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I never understood why, all of a sudden, Rowan and Alec couldn’t get along. It wasn’t so bad at first; it was more the two-year age difference that made them argue. As we got older, they became more hateful, distant with each other. Anytime I’d ask Rowan about it, he’d only say that Alec was bad news, to stay away from him.
I never had to decide whether or not to listen because Alec always made the choice for me.
“Man, you were such a jerk to me, growing up.”
He freezes, his head swinging in my direction, and I’d swear, the quick exhale and dip of his brow mean he’s remorseful.
He’s quiet after that, so I say nothing, opting for a movie on the couch once I’m finished eating.
It takes a good fifteen minutes, but Alec finally convinces himself to join me. And, the second he does, I lose focus on the movie but continue to stare at the TV anyway.
He’s intriguing. I know nothing about this man. Why he left, where he was, or why he came back.
“Oakley”—his voice is low but commanding—“look at me.”
With my body still facing forward, I sling only my eyes his way. Dark green eyes anchor mine, forcing my gaze to remain on his.
“None of it happened the way I wanted,” he admits, regret seeping from his tone. Anger hardens his features.
I shift on the cushion, my body now facing his, and I whisper my dare, hoping to learn but scared just the same. “Tell me, what exactly did you want?”
His gaze quickly drops to my lips. “I wanted to be the one who you approached first, the one you knocked on the door, looking for, the one you saw.”
“And, when that didn’t happen, your backup plan was to push me away?”
He shakes his head, dropping his eyes to the floor before bringing them back to mine. “I’d go back in time if I could.”
I probably shouldn’t, but I ask anyway, “And, if you did, what would you change?”
He stares at me, those eyes soft as silk, revealing the first sign of sadness I’ve ever seen from him. “Everything.”
His unexpected confession causes pressure to build in my chest. I search for a deep breath, unable to find it as I stare at the man in front of me.
“Alec …” My voice is low, pleading for something I’m not aware of.
He shifts beside me, and right as he does, the front lock starts to jiggle.
My eyes widen, and I jump closer to Alec, grabbing ahold of his leg. He protectively wraps an arm around me, lifting his free hand to his lips, telling me to keep quiet.
The lock jiggles again, more aggressively this time, and Alec starts to rise from the couch. When I attempt to stand with him, he narrows his eyes, as if to keep me there. I shake my head, holding on to him, and he drops back beside me.
He lays his forehead against mine, whispering, “Let me protect you, princess. Stay here and keep quiet.”
I grab his hands that rest on my cheeks, squeezing my eyes shut as I nod.
“If—” he starts to whisper as he pulls away but stops short when we hear, “Open the fucking door, Oakley!”
Every muscle in Alec’s body tightens, and my eyes fly open.
When the pounding starts again, I clear my throat and stand slowly. I avoid Alec’s gaze and move to step around him.
“Always in the fucking way,” he growls once I’ve passed.
With an uneasy feeling stirring inside me, I open the door for Rowan.
He storms in before I have a chance to say anything, laughing harshly when he finds Alec standing in the living room, our empty cups on the coffee table and my blanket on the couch.
Rowan swings his angry gaze to me. “If you wanted your key back, all you had to do was ask. Didn’t need to go through the trouble of changing the locks.”
“I didn’t—” I stop short, turning to Alec. “You really changed the locks?”
“Yes.”
Rowan scoffs. “Un-fucking-believable. Getting real comfortable at my girl’s house, are you, Alec?”
Alec takes an instant step toward him, but I’m quick to move between them.
I glare at Alec, who glares back. Gone is the gloss that brought out the gold in his dark green eyes. I spin to Rowan.
He frowns at Alec over my shoulder before giving me a tense smile. “Come on, Oak. Let’s go to your room. More privacy.”
Before I can respond, Rowan disappears down the hall.
But I’m rooted in place, unable to move. Something tells me, once I do, Alec will, too, stopping me with his rough grip before I make it half a step away.
It’s an irrational thought, but it’s as if possessiveness is percolating from every inch of his body and casing around mine, pulling me backward. Back to him, into him.
