“You can’t do this, Alec,” she begs, her eyes shining with raw emotion.
“Can’t do what?” I place a palm above her head and lean in, so she’s forced to look up at me. In this position I could easily take her mouth, but I won’t do it, not until she agrees to be mine. “Can’t show you that I’m in love with you?” I tuck a blond hair behind her ear, and she visibly shivers. “I know you want me, you know you want me, hell, everyone at that fucking table knows you want me. You want to fight this, fine, but I’m not going to make it easy for you, and I’m not going to give up until you’re mine.”
Lexi closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and for a second, I think maybe she’s going to give in. But when she opens her eyes, I instantly see the defiance in her irises. “I’m on a date, Alec. You and I are friends, and if you keep this up, you’re going to ruin that friendship.”
She turns to walk away, but before she can, I tug her toward me, so her back is against my front. I dip my face so my lips are right at the shell of her ear. “I get that it’s going to take you a bit longer to get on board with the idea of us, and I’m okay with that because I know in the end we’ll be together, but I need you to promise me something.”
She sighs. “What?”
“Until you’re one hundred percent sure he’s the man you love, please don’t sleep with him.”
Her breath hitches, and then a few seconds later, she nods before she walks away.
I follow after her, but instead of sitting, I nod to Chase that it’s time to go. I’d like to say I’m a good enough guy to wish them a good date, but I’m not. With a squeeze to Lexi’s shoulder and a smile to Georgia, I do the hardest fucking thing and walk out of the bar.
“I want to be with her, and I know damn well she feels the same way.” I’m sitting at a local diner having lunch with Mason and Chase. It’s been damn near two weeks since I told Lexi how I feel and almost a week since her date with dick-face. Since I walked out of the restaurant, we’ve barely spoken, let alone seen each other. She swears it’s because she’s busy surfing, getting ready for her competition in July, but I know her and she’s definitely avoiding me. “How the hell do I get her to admit her feelings for me?”
Mason laughs, and Chase shakes his head.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Chase says. “I married young and look where I ended up… divorced.”
“You signed the papers?” I ask. Chase was served divorce papers a couple weeks ago. After throwing them on the table, he took off and didn’t come home for a few days. When he returned, he didn’t say a word about them and I didn’t want to pry. I figured when he was ready to talk, he would bring them up.
“Yeah. Since neither of us really has any assets, it’ll go through quickly,” he says, taking a sip of his coffee. He looks like shit, like he needs to take a long as fuck nap, but I don’t point that out. No need to kick the guy while he’s down.
“I’m sorry, man,” Mason adds.
“It’s all good,” Chase says. “She was a cheating druggie. The more I tried to get her help, the more she pushed me away. I should’ve known how it would all end.”
“Maybe you’re right.” I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. “One of the reasons I didn’t pursue Lexi before is because of how young we are. My parents married young…” I swallow thickly, trying to keep it together. Any time I bring up my dad, I lose it. It’s been almost three weeks since his death, and it doesn’t hurt any fucking less.
“You aren’t your parents,” Mason points out. “Sure, as people grow, they change, but plenty of people who get married young last. And you can’t not be with someone because there’s a chance it won’t work.” He glances at Chase. “Did you love your wife?”
Chase nods once.
“Did you have good times with her? Create memories?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you don’t regret it. Every moment, every situation happens for a reason,” Mason says. “I had a shit life growing up, but I would go through it all again if it meant it would lead me to right here—with your mom, you, and your sister.” He quirks a brow. “And I know your parents feel the same way. Had your mom not been with your dad, they wouldn’t have had you. And I know damn well neither of them could ever regret their time together because it gave them you.”