I was in the middle of a meeting when the high school principal called me five times in a row. When I pushed open the door to his office, not even the thickest layer of foundation could hide the furious scowl on my face. My little brother stood in the corner, chin tilted up, looking as arrogant and rebellious as humanly possible. Under the principal's shocked gaze, I marched over and smacked Mason hard on the back of the head. "Stand up straight!" Mason instantly snapped to attention. I turned around, fully prepared to see which poor girl this little punk had been harassing. But the moment I turned, I was met with a face that looked like it had been carved by the gods. Fair skin, a perfectly straight nose, deep-set eyes, and a gaze that burned like fire. He wore a sharply tailored suit. Cold, aloof, and ridiculously cool. I looked at the gorgeous guy, then back at my idiot brother, my mind going completely blank. 1 Mason looked like he had just swallowed a lemon. The principal cleared his throat. "Um, are you Mason's..." I was still so mesmerized by the absolute masterpiece of a man standing in front of me that it took the principal calling me three times to snap out of it. "Oh, hello. I'm Mason's older sister. My name is Harper Hayes." The principal shot a sideways glance at Mason in the corner. Mason held his head high, acting tough. "Mom, sister, same difference." I glared at him fiercely. Mason instantly deflated, dropping his head like a wilted plant. I put on an apologetic smile. "Mr. Davis, about the girl Mason is dating..." I mean, surely this incredibly hot guy wasn't the one my brother was involved with, right? The principal wiped sweat from his forehead. "He's not the one." In the middle of the sweltering summer, I felt a sudden, icy chill from head to toe. I stiffly turned to look at the hot guy. He stood there, cool as a statue. Mason... how on earth did he deserve this?! Maybe my gaze was a bit too resentful, because the handsome guy gave me a questioning raise of his eyebrow, followed by a mysterious, amused smirk playing at the corner of his lips. He was exactly my type. Even his eyebrow raise was devastatingly attractive! Is it illegal to steal your brother's boyfriend? Just as my imagination was running wild, the principal quickly corrected himself. "Look at me, I'm getting all mixed up. I mean, this is the young lady's older brother." Oh, that makes sense. I let out a long breath of relief. I knew it. One look at this guy and you could tell he had exquisite taste. There was no way he'd be into a loser like my brother. Following the principal's gaze, I saw Mason slacking off again, casually poking at the potted aloe vera in the corner and pulling out a few cactus needles. Probably used to Mason's terrible behavior by now, the principal just sighed and looked at me. "Lily went to hand in some homework to the physics teacher. She'll be right here." Lily. I repeated the name in my head. If the brother was this gorgeous, the sister had to be beautiful too. As I was thinking, a cool, pale hand appeared in front of me. "Miss Hayes, hello. I'm Lily's brother." The aloof hottie finally spoke his first words. His voice had a natural, lazy drawl that practically made my bones tingle. I quickly shook his hand, shaking it excitedly. "Hello, hello!" In the middle of summer, his hand was pleasantly cool. Not going to lie, it felt really nice to hold. I was waiting for him to introduce himself, but he suddenly went silent and didn't say another word. It wasn't until the principal coughed twice that I suddenly realized what I was doing and let go of his hand. I gave a polite, reserved smile, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear to ease the awkwardness. I wondered if this could salvage my image in his eyes. "Excuse me." A crisp, girlish voice. The girl wore her hair in a ponytail and looked a bit timid. Her school uniform seemed a size too big, hanging loosely on her frame. This must be Lily. Delicate features, light pink lips. Though she wasn't as breathtakingly striking as her brother, she already had the makings of a gentle, elegant beauty. Lily walked in, nodded at the principal, shot a quick glance at Mason in the corner, and then immediately fixed her eyes on the handsome guy. "Declan." Declan smiled gently at his sister, a smile so sweet it almost melted my heart. I officially declare that I was robbed of an older brother in this life! "Lily, it's okay, don't be nervous. Your teacher and your brother are both here." The principal pulled Lily over, smiling more lovingly than a proud mother. But Lily looked extremely unnatural. Since walking in, she hadn't looked at me once. It was almost like she was hiding from something. The principal pulled out a purple illustration card. It was a watercolor painting of a boy and a girl holding hands, with a heart drawn in the middle. The guy in the drawing was clearly a beautified version of Mason. This was an elaborately detailed, jaw-dropping love letter. There were barely any words, but the teenage angst and affection practically spilled off the page. Mason bounced his leg, glancing at the painting disdainfully. "I admit it. I drew it. I have a crush on Lily." Everyone's eyes snapped to Mason. The principal looked so angry he could barely breathe. The bell rang. The principal suppressed his anger and looked kindly at Lily. "Lily, it's fine. Go back to class for now. We'll handle the rest. I won't let you be wronged." Lily's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Mason suddenly snapped impatiently, "He told you to go to class, so go. Why are you just standing there?" Lily clearly jumped in surprise, quickly pushed the door open, and ran out. The statue-like Declan wiped the smile off his face. He spoke his second sentence since entering the room, his voice freezing cold. "My sister is timid. Watch your tone." Mason puffed his chest out, looking like he wanted to square up with Declan. I quickly glared at him. This little idiot! One sentence and he pissed off my hot guy. How was I supposed to hit on him now?! Under my death stare, Mason instantly wilted, staring at his toes. The principal pushed up his glasses. "You're Mason's older sister." "I am." The principal's voice grew very strict. "Since both you and Lily's brother are here, let me explain the situation." "Lily has always been the top student in our grade. She's the student council VP, the physics rep, has excellent grades, and a wonderful personality." The principal paused. "I don't want such a bright kid to be distracted by... other things." "Of course, of course. I'll take Mason home and lecture him thoroughly." To my surprise, going home actually meant going home. The principal told me to take Mason home for a suspension to "reflect." I couldn't lose my temper in front of Declan, so I waited until we were out in an empty hallway before viciously kicking Mason in the leg. I had a menacing expression on my face, preparing for a second kick, when I caught Declan standing coolly not far away out of the corner of my eye. I smoothly lowered my leg mid-air, pretending nothing happened. Declan walked over, a smirk playing on his lips. "Am I interrupting, Miss Hayes?" I immediately switched to a demure, gentle smile. "No, not at all. Mason had some dirt on his pants, I was just dusting it off for him." His eyes were so gorgeous I wanted to swear. "Miss Hayes, my sister has always had a soft personality. She doesn't know how to say no. If she accidentally did something that caused your brother to misunderstand, I apologize on her behalf." Declan had a very distinct way of speaking. His voice was clear, his pauses perfectly timed, his pronunciation flawless. But it carried a lazy, magnetic drawl that, upon closer listening, held a sharp edge. "However, I also hope you understand that I will not allow anyone to take advantage of Lily's personality to hurt her." After saying that, Declan shot Mason a cold glance and walked right past us. 2 Mason tilted his head up defiantly. "Harper, he glared at me!" "You deserve it! I want to strangle you! How did you just talk to his sister back there?! Did a dog eat all the gentlemanly manners I taught you?!" While I was arguing with Mason, the principal suddenly walked over from the other side of the hall. Feeling guilty, I dragged Mason into the nearby staff breakroom to hide. I, Harper Hayes, had always been an outstanding overachiever. Today, my idiot brother had completely ruined my reputation. The principal's voice drifted through the door. "Mrs. Smith, you wouldn't believe it. Mason's sister came in today, and she was even worse than Mason! She grabbed Lily's brother's hand and wouldn't let go, just stared at him the whole time. Have you ever seen such a shameless woman?!" ... Excuse me, Mr. Davis?! When we got home, the moment Mason's butt hit the sofa, I coughed. He instantly sprang up. I sat on the couch, staring him down. "It's just the two of us now. Tell me the truth." Mason put on a cheeky smile. "What truth? Harper, are you hungry? Let me make you some ramen. You can eat and take a nap." "Mason, you can fool other people, but I raised you. Don't play games with me. You've had zero artistic talent since you were born. Since when did you become Picasso?" Mason lowered his head, looking pitiful. "Harper, there were so many people there. I couldn't just expose Lily, right? She's a girl, she cares about her pride. You understand." I frowned in confusion. "You mean... Lily is the one who likes you?" Mason looked at the ceiling and mumbled an awkward nod. Lily? She seemed like such a normal, smart girl. How was her taste in guys so atrocious? I looked Mason up and down. His belt was on backwards. His socks didn't match. His sleeves were covered in pen marks. Besides having a naturally handsome, boy-band face, the rest of him was a giant walking red flag. What kind of potion did he give Lily? Or maybe, being used to her brother's flawless, aristocratic face every day, she decided she wanted to try some street trash for a change? "Harper, don't worry. I have zero interest in all this romantic nonsense. It's too cringey. I'd rather play Call of Duty. I just wanted to help her out of a jam." I nodded sarcastically. "Oh right, you're so noble. You're amazing. You love helping others. Leaving me to sacrifice my dignity as a 27-year-old woman to get yelled at for you." Although I was being sarcastic, I was actually quite relieved. Mason handled it like a real man. Mason muttered quietly, "Look who's talking. Who was the one practically drooling over a guy in the office today? I was embarrassed for you." "Say that again!" Mason's confidence instantly dropped to zero. "What's so great about Lily's brother anyway? He looks like a mixed-breed model. Pretty boy." "If you disrespect your future brother-in-law again, you're sleeping in the dumpster tonight!" I opened my laptop to catch up on the work I missed during the day. Mason mumbled under his breath, "You don't even know his name yet." My fingers froze on the keyboard. That hurt... The living room fell into a dead silence. About ten minutes later, Mason set a steaming bowl of ramen in front of me. "Harper, don't work too hard. It was my fault today." My eyes stayed glued to the screen. "You didn't do anything wrong, but your attitude toward Lily was problematic. I know you were afraid she'd accidentally tell the truth, but you can't be mean to girls, and you can't disrespect your teachers. Got it?" I tossed my phone to him. "Reply to a message for me." "Who?" "My ex-boyfriend. We broke up amicably half a year ago, but he keeps bothering me. I don't have time to deal with him right now. Figure out what to say. If you can't, just block him." Mason typed for a moment, then draped a blanket over my shoulders. "Done. Eat your noodles before they get cold. I'll watch you eat." I devoured the ramen and wiped my mouth. "Not bad. Your cooking improved. Go to bed, you have school tomorrow." At 2 AM, I stretched and was about to go to sleep when I saw a friend request on Instagram. The bio simply said: "Lily Kensington." I tapped "Accept" immediately. Messages immediately started popping up: [Germaphobe.] [Likes black, white, and red.] [Hates perfume.] [Likes quiet places.] [Prefers mint-scented body wash.] [Doesn't like manicures.] [Likes black hair.] I stared blankly at the messages popping up one by one, and subconsciously replied with a few of my own. [Loves video games. Likes ramen. Good at swimming. Hates cheesy romance. A bit goofy but a good cook.] A moment later, she replied: [Thank you, Harper.] I thought for a moment and replied: [Go to sleep early.] Lily. She was pretty cool. I looked at my freshly manicured nails and sighed. What a pity. I didn't even know her brother's name. What was the use of knowing his little quirks? Who knows if we'll ever even meet again. 3 After pulling an all-nighter, my head pounded the next day. I voluntarily worked overtime to finish the last bit of my project. Just as I was about to clock out, my phone rang. An unknown number. "Hello?" I was feeling incredibly irritable. "Miss Hayes." The moment I heard the voice, I got so excited I almost fell out of my office chair. I quickly composed myself, switching to a normal tone. "Oh, it's you." I heard a soft chuckle on the other end. "I'm honored Miss Hayes actually remembers me." Looking like that, it'd be harder to forget you. "Miss Hayes, Lily told me the whole story. I'd like to apologize for my attitude the other day. Would you give me a chance to make it up to you?" I asked tentatively, "You want to..." "Buy you dinner." Exactly what I wanted to hear! I shut down my computer, set my phone aside, and started touching up my makeup. While dabbing on foundation, I let out a reserved little laugh, acting bashful. "Oh, I don't know. It was just a small misunderstanding between the kids. No need to go to all that trouble." "Miss Hayes, I've already made the reservation. If you don't come, it'll go to waste." "Well," I replied 'reluctantly', "I guess I can't say no to that." I was just about to ask him to send me the location when he beat me to it. "Miss Hayes, where are you right now? I'll come pick you up." Making him come pick me up seemed a bit too bold. But honestly, I had been working all day and really didn't want to navigate traffic across the city. I texted him my office address. There was a noticeable silence on the other end. I got nervous. Was it too far? Was he put off by the distance? Gas prices are pretty high right now, after all. "Um, actually, it's fine, I can just..." "Miss Hayes. Give me five minutes." The line went dead. I stared blankly at the beauty blender in my hand. Five minutes? Does he sell hot dogs in the lobby downstairs? The exact second I finished applying my lipstick, a figure appeared outside my glass office door. I opened the door, and that infuriatingly handsome face filled my vision. Holy crap, did he actually sell hot dogs downstairs? My assistant, Sarah, rushed over, out of breath. "Harper! This is the lead executive for the new project we're trying to land. He just asked if we had someone named Harper Hayes here. I figured that was you, so I brought him right over!" Without giving me a second to process, the handsome guy cut straight to the chase. "Miss Hayes, it's about time. Shall we go?" Sarah smiled so wide it looked like her face would split. "Oh my god, you two know each other?! I won't bother you then, have a great night!" Once Sarah left, the guy's deep eyes filled with amusement. "Miss Hayes. What a coincidence." Heh... Look how happy he is laughing at me. On the way to the restaurant, soft piano music played in his luxury car. I tried my hardest to sit up straight and maintain an elegant posture. It was exhausting. A stray strand of hair blew across my face, and I suddenly remembered he liked black hair. My hair was currently dyed a standard ash-brown. Plus, I had my nails done and was wearing perfume. A complete tactical failure on day one... "Miss Hayes, making Director at such a young age. You're very accomplished." "Not as accomplished as..." Realizing I still didn't know his name, I switched titles. "...as Mr. Kensington. Running your own company at your age." We had been chatting in corporate-speak the whole time. How was I supposed to steer the conversation into something deeper? Noticing my hesitation, he helpfully chimed in. "Declan. My name is Declan." "That's a beautiful name," I said, deliberately letting the syllables roll slowly off my tongue. Flirting, but not making it too obvious. Let's see how Declan keeps up his corporate facade now. Declan did indeed fall silent. His dark, bright eyes stared straight ahead at the road. Cold, yet carrying a gentlemanly gentleness. He was dangerously attractive. If I looked closely, it seemed like he was trying not to smile. Was I imagining things? "Miss Hayes, please have a seat," Declan pulled the chair out for me at the restaurant. "You can just call me Harper." Declan: "You don't need to call me Mr. Kensington either. The company belongs to my mother. I just run errands for her." ... Throughout the dinner, I tried countless times to subtly guide him, but I just couldn't get the word "Harper" to come out of his mouth. Declan was still earnestly apologizing for his attitude the other day. "I will have a serious talk with Lily when I get home. I'll make sure she doesn't cause your brother any more trouble." I dragged my exhausted body halfway across the city just to hear this? And calling him "your brother"... so formal. I waved my hand gracefully. "You don't need to put too much pressure on Lily. Let's just see how things play out. Mason is a single-celled organism. He doesn't get stressed by things like this. The only thing that stresses him out is if the cafeteria runs out of pizza." I don't know if bringing up Mason made my true self leak out, but when I waved my hand, I accidentally knocked over Declan's wine glass. There wasn't much red wine left, but it splashed right onto his suit jacket. I frantically grabbed some napkins to wipe off the stain. Declan was a germaphobe! Because of my manicure, I had been hiding my hands all night. Now I couldn't afford to care. But as I was scrubbing vigorously, a rhinestone on my nail caught on a loose thread of his suit. Declan's cool, gentle voice sounded right by my ear. "Miss Hayes, it's fine." "No, no, no, I have to get it clean." The more I panicked, the harder it was to untangle. I had no choice but to lean in incredibly close to his chest, eyes wide open, carefully trying to unhook the thread like I was defusing a bomb. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like I was burying my face into his chest. His scent drifted into my nose. I felt nervous and inexplicably excited. "Miss Hayes, don't worry about it. I was planning on throwing this jacket away anyway. Thanks to you, I now have a perfectly valid excuse." I didn't really care, and it wasn't like I couldn't afford to pay for it. But my hand was literally stuck. "Harper!" A man stood in front of our table, his face a picture of shock. I sat up instantly, but my hand was still caught on the jacket, making it look like I was gripping his clothes. I definitely forgot to check my horoscope today. Of all the awkward situations to run into my ex-boyfriend. Ethan Caldwell stared at Declan, his eyes turning red. "Harper, I thought you were joking when you said it. You actually got a new boyfriend." When did I ever tell him I got a new boyfriend? Wait, it couldn't be... Mason, that absolute moron! I asked him to reply to Ethan's message, and this is what he sent?! He's useless at everything except sabotaging his sister. Ethan let out a weird, bitter laugh. "Harper, where did you find this pretty boy? Is he a model or something?" I replied coldly, "Ethan, watch your mouth. This is my friend. If you have something to say, we can talk later. Don't throw a fit here." Ethan wouldn't let it go. "When my mom told you to quit your job, you'd rather break up with me than give up your precious career. Turns out you just wanted to make money to become a sugar mama to a pretty boy!" I had already broken several of Declan's rules today. I couldn't let a public scene happen in front of him. I suppressed my anger and softened my tone. "Ethan, leave first. We'll talk later." Ethan stared at my hand, which was still tangled in Declan's jacket, and deliberately leaned in closer. "Hey, how much is Harper paying you?" Me: "Ethan! Are you crazy?!" Declan: "Two hundred." ??? Declan stood up. I had no choice but to stand up with him. Declan gently held my tangled hand, then leaned in and softly pressed a kiss to my forehead. The cool, soft touch sent shivers down my spine. Was Declan playing along? As expected from someone who navigates the business world. He knew how to read a room. Ethan hissed through his teeth, "Two hundred? Is that for the whole night?" Damn it! How dare this jerk insult Declan like that! Screw my elegant image, I'm going to slap him across the face. Declan: "For a lifetime." ??? Ethan smelled like alcohol. He must be drunk. "Fine! Harper, you're ruthless! How am I worse than this pretty boy?! You chose him over me!" Declan: "Maybe you didn't know enough positions, and you didn't last long enough." Ethan's eyes went completely red. He lunged forward to grab me. "Who the hell do you think you are, pretty boy?! Harper, come with me!" The sudden aggression from Ethan actually scared me for a second. I panicked. Instinctively, I hid behind Declan. Declan wrapped an arm around my waist, and with his other hand, gave Ethan a seemingly light push that sent him stumbling back several feet. I had never felt so safe in my life. It felt like Declan's shoulders could shield me from any storm. I, Harper Hayes, had grown up never relying on anyone. Declan was the first person who made me feel like I could depend on him, even if it was just for a split second. 4 I leaned my entire body weight against Declan, making my voice sweet and flirty. "Baby, let's go." Ethan chased after us. "Harper, please. I love you. Have a heart, please?" I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Get lost! When you stood there and let your mother insult me, where was all this love?" Seeing how resolute I was, Ethan turned his attacks to Declan. "Hey! Trust-fund baby! You think Harper actually loves you? You're so naive! She's ruthless. She falls in love with a new guy every week. She's never given anyone her real heart!" Declan replied slowly, "Oh, really? I don't care. Being chosen by my owner is my absolute honor." Owner... Damn, Declan must be into some freaky stuff. With his cold, aristocratic face, he didn't look like the type to say things like that. The contrast was amazing. I liked him even more! Declan's eyes lingered on my lips for a second, then he put his arm around me and walked me out of the restaurant. My nail had finally untangled from the jacket. But Declan didn't let go of me, so I happily let him keep his arm around me as we strolled down the street like a real couple. I was done pretending to be a demure lady. It was exhausting. I leaned against him like I had no bones, grumbling, "I really wanted to slap Ethan. He just wouldn't shut up!" As I spoke, I threw a couple of phantom punches in the air, then looked up at Declan with sparkling eyes. "I'm so sorry about today. Thanks for your incredible acting and for sacrificing your pride to help me out. How can I ever repay you?" Like, maybe I can offer myself to you? Declan: "Since you asked, you can pay the bill. Two hundred." Without missing a beat, I whipped out my phone. "Two hundred is too cheap. I'll Venmo you two thousand. Plus the dry-cleaning fee, let's make it five thousand." What can I say? I got a raise recently. I'm rich. Wait! That two hundred was supposed to be his rate for the night! Five thousand means I can book him for a lot of nights! Was he flirting with me? What did he mean by that? Does he actually like me? A million little minions were throwing a dance party in my brain. "Hold on." Declan's hand moved from my waist and gently pinched my chin, tilting my face up. We were in an empty alleyway with only a few dim streetlights. The perfect setting to do something. Declan leaned in closer. I closed my eyes and tilted my chin up slightly higher. I felt his thumb gently wipe the corner of my lips. Declan: "You had some frosting on your mouth." I opened my eyes to see Declan had already taken a step back, maintaining a safe distance, looking as cool and untouchable as ever. That's it? "I'll take you home." Declan started walking toward his car. I followed behind him, utterly confused. He sparked this itch in my heart, and now he's just going to leave it?! "Declan, don't you have anything else to say?" Declan turned his head. "I'll be stationed at your company for the next few months." And?! Did I just spend $5,000 for absolutely nothing? Declan dropped me off at my apartment building. I was still unwilling to let it go. Mustering my courage, I tugged on his jacket. "Do you... want to come up for a bit?" Declan blinked and answered a question with a question. "Why did you break up with your previous boyfriends?" Previous boyfriends... The plural form was very telling. I answered honestly, "They were all mutual. When the love faded, we went our separate ways." Declan leaned against his car. The streetlight illuminated his face, highlighting his perfect bone structure. "What exactly did Ethan's mother do?" I didn't really want to dig up those memories, but since Declan asked, I bit the bullet and told him. "His mom is a wealthy housewife. She thought I was marrying up and wasn't good enough for their family. She hated that I made more money than Ethan and had a better degree. She wanted me to quit my job, stay home, do his laundry, cook his meals, and pop out two kids in three years. She constantly insulted me to my face, and Ethan never once stood up to her. It was suffocating." I shifted to a lighter tone. "But I don't care anymore. I'm used to making it on my own. I like my freedom. I don't need to depend on anyone." Men are just for fun. I didn't say that last part out loud, though. "Harper! What are you two doing?!" Mason walked over, carrying a dripping wet pool floatie. Declan gave Mason a polite smile and got into his car. Upstairs, Mason and I stared at each other. Me: "Why are you home? It's not even the weekend." Mason: "What's going on with you and Lily's brother?" I rubbed my temples. "Exactly what it looks like." "Harper, you have no standards! You're not in a rush to get married. Worst comes to worst, I'll provide for you." I opened the fridge, grabbed two yogurts, and tossed one to him. "Stay out of women's business. And provide for me? Take care of yourself first. Anyway, where were you?" Mason's eyes darted around shiftily. "Swim team practice today. Lily came too. She doesn't know how to swim and doesn't talk much, so I just hung out and practiced with her for a bit." Mason ripped the foil lid off his yogurt and slapped his thigh. "Oh right! Harper, Lily bought yogurt today too, but I noticed she didn't lick the foil lid!" My eye twitched. "And?" Mason: "So I just stared at her until she licked the lid. Drinking yogurt without licking the lid is a crime against humanity." ... Mason: "Anyway, never mind that. Harper, did you know Lily and her brother don't actually live together? Their parents are divorced. Lily lives with her dad, and her brother lives with their mom." I was shocked. "Is this intel legit?" Mason nodded. "Lily told me herself. Her parents divorced before she can even remember. She also said she likes the way I smile. She said she could never smile like me." Tsk. Lily was clearly a hyper-sensitive, intelligent girl. For her to say something like that meant she really trusted Mason. Me: "What did you say to her?" Mason grinned, his eyes crinkling. "I told her I also think I look really handsome when I smile." I held it in for a few seconds before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. I almost choked. Oh, my stupid baby brother. He traded ten lifetimes of emotional intelligence for that pretty face. A pretty boy with a golden retriever's brain. Mason: "...Harper, you're making fun of me." No I'm not. Don't be ridiculous. Late that night, when everything was quiet, I rested my chin in my hand and scribbled "Declan Kensington" all over a piece of paper. Finally, I went and took a cold shower.
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