His Shortcake

Prologue

It was late October. Snow had started falling a week ago, blanketing the town in a pristine yet treacherous layer of white. The roads were slippery, making travel hazardous. At ten in the evening, barely anyone dared venture outside. Tamara, bundled in her favorite oversized sweater and a simple coat, trudged home from the library in the east part of town. The cold was biting, and she could barely feel her fingers or toes. Her breaths formed misty clouds in the frigid air, each one more labored than the last. Her driver had forgotten to fetch her from the library earlier that evening, leaving her no choice but to walk home through the dreadful cold.

She recalled the librarian's grandson, Brian, offering her a ride home. She had declined. She should have accepted the offer, but Brian, a nasty teen her age, had made it clear he wanted more than just a friendly favor. Her brother Alec had always warned her about him.

Not even halfway home, Tamara spotted a bench under the next streetlight, casting a soft yellow glow on the snow-covered ground. She approached the bench quickly, her heart pounding with the irrational fear that some criminal might pop out of nowhere and attack her. She sank onto the bench, stretched out her numb legs, and released a heavy sigh.

The eerie silence of the empty streets added to her unease. The snow crunched softly under her feet as she moved, the only sound in the stillness. Soon, her older brother would be home, and Alec would not be happy to find out that his younger sister was still outside. At this rate, Tamara thought, I'll be a frozen statue before I make it to the mansion.

Thirty minutes later, the familiar sight of Alec's blue car came into view, speeding down the road and screeching to a halt in front of her bench. Alec, with his messy blond hair, jumped out of the driver's seat. He ran quickly to her side and wrapped a warm, heavy quilt around her shivering body.

"Are you okay, baby?" Alec asked, his voice laced with concern as he checked Tamara for any injuries. She was freezing, shaking on a bench under a streetlight, alone at almost eleven in the evening. His anger simmered just below the surface.

Tamara forced a smile. "Let's go home, Alec. I'm freezing." She was thankful she didn't stutter through her words, or she might have bitten her tongue.

Alec nodded, his jaw clenched. He helped Tamara into the backseat of his car, making sure she was completely covered in the quilt before getting back behind the wheel and driving them home.

As they drove, Tamara's mind wandered back to memories of their mother. She remembered the warmth and kindness that always surrounded her, the gentle words, and the protective embrace. Alec had taken on that role after their mother's passing, always looking out for her. She glanced at him, seeing the strain in his eyes, the same determination that had driven him to excel at everything.

When they reached the front door, Alec rushed to Tamara's side. He didn't bother to speak to the maids as he left the car with the keys still in the ignition and carried Tamara inside. Entering the living room, he immediately stopped at the sight of their father and stepmother. The witch dared to sit comfortably in their house while his sister was freezing to death outside. He tightened his hold on Tamara.

"Having fun, Amelia?" he asked, his voice low and angry, careful not to wake his sister. He knew it was her doing. Amelia had always made Tamara's life hell. Those years he spent away at university were the years he regretted the most.

"Alec? Is your sister alright?" their father asked, walking over hurriedly. Though Alec wanted to be glad that his father still cared, he couldn't help but shield Tamara from him. "Let me see her, son."

"No," Alec growled. "Just continue sitting and flirting with her, why don't you? Since you always seem to forget about Mara, huh, Dad?" he challenged.

Mara stirred in her sleep at Alec's angry tone. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw her brother's face contorted with anger. "Alec? Are we home?"

Alec quickly turned his attention back to Mara and softened his expression. She looked just like their mother—beautiful, with a kind heart and a fiery spirit. "Yes, we are, baby. Just rest. I'll take you to bed right away."

"Okay," she mumbled, closing her eyes again.

"I am warning you, Amelia," Alec said, his voice dripping with venom, "if you ever do something like this to Mara again, Dad won't be here to protect you. Mark my words."

"Alec! Respect my wife!" his father yelled as Alec walked up the stairs with Tamara in his arms.

"Then maybe she should start respecting my sister, Dad. You promised Mom," Alec retorted, not looking back.

Alec couldn't believe what had just happened. His sweet baby sister had been left out in the cold. That witch had done this. How dare she harm Mara? Mara was the only reminder he had of their late mother. Mara didn't remember her, but Alec did, and Mara was exactly what his mother had said she would be.

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Dustyn Franco frowned as he looked at his best friend. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Excuse me?"

Alec sighed, exhaustion clear in his eyes. "Marry my sister, and I will grant you this partnership," he repeated.

Dustyn knew how beautiful Mara was. He was six years older than her. He had watched her grow, and at some point, they had been friends. Alec and Dustyn had protected Mara as she grew up, and every year, she grew prettier and prettier. It was like watching a beautiful flower bloom to its full potential, until he left for college and never saw the Ramirez family again. Not until now.

"Alec, that's messed up! Are you selling Mara for the company?" Dustyn asked, his voice filled with distress. He couldn't help the demon inside him, showing him visions of what Mara must look like now—how the beauty he had always desired had reached her full-grown state, ready for any man to pursue her, to make her their own. Yet here he was, second-guessing an offer given to him on a silver platter.

Alec sent him a hard glare. "No, you idiot. I need to get her away from the house. That witch will harm her again and again if I don't do something to stop it."

Their stepmother, again. Uncle Jack's second wife, Amelia Cruz, used to be a model until she was called out for harming another model by purposely tripping her, resulting in the other model breaking her ankle. It seemed Mr. Ramirez had taken a liking to her for some weird reason. Unfortunately, everyone around knew how much of a scheming witch Amelia was, except for Mr. Ramirez. It was no secret from the start that the old model hated Mara and Alec.

"And you think marrying her to me will make her safe? I'm a playboy, Alec," Dustyn said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "She'll be in every gossip column, every scandal the media can think of!"

Alec looked at his friend seriously. "I know you, Dustyn. Better than you think. You... you were, or still are, in love with her. I watched you with her." Alec couldn't help but smile. Dustyn might think he didn't know the truth, but he did. His friend had loved Mara since they were kids. He knew Dustyn would protect her.

"That's not enough, Alec. Mara is her own person now. She's not a child!" Dustyn said, his voice rising with pure anger and disbelief.

Alec raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Then maybe it's time you made your promises true, Dustyn Franco. Protect her. Help me protect her."

Dustyn froze. Those were the words they had promised to the late Mrs. Ramirez as she took her last breath. He would never forget that. Dustyn knew he had hit rock bottom at Alec's statement. Even now, looking at Alec's smug smile, Dustyn knew his friend had won the argument.

He would be marrying Tamara Ramirez. She was his shortcake, his first love.

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Made this story during the pandemic. It sucks and prolly annoying. Read at your own risk.

****CURRENTLY EDITING THE STORY****