Winning My Ex-Crush

Fenella’s POV

I took a deep breath and prepared myself to meet Alan that day. After spending the whole day with Laird, planning with Matthew and the assistant district attorneys, it was time for me to take the right action. It was time for my acting skills to be honed from the start.

“You remember, right? This necklace only hears you one way, so you won’t get a response from us, but we are here waiting for you.”

“Yes.” I nodded, even though my heart was racing.

“Do you remember the safe word?”

“Whitehill Academy.” I said it quickly for confirmation, and they nodded.

“Good. Familiar words for Alan won’t make him suspicious. Let us know anytime you need an emergency backup,” Matthew commented with a chuckle.

“Break a leg,” Laird whispered, staring at me intently. He then kissed my lips briefly before withdrawing his hand from my cheek.

“Break a leg.” Matthew turned to me and moved his face forward as if going to kiss my lips as well. Of course, Laird immediately pushed Matthew’s face away with the palm of his hand.

I chuckled for a moment, then quickly licked my lips. My steps guided me out of the car. I glanced back at Laird, who was waiting in the white rental sedan across the street.

Oh my gosh! I felt like a spy now.

Even though I was nervous and my heart was pounding, I continued to walk towards a cafe just 3 kilometers from my home. The cafe had a dim, cozy atmosphere from its decorative lights. This afternoon, the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, and the light inside the cafe would have been darker if they hadn’t turned on their decorative lights.

As soon as I entered the cafe, I could see Alan waiting for me in a secluded corner at the back. The plush chairs with high backs leaned against partitions between tables along the cafe’s walls. There was Alan, sitting upright with his sparkling eyes and an upright posture. His smile was wide, all directed towards me.

If I didn’t know better, I’d be mesmerized by his handsome figure. His endless attention towards me and the way he showed how precious my presence in this world is to him could be quite intoxicating.

“Good afternoon, Fenella.” He stood to greet me and guided me to sit across from him.

I cleared my throat before responding. Oh, I needed to get rid of this nervousness. Awkwardly, I finally answered his greeting. “Hi, Alan. Have you been waiting long?”

“No, don’t worry about me. I’d even be willing to wait here until the cafe closes,” Alan said quickly with a blush on his tanned cheeks.

“Why?” I chuckled a little at his flattery.

“Because we promised to meet, right? I’m sure you’ll always keep your promises.”

“Oh, well, maybe you’re right. If something comes up, I’ll try to contact you.”

“Yes, of course. Only you understand that kind of etiquette.” He still had his smile on me as he handed me the menu. “What would you like to order, Fenella?”

“Hot black tea, please.” I handed the menu back to him.

“Don’t you want to order a snack?”

I shook my head. “You’ve already given me so many snacks to last through the winter at home. Now I feel like you’re treating me like a polar bear that needs to hibernate.”

“Well, I guess that’s actually what’s happening since you didn’t answer my call on Christmas Eve.”

Ugh, really?! He brought up Christmas Eve when I ignored his call.

“I’m sorry, but I was having a poker tournament with the neighbors and my mom.”

A lie, of course, but Alan wouldn’t know, right?

“Oh, now that explains everything.” Alan cooed slowly, accepting my lie with a knowing nod.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Then he went to the cashier and ordered our drinks. Shortly, he returned to the table and sat back down across from me.

“Alan, I want to ask you something real quick.”

“Well, ask away.”

“When did you leave the Christmas hamper? I’m just curious because when I came home last night, the hamper wasn’t there yet.”

“Oh, I left it in the morning.” He chuckled.

“Why didn’t you ring the bell and deliver it personally?” I pressed with a frown. He stared at me for a moment, as if weighing his answer.

“I don’t know.” He answered briefly. “I was afraid you might still be asleep that early, and I smelled something baking with a delicious aroma. So, I thought your mom was busy in the kitchen, and I didn’t want to disturb.”

“Oh, okay.” My voice trailed off slowly.

Damn. Could I trust this guy? Not wanting to disturb my sleep? Either he’s really obsessed to the point of loving me this much, or his mentality is simply that of a stalker.

“So, are you staying nearby?” His home is in Andover, but he’s now in Boston. It’s unlikely he’s commuting back and forth to Andover, which is over 40 miles away.

“Yes. I’m staying at a hotel near Fenway Stadium.”

“Okay.” I sighed in relief. At least he’s not crazy enough to commute back and forth in the morning or stay in his car overnight just to leave a Christmas hamper on my doorstep.

The bell rang, signaling that our drinks were ready. Alan got up from his seat and walked to the barista to collect our orders. Soon, Alan returned with two warm cups to the table.

“Thank you,” I said to him with a small smile.

“Never mind that.” He grinned widely at me.

“What did you order?”

“Hot black tea,” he sighed in a sudden baritone voice.

He’s weird, really.

“Oh, you ordered the same as me.” I forced a small laugh.

“Yes. I wanted to know what it’s like to taste your lips.” He blushed.

He’s freaking blushing! For some reason, he gives me the creeps, and the hairs on my neck stood up hearing him speak in that low tone. How can he be this obsessed with me?

“Oh, yeah. That’s how I taste.”

I swallowed nervously and whispered. It felt incredibly awkward to me, but it didn’t seem so to him. The only instinct I felt now was to run, but I reminded myself of my purpose in meeting him.

“Erm, Alan.”

“Yes?” He tilted his head with wide eyes. His expression always showed enthusiasm for hearing me. I was sure he’d be even happier after this.

My hand pulled out the red velvet box from my bag and placed it on the table. Alan’s eyes widened as I showed him the box. My heart was racing now, and I prayed to God that he would overlook all my sins.

“This ring-” I offered the box to him.

“Oh, no, Fenella. I don’t want to accept it. I said, Keep it until the time comes for you to come to me.” Alan leaned back, shaking his head, and raised both hands in front of him.

“Yes, that’s the point, isn’t it? Now I’m here coming to you.”

My eyes stared at him intently to show my seriousness. He stood still for a moment, processing my words. His eyelids blinked, and once he understood what I meant, his smile widened.

“Does this mean what I think it means?”

“Yes, Alan. Let’s get married,” I said with a fast-beating heart.

Shit! I was nervous! I could feel my voice sounding unnatural, and my face was tense and uncontrollable. I knew forcing a smile now would only make things worse.

But I needed him to believe me! I needed him to include me in his family circle to meet Amy and her husband. In my shortsighted thinking, I jumped straight to a sentence I thought would convince him.

“I love you.” I declared my empty feelings to him.

He opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to say something. His eyes darted to the right and left as if thinking. His eyelids blinked again, and he let out a small laugh.