Escape Across the Pond

Chapter 29

I'm a little lost in my thoughts once we make our way back to the cottage. Kate's here finally. I don't have to worry about the monster that was haunting me anymore and I'm pretty sure that I won't be bothered by Elizabeth or Blair again. And not only that but I think I've found the man of my dreams and the family that I didn't know I desperately needed. I'm content and can't think of a single thing I need to worry about right now. Alex doesn't seem to feel the same way.

He keeps readjusting his grip on the steering wheel and shifting in his seat. Finally, he clears his throat and I look over at him. I fully expect him to say something but he opens his mouth and then closes it again. "Is something the matter?" I ask quietly.

"No, it's just... I told you my father liked to drink, gamble, and come home and hit us." he rushes out but doesn't say anything else.

"Yes, and I should have told you about Dominic then but I wasn't ready to talk about it. I couldn't talk about him yet. I'm really sorry, Alex. I was embarrassed about my situation." I respond, looking down at my hands in my lap.

Alex groans out loud and I look up to see him looking at me. "I keep fuckin this all up. I'm damn proud of you for what you did. I feel like a complete ass for not even asking you about it before I lost the plot. That's what I'm tryin to tell you. My mother loved my drunkard father no matter what he did to her or us. She wouldn't leave him. She said she couldn't but she did in the end. Rather than get her children and herself out of such a situation she left us behind with him and chose to overdose while Katherine and I were at school. Katherine was 7 at the time. I found her when we came home. She abandoned us with him and if it weren't for Grandmama I don't know what would have become of Katherine and me. I'm proud of you for being strong enough to leave that piece a shite and absolutely ashamed of myself for how I treated you. I don't deserve you. That's precisely why Grandmama is ready to skin me alive. She blames herself for what happened to my mother and I imagine she thought I would be someone you could trust and I'm afraid I've ruined it love. When Beatrice came into the garage to tell me that you had a fiance I didn't think. I was hurt." Alex confesses. I've never heard him say so much or show so much vulnerability before. He's usually so aloof and casual but right now he looks like he may faint. I knew that Kate had lost her mother at a young age but she never went into what happened. It was just one more thing we had in common.

I grab Alex's hand and lace my fingers with his. "You didn't ruin anything. I do trust you. I was just scared. I've never had many people I could depend on. It was always just me and my dad and then me and Kate. But you were there for me tonight and I can't thank you enough for that. Kate said some girl contacted Dominic to tell him I might be here. Do you think that was Beatrice? And how did you find me at the warehouse?" I asked turning towards him completely.

I hear Alex growl a little in the back of his throat and then, "It wouldn't be a shock to find out it was Beatrice and if I find out it was we'll figure out a way to respond in kind. But well, I was outside when you left. I came to apologize but then you ran out of the house so I followed. I thought you were going back to New York but you went into the seedy part of Newcastle instead of back to London so I called the lads." he says shrugging his shoulders like it wasn't a big deal that he followed me across town and I never even noticed. "I had just pulled up when you went in. After we figured out what was going on, we set up the distraction so Bash and I could get a jump on them." he finishes.

We're pulling up to the cottage when he's done with his short version of events. "Well, thank goodness you decided to stalk me." I laugh and poke him in the ribs.

"I wasn't going to let you leave without apologizing. Well, I didn't intend on letting you leave at all if I'm being honest," he says and shoots me a real smile before climbing out of the car. I slide out and follow him to the front door.