alarice in confusion. She slides her eyes down pointedly, and I look down to see 'Kade' extending his hand.

I look at it strangely.

Shake it, dumbass!

I hurry forward and grab his hand in mine, giving it a hard squeeze, all the while looking into his playful brown eyes. Instead of slightly wincing or even showing the slightest hint of pain, his eyes twinkle further. He drops the handshake with yet another grin.

"Nice to meet you, Anders." He smiles.

"Pleasure is all mine, 'Kade'." For some reason, I'm not able to pronounce his name without letting the venom slip into my tone.

Alarice giggles.

I glower slightly and cross my arms, looking away.

What? Don't judge me, okay? If she already had a boyfriend, she shoulda told him to act. Not me.

'Kade' snorts.

"Your Father is on his way, Reeci. Get ready." Kade informs, nodding at her. Even if he didn't say anything out loud, I swear a secret message passes between them.

This annoys me further.

"Okay." Alarice, or apparently, 'Reeci', says and he turns to leave.

"And, oh. I'll see you around, Anders." He adds, throwing in a teasing wink as he walks away.

That guy.

It hasn't even been 5 minutes since I met him, and I already dislike him.

Strongly.

"Why the face?" Alarice asks, gesturing to me questioningly.

"Just leave it." I shake my head, and she shrugs, looping her arm through mine as she leads me to yet another crowd of strangers.

⚜⚜⚜

Her Dad is here.

I could tell that by the sudden hush that falls over the grandly decorated living room, and by the way, even the children stop playing and run behind their parents' legs.

I know that this is the effect that guy has.

'Cause we've met before.

Once, In a charity fund ball.

I pull back from my thoughts, tightening my hand on Alarice's—which I haven't left from the time she grabbed it again, under the pretense of being my girlfriend. And it's not like I mind it. I mean, it's not unpleasant.

Heck, who am I kidding? It feels perfect.

But never in a million years would I say it. Out Loud.

"Dad's here." Alarice states the obvious, almost bouncing with excitement. She then leans forward to whisper in my ears. "I might introduce you as my, 'Mate', to some people. It's a word we use around here to call our loved ones, okay?" Her warm breath fans against my neck and I resist the shiver, nodding.

Mate?

I've heard this word before.

Where have I heard it?

Where, where, where?

AH! When she came to kidnap me!

She called me 'Mate'—

"All the best." She whispers against my ear, her soft lips almost brushing against its shell.

This time, it's impossible to not shiver.

But, I nod once again.

Two people open the huge doors.

A man gets out of the open door of a black Rolce Royes car, buttoning up his immaculate black suit. Someone else is getting out of the other side of the car as well, but people seem to be riveted by him, and all of them begin to bow down.

Bow? Isn't that a little overdramatic?

Alarice untangles our fingers and wraps an arm around my back, tugging me closer to her. The man smiles slightly at the doorman and turns around, and just then, a beautiful blonde woman in a white, Grecian Goddess style dress steps up, looping her arm through his. The man smiles down at his wife with obvious love, and then the two of them step inside the mansion.

My mouth falls open slightly with the awe and power the couple seem to command.

Almost like the way my Uncle does.

A hand pushes my jaw close and I snap up to see Alarice glaring t me in disapproval.

Oops.

'I'm sorry,' I mouth, looking at her apologetically.

"Rise." The man I clearly recognize as Mariano says in a calm voice and there is a barely audible rustle as the group stands up as one.

"Carry on." The man says in an amused voice and the crowd immediately starts moving around, slowly going back to what they were doing, but smiling with respect when the couple cross them.

On their way to us.

Mariano DeVega's light gold eyes—the eyes that his daughter has inherited—crinkles in the corners slightly when they fall on us. Her mother smiles brightly as well, letting her arm around her husband drop as she rushes the last few steps to us, and tackles Alarice in a fierce hug.

Alarice moves away from me, and hugs her back just as fiercely.

"Hey, Mom." She greets, pulling back. Her Dad reaches us a few seconds later and he immediately goes to my fake-girlfriend, putting his arm around her in a small squeeze.

And then he's back to impassive businessman again.

"Father." Alarice nods at him with a smile. He smiles back affectionately.

"This is my Mate. Anders Larzelere." She gestures to me, looking almost proud.

My stomach drops when the man's intense gold eyes lock on mine.

"I would like to say a lot of things," He starts, but pauses, "but, the most important thing is, Take care of my daughter. Your Father was a great man, and I know that you won't let him down." He smiles at me, and then he pats my shoulder.

I almost fall to the side.

He smiles once again and the turns to his wife, who nods at him. She then turns to me, walking forward and cupping my face in her hands. "You have such a cute Mate, Alarice." She coos, pinching my cheeks, making me wince. I don't like being referred to as 'cute'. "You," She pats my cheek, "You won't hurt my baby, okay?"

"Mom—" Alarice interrupts, but gets cut off.

"You won't, right?" She asks more forcefully and I nod quickly.

"I won't," I vow, feeling like such a cheat when I say those words.

"Good. Now off you go. Have some fun." She winks at Alarice, and I instantly and she blushes at that.

Oh God. Do mothers actually say that?!

"Mom!" Alarice complains, but her Mother just laughs and waves her had dismissively. "I wouldn't mind becoming a grandma. You've made me wait long enough." She shrugs innocently, and Alarice turns beet red at that. "Mom!" She almost squeals and pushes her Mom by her back, shoving her in another direction.

I laugh.

"Oh, don't worry, Mrs. DeVega. It'll happen soon enough." I smirk at Alarice and wink at her Mom. Only after I finish winking, do I realize what I just suggested.

Oh My God, Anders. This is not you at all.

Her Mom can't look more happy about it.

"Dear, leave the girl alone. Now come, I'm tired." Mariano DeVega interrupts with an amused look, placing his hand on her shoulder. His wife turns to him, pouting reluctantly.

"Okay." She sighs and spins to leave with him, but not before winking at Alarice once again on her way.

"'It will happen soon enough'? Huh?" Alarice turns to me with a smirk, once her mother is out of earshot,

I blush, looking away.

"You'll see what I do to you for that." She warns, waving her index finger at me.

Crap. I bought trouble on with my own money.

⚜⚜⚜

Someone pats me on the back, calling for my attention.

I turn around from smiling at Mrs. Gerald, a plump short woman who's been occupying me with her story about her first son's childhood.

Thank God. I think my ears will bleed if I hear her story about hr son refusing to wear a diaper for one more second.

Yes, Alarice abandoned me a few minutes ago, saying some excuse about going to the washroom.

I don't believe her for a second, because she told the same thing twenty minutes ago.

I'm still smiling when I turn around, only to be met with the familiar grinning face of Alarice. I raise my brows in question, but she ignores my questioning look and flashes me a secretive smirk, almost naughtily, as if she's about to pull another stunt like the time she kidnapped me.

And pulling a stunt, she does.

Because right then, right there, she pulls a small box from behind her back, and then drops on one knee.

My heart bursts out of my chest, when I realize what she's about to do.

"Anders Larzelere, my Mate, the Love of my life and the person I can't live without, Will you marry me?"

My eyes pop out of my sockets.

⚜⚜⚜