Page 1 of Alex
ChapterOne
Alex
Ninety-two days. Thirteen weeks. That’s how long it’s been since I lost my love, mybest friend. This exact moment is the worst of my day. For a few fleetingseconds when I wake, all I feel are the soft sheets around me and the chill ofthe late December air.
Sometimes,I even smile at the aroma of bacon frying before I open my eyes and get slammedwith the truth. This isn’t our apartment and the man banging around in thekitchen isn’t Cooper. The realization is compounded by the empty space in mybed. It’s at this point, I want to cry or beat the hell out of the mattresswith my fists and feet like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Occasionally, I do.
Today,I’m distracted by Ian’s knuckles rapping on my door. “Get the fuck up. We’vegot shit to do.”
“I’msure you can handle it,” I call.
Thedoor pops open like I knew it would, and Ian flips on the overhead light. “Getup and eat. We’re hosting tonight, remember?”
Right.It’s New Year’s Eve. My brothers and their women will all be here. With afrustrated sigh, I yank the covers off and get out of bed. If there’s one thingI’ve learned, it’s that Ian Turner is one persistent son of a bitch.
SometimesI want to rip his head off, but I’m also grateful for him. He had just boughtthis huge fixer-upper of a house a week before I lost my boyfriend, Cooper. Oneglance at the pity on my brother’s faces and I accepted his offer to move inand help with the repairs. I couldn’t go back to the apartment Coop and Ishared, and staying where my brothers and their women could fawn over me wasn’ta torture I was willing to accept or inflict on them.
Ican be a dick when I’m angry, and I’m angry pretty much all the time. It’seasier than being sad. Nothing I say or do seems to trouble Ian. Inscrutableand difficult to ruffle or unnerve, he’s kind of a weird guy. Women love him,even though he throws them away liked used tissue. Cooper was fond of himthough, and I think he’d be glad I’m here. Ian hung with us a lot in the threemonths Cooper and I were together.
Hisdark eyes size me up as I grab some clothes and a towel, trying to judge howI’m going to react this morning. I can’t blame him. Plenty of mornings havebeen witness to me shoving him out of my room while threatening his favoriteappendage.
Mostdays, I just need that nudge out of bed and I’m able to get on with my day, orat least be somewhat productive. My brothers and I run a domestic violenceshelter called Striking Back, in addition to Reed’s Gym, and they need me toget back to work. “Quit staring at my ass and let me shower,” I grumble,walking past him to shut myself in the bathroom. Hot water invigorates me and Istart to pull myself out of the dark mood morning always brings. Preparing fora party is as good a way to spend the day as any.
Aplatter of bacon sits on the kitchen counter as usual. Ian is a complete baconaddict. I swear his arteries must be clogged with grease. “Just bacon?” I ask,as he steps in from the back deck.
“Baconsandwich,” he replies with a shrug.
Iknock the loaf of bread out of his hand and push him toward the table. “I’llmake something.”
“Waffles?”I’m sure his little grin gets him what he wants from ladies, but I’m unaffected.Mostly.
“Eggsand fruit. I swear you eat like a teenager.”
“Saysthe guy who’d sleep all day like a teenager if he could.”
“Andyou’d be free to gorge on bacon until grease seeps from your pores.”
Pretendingto think it over, he shakes his head. “Still wouldn’t be as fun as annoyingyou.”
Pouringthe scrambled eggs into a skillet, I reply, “You realize how easy it’d be tospit in your eggs?”
“Thanks,but I’m not into that. Coffee?” he offers, producing two mugs.
“Sure,I need some caffeine. It’s hard to sleep with a steam whistle blowing in themiddle of the night.”
Ican’t help but smile when Ian’s laughter fills the kitchen. “You should’veheard it in my room. Woman almost shattered my eardrums. There was no way I wasgoing to get her off a second time with that ear piercing bullshit. Neveragain.”
Witha snort, I set our loaded plates on the table. “Like you ever do them again.”
“Youshould follow my example. Find a willing ass for a night and relieve sometension.” A second of silence passes before he looks at me and adds in asympathetic voice, “It might help.”
“I’mnot the fuck and chuck type. I like to know who I’m sticking it to, and I’m notready to get to know someone new.”
“Areyou ready to get to know the vacuum cleaner?” That’s one thing I appreciateabout Ian. He knows when to stop pushing and change the subject.
Afterloading the dishwasher, Ian grabs his tool box. “Arthur’s sink is clogged.After I take care of that, I’ll hit the liquor store. Any requests?”
“Rollingpapers.”
