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Then it hits me.
Maggie.
They probably bought this home together, and now I feel like I don’t belong. I look behind me, hoping to see the car, but it’s gone. The front door opens and Alex steps out, leaning against one of the pillars on the porch with his ankles crossed.
“Are you going to stand in the driveway or come in?” he asks.
I nod, thinking I am going to stand here. I don’t know what’s come over me, but I feel like I shouldn’t be here, which doesn’t make sense. They’ve broken up, and as far as I know, they don’t talk anymore. Of course, I’ve never asked him and have taken him at his word that things are over, and he’s moved on.
Alex comes toward me and every muscle in my body screams at me to move, but I’m frozen. This feels entirely irrational on my part. He reaches for my hand, and then steps into my space, wrapping his arms around me.
“Are you okay?”
I nod, but the truth is, I’m not.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“It’s stupid. It’s really stupid.”
Alex leans back, keeping me in his embrace, and looks at me. The expression on his face tells me enough to know he’s confused by my statement. “First off, never call yourself stupid. I don’t ever want to hear you put yourself down again. Second, I can tell something’s bothering you. What is it?”
“It’s your house,” I blurt out in the most ridiculous way possible.
He turns to look at his beautiful home and frowns. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing, yet my mind is saying it belongs to another woman.”
“Except, it didn’t,” Alex says flatly. “Maggie never lived here. I bought it after she left. We had a house together, but when she decided to take the job in London, we put it on the market and I bought this place. It’s always been just mine.”
“For some reason that doesn’t make me feel any better. Like I said—”
“Don’t call yourself stupid,” he warns. “Would it be better if we went to your place? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“No, I need to get over whatever this is.”
“You sure?”
Nodding, I rest my head on his chest. “I have no idea where this fear is coming from.”
“Me neither,” he says as he rubs his hands up and down my arms. “Come on, I want to give you the tour.”
Alex takes my bag and then my hand and leads me to his home. It’s gorgeous and I already know I’m going to love the inside before I even step onto the porch.
“I thought about putting two rocking chairs out there, but I have a great backyard space, which is where I spend most of my time,” he tells me before we enter. The black double doors open to the entryway with a cathedral ceiling, and pine wide plank flooring. This is enough for me to know I’m already in love with his home.
The entryway leads to an open-concept space, with the dining space and kitchen off to the left, and island in the center with one side for sitting and eating and the other side for storage, and the living room off to the right.
Alex takes me to the kitchen. It’s massive, with oversized cabinets, another island, and dual dishwashers.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he says as my finger trails along the marble countertop.
“I highly doubt it.”
“Why does a single man need so much space?”
“Um, you’re right.”
Alex laughs. “My family comes here for Christmas, and I like to entertain. I love having people over and always want them to feel like this is their home as well.”
