Page 75 of One Wild Ride

“Have you not taken down your Christmas decorations?” I asked because it was June, not December.

Mrs. Drake knitted her brow. “Of course not. This is my year-round Christmas room. It used to be Daniel’s room but once he moved out, well . . . I love Christmas so much and this was always my dream.”

Oh.

“Yes, yes, it’s wonderful you have a room now to fulfill your delusional dreams, Annette, but why did you bring us here?” Grandma shied away from the animatronic Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus as if they might come to life and drag her back to the North Pole.

Morgana’s mom ignored her mother-in-law and knelt before a vent in the wall. She brought a finger up to her mouth gesturing for us to be quiet.

We came close and knelt too, leaning close to the vent. That’s when I realized we could hear into the weight room.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” I heard Morgana’s dad’s voice and the door creak shut. We heard footsteps in the hall and I figured it was Mr. Drake returning to his beloved chair and baseball game.

“Alexander, as you know I am leaving tomorrow for California,” I heard his mom say.

“Yes, you already told me. Why did you do this? I’m meeting Aria’s friends and people she is close to, and you purposely show up to cause trouble. Can’t you let me live my life?” Alex said.

I was proud of him. My heart soared hearing him stand up for himself.

“If you wish to get to know them that’s your business but know it will make it that much more painful when you have to leave.”

Leave? What did his mom mean? Did she know about our plan?

“How did you find out about Aria and me leaving?”

I could hear Mrs. Hawthorne’s bitter laugh through the slotted grate. “I don’t think you will want to leave when I tell you what will be in Las Vegas next week.”

My heart began to speed up. People could get married quickly in Las Vegas. Many a drunken night ended with a legally binding marriage the next day in that town.

Is Alexa there? Is that what all this was about?

“What could I possibly want in Vegas? I’m not a gambler or much of a drinker, Mother, so why would I want to go there?”

“She’s going to be there for you, Alex. Who we spoke of earlier. She wants to see you. After my trip to California this week, I’m going to Vegas the following week, to be with her. I know it’s been a long time, too long. But, I know deep in your heart you love her. It’s time she’s in your life forever, as it should be.”

My jaw began to hurt as I gritted my teeth. I didn’t like how this felt. It was all new. My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest and thrown across the room. I wanted to race into that room and tell Mrs. Hawthorne that Alex was mine. That Alexa will never have him.

Perhaps I was wrong to think my feelings for Alex were fleeting. Maybe this was what it felt like to be in love.

A slight flutter tickled my chest at the realization but it didn’t last long. My joy and happiness at finally wanting to give my heart freely to a man ended as that man stabbed it into a million pieces with his words.

“I do want her in my life. I have thought about what you said before and I keep imagining holding her in my arms for the first time and never letting her go,” Alex said as tears fell from my eyes.

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