Page 77 of (Un)Expected

Alex didn’t answer for several minutes, and then her tears started again, flowing heavier than they had before. Eventually, she nodded.

I was going to kill this man. I didn’t even have his name yet, and he was a dead man. Prison would be heaven compared to what was going to happen when I got my hands on him.

She looked up at me, her watery gaze breaking me even more. I had no question that I would do anything to ensure she never had to face this again. “Is it okay if we talk more tomorrow?” Her voice was hoarse from her sobs. “I’ll tell you everything, just not tonight. I can’t do it tonight.”

“Whatever you need,” I said, kissing her forehead. “I’m going to go make you some tea and then crash on the couch.”

“No,” Alex said, reaching out to take my hand. “Stay with me. Please?”

I couldn’t say no to this girl on a good day. How the fuck did she think I’d say no to her now? I nodded, pressing another kiss to her cheek. “Get some rest. I’ll be right back.”

I waited until her eyes drifted closed to stand, creeping into the kitchen. I said the tea was for her, but in reality, I needed to get out of the room before I exploded. Anger made my sight turn red—anger at the man who hurt Alex, anger at the event staff for letting that asshole into the hotel, and even anger at Adam for leaving her alone.

I paced in the kitchen, unsure how to get rid of the ache in my chest. In the past, I would have buried it with booze, not wanting to deal with messy emotions, but no part of me wanted to go back down that path. The temptation was always there, but at times like this, it was almost overwhelming. I needed to be strong for Alex, for myself. I worked too hard to blow my sobriety when she needed me.

I stopped pacing when the door on the other side of the livingroom opened, Adam emerging from the other side. He crossed his arms around his chest and leaned against the opened door.

“I think we need to talk.”

I stared at my best friend, unsure if this was the right time to have this conversation. I was too keyed up, too on edge. One wrong word, and I had no clue how I’d react.

But this was Adam—the man who knew all sides of me. If I was going to trust anyone in the world, Alex would be it, and he’d be a very close second.

He motioned to one of the couches, sitting in the armchair in the corner. Before joining him, I peeked in on Alex, finding her softly sleeping in her bed. Seeing her more relaxed eased some of the stress from my shoulders, and it finally felt like I could breathe again.

I sat on the edge of the couch, resting my elbows on my knees. The minutes ticked by as Adam and I sat silently, unsure how to start the conversation I’d been dreading.

“I don’t know how to tell you this…” I chuckled dryly, running my hand over my face. “And before I start, I need you to know that I’m aware I fucked up. We should have had this conversation weeks ago. Be pissed, man. Yell at me, scream. Hell, hit me if that’s gonna make you feel better. Just don’t take it out on Alex.”

“You care about her,” Adam said. The way he stared at me put me on edge, like he could read every thought in my head.

“Yeah, I do,” I said. “No, it’s more than that: I’m falling for her, Adam. It took me a long time to get here, and now that I am, I’m not backing down, not anymore. I’m pretty sure Alex is it for me.”

I braced myself, waiting for a punch, a slew of curses, something. Just because their relationship wasn’t real didn’t mean I didn’t break some friendship code by pursuing Alex behind Adam’s back.

What happened next, I wasn’t prepared for.

Adam laughed.

He fuckinglaughed.

“Shit…” he said. “I never thought you’d admit it. I thought you’d man up when you found out we weren’t really dating. What the fuck took you so long?”

“You knew?” I snapped.

“Dude,” Adam said. “Anyone with eyes can see that you two are crazy about each other. Why do you think I called you tonight?”

I hadn’t given it a thought. I was so focused on Alex that asking why Adam was calling me about her never occurred to me. I ran my hand over my mouth. “I can’t believe you fucking knew.”

“Well, I can’t believe you didn’t fucking tell me,” Adam said. “Sounds like things are serious.”

“Feels that way,” I answered honestly. “I don’t know what the fuck she sees in me, but she’s everything to me, man.”

Adam shifted in his chair, leaning in a little closer. “What does that mean when the movie wraps? Have you decided what you’re going to do next?”

I had no fucking idea. I wasn’t joking: I had no intention of letting Alex go. But Adam also needed me, and I didn’t know how to exist in both of their worlds. It didn’t help that Alex and I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk about our future yet. I was fumbling in the dark, trying to read her mind.

“I need to talk to Alex,” I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes. “Then we’ll see what happens.” I sat up straighter. “Now tell me everything. Don’t spare a single fucking detail.”

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