Fated To The Lycan Brothers
Chapter 50

Suri Nightingale

"Good morning! Welcome to Maria's Floras. How may I help you?" I greeted the middle-aged lady in a bright yellow outfit with as much energy as I could muster in the morning.

It's been five days since I started my work at the flower shop café. Every morning I wake up at exactly a quarter to five, get ready quickly, and ask Benjamin to drive me.

Today is my fifth day and I can say I'm already getting the hang of things. My routine is being at the store at exactly five thirty where Maria is already waiting for me. She tasks me to do some cleaning while she's baking the pastries for the day and when I'm done, I check on the flowers and tell her if there is anything out of the ordinary.

I guess the only part I'm really not used to is having enough energy to greet people with a lively smile at six thirty in the morning since my old morning jobs didn't really require being friendly, but hey, if it helps me feel like I'm my normal working self and at the same time gets me out of dealing with snotty rich kids for a few hours then I'll do what I can.

At least, for the most part, because speaking of which, I see some of them coming in the café now right after I tended to the other lady awhile ago.

It's a group of four, two boys and two girls walking in laughing and holding hands. They look like a couple and the high socks on the girls tell me that they're Juniors because that's part of their uniform.

As soon as they see me, they get quiet and give me a judging look.

I have no idea who they are, but clearly they know me. Or they know the girl that's been ignored the whole week because of the bull s hit rogue status that was still very much present the Monday we were back to school after the weekend in Calico Seas. The craziest thing is that it feels like that weekend didn't even happen at all. To the outside world, it was as if nothing happened as all articles about me connected to Ryder Madden had been wiped on the face off the earth. Not one of his fans will ever remember I was even with their beloved idol.

Another thing was his twin brother, Ryan. As soon as we got back home on Sunday night, news of him getting beat up went viral. The beating was so intense that they said he would never recover. I guess he deserved it. If what he did to me wasn't his first time, then it certainly wouldn't be the last time. Being rid of him makes the world a little safer.

And then there's the matter with the brothers. How do I begin to explain what it's like living under the same roof as them after everything that happened that weekend? After they 'saved' me from that incident. Or after Ryder told me that I had three guys ready to do anything for me.

Keith was right when he said that everyone was going to be busy when this week began.

I had thought our relationship with each other would get better, but I can't really say much about it because first of all, I have barely seen any of them since Monday morning, and even then it was just Wes who gave me a quick wink and Atlas who I think gave me a small nod of acknowledgement before the two got into their cars and drove off.

It looked like Wes ended up driving Atlas to his morning practice after all. I don't want to admit that a part of me was slightly disappointed when we couldn't ride together.

Devon was barely present, too. I sometimes pass by him in the hallway and he gives me a small smile, but I always see him rushing because he has both practice and training for all of his extracurricular activities.

Math and Science classes also haven't been the same without the brothers since I've been moved because apparently, the headmistress saw my potential and wanted to put me into the honor class. I accepted because it was the only way I could get out of the required subjects of either a sport, music, or art, and I wasn't entirely confident with any of those.

I couldn't do sports because I was never good with physical activities. I couldn't do music because I never learned any instrument and the last time I tried to sing I got slapped by my mother's ex boyfriend and since then I was too scared to try again. I couldn't do art because I'm too self-conscious of being terrible at it when everyone around me was making masterpieces.

Honor class students were exempted as they were expected to focus on their studies so even if it meant not being with the brothers or my friends when they come back, I concluded that it was the better choice for me.

I constantly tell myself that but I also can't help but look for them from time to time. Ugh.

"You're looking at those cookie s'mores like they've done something wrong to you." Someone said with a soft giggle and when I looked up, I locked eyes with the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen.

She has gorgeous wavy light brown hair. The color of her eyes change with the sun and I can't tell if it's blue, gray, or green. Her smile is beautiful and overall she looks like a baby cherub turned into a Victoria's Secret Angel model with a skinny waist and long legs. And did I mention she's wearing the Thorne Academy uniform? She makes it look like it's worth thousands of dollars and she didn't even do anything about it unlike the other girls, also known as Stefanie and her posse. "Oh, uh-" I gave her an awkward chuckle. "The only wrong they did to me is for looking too delicious, but I can't eat them." I confessed.

Maria is very nice, but she has a strict 'no eating café goods during work' policy. She says she'll happily let me have some of what's left when the work week is over though and I'm already excited for that later tonight. The girl's smile widened and her face lit up. I could have sworn I heard the sound of trumpets playing from heaven.

"Get one. It's on me." She said with a friendly wink.

"Oh, no. I can't. It's a work policy." I told her while waving my hands.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You can eat one. Emily won't leave until you do." Maria popped up from the kitchen at the back.

Emily? Was the pretty girl's name Emily?

"Maria! Te extrañé!" The girl greeted Maria as if they've known each other for a long time and based on my growing knowledge on Spanish thanks to my classes, she also said she missed her.

When Maria smiles widely and hugs her tightly, I am left to wonder if they could somehow be related to each other. Could she be her nephew or something?

Maria gives me a list of Emily's orders-a whopping three dozen pink roses and muffins and cookies-and while I get started on arranging them for her, I can't help but listen in on parts of their conversation.

They talk about Emily's travels to places around the world as the youngest ambassador for the United Nations and her side job as a model, too. She said her online classes at Thorne definitely helped her stay on top of class and she feels like she hasn't missed much.

So that's why she didn't give me the same silent treatment everyone else in the academy does because she hasn't been here for the past few weeks. I wonder how long it will take her to realize I'm this school year's outcast and start treating me like I'm invisible, too. "Do you want help bringing your order to your car?" I asked Emily as I placed all her orders on two tables. One table couldn't fit all.

"Oh that would be super helpful! Thank you, uh, sorry... I didn't get your name. I'm Emily. Emily Atkins, and you are?" She puts out her hand.

"Suri Nightingale," I told her before shaking her hand and of course they are as smooth as a baby's bottoms.

"Oh my god, I love nightingale birds! That is such a beautiful name." She gushed and I felt my cheeks blush.

I don't know why, but thinking about being her friend makes me feel warm inside. She seemed like such a nice person and for the first time since I started to get ignored by everyone in the academy, I wished so badly that this one girl wouldn't do the same to me. After telling Maria that I need to go out to help Emily put her orders in her car, she takes over the counter for me.

"Ah, I really missed Los Altos." Emily said as she lifted her chin up as the sunlight made her face glow even more.

Goodness gracious, the sun was her own little spotlight. I felt like her maid since I'm standing right next to her in my work uniform, a plain white shirt and beige apron.

"Were you gone for a long time?" I asked while following her to the side of the flower shop where there was a park connected to the parking lot.

"About a year and a half. I left in the middle of Junior year, but I'm back for my last year as a Senior." She answered and I got even more excited.

We were in the same year. The chance of her being in my classes too made me hopeful.

We turn a corner and she takes a pause, scanning the area filled with five cars or so. One is Maria's car-a yellow sedan-and the other four, I don't know.

Her face brightened as soon as it looked like she realized where her car was parked. I guess she came with a driver, that's why she wasn't sure where. It only made sense for someone likely rich to have a chauffeur.

"What year are you in? You study at Thorne too, right?" She turned to me again.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I do. I'm in my last year. How did you know?" It made me both confused and curious though she probably thinks I'm just some scholarship student since I am working at the café.

"You kind of have that Thorne student vibe," she said and I couldn't help but wonder - was that a compliment or an insult?

"Oh and I mean that as a compliment. You seem smart and pretty." She added, as if reading my mind at exactly that moment.

Did she just call me smart and pretty? I know I'm straight, but if I wasn't, she would seriously be the type of girl I would date.

"Oh, there you are!" Emily exclaimed as she stopped by a corner next to the parking lot.

It's a little dark since the sun is covered by the buildings surrounding it, but you could still see the silhouette of a man by the wall. His hair was all sorts of messy, but he made it look like it was on purpose. By the looks of it, he was definitely not Emily's driver because he was wearing the academy's pants. He had a black leather jacket on so I can't see what the color of his tie is which will distinguish what year he was in. Could he be Emily's boyfriend? I knew someone as pretty as her would already be dating someone. How lucky he is to have a girlfriend like her.

The man was leaning against the wall, looking at the other side with a cigarette in his hand, and he looked to be distracted with whatever it was in his head because he didn't turn to Emily when she called him.

My brows furrowed the longer I looked at him.

I don't know why, but something about the man made him seem so... familiar. I guess I might just be thinking of a specific someone because he also wears all black clothes because there was no way that the person in front of us was-

"Atlas!"

My head snapped to where Emily was so fast I heard my bone crack. What the f**k?! Did she just say what I think she said?!

"Can you please open the car so I can put all the stuff I got? My friend and I over here can only carry so much stuff for so long." She said and I can't even feel giddy about how she called me her friend because the only thing I can think about is Atlas freaking Wolfe and the second he turns, he's going to see me!

Oh my god, I was not prepared for this.

At the last second, just as Atlas took out his cigarette and turned his head, I quickly raised the boxes of muffins and cookies to my head so that he wouldn't know it's me.

I don't entirely know why I don't want him to see that it's me with Emily. I'm not ashamed to be working or wearing this uniform. I guess a part of me just really wasn't expecting to see him after so many days and as well as the fact that it turns out... he had a girlfriend all along.

f**k my life.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you." Atlas said to Emily and for f**k's sake, I get shivers all over my body at hearing his smooth and deep voice.

Can I please get it together?

"What are all these things you bought? You just got back and you're already buying half of the store." He exclaimed and even though I'm hiding and I can't exactly see him, I can still easily tell that the way he talks to her is different.

He talks to her with more patience. He talks to her without any sort of negative connotation. He talks to her in the way that I want him to talk to me...

Ah, knock it off, Suri!

"I told you it's my gift for the faculty! Are you jealous you don't get one?" Emily teased and I felt a tug at my heart when I heard Atlas let out a quiet chuckle.

I don't think I've ever heard him laugh around me and I have never been so jealous. Damn it.

Finally, we reached the car, but now I have one big problem - if I put the boxes inside then I won't have any means to cover my face and he will see me.

Jesus take the wheel.

"You can just put them here," Emily instructed me and I am bracing myself to run as fast as possible before Atlas comes back to the back of the car so that he doesn't see me as soon as I'm done placing everything.

I feel like a girl on a mission, placing the boxes as fast as possible without breaking anything because I know Maria would kill me.

As soon as I'm done, I quickly thank Emily and I don't even wait for her response before turning around and getting ready to run back to the café and-

"Ow!" I hit a hard post and stumbled backwards.

I felt the weight of gravity pushing my body towards the ground, but instead of feeling the impact on my but t, I instead felt warm and strong hands quickly grab my arm.

When I opened my eyes, Atlas' devastatingly handsome face greeted me.

Fuck me.

It felt like time had stopped and everything around us stood frozen. I was only staring at him and he was only staring at me. How the hell did he end up becoming even more gorgeous since the last time I saw him? How is that possible?! I feel my knees getting weak and I think about collapsing on the floor until we both hear a shout at the side.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?!" Emily came rushing in and Atlas stepped back just as I did, too.

As soon as I no longer felt his touch, there was a flutter in my stomach that I was sure as hell wasn't supposed to happen so I tried to shove it away and try not to look so shocked and affected.

My brain finally caught up with my body and I looked away from him to face Emily.

"I'm- I'm fine," I said before clearing my throat and straightening my apron. "I'm going to go. You guys take care." I mumbled quickly and took a step forward, only to be stopped by Atlas calling out for me.

"Suri."

Damn it, why does he have to say my name like that? Like it's the most beautiful name in the entire universe?

"Hm?" I glanced a little to the side, not wanting to really look at him because heaven and hell knows my knees are on the verge of turning into jelly and my heart is thumping so loud and so fast I think I'm afraid they would hear it.

What does he want from me? Is he going to introduce me to Emily? What do I do if he says that she really is his girlfriend? What do I do if he says she's not? Oh my god, I don't know anymore.

"Here." Atlas said and for a second, I was thoroughly confused until I looked down at my right side and saw a hundred dollar bill.

Um... this was certainly not even on the list of things I would think he was going to do.

"It's a tip. Take it." He moved the bill closer and I fought the urge to shove it up his as s.

Okay, a hundred dollar bill is a crazy amount for just a tip, but why the hell is he giving it to me? And most importantly now that I think about it, I'm curious as to why he's not introducing me to Emily?

Ugh, f**k this.

Since I didn't want to cause any scene while Emily was there, I just decided to go with it. I grabbed the bill and walked away, not bothering to acknowledge either of them.

By the time I get back to the store, all I want is to just get this day over with before it even begins. Now I'm so glad I chose honor class so I don't have to see Atlas again because I know that if I do, I might corner him and shout at him to explain himself because I'm sick of playing his mind games.

"You did good today, Suri. Well, as always. You've really shown how capable you are." Maria complimented me and hearing her say that lifts up my mood even by just a little.

"Thank you. I'm really happy you think so." I told her while taking my apron off because it's almost time for me to leave for class.

"Don't forget the cookie Emily bought for you, by the way." Maria reminded me and it was a good thing she did because I really did forget.

"Oh, thanks. I didn't think that was serious."

Maria chuckled. "Emily is always serious. I've known that girl since she was just a toddler. Her family owns pretty much everything on this street. We pay the rent and all, but no one would suspect her to be the daughter of someone as wealthy as them. She's the sweetest girl I know. Well, it looks like next to you." She said with a kind smile and I couldn't help but blush.

Just before I was walking out of the café, there was one last question I had to ask Maria.

"Hey, Maria. Um... would you know if Emily has a boyfriend or is seeing someone?"

She stopped humming and cleaning one of the tables as she thought about it. "I don't really know, but I did use to see her a lot with one of Mr. Whitford's sons before she left. I'm just not sure which one. I think his name started with an A? Ah, that's about all I can remember." Maria stated with a soft laugh.

"Right, right. Thanks again. I'll see you later tonight." I wave goodbye and step out of the café.

I let out a deep sigh. There was only one son that had a name that started with an A.

I guess that answers my question.

But there's still one thing I can't wrap my head around.

I don't know why, but my skin feels all hot and prickly.

Am I seriously... jealous?

I guess I really am broken when I'm jealous over a guy that treats me the way Atlas does.

Damn it.