Page 24 of Alex

Chapter Twelve

Evelyn could hardly breathepast the lump of emotion lodged in her throat. Her step faltered as she took in the room in front of her. Alex stood behind her, his arm anchoring her to him at the waist.

“Alex,” she managed to choke out as she moved inside, pulled by a force stronger than herself. The room was white with huge glass windows bracketing the entire corner of the room. It was light and airy, chasing any shadows away.

In the middle of the room set up on an easel was a blank canvas, new acrylic paints, rags, a palette, and best of all her old brushes. As if in a trance she stroked the canvas with her fingertips, the slightly rough feel of it under her touch waking a long dormant need to create—to express herself in art.

Picking up the brushes she ran the bristles along her palm, the feel of it so familiar.

“I carried you with me every day since I lost you,” Alex murmured in her ear.

Turning her head, she lifted her palm to his cheek and leaned into him. “Alex.” Tears threatened to break free. She waved a hand to encompass the room. “I can’t believe you kept all this, that you did all this.”

“I think deep down I knew you would find your way back to me and I wanted you to have a place to paint.”

“I don’t know if I can. It has been so long,” she whispered as she pulled away and turned a full circle in the room.

“Would you like to try?” He cocked his handsome head in question.

At that moment she knew why she had never stopped loving Alex. What they had was beyond any bond that could be broken. He had promised to love her forever and for the first time since she had been swept away into a world that she never wanted to see much less be a part of she felt as if she was home.

Was she a fool to believe what she and Alex had lasted the test of time and separation—maybe. But was she prepared to walk away without trying? That was the big question and if she had been asked a few days ago she would have said yes, that the risk was too significant. But now she remembered the bounty, the love, the joy, and the peace he gave her, and she wasn’t sure.

If they couldn’t make it past everything that had happened and become a new version of themselves together, would she survive losing him again? She didn’t think so but to turn her back on a man that loved her like she now knew Alex did would be the ultimate mistake.

“Evelyn?”

“Yes, I would like to try.” A tremulous smile formed on her lips.

Alex smiled hugely and nodded. “How about I go and get breakfast started and you paint for a bit?

“That sounds good.”

As he turned to leave, and she called his name. “Alex?”

“Yes?” He swivelled back to her almost stopping her heart with the vision he made.

“Thank you,” she said simply because there were no words to express all she felt in that moment.

He offered her a devastating smile and winked. “It was my pleasure.”

He left then as she stood staring at the door and she realised all the pain and heartache of the past was worth it if it brought her home. Excitement bubbling in her belly she picked up the paints and began to look through them noticing he had not skimped on colours or quality. Mixing up some primary colours she selected a brush—one of her old ones even though there were also new brushes of every size and shape. Again, Alex had made sure they were all of the highest quality.

Approaching the blank canvas, she stood and looked at it and slowly her imagination started to see things it hadn’t seen in so long. Shapes and colours moved through her mind as ideas began to take form.

Alex came up behind her and placed some coffee pastries down on a table in the corner.

“Thought you might need this,” he said handing her a hairband.

She smiled a grateful smile and went up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she said letting her hand trail over his shirt covered chest.

He grinned and placed his hands in his pockets with a shrug. “No problem. Make sure you eat.”

He turned to leave, and she suddenly felt unsure. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to check in with Jack and then do some work on the computer.”

“Okay, maybe I should…”