I was shocked, a mix of confusion washing over me. He smiled at me, but due to my surprise, I stumbled and couldn't react immediately. Who wouldn't be surprised? He had used Shena's brother's car, which had become familiar to me.

"Oh my, daddy~~" We both turned to look at the three girls who had just come out of the gate. It was already late at night, but there was still enough light to see where we were standing. Some of our classmates also glanced at us, but they didn't stop. They were just intrigued.

Rizonel bit her lip while her gaze lingered on Alex. Even the other two girls had their mouths hanging open, and if they were animated, their eyes would be filled with hearts.

They delicately tuck their hair behind their ears, all at the same time. It's as if they're enamored with his good looks, acting a bit crazy.

Even before, everyone was already impressed by him the first time I saw him, especially when Alex laughed. His voice was deep, and when he laughed, he looked even more handsome. The only problem was they shouldn't be flirting with Alex because I was the first one who saw him.

"Hi Daddy, I mean handsome hihihi," Rizonel said with a fake sweet tone. These girls were so fake, and just a while ago, they were about to pick a fight with me.

"Friends of Isabella?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. The three of them squealed softly when they heard his voice.

"They have such deep voices! It's making me wet," one of them said, and I think I was the unlucky one who got smacked. They were practically ganging up on me, and it seemed like they were about to pounce on me out of excitement.

"Heyes, you didn't tell me that you have such a handsome daddy~" Williams whispered. I rolled my eyes mentally. They were insufferable. Handsome guys just made them lose their minds. Well, I'm guilty of that too, but only occasionally!

"H- hi, sir. I'm Desire," Williams extended his hand towards Alex, but he just stared at it and didn't seem to want to take it. Williams got embarrassed and just withdrew his hand, forcing a smile.

"Apologies, but I didn't come to converse with you. My purpose in coming here is for Isabella," Alex stated formally. I thought they might be disappointed, but instead, they were thrilled.

"I'm loving the aloof act. He's incredibly handsome!" Diolliore whispered softly, and the three of them giggled.

I couldn't take it anymore, so I broke away and walked towards Alex. They quickly grabbed me back, and my hair got caught in the process. I gave them an angry look.

"Oops! Sorry. Why did you leave? We're not done talking to him," Williams said in a snobby tone. I wanted to push him into oncoming traffic if he weren't the dean's nephew.

"Right? Why are you with him? Is he your new boyflirt?" I was shocked. They were copying my flirtatious style.

I didn't even notice that Alex was already in front of us, and he was only looking at me. He suddenly grabbed my waist firmly, with a mix of tenderness and urgency, persuading me to step away from them. As we moved away, their expressions shifted from surprise to curiosity.

It was as if time itself had paused as we stood there, our bodies almost pressed together, caught in an unexpected moment of closeness that neither of us had anticipated.

The three of them gasped and dramatically covered their mouths with their hands in unison.

My heart was pounding like someone was knocking repeatedly on the door of my chest as our eyes locked. The world seemed to slow down, and my heart raced faster. Slowly, he smiled at me.

"Wait!" one of them suddenly shouted, still with that shocked expression as if something gruesome had happened in our direction.

"Are you two perhaps in a relationship?" she asked, and I was puzzled about why she was getting involved. What business was it of hers whether we were or weren't?

I just gave them a fake smile. "That is none of your business. Why don't you go home instead of meddling in someone's life? You've been at it since earlier," I said, and Desire seemed like she wanted to say something, but before she could complain, I broke free from Alex's grip and walked away.

"Come on, Alex," I walked straight towards the car and opened the front passenger door. I could still hear their complaints about what I did, but I didn't bother looking back.

I waited for him to start the car before I began to question him. He glanced at me briefly, probably noticing that I had been watching him while we were driving.

"Ask," he said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Why are you driving Shena's car? Do you know them?" I asked, and he furrowed his brow.

"Shena Graciano," I clarified. His face lit up with recognition.

"I only met Silver; he is at the bar right now," he replied. Bar? I thought he was at home. It seemed that my brother hadn't changed a bit. Still gallivanting around.

"Do you know the Graciano family?" I prodded further.

"I didn't personally meet his family. It was a chance encounter earlier. We met in London three years ago. I never expected that you would know each other," he explained.

"I was surprised too, but how did you know that Kuya was coming to pick me up?" I asked.

"Well, uh," I saw his ears turn all red, and he cleared his throat while still keeping his eyes on the road. "I accidentally mentioned your name when we were talking."

My heart raced again. He mentioned me? Did that mean he was sharing details about me with his friends?

"Why accidentally? What were you talking about?" I was curious. What if I had assumed something was wrong, and they were actually talking negatively about me? What if I had been backstabbed? I tended to overthink.

"They wanted to meet the woman who has been affecting my mood lately, and then I insisted on fetching you. But instead of using my car, Silver told me to use theirs," he replied with a serious tone.

Heat exploded on my face. "Gosh, you really didn't give any hint. It sounds like you're talking about a different woman," even though he sent me letters every day as if we were in the old generation.

"You miss me?" he suddenly asked, catching me off guard. I was puzzled about how his question related to what I had just said.

"Are you kidding? No, why would I miss you? You're not my boyfriend," I replied defensively.

"Is missing someone limited to just being in a romantic relationship? You really don't miss me?" he pressed again, and of course, I did miss him, but I didn't want to admit it.

"Hindi nga. Kulit," I retorted. The car slowed down and eventually came to a stop at the side of the road. I was confused. Why did we stop?

I was about to ask him when I suddenly felt his large hand on the back of my neck. For a split second, our lips met. He kissed me, and I could feel how much he missed it. I thought that was it, but he moved, savoring the touch of my lips.

The butterflies in my stomach feel like they're fluttering away, and even my heart is becoming too loud. He kissed me passionately until I yielded and allowed his tongue into my mouth. He bit it slowly, and instead of feeling pain, I experienced excitement.

He sucked my tongue while gently rubbing my neck with his hand and he drew me even closer to him. I feel hotter all of a sudden and can't help but to moan when our kisses are deeper until his kisses move down in my neck.

He licked my skin and kissed the trail of my collarbone and I knew it would be red the next day, but my warmth didn't care. I was carried away by the heat, and all I could do was hold his broad chest.

He stopped sucking on my neck and looked at me with a lustful gaze. "Why did your body tell me otherwise? I thought you did not miss me? I flustered and softly bit my lower lip.

" S-shut up" His chuckle echoed as if I were hearing it for the first time. It's not exactly what I missed. Well, I missed it, but just a bit.

He suddenly stopped and brushed the hair that fell on my face, tucking it behind my ear. He kissed my forehead before gazing at me again.

"Do you have any idea how stunning you are, Isabella? I feel like I want you to be mine already, and it's distracting my inner thoughts. It's getting close, and I might go crazy just thinking about you."

He brought his face closer, staring intensely at me. His brown eyes were filled with an unfamiliar emotion, hypnotizing me.

My heart continued to beat fast, and I just let it, hoping that if it escapes, he'll catch it, even if not all of it.

"I don't hide my emotions, and I genuinely love how you stir my heart. It's racing like crazy. Can you help me understand why?"

He took my hand and placed it on his chest. From the touch of my skin there, I felt its strong beat.

"I really like you, I want you to be mine, but I will respect it if you're not ready yet."

My heart is racing. I want to tell him that I like him too, but there's a barrier protecting my heart from falling. I gulped at the sudden confession. "I-Isn't it too early to say that, Alex? We just met three weeks ago. Maybe you're just infatuated."

I want to question myself now. Why is my heart in sync with his? Why am I always captivated by his emotional eyes? I love how he looks at me with them.

"I don't care about the days that pass by. I'm sure of what I feel for you. You're driving me crazy, do you know that? Tell me, Isabella. Why am I becoming like this with you? Why is it deepening?"

I couldn't answer because I didn't know either. I didn't know that he would have this effect on me. But is it permanent? Maybe this is just for now, and it will fade away soon.

And my only prayer is that we stay like this even for just three months because I know I need to adjust. Alex might like me now, but I don't want to expect that it will deepen.

I unconsciously touched his cheek, surprising him, but he later held my hand and kissed it. I want to express how happy I am to hear that he likes me, but my thoughts are still confused about our future. I'm afraid to take a risk in a love that's not yet certain.

"I hope you will stay like this," I suddenly said, and Alex's eyes questioned me. I took his hand and gave him a gentle smile.

"What's the matter? Does confessing my feelings make you uncomfortable?" He asked with a hint of concern. I shook my head.

"Then why do you seem to imply something else with your eyes?" I sighed deeply. I wanted to tell him that I'm afraid of a time when he might get tired of me, but I knew it would hurt me more than him. I'm not a positive person; I always weigh the consequences of my actions and think about whether they're good for me.

Would Alex be happier if I told him that I also have feelings for him? Will he stand by me? Will he not get tired? Will I not get hurt?

Even though I've never had a boyfriend and have no experience with these things, I know that taking risks can be dangerous. It's risky when you've experienced it firsthand. I've seen how Shena cried every time her boyfriend broke up with her. She loved him, but in the end, she was the one who suffered.

While we were in the car, he didn't let go of my hand. I couldn't help but feel conscious that my hand might be getting sweaty. I'm still a bit sweaty even though it's cool inside the car.

Instead of heading straight to the bar, we stopped by a boutique. I mentioned that I didn't want to go in uniform, and Shena's brother had joined us.

I chose a fuchsia pink fitted dress with a backless design and paired it with 3-inch silver pointed heels. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and applied some makeup, including nude lipstick, in the boutique's dressing room.

Afterward, I looked at myself in the mirror before stepping out. I saw Alex, sitting comfortably and waiting for me. When he noticed me coming out, I saw his eyes drop from my exposed thigh to my face, and he wasn't smiling, which worried me. Could it be that the dress I'm wearing doesn't suit me? But it looks okay, right?

A staff member approached him and whispered something. He nodded and she left. I just watched them both, until he got up and came over to me.

"Should I wear different clothes?" I asked, filled with worry because he didn't look happy.

"Pair it with a blazer... it's too sexy, and I don't want anyone to steal you from me," he said with a hint of excitement. I couldn't help but lightly slap his hand for that comment.

"I thought something was wrong. So, that was your concern," I said.

"Will you agree to be mine?" His question took me by surprise, and I hesitated for a moment, but then I recovered and smiled at him.

"You're cringey, Alex. Stop it," I said, trying not to smile. The staff member returned with a black blazer, which Alex took and placed it on my shoulders. He even kissed my forehead after it was in place. I blushed as the staff member smiled at us, barely containing her own excitement.

He assisted me into the car, and before he started driving, he glanced at me and gave me a wide smile. I returned the smile and focused on the road.

He took my hand, which was now free, and kissed it while driving. I blushed even more, feeling like a tomato. He's so gentle, making me feel like I'm the only one. But I don't know if this is all we are or if there's more to come. I'm afraid of my feelings, and I'm aware that it's risky, especially since I'm slowly falling for Alex.