Alex had started getting up earlier these days, but with sunrise barely kissing the horizon, I’d be pushing it. Text was too easy to ignore, though, so I took a chance and hit his number. My heart thudded in my throat as it rang… and rang… and rang.
Just before it switched to voicemail, the ring stopped and his soft voice filtered through the line.
“Donovan?”
“Alex,” I breathed. I had to sit, my knees going weak with relief.
“It’s seven in the morning…”
He’d answered, at least. He’d answered and stayed on the line.
“I know. I wasn’t sure if you’d be awake, but I had to try. Can we talk?”
“We already are.” I heard rustling on his end, like he was moving around. Maybe he was still in bed?
“I’m sorry for what I said.” He deserved more than a simple apology, but it was all I could do right now. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just got carried away. I know you don’t like any of it and I shouldn’t have pushed you. It’s your power and your choice. I was completely out of line and all I can say is that I’m sorry and I hope you can forgive me.”
He stayed silent for so long I had to double-check to make sure he hadn’t hung up. The call was still active, though, so I waited. I owed him my patience, at the very least.
“Do you want to come over?” he finally asked, and he sounded so sad, so small, it broke my heart.
“I can be there in five minutes.” I didn’t even bother changing out of my flannel sleep pants, pausing only long enough to throw on a shirt as I went for my shoes.
“It doesn’t have to be now, if you don’t want to. You probably have to get ready for work and I get it. Just whenever you’re free. I’m off today, so literally whenever. Or we could talk on the phone, if that’s easier.”
“Alex.” I cut him off when he paused for breath. “I’m walking out my door right now. I’ll be there in four minutes, okay?”
He took a measured breath and I could almost see him sitting there, trying to stem the anxious flow of words likely bubbling up inside him.
“Okay. I’ll see you in four minutes.”
We disconnected and silence accompanied me through the early morning streets of Lowery’s Crossing. It took me three minutes to get to Alex’s house with a little cautious speeding. My heart rattled in my chest the entire way, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t change his mind when I arrived.
I had a key, but I knocked anyway, given the circumstances. The door swung open so quickly that Alex had to have been standing on the other side waiting for me to arrive. His too-long brown hair was mussed and shadows darkened those green eyes I loved so much. He was barefoot, in sweatpants and the LCPD sweater he’d shamelessly stolen from me last month.
Without a doubt, he was the most beautiful man I’d ever met.
He stepped back to let me inside and the second the door shut, I swept him into my arms, hugging him tight. He froze for a moment, startled, and I started to let go in case it was too soon, but then he hugged me back and my heart started beating again for the first time in days.
We stood in the darkened entryway holding each other, neither of us willing to let go.
“I missed you,” he whispered against my shoulder, and I hugged him even tighter.
“I missed you, too.”
“You’ll miss me more if you don’t let me breathe.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I chuckled, but loosened my hold and took a step back. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I needed that. At least until my oxygen supply got a little critical.” Sadness and pain still tinged his soft smile, but it was progress.
“I’m so sorry, Alex. I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was completely out of line. I just…” I shook my head. “I’m not going to make excuses. I fucked up.”
“Come on. I think we need to sit for this one.”
Alex led the way into the living room, sitting cross-legged on one end of the couch and leaving the other for me. He tugged the throw blanket down to cover his legs and bare feet, taking his time tucking in the ends, stalling for time.
“I shouldn’t have tried to tell you what to do with your ability,” I went on when he seemed to get stuck. Alex usually avoided confrontation, so I knew this wasn’t easy for him. “You’ve told me over and over how you feel about it, but I got carried away.”
