When the unexpected became the inevitable

Chapter 30

-April

"You can come in now!" I shout. Alex was sitting in the living room while I was getting changed and taking my makeup off.        

"My t-shirt?" He asks. I look down and notice that I'm wearing his top. That's why it's so freakishly big.        

"Sorry I'll take it off." I say he tells me to stop before I do anything and just sit on the bed. I nod and listen to him. He changes in front of me and puts on grey sweats and a white t-shirt, bringing out his grey eyes.            

"You're eyes look nice." I say.           

 "So do yours he says while moving to lay in front of my sideways with his head in one of his hands. Ready to listen.

"I guess I should tell you about Landon first." I start. "Me and Landon met in school when I was around 15. We started dating when I was 16 and it was good I guess. I met his family and he met mine. My parents were cautious about him, Conor was just being a normal over protective older brother and his parents despised me. I didn't know why. I was literally just a girl but they hated me. However, his grandmother loved me. She was really sick, she had leukaemia. She had it from when she was much younger. Anyway, me and Landon were happy and everyone loved us and thought we'd get married. We both loved the idea of marriage, especially getting married to each other. On the 18th birthday he proposed to me." I pause and look at Alex's face trying to look for a reaction but...nothing so I just carry on.

"I said yes because I loved him. My parents weren't happy and thought he was marrying me because I was pregnant or something. They made me choose them or him. I chose him. My parents didn't talk to me after that. Conor got me and apartment. This apartment and paid my rent until I could get a job." 

"Why didn't you move in with Landon?" Alex asks.

"Because I didn't want to be around him 24/7. I loved him but I also knew it was killing him that we hadn't had sex yet. Me living in the same house as him just didn't sit right with me." I look at Alex and he nods for me to carry on.

"Conor basically became my parent even though I was a legal adult. Landon's parents still didn't like me but they sucked it up for him. They adored him like crazy. Me and Landon were talking about our future one day. What we're going to do after marriage and that's when we talked about work. We both were always passionate about art so we pitched this idea of a business to his dad. His dad approved and gave us money to start our own gallery house." I pause, knowing Alex is going to react.

"Wait. A&L Gallery House is..."  He starts.   

"April&Landon Gallery House." I finish. 

"I was 20 by the time that the business was actually doing well. It was a dream for me. Working my dream job with my future husband. Plus, I had money, I didn't have to worry about anything. The first thing I did was pay Conor back all the rent I owed. Then I got the Louboutin's I wear all the time. I wear them because I want them to be worn out so I can throw them away forever. I can't throw out a perfectly good shoe. That's still a waste of money." I pause.

"A couple months after Landon's grandmother was coming towards her final days. No one cared about her but me, not even Landon. I would visit her everyday. One day she told me she got me a gift." I get up and walk to the closet and rummage through a small draw. I see the box and take it back to the bed. Alex looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"She gave me this sapphire ring. Her engagement ring. She didn't give it to me to wear because I already had a ring. She gave it to me because it was special to her just like I was to her. I asked her if she would be okay if I got in made into a necklace so I could wear it everyday. She loved the idea but after the passed away I never had it in me to look at the ring until right now." I snap the box shut and put it on the bedside table.

"After she passed away Landon's parents became horrible people to me. Especially his dad, Steven. They told me the only reason they tolerated me was because Landon's grandmother adored me so much. They didn't think I was good enough for Landon. So one day Landon's parents went to him with a proposition. He would inherit his dad's company now, at 20 years old if he would leave me and allow A&L Gallery House to just die. He accepted his parent's offer and took everything away from me. His greed got the best of him." I sigh.

" His dad came to my apartment that same night and...Talked to me." I lie.

"Anyway." I change the subject slightly. "I couldn't bear the fact of owning the company so I sold it to Colin. He wanted me to be COO so I accepted because I wasn't ready to fully let it go. Until today. I haven't interacted with any male besides my colleagues and brother in the past 4 years. When I saw you drunk I didn't have to help you. The smart me would've left you there. But something drew me towards you. When we spent time together I couldn't help but compare you to Landon. You were willing to sacrifice a couple weeks of work to get to know a stranger whereas Landon just gave me up. When we got lunch for the first time and you paid like it was nothing it just reminded me of Landon and how he probably lives life now like that. Landon made me feel like I wasn't worth fighting for.               

But, yeah that's it. That is the story." I put my head back against the head board and wait for Alex to say something.

"Everything makes sense now." He says and sits up.

 "I'm sorry that you spent so many years of your life on such an egocentric arse." He comes closer to me and cups my face. "You are worth fighting for April James. It's not your fault that you fell in love with the wrong person. You will get your happy ending. I promise." He smiles at me and I smile back then drop my eyes. He taps my chin so I look up.    

"I think you were right about the unexpected becoming the inevitable." I say.     

"I'm always right." He chuckles.     

"Now's not the time to be cocky." I laugh.

"I actually got you a present." He says and gets off the bed.           

 "A present for what?" I ask.          

"For putting the Gala together of course...and I guess for also finally finding it in you to talk about the past and in a way let it go." I smile at him but he can't see me because he's still rummaging through his side of the closet.    

"Found it!" He puts both of his hands behind his back and asks me to close my eyes and put my arms out.          

"Don't open your eyes until I tell you too." He warns as I feel him play with my wrist.                

 "Okay, open." 

I immediately look down and see a watch on my wrist. Not just any watch, a Rolex. I bring it to my face and realise that its the female version of his watch. It's not as big but other than that they are identical.    

"Take it off and turn it over." He says with a grin on his face. So I do exactly that. On the silver plating there's an engraving that says.

                                                                        When the unexpected        

                                                                         Became the Inevitable 

I look up at Alex and he says, "I got you the watch because I realised how much you loved mine so I thought we could match. I got the engraving because no matter what happens in our individual lives and our lives together. I want you to remember that we are inevitable. Always."

I look at him with tears in my eyes and worry strikes his face.   

"If you don't like it I can return it. Or we can just throw it awa-" I interrupt him with a hug. He returns it and kisses the top of my head.         

"I love it." I mumble into his neck. His grip on me tightens making me melt further in his arms.