“How can I when she won’t talk to me? I haven’t heard from her,” he said. The pain in his jaw increased.
“Then give up,” his father said.
“What?” Give up? That was the last thing he wanted to do.
“If she’s not worth it, then give up. Save yourself some sleep at ni
ght.”
His father had to be kidding. “I can’t, Dad. Zoe’s she’s... special. She’s sweet. Funny. Smart. Celine loves her. Aunt Pam and Lisa think the world of her. When we talk, I can share my...”
“Well?” his father said. “Go on.”
“Oh no.” Alex rubbed at the tightness in his chest.
“Listen son, if she’s worth this much to you, then you commit to doing whatever it takes to show her. You’ve made mistakes, but you know the best way to handle them is to accept the consequences and move forward.”
Alex blew out his cheeks. He couldn’t be falling in love with Zoe. The realization hit him like a bucket of icy water.
His phone beeped. His eyes widened when he saw her name on the screen. He swallowed. He wanted to talk to her, but deep down he was angry. Did she hate him that much? Was she calling back now to put him out of his misery? “Dad, I got to go.”
“Okay, but think about what I said. Have a good show.”
Alex clicked over. He released a deep breath. He had to remain calm. “Hey.”
“You have a minute?” she asked.
His skin prickled. That’s all he wanted from her. “Sure. I guess you didn’t see my phone calls.” He lost count of how many times he called.
“I’m sorry.” she asked.
Alex sighed. Despite his annoyance, all he wanted was to hold her. Kiss her. Tell her that he wanted her. Only Zoe. “No, I’m sorry.”
Her tone softened. “No, when I heard that other woman, I thought you were playing games with me. I thought the worst of you and you’ve done nothing to make me think otherwise. I… don’t want to be just another woman to you. I like you but I can’t be in your life if there are others.”
Commitment. His father’s voice echoed in his ears. He figured Zoe didn’t mean marriage, but she wanted exclusivity. Most of the women he met did. The problem was, he didn’t know if he could give it. Love was a gamble, and he’d seen enough people lose, including him.
The scars were deep, but with Zoe, Alex wanted to heal. Could he try? She wasn’t like the others. She’d proved to be more than what he thought. Despite the sweat building on his palms, he would be a fool to let her slip away.
“I get it,” he said.
“Do you?” she asked. “I don’t want to be strung along. I’m not here to keep you company until you find someone else. Where would that leave me? I need to take care of myself, Alex. No offense to you.”
He gave a slight smile. Zoe would leave. Despite her feelings for him, she would put herself first. Alex’s heart rate picked up. He couldn’t let her go. “I understand, and I agree.”
“You do?” She sounded as if his response had taken her aback.
“That’s why I want to be with you, Zoe. Only you.” He chuckled. “I even told someone you’re my girlfriend.”
She choked. “What? You didn’t tell my brother, did you?”
“No. I’ll leave that up to you.” The tension in his muscles released. “I want you to know I won’t do anything to hurt you.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner, but I needed time to think.”
“I understand, but from now on, we talk things out. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”