She should stay away. Some women are so stupid they’ll fall for the lies. She’s dumb to waste her time with him. Idiot. She must be desperate. She’ll learn when he dumps her for another woman. #3monthAlex.
Zoe deactivated her accounts. Social media was brutal, and she didn’t want any more toxicity creeping into her mind. Resting her head against her front door, she wiped her cheek.
What made her angrier? The comments or the photo of Alex with another woman? He said it was before they became exclusive, but Zoe didn’t know what to believe anymore.
She pressed her palm to her forehead. Her body shook as she cried. How could she be so stupid? That’s what the media was saying. Was she? She’d been stupid before and history appeared to repeat itself. This was what her family warned her about. Why didn’t she listen?
Was that rustling she heard outside? Alex had gone, right? She rose to her feet and looked through the peephole. He was still there. Though he looked warped through the hole, his head dipped to his chin.
Zoe’s heart hammered in her chest. Everything in her screamed for her to open the door. Her hand drifted to the door knob. Her fingers itched to open it. When did she fall in love with him? Was it the first time she saw him holding Celine? The way he took care of Lisa?
She watched him walk down the hallway, his frame becoming less distinct to her through the peephole. Did he pause? He wasn’t moving and Zoe’s breath caught. She watched him turn around, with his hands stuffed inside his pockets.
“Zoe? I’ll go if you want me to, but I want you to know there’s no one else but you.” Alex rubbed at his forehead. “I was never good at this, but if it meant being with you…”
Zoe turned her back to the door, but she listened.
“Being with you has made me better. You challenged me and I liked it.”
His voice sounded closer. Zoe reached one hand down and pressed her palm against the door.
“Zoe, I...” Alex stopped.
She gasped. Did he leave? What was she doing? They agreed to talk t
hings through. He was here. Fighting for her. It had to count for something. If it made her stupid, then she would risk it for Alex. He wasn’t her past. He was her new beginning if she let him. Zoe groaned and opened the door. “Alex?”
He stopped in his tracks and jogged back to her side. He held her tight to his chest. Zoe sniffled, but buried her face in his neck. His crisp aftershave made her knees weak.
“I’m sorry.” His voice muffled through her curls.
Zoe brought her mouth to his and kissed his lips. Alex kissed her back with passion equal with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Alex didn’t let go, pressing his mouth against hers. Zoe moaned. When he broke away, she cradled his face.
“This is a mess,” he said.
“Tell me about it.” She dug her fingers into his shirt.
“Zoe, I can fix this.”
She gave a soft smile. “How?”
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand down his face. “But I’m not losing you.”
“I’m staying off social media for a while. It’s too much.”
He lifted her chin. “I’ll make this right. Whoever is responsible for this, I’ll find out. Nothing’s coming between us.”
She kissed his lips one more time. Despite her reservations, she didn’t want to revert back to her old ways. Zoe would trust him. He took his time caressing her lips with his.
Zoe took a breath, which helped her regain her senses. She couldn’t think straight with him this close. “I need a minute to process all of this.”
Alex embraced her once more and then headed down the hallway. Zoe watched after him until he disappeared. Then she closed the door behind him. The ceiling fan in her living room whirred above her, cooling her skin. Zoe closed her eyes. When her phone vibrated, she walked over to turn it off, but saw Roslyn’s name on screen.
“Are you okay? What is it with people?” Roslyn asked.
Zoe combed her fingers through her curls. “No.”
“What did he say? I can’t see him doing this to you,” Roslyn said.