Melted by her Love

PART20:-Why Alex not love

After morning,

The sun had barely risen when Alex stirred from his sleep. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the soft light filtering through unfamiliar curtains. His head throbbed with a dull ache, and his mouth was dry, a clear reminder of the previous night's drinking. As he sat up in the bed, the sheets rustled, and that's when it hit him-he wasn't in his own apartment. His surroundings were unfamiliar, but something else tugged at the back of his mind, a lingering memory just out of reach.

Alex stood up, still disoriented, trying to piece together what had happened. The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, and as he glanced around, he noticed a pair of high heels by the door and a small framed photo on a nearby dresser. His heart skipped a beat. This was Emme's apartment.

Suddenly, flashes of the previous night started coming back to him. The party. David's proposal. The bar. Drinking too much. And then-Emme. He had kissed her.

But he couldn't remember much after that. He raked a hand through his hair, a wave of frustration washing over him. What had he done? He didn't want to fall for her, didn't want to let his emotions take control.

Just as he was about to leave, the door creaked open, and there stood Emme, holding a tray with two cups of coffee. She was still in her pajamas, her hair messy and her face fresh without makeup, but she looked radiant all the same. She gave him a soft, uncertain smile as she stepped into the room.

"Good morning," she said quietly, setting the tray down on a small table by the window.

"Morning," Alex muttered, feeling the tension coil in his chest. He avoided her gaze, unable to look at her after everything that had happened. He needed to leave, to put distance between them before things became even more complicated.

"You were in pretty bad shape last night," Emme continued, her tone light but with an edge of concern. "The bartender called me, and since I didn't know where you lived, I brought you here."

Alex nodded stiffly, still avoiding her gaze. "Thanks," he said shortly. "I should go."

As he moved toward the door, Emme stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "You're really just going to leave like that? After everything?"

He stiffened, his defenses immediately rising. "What do you want me to say, Emme?"

"I want you to be honest with me," she replied, her voice firm but gentle. "I know there's more going on with you than what you let people see. You can't just keep pushing me away."

Alex's jaw clenched, his mind spinning. She was too close, too perceptive. He had been careful for years to keep people at a distance, but Emme-she had a way of getting under his skin. And last night... last night had been a mistake.

"Emme," he began, his voice cold again, "last night was a mistake. I shouldn't have kissed you. I was drunk, and... it meant nothing."

The words felt like knives as he said them, but he needed to protect himself. He couldn't afford to let her in, not with everything he'd been through. But even as the words left his mouth, he saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes, and it twisted something deep inside him.

"You don't mean that," Emme said softly, stepping closer to him. "I know you don't."

Alex's defenses wavered for a moment, but then he hardened them again, retreating into the familiar coldness that had shielded him for so long. He couldn't let her see the vulnerable side of him, the part of him that had been broken long ago.

"You don't know anything about me," he said harshly, trying to push her away.

"I know enough," Emme countered, not backing down. "I know you've been hurt, and I know that's why you act like this. But you can't keep using that as an excuse to shut people out. To shut me out."

Alex stared at her, his emotions swirling beneath the surface. She was right-he had been hurt, and not just by the world of business or betrayal, but by something far more personal. His past, the one he had buried deep within himself, had shaped who he was today. And that past was something he had never told anyone.

But now, standing in front of Emme, he felt the weight of it pressing down on him.

"Fine," he muttered, stepping back and running a hand over his face. "You want to know why I'm like this? It's because I know how this ends. I know what happens when you let people in. They betray you. They leave you."

Emme's brows furrowed in confusion, her heart aching at the pain she heard in his voice. "Who left you, Alex?"

He took a deep breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "My father."

Emme's eyes softened as she listened, sensing the depth of the hurt he had carried for so long. "What happened?"

Alex turned away from her, pacing the room as he spoke, the words spilling out as if they had been trapped for years. "My mother, Jana, she gave up everything for my father. She came from a wealthy, royal family, but she left it all behind to be with him. She believed in love, in him. But after I was born, my father-Abel-left her for someone else. He took everything she had, and he left us with nothing."

He paused, his voice thick with emotion. "My mother raised me on her own. She had nothing, but she did everything she could to give me a good life. And I promised myself I would never let anyone hurt me the way my father hurt her. I would never let love make me vulnerable."

Emme's heart broke for him as she listened. She had always known there was more to Alex than his cold exterior, but now she understood the depth of his pain, the reason he had built those walls around himself.

"Alex," she said softly, stepping toward him, "I'm so sorry that happened to you. But just because your father did that doesn't mean everyone will. You can't keep punishing yourself, or pushing people away, because of what he did."

Alex shook his head, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and sorrow. "You don't understand. If I let myself care about you-really care about you-I'll just end up like my mother. And I can't... I can't go through that."

Emme reached out and took his hand, her touch gentle but firm. "You're not your father, Alex. And I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to do this alone."

For a moment, Alex looked at her, his defenses crumbling as he allowed himself to believe her words. He wanted to trust her, to let her in. But the fear was still there, lingering in the back of his mind, reminding him of the pain that could come if he let his guard down.

But Emme didn't let go. She held his hand tightly, her eyes filled with determination. "You're not alone, Alex. And I'm not going anywhere."

Alex felt the weight of her words sink in, and for the first time in years, he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe-just maybe-he could let someone in again.

As they stood there, hand in hand, Alex realized that his past didn't have to define his future. And for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, love wasn't a weakness after all.

But he still had a long way to go. The journey wouldn't be easy, and there were still many obstacles ahead. But with Emme by his side, he felt a little stronger, a little braver. And perhaps, just perhaps, he could start to melt the ice that had kept his heart frozen for so long.