Beta's Second Chance

Derek

The group was silent as they were face-to-face with Derek. Iris couldn't believe that she would see her ex-fiancé again so soon. She unconsciously stood behind Maverick. Maverick felt Iris tug on his shirt and arm. He couldn't believe that he would meet her ex so soon, and the pride and vanity he felt from the human male. Maverick had the urge to beat him to a pulp. Suddenly, Jessica stepped forward; her face was pure rage. "I can't believe we have to see your smug face again. What are you doing here?"

Derek ignored Jessica as he focused on Iris. "Iris, I was still trying to contact you. I miss you so much; I can't stop thinking about what I have done. What I did was the most terrible mistake I have made."

Iris bit her lower lip and refrained from crying. "That's not a mistake, Derek; that was on purpose." Everyone looked at Iris as she spoke. "You knew what you were doing."

Derek looked as if he was getting frustrated and then noticed Maverick and Rickon, who looked at him with disgust. "Who are they?"

Jessica was about to respond, but Maverick walked forward and motioned out his right hand as if to tell her he would take care of it. "That is my friend Rickon, and I am Maverick; Iris and I are dating." Derek's eyes widened a bit, as did his lips. Maverick couldn't help but feel satisfaction from seeing his reaction. "She's mine now, you bastard."

"Iris, please tell me that this isn't true. This is too soon; I know I made this difficult for you. I still hope we can get back together and get married."

Maverick let out a quiet growl. "You have a nerve for believing in your sick delusions. Do you think Iris will return to you after you betrayed her with her sister? Would you forgive her if she betrayed you with a family member?"

Derek glared at Maverick as the Beta did the same. While glaring at one another, Maverick felt something from him. It was something that felt strange and somewhat familiar. His thoughts were interrupted when Rickon spoke. "Alright, we are getting stares and shouldn't create a scene." Rickon also glared at the young man with annoyance and impatience. "Listen, pal, you must accept that Iris is moving on with her life. It also seems that she doesn't want to be with you anymore. I mean, why would she when you slept with her sister? Also, if you refuse to leave, we wouldn't hesitate to cause a bigger scene."

Iris felt so much relief as Maverick and Rickon spoke on her behalf. "Derek, it's best that I tell you this once and for all. I will never go back with you. You live in a delusion that everything will be forgiven and forgotten. I will never forget and forgive you and my family. You should tell me you never had discipline and respect for me and yourself. You told me you would never be faithful since you are easily tempted. You and I are never going to be, Derek. Now leave me alone."

Everyone was quiet; Maverick looked at Iris, noticing her confidence slowly emerging. He felt happy and proud that she stood up for herself. "You heard her; she will never get back with you. If you don't leave, then I will make you."

The two men glared at one another once again, and Derek looked at Iris. "I don't think you mean that Iris. I know you're confused and still hurt, but I'm patient and will let you see that I am a changed man." Derek left the group alone; many onlookers eventually continued their daily lives.

Iris let out a deep breath. "I can't believe that I felt for that jerk."

Maverick put his hands on her shoulders. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Iris. People like him tend to be manipulators to get what they want. However, the good thing is that you saw who he is and never got to marry him."

"He's right, girl. I guess you can say what he did was a blessing, or you wouldn't have met this hunk," teased Jessica.

Iris and Maverick blushed, while Rickon looked slightly jealous. "What about me? Aren't I a hunk?"

Jessica then blushed as she cleared her throat. "Well, sure, I mean...come on, let's go inside. I-I'm curious about what they have!" 

Jessica entered the building first; Iris patted Rickon before the rest did. "Jessica can be shy and sometimes has difficulty admitting things for a guy she likes. Eventually, she will get out of her shell and be more open with you." She then went to Maverick and put her arm on his arm. "Thank you, Maverick, for talking on my behalf. I'm sorry that you had to meet him."

"It's no trouble. I had a feeling that I would meet him sooner or later."

Everyone entered the beautiful cafe, where the seats were in small rooms that were either opened or closed with sliding doors. Before entering, everyone had to take off their shoes and put them in shoe cabinets. The floor was made of tatami mats; the interior was filled with paintings, calligraphy, and many plant life. The tables were of low height, and pillows or chairs were flat on the ground. "Everything here is traditional since the owners were originally from Japan, so they want the customers to get the actual Japan experience," said Maverick.

A waitress who wore a traditional kimono and greeted them in Japanese led them to a room where they all were seated and served tea with some mochi. However, they were given a menu with different flavored desserts, coffee, shaved, ice, tea, and other small food. "Wow, I never knew that a place like this existed. I am so glad you brought us here," said Jessica.

"We knew that you would like this place. You ladies seem to like the simple things in life. Anyway, you ladies decided to move into the apartment?" asked Rickon.

"Yeah, we both talked about it while looking at the paperwork, and everything seemed reasonable; we signed the papers." 

Iris gave Maverick the paperwork, which he looked at; he smiled. "Wonderful, you both are set. When the time is near, we can help you hire a moving company to take all your belongings to the new apartment."

The women were excited while looking at the menu. The waitress eventually returned and took all of their orders. "Hey guys, we would like to take a quick look around. Would that be okay?" asked Jessica.

"Sure, we'll wait here," said Rickon.

The female friends explored more of the cafe while the men stayed behind. Rickon let out a deep breath. "I wouldn't have imagined everything happening so quickly. How did it feel to meet your mate's ex?"

"As any man would feel: sick. The man is a narcissist; he doesn't feel guilty for what he did. He feels guilty that he got caught. What a poor excuse of a man. However, I felt something off about him."

"Really? Besides him cheating on Iris."

Maverick was silent as he looked down on the paperwork. "I don't know, there is something I felt that seemed familiar, but it could be my imagination. Anyway, are you planning to tell Jessica about you-know-who?"

Rickon sighed as he sipped his tea; it was a topic he didn't want to discuss. However, he couldn't ignore it forever. "I'm scared of how she will react; I'm afraid that she will leave and reject me."

"I understand, Rickon. However, it's better to be upfront and honest than hide it until she finds out. Jessica may misunderstand it, and we don't know what Andrea has planned."

Rickon sighed. "I know, but maybe I will wait until Jessica moves in. I don't want to ruin the mood. I never thought you and I would be in so much drama."