Casted
1463 Words
CHAPTER 5
“How come your fingerprints work on every door?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
My heart wouldn't stop racing. Happiness and guilt churned inside me, leaving me hopelessly confused.
I shouldn't have enjoyed being carried by my sister's fiancé.
I really shouldn't have.
Alejandro was only helping me, nothing more. Yet every step he took with me in his arms made my pulse flutter. A shameful part of me wished the moment wouldn't end.
“Because this place belongs to me,” he replied simply.
Still carrying me, he pushed through the emergency exit and headed outside, where a car was already waiting.
A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of an upscale boutique with AH' Luxury emblazoned across the entrance in elegant gold lettering.
“Now, do you mind telling me what's causing these panic attacks while we do a little shopping?” he asked, concern etched across his face.
“Yes, I mind,” I replied, stepping inside the boutique.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
The moment I walked in, my gaze landed on a massive photograph displayed on the wall.
Zoe.
She was wearing the same outfit she'd had on at Matteo's studio.
I had to resist the urge to scoff.
“Don't stare too hard,” Alejandro said as he walked past me. “She's just one of our models.”
Just one of our models.
Right.
I tore my eyes away from the photograph and followed him deeper into the store.
The staff greeted him the moment they spotted him, their smiles widening as he passed. Before I could take in much more, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and muttered something under his breath before stepping behind a row of dresses to answer it.
Left on my own, I wandered through the boutique, running my fingers over the fabrics as I searched for something to try on.
The Castillo family really did seem to own half of Spain.
“You don't get to control me from prison!” I heard him shout into the phone as he paced across the boutique.
“I've got everything under control here. The Castillo Group isn't falling.”
His voice rose even higher, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
“And you're not getting your hands on those documents. Ever.” A brief silence followed.
“You f*****g killed him!”
At that volume, even the mannequins probably heard him.
The staff immediately looked away, pretending not to have heard anything. Customers suddenly became very interested in the clothes around them.
Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, I picked up a dress from a nearby rack and examined it as if it were the most fascinating thing I'd ever seen.
A few minutes later, Alejandro returned.
If the call had rattled him, he hid it well.
He held up a red dress.
“What do you think about this one?” he asked, flashing me a smile so effortless it should've been illegal.
My gaze betrayed me immediately.
It swept over him before I could stop it…his broad shoulders stretching beneath his shirt, the solid build that made him seem larger than everyone around him.
Lord help me.
I pressed my lips together and looked away before he caught me staring.
What kind of person drools over her twin sister's fiancé? Apparently, me.
Hoping my face wasn't giving away my thoughts, I reached for the dress and nodded.
“You didn't sound very friendly on the phone,” I said.
He dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
“Forget about that. Today is about you. Go try it on so we can see how it looks. We still have a party to get back to.”
I nodded and headed for the fitting room.
Before stepping inside, I pulled out my phone and checked it for what felt like the hundredth time.
Matteo had still blocked me. Of course he had.
Swallowing my disappointment, I shoved the phone back into my purse.
I wasn't going to think about him.
Today, I was going to enjoy this moment with my first love, no matter how foolish that made me.
After changing, I stepped out of the fitting room.
Alejandro was sitting nearby, one leg bouncing impatiently against the floor. Whether it was because of the phone call or something else, I couldn't tell.
The moment he looked up and saw me, his entire expression changed.
“Well,” he said, getting to his feet. “Looks like I picked the right dress after all.”
His gaze swept over me before a grin spread across his face.
“See? This is exactly why you need to retire those boring jeans.”
I gasped in mock offense.
“Don't insult me.”
He laughed.
Somewhere in the background, a familiar song drifted through the boutique speakers.
Dandelions.
The timing couldn't have been worse.
He pushed himself to his feet.
“Do you know how to dance?” he asked.
I blinked. “Why?”
“Because you didn't dance at prom.”
I stared at him.
“You noticed?”
He nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he closed the distance between us.
“I noticed.”
He held out his hand.
“Come on. Just follow my lead.”
Before I could think of an excuse, he took my hand and guided me toward the small open space between the displays.
The slow rhythm of Dandelions drifted through the boutique.
He placed one hand lightly against my upper back and kept the other around mine.
“Relax,” he said. “You're acting like I'm about to throw you across the room.”
I laughed despite myself.
“No promises,” he added.
“Very reassuring.”
“Just move with me.”
We swayed slowly to the music, barely dancing at all.
His hand was warm against my back.
And he was standing far too close.
I found myself staring at his mouth for a second longer than I should have.
“His name is Matteo,” I lied.
Alejandro's eyebrows rose.
“The guy behind the panic attacks?”
I nodded.
“What does he do?”
“He's a photographer.”
For a moment, Alejandro went still.
Then his gaze drifted toward Zoe's photograph hanging on the wall.
“That's interesting.”
“What?”
“I've got a Matteo working on one of our brand shoots.”
He glanced back at me.
“Matteo what?”
“Rossi.”
A frown flickered across his face.
“Rossi?”
I nodded.
He let out a short laugh.
“Small world.”
Before I could respond, his phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen and groaned.
“Apparently, people can't survive five minutes without me.”
Releasing my hand, he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“Come on,” he said. “Let's find at least one dress my future wife won't complain about.”
He punctuated the sentence with a wink.
I forced a smile.
The dance, the teasing, the way he'd looked at me moments ago...
They had meant something to me.
To him, it was probably just another ordinary afternoon.
“I'm glad you're feeling better now, Hazy,” Alejandro said as he stepped forward.
***
By the time we returned, the place was buzzing.
Laughter floated through the air as guests mingled in clusters, moving from one conversation to the next. A waiter brushed past me with a tray of champagne, and somewhere in the background, music hummed beneath the noise of the crowd.
Everything looked perfect until Halo came running towards me. She was pushing through the crowd and marching straight toward me.
“Where the f**k have you been?” she snapped.
Her eyes were blazing.
I glanced at Alejandro before looking back at her.
“I've been looking for you everywhere.”
“I just went to get a dress for the—”
“You're always somewhere, Hazel.”
Her voice rose, drawing attention from nearby guests.
“Halo…” I started.
“Did you sleep with your boss to get that contract?”
The question hit me so hard I forgot how to breathe.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Who told you that?” I shot back.
Alejandro stepped forward, but Halo lifted a hand, stopping him before he could speak.
Her eyes never left mine.
“Then explain something to me.”
A sick feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
Halo took another step closer.
“Then explain the video of you riding your boss's d**k that's all over the internet right now.”
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