Chapter 21

Alex

I couldn't remember the last time I felt this restless. The clock on my nightstand mocked me with its glowing red numbers, each minute stretching into an eternity. I threw back the covers and sat up, staring into the darkness of my bedroom. The argument with Finn at the Joy Garden kept playing on a loop in my mind. Every hurtful word, every look of disappointment in his eyes, it was all I could think about.

I loved him.

It was the one undeniable truth amidst the chaos of my thoughts. I was in love with Finn, and it scared me how helpless I felt to do anything about it. The weight of that realization pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I reached for my phone on the nightstand, considering texting him, calling him, anything to bridge the distance between us. But what would I say? I groaned and ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the feeling of despair.

The sudden ring of my phone startled me, and I fumbled to answer it, hoping against hope that it was Finn. But it wasn't. The name on the screen was Summer.

"Hey," I said, my voice hoarse from the sleepless night.

"Alex, are you okay?" Summer spoke with concern in her voice.

"Not really," I admitted. "What's up?"

"I hate to call you with more bad news, but Miranda just left me a voicemail. She's on her way to my place."

My stomach dropped. Miranda. The ex-wife who seemed to have a knack for showing up at the worst imaginable times. "What does she want now?"

"She said she has some damaging information about you, Alex. I don't know what she's talking about, but she sounded serious."

Damaging information? The words sent a chill down my spine. Miranda had always been a wildcard, but this felt different. More calculated. "Did she say anything specific?"

"No, just that she's coming and you should be prepared."

Great. Just what I needed. As if the mess with Finn wasn't enough, now I had to deal with Miranda and whatever game she was playing. "Thanks for the heads-up, Summer. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Be careful, Alex. I don't trust her."

"Neither do I."

I hung up and stared at the phone in my hand, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. If Miranda had something on me, something that could ruin everything I'd built... I couldn't even finish the thought.

With a heavy sigh, I got out of bed and got dressed. One way or another, I had to face this. If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that you couldn't run from your past. But maybe. I could find a way to keep it from destroying my future.

I took the back roads to Summer's house just so I could enjoy the scenery, hoping it would calm me down. Fauquier County was stunning, especially in the early morning light. Rocks jutted out of the green grass like mini-mountains, their rugged surfaces softened by a layer of dew. Rolling hills stretched out as far as the eye could see, dotted with wildflowers that added splashes of color to the landscape.

The quiet was soothing, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside my head. I tried to focus on the surrounding beauty, letting the serene surroundings calm my racing thoughts. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves whispering secrets I couldn't quite hear. Birds chirped and flitted from branch to branch, oblivious to the human drama unfolding below.

As Summer's farm came into view, I felt a momentary sense of relief. The sprawling fields and neatly maintained fences were a welcome sight, a reminder of simpler times. I turned onto the gravel driveway, the crunch of the stones under my tires the only sound breaking the morning stillness.

I pulled up to the house and saw Miranda stepping out of her Mercedes. The sight of her made my stomach churn, and I had to swallow hard to keep from throwing up. She looked as composed and confident as ever, her designer clothes and immaculate hair a sharp contrast to the rural backdrop.

Whatever she had on me, it couldn't be good. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. There was no turning back now. I had to face whatever storm Miranda was about to unleash.

I got out of the car and walked towards her, each step feeling heavier than the last. "Miranda," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

She turned to face me, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Alex. It's been a while."

Not long enough, I thought, but I kept the comment to myself. "What do you want?"

Her smile widened. "Oh, I think you know."

I didn't, but I had a feeling I was about to find out.

"Miranda, Alex, please come inside." Summer was standing on the front steps in her robe and slippers. "Alex, I made some coffee and George made scones last night if you want one."

I noticed she hadn't said Miranda could have anything, and suppressed a smile. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

"The doctor says as long as I don't lift anything, I should be okay." Summer turned and walked into the house.

"After you, Miranda," I gestured for my ex-wife to go inside. She ascended the steps, and I prayed she'd trip on the old bricks in her stiletto heels. Miranda stepped inside and the sound of her heels on the ancient wood floor echoed throughout the house.

"Please have a seat, Miranda," Summer gestured toward the living room, then took my arm in hers. "Come to the kitchen with me."

"I don't have all day," Miranda snapped, her icy composure thawing a bit.

"You're a guest in my house, Miranda." Summer placed her hands on her hips. "You were a bitch in college, and an even bigger one now. Why Alex ever married you is beyond me. Now come on, Alex, you look like you could use some coffee."

"I prefer mine with a dash of cream and a teaspoon of sugar," Miranda said with a saccharine smile as she settled into a chair.

"You're not staying long enough to drink it, Miranda."

Summer dragged me out of the living room and, for a moment, I worried that the stress of having Miranda here might hurt Summer's unborn baby. But Summer seemed sure of herself, so I said nothing. When we arrived at the kitchen, Summer shut the door and sat at the kitchen table. "You know where the mugs are, sweetie."

I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed a scone from the center of the kitchen table. "So, what do you think this is all about?"

Summer rolled her eyes and giggled. "Who knows, but whatever she has on you is nothing compared to what I have on her."

I couldn't help but smile at Summer's confidence, even though my insides felt like they were tied in knots. I sipped my coffee, the warmth and bitterness helping to steady my nerves. "What do you have on Miranda?"

"Bridget Chase reached out a couple of days ago," Summer said, her eyes narrowing as she recalled the conversation. "She mentioned suspecting Miranda of embezzling funds from the Bright Horizons Initiative. Apparently, there have been discrepancies in the financial records, and Miranda's name keeps coming up."

I nodded, remembering my conversation with Bridget. "Yeah, she contacted me, too. The charity is really important to our family, and Bridget wanted to make sure we were aware of what Miranda might be up to."

"Miranda's always been a schemer," Summer said, shaking her head. "But stealing from a charity? That's a new low, even for her."

"Do you think she knows we know?" I asked, my mind racing with the possibilities.

"Hard to say. But if she's here with some supposed dirt on you, she might be attempting a preemptive strike. Make sure we don't expose her first."

I sighed, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my shoulders. "Well, let's go see what she has to say."

Summer and I made our way back to the living room. Miranda stood up as soon as we entered and began pacing, her heels clicking and clacking on the wooden floor.

"Alright, Miranda," I said, taking a seat. "What's this about?"

She stopped pacing and turned to face me, her eyes cold and calculating. "It's simple, Alex. I have information that could ruin you. Your precious reputation, your career, everything."

"Cut to the chase, Miranda," Summer interjected, her tone sharp. "What do you have?"

Miranda picked up her purse and pulled out a folder. "I hired a private detective several months ago, and he took these tragic photographs of you." She pulled out a small stack of photos and batted her eyelashes. "Would you like to see them?"

"Not really," I sighed. "But since I drove all the way up here, I guess I have to."

I strolled over to Miranda and snatched the photos out of her hand. When I saw what they were, I snickered. "Miranda, these are pictures of me on a cruise ship." I handed Summer the pictures, and when she saw the picture of me in leather, she giggled.

"Miranda, are you trying to blackmail my brother because he's gay?" Summer giggled some more. "Miranda, our entire family knows. Alex, who is that fine man you're making out with?"

"My boyfriend, Finn." I shrugged, then with a start, I realized it was the first time I'd ever referred to him that way. "We met on the ‘Bearacruz' and we're still seeing each other. Honestly, Miranda, if you're going to extort money from me, you might want to…"

"Do you really believe nobody will care, Alex? Because I know for a fact that many of your family's business partners and associates frown on this kind of behavior." Miranda frowned. "I want you to imagine your mother seeing these pictures in Town & Country magazine. Because I have a source, there, who will print them."

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. For a moment, I imagined my parents' reaction to seeing those pictures splashed across the pages of the society magazine. The embarrassment, the whispers at social gatherings, the disapproving looks. But then Summer's laughter broke through my anxiety, bringing me back to the present.

"Miranda, you're living in the past," Summer said, her tone light but with an edge of steel. "Nobody cares about this. It's the 21st century. Being gay isn't a horrible thing. My brother is happy, and that's all that matters."

Miranda's eyes widened in disbelief, her composure faltering for the first time. "You think this won't hurt his reputation? His career?"

"No," Summer said firmly. "And besides, let's talk about your reputation. Embezzling money from Bright Horizons Initiative? That's a real scandal."

The color drained from Miranda's face. "You have no proof."

"Oh, but we do," Summer replied, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "Bridget Chase found discrepancies in the financial records. Your name keeps coming up. Alex has already replaced the stolen money, and he's taking you to court to end the alimony payments."

I nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. "That's right, Miranda. I've already taken care of the missing funds. Your little scheme is over. And I don't know if we can keep Bridget from having you arrested. I do know that I'm not paying you another dime in alimony after this. The bank of Harrington is officially closed to you."

Miranda's eyes darted between us, panic setting in. "You can't do this. You don't have any solid evidence."

"We'll let the court decide that," I said, crossing my arms. "But trust me, Miranda, we're prepared to see this through. Unless you walk away quietly, and we never hear from you again."

Her face contorted with anger and frustration. "You think you can just get rid of me like this?"

"You got yourself into this mess," Summer said, her voice cold. "It's time to face the consequences."

Miranda grabbed her purse, her hands shaking. "This isn't over," she spat, turning on her heel and storming out of the house.

I watched her go, a sense of relief washing over me. The weight of the past few days seemed to lift, replaced by a newfound resolve.

"Well, that was dramatic," Summer said, breaking the silence. She walked over to me and gave me a reassuring hug. "You did great, Alex."

"Thanks," I said, hugging her back. "What did I ever see in that woman?"

"I've asked myself that question so many times," Summer backed out of my embrace.

"You know, if she had even a tenth of the compassion and goodness that Finn has, she'd be completely different." I put my hands on my face and took a deep breath. When I removed them, I saw they were damp.

"Don't cry, Alex." Summer hugged me again. "This man, he means a lot to you."

"Sorry, I can't stay," I choked out. "Finn is in a lot of trouble, and I have to go to him."