"Now tell me why you suddenly got interested in her when you were clearly not interested in getting married a while ago?" Grandma asks once Desmond and I are seated.
I'm glaring at him but he's merely grinning at me, clearly amused by my reaction to him getting Leilani's picture. What's even more annoying is how despite everyone seeing his reaction, they still choose to take his side.
My mother is literally rubbing his back right now as if to soothe him. As for Dad, he's laughing, probably thinks this is a sibling fight or something. He's an only child so obviously he doesn't understand how this works. He can't see the animosity behind our fights. You'd think my mother being the eldest daughter in her family would see it but no. She's too blinded by whatever motherly devotion she feels for Calvin that she ignores the hate—and me.
"Is she that beautiful?" Dad asks after finally composing himself.
"Yes, she is," Calvin replies.
I know he won't say anything about the girl in the picture being the one we almost killed each other for that one memorable night. That way, he'll lose a way to steal something from me yet again, and he knows I won't reveal the secret either. It just had to happen that he was at the same college as me and Leilani back then, and fate had it that he got to know about my crush on her somehow.
Fuck being related by blood or whatever black magic he used to figure out that I like her, but when he noticed I'd stopped causing problems at home and was starting to focus on myself thanks to Leilani's scolding, he ended up pursuing her with the same goal as he did with everything that I've ever wanted in my life:
Snatching her away from me.
Of course, I fought him. I wasn't going to let him end my college romance before it even started. But in the end, he got what he wanted after I fought him and I ended up getting separated from Leilani. Now he's back at it again, and if he succeeds this time, it'll be the death of me.
"Give that picture to me," Grandma gestures at Calvin and he passes the card to her, making sure to distance it from me so I don't snatch it away.
"Ah, this one. She's a stubborn one from what I hear from her Grandma. Won't reply to my poor friend's marriage proposals just like her mother."
That manages to settle my heart. Now it's my turn to give Calvin the victorious glare. He looks away, annoyed by the sudden news. That is before Grandma adds:
"But if she does change her mind I'll inform you, Calvin. We'll set a date for you with her then."
The way I snap my head to look at her should be a record-breaking head flip. I feel a muscle strain somewhere in my neck when I finally look at Grandma.
"What? You can't deny that he picked the picture first before all our eyes can you?" Grandma raises a questioning brow at me.
I grit my teeth wishing I could reverse time.
"Calvin gets to have the first date. If the girl decides not to marry him then we set a date for you. How does that sound?"
"Perfect," Calvin immediately answers, smiling. "Then I'll wait until she agrees to go on a date. In the meantime, please let me off the hook Grandma."
"You're excused," Grandma gives him a gentle smile before turning to me. "Are you on board with this?"
Fuck. I didn't expect being a second option to feel this salty. My mouth turns dry and I feel like I'll cry any moment now if someone pulls the right trigger. What makes it worse is how I can't go against Grandma's word. She's right about everything, and even her judgment on this matter is level-headed.
Never mind that, I'm pretty sure if Calvin and I were in the same room and Leilani was told to choose a mate she'd pick Calvin. After all, I did ghost her right when she was finally opening up to me. Not to mention the hate she clearly showed me a while ago at the bar. She didn't even try hiding it. Everything is working against me being with her, but do I feel like giving up? No. It's actually making me more determined to make her mine for some reason.
Stalker behavior. I know. But I can't help myself okay. I've been crushing on this woman since high school you hear. Since I was freaking fifteen!
"Hmm," I reply to Grandma knowing surely well that I'm not going to give up on Leilani anytime soon. "I'll wait too. If she chooses Calvin then I'll marry anyone you choose for me. If she doesn't, then set up a blind date for me with her too."
"My God. Just what is this woman to have my grandchildren forming a reverse harem on her before they even meet her," Grandma cackles.
"Please stop reading webnovels Mom," Dad grimaces.
"Do you give me money, Elliot?" Grandma asks him.
"No."
"Do I live in your house with your wife?"
"No."
"Am I your wife?"
"No."
"Good. Mind your business or that to which you're tied by marriage. Forget blood, you ditched my business so I'm ditching you too."
Any other day I'd have laughed at my Dad for getting roasted by grandma, but my mind is blank at the moment because of all that's happened today.
"As for you boys, you're dismissed. I'll be in touch in the family group so keep checking my messages for any updates, okay?"
I don't need another word from her before I stand. "Then I'll be leaving. I've got a meeting with my team."
"This late?" Dad asks checking his watch. "It's ten PM!"
"Yeah. Dollars aren't only made during the day, Dad," I smile at him, watching as my mother kisses Calvin goodbye before sitting down and ignoring me completely.
I hate that I care so much about such little things but I can't help myself. It's this stupid heart I was born with. Always yearning for things that are out of my reach—even with my love life.
Tsk!
"That's the mentality I like to see," Grandma beams at me placing her hand on mine. "Go get 'em, tiger."
My heart immediately settles and I nod at her. "Love you, gran."
"Me too, Des. Goodnight."
"Night, Gran. Night Dad..." pausing I turn to my mom. "Night Mom." Then I leave the room before I can see her disheartening reaction.
A few minutes later, I'm stepping inside my car as Chester opens the door for me.
"How was it?" He asks, driving us to the lift.
"Have someone look into Leilani's Grandma and the blind dates she's setting up for her. Also on Leilani too."
Chester looks at me through the mirror with concern-filled eyes. "You're not planning on becoming a stalker are you?"
I shake my head. "No, but I think Calvin is, or will become one soon. I need to know about Lei before he does or else he'll be a step ahead of me...or he might end up manipulating her," I mumble the last part through gritted teeth, my jaw clenched so hard I taste the copper tang of blood coming from my gums.
Chester watches me for a while before finally nodding. "I'll get to it right away. But try to relax your hands a little or someone will think we're going on a mafia rage rampage."
I hadn't even realized I had clenched my hands into fists.
"Thanks, man," I mumble to him before we reach the ground floor and Chester drives us out of the building.
Wait for me, Leilani. I'm not losing you this time.