wrong proposal

chapter one

Chapter one

walked in, clutching my purse a little bit tightly. My nerves tightening with every step. Eyes followed me, a subtle glance from couples and waitresses — and I suddenly wondered if I'd dressed too seriously.

Maybe the blazers were too much. Or maybe it was the heels. Either way, I kept on walking, chin slightly raised, knowing I belonged here.

"Alexa Caprio?" The receptionist asked to confirm my name. Her tone was polite but distant.

"Yes, a reservation for two, please," I replied, my voice calm but my heart far from it.

She gave a small nod and gestured, "Right this way, please."

I followed, my eyes taking in the place. Crystal glasses, dim gold lighting, and tables spaced far enough apart to whisper secrets. It smelt... rich, clean... like money.

We reached the table. Or rather, tables. Three chairs?

I paused, confused. Was he bringing someone else?

That couldn't be right. This was our moment—the first time I and Kai were meeting in person after four years of non-stop chatting, late-night calls, and missed opportunities.

We'd planned every detail. Just the two of us.

Still, I offered a polite smile to the receptionist.

"Thank you," I said quietly as I sank into the velvet seat, trying to steady my thoughts.

She nodded and walked off, leaving me alone as I glanced at the third chair again.

"Please don't let this be weird," I said to myself, as my fingers brushed the tablecloth.

I'm excited… and nervous.

Four years of talking, laughing, calling and today. I finally get to meet him.

We met on a crappy app I almost deleted, but from the first day we started talking. Something just clicked. It was effortless. Natural. And somehow, it never stopped.

No matter what life threw our way, the chat kept coming. The calls. His deep voice over the phone. The way he made me laugh with his ridiculous rizz, always knowing exactly what to say.

And now, he's real. Here. Close.

My phone buzzed, a message from him.

"My ride got delayed, but I'm close. Can't wait to meet you."

My heart skipped, me too, Kai.

I caught myself smiling way too hard at his message. 'Get it together. Alexis'

I had fallen for him, harder than I ever meant to. And now, as the seconds ticked down to seeing him in person for the first time, all I could hope was that he was exactly how I imagined him in person...and that I was enough too.

My fingers worked quickly, adjusting a strand of hair here, fixing a smudge of lip gloss there.

The door swung open, and I glanced up instinctively—then froze.

It's him.

I fumble with the glass in my hand and nearly choke on the sip of water I was trying to take.

'Smooth, Alexis, real smooth.'

He's even more dashing in real life. His hair, as long as mine, is tied in a perfect bun. His dress is a crisp shirt with sleeves rolled up, revealing muscular arms that flex slightly as he adjusts his watch. He walks towards me with a smile—one that makes it painfully clear he already caught the whole choking-on-water bit.

Gosh, he hasn't even sat down yet, and I'm already exposing just how clumsy and nervous I am.

I tried to sit straighter, smooth my dress, and fix my expression – anything to stop me from looking like a nervous mess. But then, of course, my elbow clipped the glass on the table.

Time slowed.

The glass tilted.

I panicked.

But before it could crash, a hand swooped in – firm, steady, and sure – catching it just inches from the edges.

He placed it back gently on the table, and when I looked up, he was already smiling. His eyes locked on mine like he had been watching the whole time.

“So this is the feisty Alexa Caprio,” he said, his voice deep and playful.

The moment he spoke, something in me unclenched. His voice was deep and familiar, just how he sounded over the phone. For a second I forgot I was nervous.

I looked up to him again.

God, he was tall.

I tried to play it cool. “You sure look bigger in person,” I said, flashing a half smile.

He grinned, and just like that, the energy shifted. “Yeah? And you look smaller in person.”

I laughed. Genuinely. The tension broke like glass when we hugged. It felt right, like slipping into something I hadn't worn in a long time but still fit perfectly.

We sat, my heartbeat slowly returning to normal.

The clinking, slow music and rich chatter in the venue were loud, but somewhere between his second joke and my third laugh, the noise faded. Like the world decided to give us space.

He leaned back. In his chair, eyes warm, mouth curved as he spoke about the years we missed.

Late-night calls, endless texts, and he was finally here, real, solid, and devastatingly handsome.

I forgot about the third chair.

I forgot about everything really; I was too busy watching his lips move.

But then, the door swung open.

The noise cut through me like glass.

A curvy Latina walked in, confident and glowing, like she belonged exactly where she was; Kai's expression changed instantly. He paused mid-sentence, stood up without hesitation and wrapped her with a hug.

A hug that was too familiar

Too easy

My smile froze.

She walked towards our table like she already knew the way, and that's when it hit me: the empty chair. The one I hadn't questioned. The one I ignored because I was busy falling into him.

Kai turned to me.

“Hey Alexa… meet Joan.”

I faked a smile so convincing it almost fooled me. Joan smiled back, warm and effortless, and then sat on the third chair.

Gosh

That's who it's for.

Heat crawled up my neck, shame tightening in my chest. I felt stupid. Used. Like I'd imagined something that was never real. This dinner… Our dinner was never for the two of us.

I sat there, nodding, smiling, pretending I wasn't watching them laugh like they shared the same language I didn't understand. Pretending my heart wasn't cracking quietly beneath my breath.

I wanted to leave.

The urge sat heavy on my chest. But before I could act on it, Joan excused herself to the bathroom.

My eyes followed her without permission. God, she was beautiful, curvy, and confident – the kind of woman who didn't have to try.

The years, the calls. The nights that felt too real. And not once, not once did he mention her.

I turned to him, disappointment etched on my face.

Instead of explaining, Kai smiled.

Then he handed me his phone.

I stared at him, more confused. “Why are you giving me your phone?

“Go stand over there,” he said casually. “I want you to record what I'm about to do.”

My heart skipped, not for excitement, but rather for confusion so sharp it hurts.

I obeyed.

Because apparently, I still trusted him.

I walked where he pointed, my fingers trembling as I pressed the record. The screen glowed in my palms. I lifted it just as Joan returned from the bathroom, smiling, unsuspecting.

And then

Kai stood

Then he knelt.

The world tilted.

My legs went weak. My palms went slick with sweat. I couldn't breathe, couldn't blink, couldn't scream. I sank my teeth into my lower lip just to feel something other than this numbness, this humiliating ache ripping from my chest.

He was proposing… to her.

Joan gasped, screaming yes, and the restaurant erupted. With cheers, claps, and celebration crashing around me like noise underwater.

I dropped the phone.

It hit the table.

And I ran out of the restaurant.

Feeling stupid

Used.

Like, dumb b***h for not seeing this coming.