“And now, you’ve got a plan, and you’re moving forward.” Alex paused briefly before adding, “Oh, and by the way, things didn’t work out with Dr. Sparks. It turns out that two doctors shouldn’t be together. You can only handle so much medical talk at home. We’d argue over the best way to set a broken toe or the most effective antihistamine for a mild allergic reaction. One time, we even had a full-blown debate over the pros and cons of different types of surgical sutures… over dinner. Honestly, it was exhausting. So yeah, that fizzled out.”
Yes, things were on an upward trajectory for me, but I couldn’t help feeling a flicker of satisfaction. “Really? It sounded like a match made in heaven.” My tone was laced with sarcasm, but Alex didn’t take the bait.
He took a small step closer, his gaze lingering on me as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. “Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re even more amazing than before.” Alex shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, okay? I never should’ve walked away from you.”
I let out a shocked laugh, the kind that comes when someone says something so outrageous you can’t believe it’s real. “Walked away? You didn’twalk away. You cheated on me.”
He winced but stepped closer. “I want a do-over.”
“There’s no ‘do-over’ for what you did.”
His expression darkened with frustration. “I get it now. You think this guy cares about you, don’t you?”
I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body tensing. Before I could respond, Alex kept going, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You can’t seriously believe that a billionaire who’s dated the world’s most beautiful women would choose you. Tell me you’re not that naïve. He’sTopher Brodie. He’s got women throwing themselves at him. How could he possibly be interested inyou?”
My pulse quickened, and I felt the edges of my smile slip away. The warmth of Topher’s touch, his sweet words, still lingered in the back of my mind, but Alex’s words were getting louder, trying to drown out my happiness. I swallowed hard, willing myself not to lose that feeling just because of Alex’s bitterness.
“Why does it even matter to you?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.
He stepped closer, his eyes scanning me like he had some right to. “I mean, look at you. You’re more gorgeous than ever, and you’ve got your life together. You’re motivated and driven. Everything I always wanted.”
A bitter laugh escaped before I could stop it, the memory burning more than I cared to admit. “You dumped me right after I lost my job.”
“That was a mistake!” He sounded almost indignant, as if I were the one being unreasonable. “You weren’t what I wanted then, but you are now.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “Are you even hearing yourself? You think you can just show up and say, ‘Oops, my bad,’ and everything will be fine? You cheated on me!”
Alex grimaced, as if he were tired of this conversation. “When are you going to stop fixating on that?”
“Never, Alex. Never.”
He grabbed my arm lightly, his expression softening, as if he was trying to make me understand. “Come on, I’m serious. I want us to try again.”
I yanked my arm back, staring him down. “You want to get back together because I look better now? Because I’ve ‘changed’? Newsflash.Youhaven’t. You’re still the same guy who tore me down when I was at my lowest.”
“Do you really think someone like Topher Brodie, whose life is private planes, mansions, and yachts, is going to stay with you? Your life is dropping out of college and driving an airport shuttle. No, wait,getting firedfrom driving an airport shuttle.”
I stood my ground, trying not to let him get under my skin. “Regardless of what you think, I’d never get back together with you. You lied, you cheated, and you made me feel like I was never enough. I’m not going to settle for that again.”
I bit out the words, willing myself to stay calm, even though his words cut deeper than I wanted to admit.
Alex scoffed. “Face it. You’re not built for a serious relationship. There’s just some fundamental part of you that’s missing. I always felt like I was dating a stranger. You shut me out of anything real, anything that mattered.” He crossed his arms, his gaze cold. “And, you know what? Topher’s not going to stick around for that.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, my fists clenching as I fought to hold my ground. A small, unwelcome thought wormed its way into my mind:What if he’s right? What if I’m not built for a serious relationship?I’d always held people at a safe distance, built walls that even I didn’t know how to break down.
But I forced myself to stand taller, to keep my voice steady. “Just because you couldn’t handle me doesn’t mean no one can.”
Alex laughed, a hollow sound that felt designed to sting. “Keep telling yourself that. But people get tired, Kathleen. They get tired of trying to get through those walls you put up. Brodie might be playing along now, but when he sees the real you? He’ll be gone.”
I swallowed, the doubt clawing at me despite my best efforts.Could he be right? Would Topher see the parts of me I kept hidden and decide it wasn’t worth it?
But I wasn’t about to let Alex see that he’d rattled me. “Maybe the problem wasn’t me, Alex. Maybe it was that you never gave me a reason to trust you.”
His smirk faltered, just for a second, before he plastered it back on. “Believe whatever helps you sleep at night, Kathleen. But when he leaves—and he will—don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I watched him walk away. Leave it to Alex to stir up doubt when things were finally starting to feel good. Liking Topher was risky. I knew that. Letting myself fall for him felt like stepping into the unknown, like jumping off a cliff and hoping I landed safely. It was thrilling, but there was no denying the uncertainty creeping in.
Just as I was trying to shake the thought, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, freezing when I saw the number. The loan company.
