Page 64 of Kiss Me Forever

"Okay," she mumbled as Tyler picked up Alex's phone and left the kitchen.

She wondered what Alex would do when he saw the message. Although, he obviously knew his mother was alive, and they had some contact with each other, if she had his cell phone number. So what was going on?

She'd given Alex every opportunity to tell her the truth. Maybe it was time to find out for herself.

Chapter Thirteen

It felt wrong, Andrea thought several hours later as she walked toward Pier 39 just before four o'clock. But she couldn't stop herself from moving forward. The carousel beckoned. The chance to meet Alex's mother or at least see her was impossible to resist. But she still had no idea what she would do when she got there. If Alex saw her, he'd be furious. He'd know she'd read his private message. But it wasn’t like she'd gone through his phone. The text had flashed right in front of her. How could she not have read it?

Well, maybe she could have, but what was done was done. And she was too good of a reporter not to follow a lead. Unfortunately, Alex was more than a story. He was a friend. He was someone she cared about.

This was exactly why she shouldn't have gotten personally involved with him. Her feelings were clouding her professional judgment. She'd always known exactly what to do—until now.

She walked down the pier toward the carousel, still debating her options.

An older woman with dark hair stood in front of the carousel, her gaze darting every which way as if she were looking for someone. Tall and slender, she was the feminine version of Alex. She appeared to be in her early fifties and was obviously well-off, judging by the large diamond ring on her third finger, the one she was tapping nervously against her designer bag.

The details didn't make sense. Alex had supposedly grown up in foster care. If his mother wasn't dead, where had she been? And if she had money, why would Alex have ended up in the system?

The questions continued to race through her mind with every step. Finally, Andrea took a deep breath and walked over to the woman. "Mrs. Donovan?"

The woman flinched. "I haven't been Mrs. Donovan in a long time. Who are you?"

"Andrea Blain. I saw your text to Alex this morning, and I wanted to meet you."

"Why? Are you his girlfriend?"

"No. I'm just a friend."

"Is he coming to meet me? Or did he send you in his place?"

"I'm not sure if he's coming," she said evasively. It was quite possible Alex could show up at any moment.

Disappointment and pain filled her eyes. "He probably won't come. He never has before. Why should this time be different?"

"You've asked him to meet you before?"

"Dozens of times. I keep hoping one day he'll show up." Alex's mother paused. "Why are you here?"

She decided to tell the truth. "I'm a reporter. I'm doing an article on Alex, and when I saw your text, I knew I had to talk to you, because Alex told me you were dead. Obviously, you're not."

The woman's expression turned wary. "You're a reporter?"

"Yes forWorld News Today. We're doing an in-depth story on Alex. He's ourMan of the Year."

"Well, imagine that—Man of the Year." The woman sighed. "I always knew he was going to be somebody. He had that drive even when he was a little kid." She paused, cocking her head to the right. "Alex is still telling everyone I'm dead? I thought he would have dropped the story by now. But to Alex, I probably am dead."

"Why?" As soon as the word came out of her mouth, Andrea knew she couldn't do it. "Wait, don't answer that."

"Why not?" the woman asked in surprise.

"I can't let you tell me. Alex has to be the one. This doesn't feel right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I hope Alex meets you, but I have to go."

"Wait. Will you give him this?" Alex's mother opened her bag and pulled out an envelope. "I wrote it just in case he wouldn't stay long enough to listen to what I had to say."

She hesitated. If she took the envelope, she'd have to tell Alex she'd met his mother, and he would be furious. On the other hand, she probably couldn’t and shouldn't keep this visit a secret.

"Please?" his mother begged. "It's so hard for me to get him to listen. Maybe he'll read this and he'll be able to understand."

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