Alex suddenly slammed his hand on the desk, the loud bang echoing in the room. "I care for him!" His voice was sharp, though there was an unmistakable tremble beneath the anger. "And it's none of your business to come between us. I'll explain myself to him, and he'll understand."
Alin crossed her arms, unfazed by his outburst. "I agree, it's not my business, and yes, you definitely need to talk to Kevin. But I'm not going to sit by and watch my best friend cry for three days, calling himself a 'bitch' and thinking he's not good enough for you."
Alex's posture slackened, the tension draining from his frame as the weight of her words settled in. He hadn't intended to make Kevin feel unwanted or neglected, but he had. Guilt gnawed at him, and he realized just how much damage his silence had caused.
"Look, give him tonight to sleep," Alin continued, her voice softening as her frustration ebbed. "He finally went to bed after being awake for two days straight. You can come to my condo tomorrow morning and talk to him. Let him rest for now."
She paused, ensuring her words hit hard. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't make things worse." With that, she turned and left the room, leaving Alex to stew in his thoughts.
Alin made her way back to her car, her frustration mounting as she approached the bullet hole in the windshield and the door hanging askew. There was no way she could drive it like this. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and hailed a taxi, reluctantly leaving her wrecked car behind for the night.
—
Alin sighed, sitting back on the couch beside Kevin. She knew she couldn't avoid it any longer. Kevin deserved to know the truth, and she didn't want to hide it from him any more than necessary.
"Okay," she started softly, her voice steady though there was a weight behind her words. "After I got the food, I saw Alex's car. I didn't plan on following him at first, but I couldn't shake this feeling that something was wrong. So, I did."
Kevin's eyes widened, and he sat up straighter. "You followed Alex? Where?"
"I followed him all the way to this mansion, some place way out of the city. I don't know where it is exactly, but it's definitely not anywhere you or I know. And... when I tried to follow him inside—" Alin hesitated, not wanting to worry Kevin more, but Kevin's grip on her arm tightened.
"What happened?" His voice was tense, his anxiety building.
Alin sighed, rubbing her forehead. "There was a shot fired, Kev. A bullet hit my car. Some guy showed up, pointed a gun at me, and handcuffed me. They didn't hurt me or anything, but... I got inside, and I saw Alex."
Kevin's face went pale, his grip loosening on her arm. His voice came out shaky, barely a whisper. "He... he pointed a gun at you?"
"No, not him. One of his guards did. But I confronted Alex, and he told me he cares about you. He knows what he did was wrong. He didn't realize it was your anniversary, but he says he's going to explain everything tomorrow. I think he's in some kind of situation, Kev, but he promised to come talk to you."
Kevin sat there, stunned, the words not fully sinking in. His heart felt like it had been ripped in two. The man he loved, the man he was ready to give everything to, had vanished for days without a word—on their six-month anniversary, no less—and was now involved in something dangerous enough to get Alin nearly shot. His mind raced with emotions— anger, hurt, confusion. "So... he just forgot?" Kevin muttered, voice hollow.
"Kev, I don't think it's that simple," Alin said gently. "Whatever's going on with Alex, it's not just him forgetting. He was ashamed when I told him what you'd been going through. He's going to explain everything tomorrow. You deserve answers."
Kevin ran his hands through his hair, breathing heavily. "He better. Because I can't keep doing this, Alin. I can't keep not knowing where he is, what he's hiding. I love him, but... this hurts."
Alin put a hand on his shoulder. "I know. Just talk to him tomorrow. Let him explain. If after that, you still feel like you can't do it, then at least you'll know everything. But don't jump to conclusions until you hear him out."
Kevin nodded slowly, though his heart was still heavy. He couldn't help but wonder what Alex was hiding and whether their relationship could survive whatever truth was coming.
—
