Page 5 of This Is Why

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ConsideringAlexa is my dream girl, the only woman to get under my skin and stay there, you’d think I’d be terrified walking up to her after so many years. But after the shit I’ve been through overseas, this is nothing. Besides, this is her. My Alexa. It took me all of one day to know she was different than the entire rest of the world. That whatever it was that made me me and her her, it was the same stuff. We’re twin souls, she andI.

She looks up when the three of us arrive at her table, terror streaking across her face as her eyes meet mine. Michelle sighs deeply, her mouth set in a grim line and Bailey sits back, folding her arms across her chest. I feel less than welcome which sets my teeth onedge.

David sits next to his wife. “Hello, darlin’.” He wraps an arm around her shoulder and presses a kiss onto the top of her head. “How’syou?”

She returns the greeting but I don’t hear it. My gaze is locked on Lexi. She’s everything I remember and more. The real woman puts the one in my fantasies to shame.

“Well, hel-lo beautiful.” I smile as I pull out the chair next to her and take a seat. “This is a pleasant surprise, isn’tit?”

“Is that what this is?” Her pupils dilate and her chest heaves—she’s attracted to me, no doubt—but her voice is cold assin.

I flash her my warmest smile. “It’s very pleasant forme.”

“Well that makes one ofus.”

Somewhere, I’m aware of Colton snickering and Michelle whispering something to David, but none of that matters. Not with her this close to me. “Tyler Reed,” I say, putting a hand to my chest. “Wemet—”

“In Key West.” Lexi bobs her head. “I rememberyou.”

I never expected her to be so cold. I look back on that day with her so fondly, how is it she isn’t as thrilled as I am to be accidentally reunited? Sure, it’s been a long time, and sure, I didn’t get a chance to talk to her before I had to disappear—not like I would have been able to tell her much if I’d gotten the chance, but I explained in the note that I had to get my ass back home as per very specific instructions from my commanding officer—but surely, now that we’re in the same room again, she has to feel the attraction, too. Our bodies are like magnets and the space between us is almost painful.

Nothing I want to say makes sense, not with a table full of people surrounding us. For the first time in my life, I’m speechless. I take another sip of my drink and pray for divine inspiration because every sentence starter I come up with sounds hopelessly lame. Someone takes a seat beside me and I turn to find Liam, Bailey’s new husband.

“Look at this,” he says. “All of my favorite people gathered in one place.” He notices me and extends a hand. “Liam McGuire.” His grip is strong and I get a glimpse of the tattoos peeking out from under his sleeve.

Thank you, God, for a little divine intervention. “You’re the singer, right?” Iask.

“That would be me.” Liam gives a little bow of hishead.

“David told me everything that happened that lead up to you two getting married. I can’t believe you gave up fame and fortune to come live here in Brookside, Ohio. I bolted the second I had the chance.”

“You must not have bolted to Los Angeles then, because you would have ran your happy ass right back home again. Brookside stole my heart.”

Bailey slaps her husband’s arm. “Hey! I thought that was me!” She drops her head on his shoulder and smiles up athim.

“Hell yeah, it was you. Brookside stole my heart because it had you in it, Mrs. McGuire.”

Bailey beams and sits up. “Oh my God! That’s me.” She claps her hands together and presses them to her lips. “I’m Mrs. McGuire,” she says, her eyes twinkling with happiness.

The happy couple chatters away but I tune them out. I can’t concentrate with Lexi right beside me. I still remember the way she looked sprawled out underneath me, the way her body moved with mine, the way she called out my name as we drove each other crazy. I need to find my fucking balls, get my shit together, and show this woman who I really am. I can understand why she might be cool right now—I mean, my head understands it but my soul flat out rejects it. But if I can get her to talk to me, like really talk, there’s no way she can continue to ignore whatever this is betweenus.

I turn to her and my God, her eyes. They’re amazing. She’s amazing. “I’ve thought about you a lot.” I keep the words quiet, personal, just betweenus.

She blinks in surprise and then furrows her brow. “Haveyou?”

It looks like she wants to say something, but a kid appears out of nowhere and hops into her lap. Well fuck me. Sexy Lexi is amom.

An older woman comes huffing and puffing behind him, a baby in her arms and a little girl holding her hand. “Sorry about that, Lex. You know how he is. He gets his mind made up and there’s no way but his after that. He wanted to come check onyou.”

The little boy stares up at Lexi, his blond hair oddly familiar. “You okay, Mom?” He puts his hand on her cheek. “You’re notsad?”

“Sad?” Lexi smiles a little too wide. “Why would I besad?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes you getsad.”

My Lexi gets sad? Not anymore. Not if I can helpit.

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