Chapter 37

W hoever thought dropping by unannounced would be a good idea is wrong. I'm never in the mood for impromptu calls, but even less so at this hour and on a Sunday.

I'm wondering who it could be as I walk up to the interphone that just rang. "What?" I ask when I pick it up.

"Mr. Coleman. I have someone here who wishes to come up."

"Who is it?"

The concierge hesitates, clears his throat, and answers, "Well, she insists I only say, ‘the fun has arrived,' sir."

The instant I understand Andrea is the one in the hall waiting to come up, a throaty laugh rips out of me. That greedy little…

"Let her up," I instruct the concierge. "Actually, add her to my list. She can come up whenever she wants."

"Alright, sir, she will be added to the system."

I pace the length of the entryway as I wait for her to come up. She was supposed to return tomorrow and go straight to work, not here. Whatever changed her mind, I'm thankful for it.

The elegant doorbell doesn't even have time to finish before I open the door. My smile upon seeing her with her bag, a pack of beers, and a pizza fades in an instant. Even with the uneven light of the hallway, I notice the redness on the side of her face. Wordless, I pull her in, take her things to set them on the console, and gently grab her face to angle it with the overhead lights.

Fury replaces all other emotions when I recognize the pattern of a hand, right on the delicately freckled skin.

"Who the fuck did this to you?" I demand, my rage barely contained.

"It was… Stefano. He came by Kate's place and tried to start shit."

She's dismissive, but it isn't enough to contain my wrath. As softly as I can, I trace the length of her cheekbone with the pad of my thumb, hating seeing her like this. That cunt deserves so much worse than whatever is coming his way.

"Lex, I'm okay," she says, laying a soothing hand over my chest.

"You're not. I'm going to fucking—"

"I broke his nose," she cuts me off. "And my brother beat the shit out of him. Stefano had it ten times worse, so it's all good, baby."

For once, it's my turn to gape as I try to process her words. "You broke his nose?"

"There was so much blood."

I don't know what to answer. I'm proud of her for defending herself and doing that. But I still wish I could have that asshole right here to finish what she and her brother started.

"I've never punched someone before. And I didn't expect it to hurt like that," she continues, stretching the hand she must have used to punch him.

I take her hand before she can lower it and gently kiss her knuckles.

"Is that better?" I ask, gently grazing the spot with my thumb.

She nods and swallows, her eyes harboring nothing but affection and gratitude.

Unhurriedly, I hold her face and bend to her height so I can lay the softest, most caring kisses on the reddened skin where the cunt slapped her. "Better?" I softly murmur.

She looks mesmerized, and I smile at her tra nsfixed expression. "Yes…" she breathes out. "But for some reason, my lips are a little sore too."

My low chuckle fans between us, and I don't resist her adorable demand. Ever so tender, I hold her chin with my index finger and kiss her sweetly. When I move back, I caress the plumpness of her bottom lip with my thumb.

"Is that better?" I ask again, my voice so soft I barely recognize it. I can't believe I'm this relaxed when I was mad enough to kill someone moments ago. Her influence on me is almost worrying.

She shakes her head with a slight frown.

I'm still grinning when I kiss her again, harder this time. Before I can move back, she grabs my face to pull me closer. In a few seconds, the tender kiss I initiated is gone. She gives everything, and I return it all. My hands go rogue and course over her body with hunger. We both move toward the couch, peeling away each other's clothes on our way there.

One day, we'll behave and not jump each other like this. Today isn't that day. We need to finish what we started yesterday.

P anting, sweating, and exhausted, I'm sprawled over Lex, trying to get down from the immeasurable high I just experienced. When I look down at him, he's in the same state of bewilderment as I am, his cheekbones adorably red, his body covered with a thin veil of sweat, his breathing short.

After one last kiss, I move up to dislodge him from within me before wriggling closer to him with my cheek on his firm chest.

"I take it you didn't want to help your dad out with his chore?" he says, his voice a little hoarse.

"He was doing fine by himself. And I couldn't stop thinking of you, spending your Sunday working. I thought a movie and pizza would make for a better evening. Unless you already finished it."

He lets out an amused chuckle that has me jiggling over him. "I didn't. I wouldn't risk angering you."

"I knew you were a smart man." With a satisfied sigh, I push myself off of him. "I need a moment in the bathroom. Can you get everything ready?"

He nods, we exchange one last kiss, and I'm off to clean myself up. When I'm back, Lex took out the fluffy blanket and put all the food I came in with on the coffee table. The screen is rolled down with a paused frame of Rivendell projected on it.

We're both sparsely dressed now, and I only notice the tube of arnica cream on the table when I sit down. "Come here," he says as he picks it up.

My mom already smeared my face with an anti-bruising cream earlier, but I'm never one to refuse his touch. I get closer, offering him my cheek, and watch as he squeezes some of it on his fingertip. Then I sit there, fighting against my endeared smile as he applies it with the utmost care and gentleness. The way his face is focused, with so much warmth in his eyes while he works, makes my chest ache with too many emotions.

I'm so stupid for not seeing it earlier. It's right there, in the concern in his steel grays, in the delicate touch of his finger, and merely in the fact that he's doing this. At this very moment, I don't think I've ever been happier in my life. Lex is everything.

We both realize I'm tearing up when a drop rolls underneath his cautious caress. The worry on his face deepens the crease between his brows. "You should have told me I was hurting you, Andrea."

Yes, he's hurting me. In the sweetest, mos t fantastic way. I love you, Alexander Coleman.

"You're not. I'm just tired."

Not convinced, he finishes his tender treatment with even more meticulousness and then gives me a kiss on the lips as a reward for cooperating. Soon after, we resume our viewing of Peter Jackson's masterpiece.

Usually, I observe religious silence during movies, but I'm feeling particularly chatty tonight, and I can't help but talk to him during quiet moments. He doesn't seem to mind, though, asking follow-up questions and taking part.

"Why does it feel like I was gone longer than a day?" I ask, feeling like we were separated for an entire week.

"Maybe it's because the hours felt so long. Five more, and I would have forgotten your face."

I let out an incredulous laugh, turning to him with an offended expression. "Am I that forgettable?"

Instead of answering, he turns his gaze to me, and I silently wait as he examines my face, frowning slightly at the redness on the side. "Every time I see you, I'm reminded of how bewitching you are, so I must keep forgetting."

My jaw drops half an inch, my heart hastens in my chest, my skin flushes, and my mind races with too many feelings to think clearly. For someone who pretends to be bad at romance, he's fucking incredible at it, isn't he? How could I be so blind? Even though it isn't the three words I'm dying to hear, it's basically the same.

After a few seconds of stupor, I take my phone from the coffee table and open the front camera. Before Lex can say anything, I position myself for a selfie with him, resting my head on his shoulder, subtly hiding Stefano's blow.

"What's happening?" he asks, taken aback.

"I'm giving you something to remember my face by."

The first pic is a failure, and I giggle at Lex's expression in it. "We're taking another one. Try not to look like a deer caught in the headlights."

We do a lot better for the next two. Delighted by my enterprise, I sit up, looking at the three shots alternatively, a broad grin on my face. "We look adorable," I say before sending him the photos. His phone buzzes on the table, and I give him a proud smile. "There, now you won't ever forget what I look like."

His chuckle is contagious, and we share a brief peck. Ready to get back to the movie, I grab a box of cookies from the table and snuggle against him. Now that my mouth is busy with pastries, I'm much quieter.

The only interruption comes when my phone vi brates. It's Oli, answering the thank-you message I sent before leaving Portland.

Oli

No problem. I'm happy I could help. Just know I'll always be there if you need me, Hulkette.

I grin slightly at the nickname and type my response.

Me

Thank you, you're the best. I don't know what I would have done without you. I'll see you tomorrow.

I add a kiss emoji and send it. Getting into Kelex has to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Not only did I find an incredibly fulfilling job with fantastic opportunities and the sense that I'm doing something to improve the world, but I also made great friends and discovered love.

Had I missed their recruitment post on Instagram, none of this would have happened. But as chance would have it, everything lined up just right, and I'm now the happiest I'll ever be.

I squirm closer to Lex, who's absorbed by the movie. Being in the crook of his arm, safely tucked in the blanket with him, feels like home.

My phone buzzes in my hand again, and I mindlessly pull it up, already knowing it's another one from Oli.

Oli

Maybe it's unfair for me to say this, but I'm in love with you, Andy—

Instantly, I freeze and stop reading.

My heart drops low in my chest, and my breath catches in my throat. My dismay is so great that I can't do anything but stare at Oliver's declaration for a few seconds. I'm in love with you, Andy … What the hell? He can't be in love with me. We went out on one date.

And yet, I'm perfectly aware of how easy it can be to fall in love with someone. Lex used to be the last person I wanted to be with, but now I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

This isn't happening.

With my hand slightly trembling, I stare at the screen, confused, troubled, and ashamed. Ashamed for not noticing, for leading Oliver on for too long, for not preserving him, for letting him fall for me… His feelings can't and won't ever be returned.

Remembering Lex right here, I finally move the phone away, face down. For a few minutes of pure confusion, I stare emptily at the movie unfolding before us. My mind is frozen, and I can't think of what I should do or say—to both Lex and Oli.

Lex has always been jealous of Oli, and if h e knows this… Things might change at work. His attitude toward Oli and me might cause problems at Kelex. I can't lose Lex or Oli, and I can't let these relationships make things messy at work. My mind is filled with questions and insecurities, and the guilt never fades. I need to read the rest of the text. There's more to it, and I need to know what it says before I decide anything.

I subtly shift away from Lex, moving out of his embrace, and twist just enough so I can hold my phone in a way that won't be suspicious.

My heart beats insanely fast in my chest as I unlock my phone and read on, struggling to keep my hand steady.

Oli

Maybe it's unfair for me to say this, but I'm in love with you, Andy. I think I fell for you the moment you first came into the Lair with your Hulk T-shirt and inappropriate jokes. My feelings have only been growing since, and while I know you're seeing someone, I need to say it, or I'll regret it.

I'm not expecting you to drop him and choose me instead. I just need you to know I'm here. I'm an option. I can make you happy, and you'd always come first.

I'm sorry for doing it like this. I tried to tell you so many times, but I always hold back. I'm only now finding the courage to say it after thinking about it all day.

Don't answer right now. Just think it over, and then we can talk about it. Whatever you choose, I'll accept it. I just needed you to know the truth.

By the time I'm done reading, I contend with all sorts of conflicting emotions. Mostly, I'm sad for him because he's a fantastic person who deserves to be loved and cherished by someone. But that someone isn't me. I'm not the woman for him.

There's only one outcome to this, and the sadness of it overwhelms me. His heart will break. Sweet Oli… The kind, gentle, and amazing knight in shining armor who always had my back. I'm going to hurt him because I've been a fucking idiot.

During the rest of the movie, I remain pensive, trying to come to terms with everything that's happening and think of the best way to handle it. When the credits finally roll in, I'm anxious to leave. Lex's presence near me puts me on edge, which isn't helping my troubled mind.

I push the blanket away to get up and grab t he rest of my clothes. Lex sends me a questioning look, and I offer him a sheepish frown, sorry to cut things short again.

"I have to get back home. This weekend was a fucking mess, and I need to get some sleep before starting the week," I explain, hoping my excuse isn't too weak—my brain isn't very efficient at the moment.

"And you can't do that here because…?"

"You'll wake me up three times for sex, and I'll end up more tired than I am right now."

"I can also do sexless, you know. Unless that's all I'm good for," he argues, with no traces of humor in his voice.

"I'm sorry, baby," I say, purposefully using the endearment. I don't have the mental capacity to handle this right now. "I have nothing to wear for tomorrow. The past two days have been intense, and I need proper rest."

He doesn't argue, but I can see the matter isn't entirely solved. He rearranges the couch's cushions as I put my clothes on. While he takes care of his shorts, I fold the blanket and put it away. By the time I'm done, I grab my hard drive, do a final sweep to ensure I'm not forgetting anything, and turn to Lex, forcing a smile on my face.

"I'm sorry for abandoning you for the second time this weekend," I say apologetically. "We'll do better next time."

After a dry nod, he accompanies me to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Coleman," I say, feigning a lightness I'm not feeling.

"Stay safe, Andrea."

With a heavy heart, I give him one last forced smile and make my way into the deserted hallway of his building, eager to be home. Tomorrow, I'm breaking the heart of a wonderful guy. But it's for the best.

It's the right thing to do for all of us.