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Chapter 12
This morning had not gone as planned.
It was officially afternoon, and I felt like I was just seeing Alec for the first time. I had on the sporty outfit Audrey had purchased for me. It was comfortable and cute, and I didn't even care that my hair was still damp. Alec was sitting on one of the couches that was outside, near the shuffleboard area. He was playing an acoustic guitar. He set it down and got to his feet as soon as he noticed me.
It was a four-story home, including the ground-level patio area, and he had an elevator that we used all the time. Today, I had been on the second floor and I took the stairs when I came down. We converged near the foot of the stairs.
It was surreal seeing him after the morning I had. I had been so excited to talk to him about his new music, and now I felt odd bringing it up when so many other things had transpired.
"You look good in that," he said, glancing at my clothing.
"Thank you. I actually love it. I need to pay Audrey for this stuff."
"Audrey didn't buy it," he said, staring at me.
"Then I need to pay you for it And I probably need to pay her for going to get it. I love this outfit. I'll wear it at home for sure. I know this brand, too, and it wasn't cheap."
"They found your phone," he said, regarding me thoughtfully. "And that Jeep's going to be totaled," he said.
"Oh no, you think? Really?" I asked the question like I was shocked because I was. I didn't want it anymore, but I didn't think it would be totaled from what she did. "Totaled?"
He shrugged. "You don't want to drive that around, anyway. Not after she did that. Let's just get you something else—whatever car you want. I'd rather that." He tilted his head at me, wearing an easy, patient smile. "Let me buy you something new," he said. "We'll trade in the Jeep. You can get another Jeep if you want."
"Where is my Jeep right now?"
"At the dealership," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Oh, are you already getting rid of it?"
He grinned. "No. Jonah was dealing with having it cleaned for you and that was where he sent it when he had it towed. That's what gave me the idea about trading it in. If you don't want to, that's fine. But selfishly, I'd like to buy you a new one."
He shrugged, staring at me with a shy expression that made me want to fall into his arms. We just stood there.
"I don't really care what I drive as long as we can get that smell out."
"Okay, well, Jonah sent me a bunch of links to other vehicles they have at the dealership. It's not anything you have to decide in the next few hours, though. We can just hang out for a little while."
"What about your family?" I said. "I thought we were supposed to have lunch with some of them today."
He gave me a sweet smile. "We were supposed to head over there a little while ago. I already called and talked to my mom. They're at my aunt's house. My mom said if we don't make it there for lunch, she'd drop us some food when they're done eating."
I took a deep breath and smiled at Alec, feeling thankful to have a quiet patio and be done with all the statements and reports.
"How are you?" he asked. "How are you holding up?" I started to answer, but he put a hand up to stop me. "Hang on, let's go in here, in the sunroom. We can talk in there."
Part of Alec's first-story patio space was a closed-in room with partial walls and mostly glass. The glass was tinted, so it was a private outdoor space that was even cozier than the game area where Alec had been sitting. He got up and led the way, and I followed him into the enclosed patio. It was a gorgeous morning and I smiled as I sat on the couch, gazing out at the unbelievable view of the water.
"Why would you ever want to leave this place?" I said absentmindedly making small talk.
"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that this morning," Alec said, pulling me down beside him on the couch. I glanced at him to find that he was turned to me, inspecting me like he was genuinely concerned. "I wish there was something I could have done to stop it."
"No, it's fine. There's no way you could have known."
"I know but that's messed up what you went through. I feel like I need to talk to you about it more than what you said to the cops. I just need to make sure you're okay. You know, with me, with us. I wanted to make sure you aren't worried about Sara."
"Yeah, I mean, the things she said to me were really hurtful. She knew we'd been spending time together, and she spent a minute there, trying to hurt me and make me believe that I'm not good enough for you, which is fine, but it's something I dealt with a little already. I'm not sure if a school nurse in League City, Texas can hold your interest when you have exotic women in London and Paris. I had thought that before, she just made me think about it again." I smiled. My tone was lighthearted and I wasn't in a bad mood at all, considering. I gave him a shrug. "I had dealt with those kinds of thoughts before she even said it, so I didn't react."
Alec took a slow, deliberate breath. "You left that stuff out when you talked to the cops."
