"This little lady is Lily Bell," Alec answered, his voice brimming with pride.
I whirled around so quickly I nearly lost my balance. My eyes peered at perhaps the cutest little girl I'd ever seen. Maybe I was a bit biased because I knew she belonged to him, but no one could deny she had been blessed with some dynamic genes. Her auburn hair hung in ringlets halfway down her back, and her rich brown eyes were highlighted by long, thick eyelashes. She was a striking replica of Alec.
"Alec and Lily, I'm so glad you could make it," Olivia said, stepping smoothly around me while I remained gaping at them.
Alec's eyes met mine. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It's not every day my pecs have the words 'New York Times bestseller' written across them." He smiled at me and I tried to return it, but my mouth seemed to have formed an alliance with my broken heart.
"Daddy, what are pecs?" Lily asked, tugging on Alec's arm.
"Uh." Alec struggled for an acceptable answer, looking around helplessly like the words would suddenly magically appear.
Mom leaned in and whispered in Lily's ear, making her cover her mouth, giggling. I noticed she had a purple cast on her arm.
"You have to make sure it's okay with Daddy," Mom said conspiratorially.
"Daddy, can I go make an ice cream sundae with the lady?"
"Sure thing, pumpkin bug," Alec answered, rustling her hair.
Lily laced her small fingers with my mom's and skipped along her side toward the kitchen.
"Hey, I want a sundae too," Riley whined, following behind. Olivia and Eloise brought up the rear, leaving Alec and me together. The whole thing reeked of a setup. Alec had to know what he would be walking into and yet, there he stood.
I remained as frozen as a statue, unable to follow my family who had just abandoned me. A small part of me was thrilled about seeing Alec again, and even happier to be alone with him. That was my sensible side. The vulnerable half of me wanted to cower in the corner.
"How have you been?" he asked, closing the distance between us. My limbs threatened to betray me. He was like a tractor beam, drawing me in. It took everything inside me not to throw my arms around him. Trying to clear my muddled head, I took a step backward to regain a small measure of dignity.
A half-dozen responses to his question sprang to mind. How was I? It was a loaded question. Did he want to know about the sleepless nights? How about the story I was currently writing that was channeling all my hurt? I was sure only one answer would satisfy him. "Fine," I lied, smiling brightly.
He nodded, taking another hesitant step toward me. My smile faltered. I couldn't keep up the charade with him so close. I was barely hanging on as it was.
I stepped backward again, only to run into one of the patio chairs. Of course, being me, I lost my balance and would have landed face first on the cement if not for Alec's quick reflexes. He reached out and snagged my wrist, keeping me on my feet.
His touch was as familiar and as warm as I remembered. It had been a month since we last saw each other, but it felt like no time had passed. Neither of us spoke as we looked down at his hand that clasped my wrist. His hold was not intimidating or confining. It was more a caress than a shackle, holding me gently in place.
My eyes moved to his, wondering what his game was. Did he know how susceptible I was to his touch? Couldn't he tell that he was stealing a piece of my heart every time he did this to me? Maybe he wouldn't be satisfied until he had shattered me into a thousand tiny pieces.
Not surprisingly, I couldn't find the words to end his games. It wasn't the first time he'd had me tongue-tied.
His eyes bore into mine as he made a confession. "It's funny, but I haven't been fine."
His words slowly filtered through my head as I tried to process them. "You haven't?" I finally croaked out.
He shook his head, running his hand gently up my arm. "I thought I'd be okay. I was sure I'd made the best decision. In my head, I thought it was crucial that I focus on what was important." He ran his hand back down my arm, clasping my fingers with his. "The only problem is I suddenly had the feeling I had walked away from something really special in my life." His eyes held mine, soaking in my response.
My heart thudded painfully in my chest, warning me not to trust him again. A voice in the back of my mind told me I was making this too easy for him.
"I tried to ignore it and move on, but every single damn thing reminded me of you. It didn't matter if it was a puddle in a parking lot or if I was driving by a Starbucks. You were everywhere I looked except the one spot I wanted you the most."
My eyes glistened at his words. Any resolve I had left was crumbling with everything he said. "Where is that?" I asked.
He tugged me until I was standing in his embrace. "Here in my arms. I'm sorry I was a fool, Nicole. I was scared and reacted the only way I could think of."
"It was too soon for me to lay that on you. I know that now," I said, taking ownership for my part.
"Does that mean your feelings have changed?"
I debated lying. Confessing how I was feeling had pushed him away once. What if I admitted that even though he'd broken my heart almost a month ago, I was still in love with him? I couldn't even convince myself that I didn't want him back. "Would it scare you away if I told you my feelings haven't changed?" What else could I do but pour my heart out and hope he didn't stomp on it? If that happened, at least I would have closure.