Chapter 11
Twasn’t expecting to see him
Thad spent the past few days in my hometown carefully avoiding the ghost of Alex Bennett, resisiting the places that held pieces of our past but doing so alone. So when I turned the conney of Main Street and sun limstanding outside the old bookstore, my heart stopped.
He had’s charged much in the months since left, but there was something different about him–something header, and he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Hemed, and his eyes met mnine.
uages, The raid, his voler quiet but im, as if he’d been pracking
“Alex,” Treplied, unable to mask the surprise in my vakce.“What are you doing here?”
He followed me to the pack, where we frenda bench tucked away beneath the sprawling branches of an oak tree. The alt between us was heavy with unspoken words, the kind that had been
building for yeMLƏ
Ales was the first to break the silence.
“You druppeseed.” he said, his tone edged with frustration. “You didn’t return my calls. Dih’t reply to my messages. And now I find out you’re back here without saying a wirdrome?
I stared at him, trying to keep my volop calm. “I didn’t think you needed na kan ond
“Lauren, mine ca,” he said, leaning forward. “You know that’s not true.
hy are you really here. Alex?” Lasked, crassing my arm
He besitared, running a hand through his hair. “Because I can’t keep pretending everything’s fine. Not when it’s not.”
Tlooked away, my eyes fixed on the small pond in the distance. “You’re engaged, Alex”
“I know,” he said, his voice safe. But that doesn’t mean I can grote what’s happening between
Esaid sharply, turning back to him. “There hasn’t been for a long tie.”
“That’s not the shot back, his eyes flashing with emotion. “You know it’s not true
I shook my head, my chest tightening. “Do you even hear yoursell right now? You’re about to marry some be, Alex. Do you have any idea how unfair this is”
He stood pag in front of the bench. “You think this is easy to me? You think I wanted any of this to happen?
“Then why didying come beau?” I demanded, my voice rising “What do you want from me?”
He stopped pacing and turned to face me, his expression raw and unguarded. “I don’t lion,” he admitted “I just know I can’t lose you, Lauren
I stood per and hurt bubbling to the surface. “You already did. Alex. You lost the moment you
Hiace, and for a moment, he looked as though Thad punched him. It wasn’t that simple.”
“”“1 1“” I said, my wore trembling “You made your choice, Alex You picked Sophia And now you want me to what? Wait around in case you change your mind?” “That’s not what I’maying,” he said quickly
**Then what are you saying? I pressed.
He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.
The silence was deadening,
Imed and walked toward the pond, needing space, alt—nything to demyhead
*Lauden,” Alex called after me, i wolne desperate.
I stopped bordada’s tum around.
#boo you think it’s many for me to see you like this?” he asked, his volor braking. “To feel like I’ve ruined everything between un
Ispan around, my eyes blazing. “You didici ruin anything Alex You just made it clear where I stand in your life?
“That’s not tale,” he said, stepping doser. “You mean everything to me.”
“Then why won ́t Lenough“.
The question, kung befar, cutting through the air like a krila,
“i can’t know,” he said finally, his wake barely above a whisper. “Tot it not because you weren’t enough.”
“Then what is it, AlexTM Lacked, my voice cracking, “Because I’ve spent year trying to get out, and the I’m the wondering why I wasn’t the one you cho
He kooked at me, Nis eyes filled with a pain that minstead my own. “You were always the ine, Laum Tut_1 was too scared to admit it.”
May be math caught in my theout “red of what?
“ot kring you,” he said, his voice trembling. “Of musingsverything up and being able to it.50 sold myself that k
keeping things the way they were as better than taking the risk
He Tarted but don’t look away.
“Trat/‘t dates ampuutr, Alex, Ilfinally, my key despite the heating spill. “I can’t keep holding onto something that’s never going to happen.” Minakaken slumped, and for the fuji mne, le looked truly defeated.
“You deny i have to,” I say “se’m letting you go
The words del final, like for
1 turned and walked away.myhambaravy burn my stepa tume
And there in a long time, like was moving forward.
Latin that mening, at I sat on the porch of my parents house, the sun dipping below the hotton, I thought about Alex’s words.
The pahoolder made me feel something–vindication, closer, maybe even hope.
But intend, all felt was extortion.
