Page 50 of Crossed Paths
“Alex,” he says, voice low but steady, “will you please let me explain?”
I stare at the money for a moment. Crisp notes. A clean transaction. Easier, safer, if we keep it that way—business, not personal. Just wages for work.
But that’s not what this is, is it?
I cross my arms tighter across my chest. There’s a long beat. Then I sigh.
“Fine.”
It comes out flat, but it’s more than I meant to give him.
Because part of me still wants to hear him out.
Even though I’m bracing for some half-formed excuse or a dodged responsibility, I can’t quite kill the tiny spark of hope still flickering at the back of my chest. That maybe, justmaybe, he didn’t lie to me.
Because yeah—losing Tom, Marco, Magda right before the wedding nearly broke me.
But the thing that really gutted me? Thinking he could’ve done it on purpose. That the one person I let in again might have been playing me all along.
Hunter exhales hard, like he’s been holding it in all night. “I’ve got an overambitious, unethical Food and Beverage Manager,” he says, stepping forward just slightly. “Silvia. She’s the one who came into the pub. She had a drink, made small talk, and poached Tom and the others.Offered them more money and a ‘step up.’ I didn’t know. I swear to you, Alex, I had no idea until Peter nearly decked me in the middle of the Hall this afternoon.”
I say nothing.
“I should’ve seen it,” he goes on, voice raw. “I should’ve caught it. I’ve been up to my neck with this bloody retreat, and that’s no excuse—but I wasn’t watching what she was doing. I wasn’t watching what mattered.”
His jaw tightens, and then something breaks in his expression.
“I’m so sorry, Alex.” His voice cracks just slightly, and that gets to me more than the words. “I’d never do that to you. Ever. Silvia’s gone on Monday. That’s a promise. She doesn’t get to stay after this.”
I push my hands in my pockets, trying to keep the shaking out of my hands. But he’s not done.
“I can’t fire Tom or the others. I’ll find myself in front of a tribunal for unfair dismissal. They didn’t break any rules. But I’ll talk to them. I’ll assign them to you for as long as you need. I’ll pay their hours myself if I have to. I’ll help you find new staff. Whatever it takes.”
He steps in again, closer this time, and I can feel the tension pouring off him.
“And if none of that matters, if it’s still not enough, then—fine. But before you decide I’m just another man who let you down, I need you to hear this.”
He looks right at me, no hiding.
“I love you.”
The words fall like they’ve been lodged in his chest too long. Like they hurt coming out.
“I love you, Alex. More than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life. And I wouldn’t use that—wouldn’t say it—justto cover my arse over three waiters. That’s not me. That’s never been me.”
His hands clench at his sides like he’s fighting the urge to reach for me.
“I’m terrified you won’t believe me. Terrified I’ve already ruined it. But I swear to you, I would never, ever risk what we’ve started. Not for anything.”
Something twists deep in my stomach.
Because I can see it in his face—this isn’t a line. He’s not performing. He’s scared.
Not of being wrong.
Of losing me.
My arms stay crossed. It's the only thing holding me together. The only thing keeping all the jagged edges from spilling out.
