Page 43 of Forever Flirting

“Why are you calling about this? This isn’t like you. Usually you call him a ‘Royal Jerk’or ‘Sperm Donor’… Why is he suddenly ‘Alex’– and why now?”

“Because I think he might actually be a half-decent person that is hurting, and it doesn’t sit right with me seeing a grown man cry…”

“What?”Everly whispered, feeling her heart clench painfully.

“I know – and that is why I’m calling. If you are going to befriend him, date, talk, or whatever… then I think he might need someone right now to talk to, and that’s certainly not me. I’ve done enough damage.”

“He’s at McDonald’s?”

“Yep – and might be there for a few minutes, I think.”

“Mallory… thank you,” Everly said openly.

“Just be smart and don’t make the same mistakes I did – okay?”

Everly hung up the phone and told Megan she was leaving for the day, asking her to lock up the office. Running out the door, she nearly lost one of her heels as she skidded in the gravel, moving to get in her car.

Grabbing the box of tissues from the passenger side floorboard, she tried not to analyze why the thought of that flirtatious, smiling man suddenly distraught bothered her so much… but Mallory was right.

If he needed a friend – she wanted him to reach out to her.

Pulling into the parking lot, she saw Alex’s rental car in the corner of the lot under the pecan tree… and parked beside him.

He didn’t even look over or respond.

Alex was sitting there, the car running, with his face resting on his hand as he stared off in the distance, looking completely broken, and the other hand wiping his cheeks. Sliding out of her car, she grabbed the box and without announcing herself – she opened the passenger side door.

“Hey!” he said hoarsely in protest… and his surprised, glassy eyes met hers, just as his face crumpled at the realization of who it was.

Everly felt tears of her own begin in reaction to seeing that broken, ravaged, raw expression on his face… and took a seat in the car, simply held out her arms, inviting him silently to a hug, needing to comfort a wounded soul when she saw it.

He moved warily, almost as if he was afraid, and rested his cheek on her shoulder… and broke down. His arms were warm around her shoulders as he clung to her, brokenhearted.

“He’s grown so much,” Alex whispered, “And I’m going to miss so many changes until I come back. I hate saying ‘goodbye,’but this time seems so much worse than ever before.”

“I know,” she replied gently.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Mallory,” Everly began, and felt Alex tense. “She called, said you might need a friend to talk to, and that you were upset. I hope you can consider me one?”

“You are more than that and I think we both know it.”

She held her breath and nodded tightly, not moving.

“And we are both scared to hurt whatever this is between us,” he whispered openly, “because it feels so fragile right now – but I will take ‘fragile’any day over ‘gone’…”

“I know,” she admitted, laying her cheek on his shoulder as they just sat there, clinging to each other for comfort. “I’m afraid if I let down my guard, it will be me that’s doing the hurting and bitter crying…”

“It doesn’t feel so good,” he admitted, chuckling thickly as he backed away suddenly, wiping his face and looking away, blindly reaching for the tissues she brought. “I’m sure you think I’m a sap, but I swear they are manly tears. I appreciate the company, and the hug, but your perfume is incredible and driving me nuts…”

“Yeah,” she chuckled nervously, smiling tearfully at him. “I was going to ask you what cologne you are wearing – and understand what you mean.”

He glanced at her, a shy smile touching his lips, as he slowly reached for her hand on the seat between them.

“Cool Water cologne,” he said quietly, and then looked at her again. “Is this okay? I mean, is it okay if we just sit here and talk for a little while - instead of meeting up with everyone?”

“Yeah, it is,” she whispered, treasuring the warmth of his hand and this strange feeling of companionship that was slowly building between them.

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