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“Did he send you?” I asked, trying to keep the bitterness from my voice.
“No,” he chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I just wanted to talk to you.”
I hesitated, but curiosity got the better of me. “Talk about what?”
“Alexander,” he said simply.
“Look, Christopher,” I began, my defenses rising, “I don’t need any more of Alexander’s games or manipulations.” I had no doubt he had told his brother everything, from his point of view at least.
“Trust me,” he replied, intense enough to make me pause, “this isn’t about any games. This is about the man behind them.” He motioned for me to join him at the bar, and as reluctant as I was to delve back into the twisted world of Alexander, I couldn’t deny the allure of understanding him on a deeper level.
“Alright,” I relented, sliding onto a stool beside him.
“Alexander has always been…” Christopher trailed off, searching for the right words, “complicated.”
“Complicated” seemed to be an apt description of the man who had captivated and infuriated me in equal measure. It didn’t, however, shed any light on what I knew about him.
“His life had been filled with challenges and setbacks,” Christopher continued as he leaned in closer to me. “He had to fight for everything he had, and that shaped the way he saw the world.”
“Does that justify his actions?” I asked, struggling to reconcile this new perspective with the Alexander I had come to know.
“Maybe not,” Christopher admitted, “but understanding where he came from might help you see why he was drawn to you, Olivia. He’s never connected with someone like he has with you. The intensity of it terrified him, and sometimes, that fear drove him to make questionable decisions.”
My breath caught in my throat as I processed his words. Christopher’s insight into Alexander’s complex nature offered a window into the man I had been trying to understand, one who had captivated me despite the turmoil he brought.
A blush crept up my neck as Christopher’s gaze lingered on me, the intensity of his stare piercing through any facade I might have been wearing. The weight of his revelation settled upon me, forcing me to confront the truth of Alexander’s feelings.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “He… he really feels that way about me?”
“Absolutely,” Christopher replied, his expression softening. “I’ve known him all my life, and I’ve never seen him so emotionally invested in someone. You’ve awakened something in him, Olivia, something he didn’t even know existed.”
My spirit swelled at his words, tendrils of hope unfurling within me. I bit the inside of my cheek, torn between the desire to believe him and the uncertainty that had haunted me since my relationship with Alexander had begun.
“Then why did he push me away?” I asked, my fingers absently tracing the rim of my wine glass, the cool condensation grounding me. “Why did he hurt me if he truly cared?”Why didn’t he trust me?
“Because he was scared,” Christopher answered, reaching out to gently touch my hand. “And sometimes, fear can make us act irrationally.”
The sincerity in Christopher’s eyes was undeniable, and I found myself yearning to trust his words. The possibility that Alexander’s actions stemmed from vulnerability rather than malice forced me to reevaluate everything I thought I knew about him.
“Maybe you’re right,” I murmured, my gaze flickering between Christopher’s eyes and the warmth radiating from his touch. “Perhaps I should give him another chance.”
“Trust your instincts, Olivia,” he advised. “But remember that people can change if they are given a reason to.”
With that, he released my hand, leaving me feeling both exhilarated and exposed. I wondered if I had been too quick to judge Alexander. Through Christopher’s eyes, I saw a man struggling with his own demons, desperate for connection yet terrified of its consequences.
Perhaps it was time for me to take a leap of faith and trust that Alexander could change. For both our sakes.
The scent of Christopher’s cologne lingered in the air as I watched him walk away. Trusting him felt like a risk, but his words had shaken me to my core.
“Are you okay?” a voice asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I glanced up to see Ethan, his dark eyes filled with concern. “Yeah, just… thinking,” I muttered.
“Did Alexander send him?” he probed, thinly veiled anger on his face.
“No, but he did want to talk about him,” I admitted, fighting the urge to confess everything Christopher had shared about Alexander’s vulnerability.
“Listen, Olivia,” Ethan said, his voice dropping an octave. “We’ve all seen how much Alexander changed since you came into his life. It’s obvious he cares for you. I know he hurt you, but you seem to be hurting more now.” He dropped an arm around my shoulder. “Maybe he deserves a second chance.”
