AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The tension in the room was mounting, and I didn't know how much longer I could take it. I was about to say something else when my phone rang.
"Sorry, I have to take this," I said, stepping away, accepting the call, and walking out into the backyard.
It was work, and I quickly got wrapped up in the conversation. It was a good way to get away from them, but I couldn’t hide out here all night. When I got back in the living room, Tristan was gone.
"Where'd he go?" I asked Alex.
"Guest room, said he needed a shower” she replied, looking up at me. I had called ahead to have my housekeeper clean out the guest bedroom after my mother had called, in case he showed up here and decided to spend the night.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
I shook my head, feeling frustrated and confused. "I don't know, Alex. This whole thing is just making me uneasy."
"I understand," she said, getting off the couch and putting a hand on my shoulder. "But we'll get through it together, okay?"
It was easy for her to say, it wasn’t her brother, and I couldn't forget that this was her fault anyway. My sense of unease grew. I knew that Tristan's presence would complicate things, and I didn't know how to handle it. I didn’t want to handle it.
As the night wore on, the tension continued to build. Tristan had walked around in a towel after his shower, and now he seemed to be making himself at home. So much for a romantic evening. I could feel my frustration growing, and I knew that I needed to get out before I exploded.
"I'm going for a walk," I said, standing up from the couch.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked for the umpteenth time, looking up at me with concern.
"You don't have to keep asking me that. I just need some fresh air," I replied, not wanting to have to explain myself any further.
I grabbed my coat and headed out the door, not looking back. As I walked down the street, I thought back to the day. I'd been so happy just a few hours earlier, and now everything seemed to be falling apart.
As I walked aimlessly through the streets lost in my thoughts, I considered all the reasons I'd always been so dismissive of Alex, and of women in general. They were always so complicated, always causing drama and making everything more difficult than it needed to be.
But I couldn’t deny that despite everything, I cared about her.
As I walked back to the house, I could feel my heart racing. I didn't know what I was going to say to Alex, but I knew that I needed to make things right. Tristan was Alex's past. I was her present. And it was time she realized it.
When I walked in the door, I could hear their voices coming from the living room. Tristan and Alex were sitting on my couch, talking and laughing as if nothing bad had ever happened between them. I felt a knot in my stomach at the sight. As I walked closer, Tristan reached out and took Alex's hand. I froze, my heart racing. Alex looked uncomfortable, but she didn't pull her hand away.
They seemed to be getting along really well, laughing and joking, and anyone could see how they were looking at each other. I tried to push the pangs of jealousy aside. This should’ve been a dream night. But thanks to Tristan's return, it was turning into a nightmare.
“What’s going on here?” I asked them, looking back and forth between them.
Tristan pulled away from Alex, looking surprised. "What's the problem?" he asked, his voice defensive.
"We’re just talking,” Alex replied, looking up at me with a smile.
“You both seemed awfully close for just talking,” I said.
“What does that even mean?” Alex said, her irritation unmistakable.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," I said, my eyes fixed on Alex. "And what the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, turning to Tristan.
I looked at Alex, hoping to see some kind of reassurance in her eyes. But instead, I saw hurt and disappointment. "I can't deal with this. I'm sorry but I just can’t,” she said, getting up from the couch. "I can't keep doing this, Christian. I can't keep getting hurt every time you can't make up your mind about me."
And with that, she stormed out of my house, leaving me standing there alone with my thoughts and my brother. I already felt a pang of guilt as I watched her go. What's wrong with you, Christian? I asked myself
I turned to Tristan, my anger rising. "What the hell were you doing with her?" I demanded.
He just looked at me, his expression unreadable. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice calm.
"Don't lie to me," I said, my voice rising. "I saw how you were looking at her. You have no right to try and come between us."
