Love Beyond Expectations (Book 1 of the Love Beyond Series)

Chapter 26

The walk back to the apartment felt longer than usual, each step echoing the thoughts swirling in my mind. Confronting Megan had been intense, more so than I expected. I was proud of myself for standing up to her, but I couldn't shake the lingering doubts that had crept into my mind during our exchange. Megan's words had stung, and while I knew most of it was rooted in her own insecurities, part of me couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to her accusations.

 Had I really overshadowed her, even unintentionally? 

And what if Alex... no, I couldn't think like that.

As I reached our apartment door, I took a deep breath, steeling myself before walking in. I needed to see Alex, to talk to him, and get these thoughts out of my head before they festered any further.

The door swung open, and I was greeted by the familiar sounds of laughter and conversation. Alex, Jake, Ryan, Emily, and Sarah were all gathered in the living room, seemingly in the middle of a lively discussion. The sight of them together, relaxed and happy, brought a small smile to my face despite everything that had just happened.

"There she is!" Jake called out, grinning as he spotted me, "we were wondering when you'd get back."

"Hey, Emma," Sarah added, waving from her spot on the couch, "we were just talking about this weekend's plans. You're in, right?"

"Yeah, of course," I replied, trying to keep my tone light as I slipped off my shoes and dropped my bag by the door, "but first, I need to talk to Alex. Privately."

The room fell silent for a moment, everyone exchanging curious glances. Alex immediately stood up, concern flashing in his eyes as he walked over to me. 

"Is everything okay?"

I nodded, though my heart was still racing.

 "Yeah, I just... I need to talk to you."

He gave a quick nod to our friends, silently assuring them he'd be back soon, before taking my hand and leading me to our bedroom. The moment the door closed behind us, the weight of everything I'd been holding in seemed to come crashing down. Without a word, I pulled Alex into a deep, intense kiss, needing to feel that connection, that reassurance that he was mine.

Alex responded immediately, his arms wrapping around me as he kissed me back with equal fervor. For a moment, everything else faded away—Megan, my insecurities, all of it melted in the heat of our embrace. But as we finally broke apart, breathless, I knew I couldn't keep this inside any longer.

"Emma," Alex murmured, his forehead resting against mine. "what's wrong?"

I hesitated, my fingers playing with the fabric of his shirt as I tried to find the right words. 

"I... I confronted Megan today," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

His grip tightened slightly, and I could feel the tension in his body. 

"What happened? Did she say something to you?"

I nodded, swallowing hard as I looked up into his concerned eyes.

 "She... she said a lot of things. Mostly about how I've supposedly taken everything from her—first Luke, and now you. She said I always get everything without even trying, and that I'm just overshadowing her like I did before."

Alex's expression darkened, his jaw clenching as he listened. 

"Emma, that's not true. You haven't taken anything from her. If anything, she's just projecting her own insecurities onto you. You know that, right?"

"I know," I said, though my voice wavered, "but it's hard not to let it get to me. What if... what if she's right? What if I'm just taking things from people without realizing it? What if you... what if one day you realize that I'm not the person you really want to be with?"

Alex's eyes widened, and he immediately cupped my face in his hands, forcing me to look directly at him.

 "Emma, stop," he said firmly, his voice filled with a determination that made my heart skip a beat, "don't you dare doubt yourself like that. Don't doubt us."

"But Alex—"

"No," he interrupted, his thumb brushing gently against my cheek, "listen to me. You are not overshadowing anyone. You didn't take me from Megan because I was never hers to begin with. I chose you, Emma. I've always chosen you. From the moment we started getting close, from the moment I realized how amazing you are, it's been you. And nothing Megan says or does will ever change that."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back, trying to keep my emotions in check. 

"But what if—"

"There are no 'what ifs,'" Alex insisted, his voice softening as he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, "you're the one I want to be with. I don't care what Megan thinks, and neither should you. She's just trying to tear you down because she's jealous, but that's her problem, not yours. You're an incredible, smart, and beautiful person, and I'm so damn lucky to have you in my life."

The sincerity in his words, the warmth in his eyes, it all broke down the last of my defenses. A single tear slipped down my cheek, and Alex immediately wiped it away, his touch tender and reassuring.

"I love you, Emma," he whispered, his voice filled with so much emotion that it took my breath away, "I'm yours. Completely, entirely yours. And nothing will ever change that."

Hearing those words, all my fears and insecurities seemed to melt away. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into another kiss—this one softer, more tender, but filled with the love and reassurance I desperately needed.

"I love you too, Alex," I whispered against his lips, my voice trembling slightly, "so much."

We stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other's arms, savoring the moment. Eventually, we pulled back just enough to rest our foreheads together, our breaths mingling in the small space between us.

"Thank you," I murmured, my heart feeling lighter than it had all day, "thank you for being there for me, for understanding."

"Always," Alex replied, a small smile tugging at his lips, "I'll always be here for you, Emma. No matter what."

I smiled back, a sense of peace settling over me. The doubts and fears that had plagued me earlier now felt distant, insignificant in the face of the love and trust I had in Alex. He was mine, and I was his, and together, we could face anything.

After a few more moments, we finally stepped back, though Alex kept one arm around my waist, as if unwilling to let me go completely. 

"Do you want to talk about anything else?" he asked, his tone gentle.

I shook my head, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. 

"No, I think I've said everything I needed to say. I'm just... I'm glad we talked."

"Me too," Alex said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my temple, "and I'm glad you told me what was bothering you. You never have to keep anything from me, okay? We're in this together."

"Together," I echoed, feeling more certain of that than ever.

With a final squeeze of his hand, we made our way back to the living room, where our friends were still hanging out. They looked up as we entered, a mix of curiosity and concern on their faces, but I just gave them a reassuring smile.

"Everything okay?" Emily asked, her gaze flicking between me and Alex.

"Yeah," I replied, glancing up at Alex, who gave me a small, supportive nod, "everything's okay."

And it really was. We were okay, and no matter what came our way, I knew we'd get through it—together.