AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alex.“I wanted to be brave. I had made this pact with myself that I was going to be bolder and try things that made me afraid, and dangling in the air seemed like something that fit that list.”
Liam shook his head incredulously. “I can’t picture you being afraid of anything.”
I shrugged. “I was different in college.”
“So, what happened?” Leah asked before taking a sip of her wine.
I looked at Alex, signaling for him to keep talking because I knew if I explained, we’d be busted right then and there.
“I helped her through it,” he said casually.
That was an understatement.
“Just like that?” Leah asked. Of course, she’d question it. That woman’s instincts were on point.
“Not just like that,” I said, giving in. “When we lurched to the top, I moved my hand from the lap bar to his arm. Really dug in.”
“I had the fingernail marks to prove it,” Alex added.
“But he stayed totally calm, insisted I look at him instead of looking down or at the open air in front of us, and before I knew it, the ride had started, and I was actually kind of enjoying it.”
I looked at Alex again, the fondness of the memory pulling my gaze to him. “He was so patient. And kind. And I knew—”
I trailed off, realizing that I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Knew what?” the entire family asked in unison.
Fuck.
I cleared my throat to tamp the sting of emotion. “I knew I’d never do it again,” I said, forcing a smile.
Alex exhaled, and the family laughed.
“Once my feet were firmly on the ground again,” I continued, “we went to one of those photo booths to commemorate my brush with death.”
The family laughed again, and this time I was the one to exhale. I’d saved myself, fooled them. But when I glanced back at Alex, I could tell he wasn’t fooled. He knew the real end to that sentence.
I knew I wanted to be with him forever.
CHAPTER4
Brooke
THEN — THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE LAST DAY OF COLLEGE.
“Babe? I’m home,”I called out as I stepped into the apartment. I wasn’t even sure if Alex would be home since I was running really, really late. I was supposed to be home by 10 a.m. to start sorting through our stuff in preparation for our move in a few weeks, but girls’ night out ended up being girls’ night in, and I’d overslept.
The plan had been for Sabrina, Mariah, her two friends, and I to head to a party at one of the sorority houses—the specific one a little blurry to me now—because our pre-game turned into the whole game, and we ended up staying in.
By about midnight and two bottles of tequila in, Sabrina had peaced out, calling this guy she was dating from campus security to escort her home.
Mariah, her friends, and I fell asleep shortly after, and I didn’t wake up again until almost noon.
“Alex?” I called out. “Sorry, I’m late! I’ll start on the closet to make it up to you.”
The closet in the bedroom was rammed full of mostly my stuff, and Alex had dreaded the idea of being the one to tackle it.
I moved further inside and checked the bedroom and the bathroom. No Alex. Where was he?
