“Yeah, neither do I.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“We were happy together for a long time before one fight spun completely out of our control. Maybe this is our second chance.”
“Maybe you have lost your mind.”
Alex smirked, “maybe, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
She pulled away from him and looked over at Kier. “I’m not here to revisit the past.”
“It could be fun.”
“It could be a disaster.”
“It could be both,” he offered jokingly.
Her relationship with Alex had been intense and full of drama. As much as they loved each other, they were always butting heads. He would say something that would set her off… She would say something to set him off… They had been going in opposite directions for a while, even before the breakup.
“Why don’t we just focus on Kier? He is the reason why we are both here.”
CHAPTER SIX
Alex reread Emilia’s instructions as he stirred the pot of boiling chicken and vegetable soup. The kitchen smelled like chopped onions and peppers, not that he cared. He’d been planning this evening for days. Kier was already in bed, and India was on her way back from spending the day with some friends at some spa.
He planned to greet her with dinner in hand. There was no way she could ignore the effort he’d put in putting everything together. He even had buttered Italian bread toasting in the oven.
She’d been living at the Ivy a few days, and she was avoiding every attempt to spend time alone. She used Kier like a magic shield. Everything was a teaching moment or a chance for him to get closer to his nephew. When she wasn’t using Kier, India had taken to spending time with Emilia.
He could always find her helping Emilia with her chores and trading recipes. Their bond started with Kier and was slowly expanding out the more time they spent together.
Turning down the heat to the pot, he replaced the cover and sat down in front of his computer. He’d received an email from Noelle earlier, but hadn’t had a chance to read it. She didn’t have access to a phone at the rehab center, but she got to use the computer once a day for an hour.
Noelle was aware he had Kier in his possession, but she had yet to ask any questions about him. Most of the emails he’d received from her were complaints about their mother and being forced into rehab. She fluctuated between admitting she had a problem and complete denial.
He kept his responses neutral. The last thing he needed was for his sister to spin out. At the end of the day, she was an adult. She could check herself out of the center at any time. Of course, he would follow through on the threat to cut her off completely if she did.
He didn’t want to push, but it was time for his baby sister to grow up and take responsibility for her life. She had lived a pretty charmed life for the most part, and while losing their father had hurt, it didn’t excuse years of drug-fueled incidents.
It didn’t excuse abandoning a baby. Even if she had left her son with a woman like India, Noelle’s behavior had been growing increasingly riskier. She wasn’t just creating PR nightmares for his team to clean up, she was slowly killing herself, and he had no idea how to help her see it.
Typing in his password, a photo of India and Kier popped up immediately. The pair had been dozing off in front of a blazing fire in the living room the other day. He’d walked into the room after a long day in the office to find them looking at home.
It was an image of what he used to think would be his future, and what he wanted to be his future. He’d never loved another woman like he loved her. Seeing her face changed his whole mood.
Alex couldn’t resist taking the photo. One arm wrapped around Kier, she had the other thrown over her head. A gentle smile tugged on the edges of her lips. The orange glow of the flames brought out the gold undertones of her skin.
Kier’s’ little oval head rested right above her breast. His hands were clutching the top of her dark green sweater. Anyone looking at them would see the connection between the two. They were a family, and he wanted nothing more than to be a part of that. He looked at them, and this indescribable feeling overcame him. Alex wanted to be a part of that picture.
Few would ever accuse him of being the sentimental type. He approached most things like a business negotiation. Alex did whatever he needed to do in order to close the deal and get what he wanted. India wasn’t likely to fall in line with him using his usual tricks. She didn’t buy his bullshit, and she knew when he was trying to snow her.
****
Letting herself into the house, she pulled off her winter coat and unraveled her white knit scarf. She had spent the day being pampered and trying to shake the confusion she’d been feeling for the last few days.
Living in this house, she had expected to feel on edge and tense. Growing up, it had never been a very welcoming place. Alex’s mother and her obvious disapproval hung over her like a dark specter. India had always strived for the approval of her elders. She wanted to be accepted by everyone.
It took age and the loss of her husband for her to realize she really only needed the approval of herself. She was a good woman. She’d been a good match for Alex, and the last person who could judge her was his mother.
Living in this house with Alex, she couldn’t help but feel like she was living out an old dream. Whenever he was around her and Kier, she felt the urge to forget about reality and live in this fantasy where they were married and the young parents.
He would smile or laugh, and this warm feeling would fill her entire being. She was falling for a false dream. India knew that was exactly what Alex wanted. He knew how to push her buttons about as well as she knew how to push his.
When she and Alex ended, she didn’t think she would ever find someone she could love as much as him. Then she met Ryan, and he wanted everything she did. He made her forget about her broken heart. Then he broke it all over again when he died.
She wasn’t a teenage girl anymore. She had to keep reminding herself not to get wrapped up in the history of her relationship with Alex.
The door to the kitchen swung open, and Alex walked out wearing a “kiss the chef” apron. He was smiling and had the sleeves of his cream-colored knit sweater rolled up past his well-developed forearms.
“Welcome home, Sweetheart.”
“What are you doing,” India asked with a heavy frown.
“I thought we could end your day with dinner.” Before she could come up with an excuse to go straight to her room, Alex held up his hand and said. “Nothing romantic, just soup and my company.”
“I’m really tired, Alex.”
He reached out and took her hand while he looked into her eyes. “It is just dinner, India.”
****
Sitting on a stool at the island while he served her a steaming bowl of soup, Alex swallowed his smirk. He had finally gotten her alone without the baby or Emilia to run interference.
“How was your spa day with Justina?”
Playing with the sleeves of her sweater, India placed her arms on the marble-topped counters and leaned forward.
“It was nice.”
It was a short and clipped response to a perfectly innocent question. She was really on edge for someone who had just come back from a day of rest and relaxation. If he wanted to get anywhere with her, Alex needed to get her guard down.