“Alex,” I gasp, squeezing my arms around his waist. The one human he was supposed to trust to keep him safe, hurt him. Scarred him.
“James White was a bastard. Was,” Alex says. “It only happened once, but when I confronted him right before I left the state to go away for college, to leave that shitty part of my life behind, he panicked and tried to convince me it never happened. He gaslit me so hard. I didn’t speak to him again after that. I guess the shame finally got to him and he killed himself. I got a call from his lawyer, saying that he left everything to me because there were no other living relatives. Both my parents were only children. He left me a boatload of money, and I used it to open my law firm as soon as I finished law school and passed the bar exam.”
Alex runs a gentle hand over my arm, and I’m not sure if it’s to calm himself or me.
“You’re the only person I’ve told this to other than my therapist,” he whispers. “I didn’t even tell my ex-wife. I will have you know... I’ve gone to a decent bit of counseling and finally gained control of my ‘whiskey dick.’ My little friend still works.”
I chuckle, but then lift my head to look at Alex. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”
“After six years of being married to my wife, I found out she was leaving me for this hockey player tool. She apparently thought that it would mean she could travel more, something I never had time to do because I was trying to keep my business afloat. I thought I was giving her everything she wanted. Guess I was wrong. I let two people that I trusted, shatter my happiness.”
“That’s her loss,” I tell him, rubbing my hand across his torso.
He places a kiss on my forehead. “I want you to seek justice, Tea. There’s evil in the world, I want you to get your justice. At the least, talk to a professional. I’ve got some friends who are very experienced with trauma survival.”
I pull back. “I don’t want to go back to that part of my past. I only want to move forward.”
“Honey,” Alex whispers. “Please. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, to protect you. Believe me, talking to a professional can help, I know from experience.”
I stare up at him, I’ve never seen him look so scared—so helpless.
“Can I sleep on it?” I ask him, faking a yawn.
“Of course,” he nods. I flip over in his arms, and he wraps himself around me, our underwear the only thing between us. “Whenever you’re ready. You let me know, I’ve got your back.”
I lie there, trying to mimic Alex’s breathing, knowing the exact moment he finally falls asleep—when his arms loosen their hold, but he doesn’t let go. I hear the front door open, and listen as the guys quietly go to their rooms, saying goodnight to each other. Light streams into my room, and I wonder if it’s Mac, Ben, or Colin. Whomever it is, they must notice our two forms in bed, and they quietly leave, closing the door behind them.
“Alex is in there with her,” whispers one of the guys, I think it’s Mac, but he’s so quiet I can’t really tell.
“I’m glad they’re finally growing on each other,” says a different voice. “I was worried this wasn’t going to work out. Ever since... your date, they’ve been inseparable.”
Ah, so the first voice is Mac. “It sucks that it took something like that, but I’m glad that he’s there for her. He hasn’t even let us in since him and that— woman ran off on him. I think their dynamic is good. Good for all of us.”
“I agree,” says Colin or Ben. “I’m crazy about her, and I just want you guys to feel the same. She’s amazing, Mac.”
“The feeling is mutual,” he responds. “Let’s get some rest. I want to surprise her with a nice breakfast in bed tomorrow.”
I smile at that. Guess I’ll have to put on my best acting face in the morning.
I pull Alex’s arms tighter around me, and right as my eyes start to droop closed, and sleep starts to take over, I think I hear him mutter something about loving me.