Only One Forever (Only One 8)

The front door opens, and the three of us are at a standstill. No one moving from our spots, and when he walks in, I don’t look over at him because I can’t. Because if I do, I’ll never ever have the courage to walk away from him. “What’s going on?”

Chapter 25

Dylan

I don’t move from the entranceway as I look at the showdown going on. Allison and Max facing off with Alex, who has tears streaming down her face. “What’s going on?” I ask as politely as I can right now. The minute I called her and there was no answer, I knew I had to go to her. I was being asked all these questions, but the only thing I could focus on was getting to her. I was already in the car when Julia called with a warning, and I got here as fast as I could. “Is anyone going to answer me?”

I look at each of them, and for the first time ever, Max doesn’t look me in the eye, but I only have eyes for Alex. “I’m waiting for my father to answer my question,” Alex says with her shoulders back. Even though she has tears running down her face, she is refusing to fall apart.

“And what question is that?” I ask, the burning in my stomach feeling like my insides are on fire.

“If I walk away from you, will they still treat you like family,” she says, and my legs are about to give out on me. The gasp escapes me before I can stop it, and it just makes her cry even more. My blood is boiling because this isn’t how it was ever supposed to be. Loving someone is never supposed to hurt. You aren’t supposed to hurt the ones you love, and all I’ve done is hurt them.

“Do you want me to leave?” I look at her as my heart contracts into my chest. I want to roar out, and the buzzing is starting in my ears as the heat starts to rise in my neck.

My eyes search hers, and she puts her hand in front of her mouth to stop the sob from escaping her. I don’t care who is around right now. I run to her, grabbing her face in my hands. “It’s going to be okay,” I whisper to her. “I promise it’s going to be okay.” I pull her to me, and she sobs out in my arms. I bring her into my arms as her tears soak into my shirt. “It’s okay,” I whisper and kiss her head. She trembles in my arms, and I can feel eyes on me. I can feel them both watching me. She wraps her arms around my waist, and I look over at Max now. I’m about to spill my soul to him when the front door opens, and we hear heavy breathing.

“Good God,” Matthew says, panting, and looking around, seeing Allison in tears and Alex in my arms. “What the fuck is going on?”

“I was about to stake my claim,” I say the word he taught me when I was twenty. You find a woman, and you know she’s the one, you stake your claim. He puts his hands on his hips now. I swallow down and kiss Alex’s head again as she looks up from in my arms. I push the hair away from her face. “No more tears,” I comfort, trying to smile, but the whole time, all I can do is listen to the beating of my heart. I look up and see that Matthew is standing there looking at me, but my eyes go to Max. His eyes look at me holding Alex. “You helped raise me,” I say to him now, my voice trembling, but I don’t stop because this can be my one and only shot. “Side by side with my father, you showed me what it was to be a man.” I feel Alex hug my waist tighter. “My father, you, Grandpa, Matthew.” My eyes go to Matthew as he stands there looking at me with a smirk and his arms crossed over his chest. “You made me the man I am.” Max’s eyes fill with tears. “Showed me what it was to love. Showed me how to love. Showed me what it felt like to be accepted.” I look down at Alex, who stands beside me now with one hand wrapped around me as she wipes the tears from the corner of her eyes. “If I’m not good enough for her.” I look straight into her eyes, and everything feels settled inside me. “Then no one else is.”

“He’s got a point there,” Matthew says, wiping his own tears, and he looks over at Max. “Who else is going to love her like him?”