Chapter Seventeen
“Verity.” She stopped, and straightened, goose bumps rising up on her arms. “Cricket.”
She turned around, and there was Alex. Well, a version of Alex anyway. This man was not smooth or fathomless. His eyes were not dark voids.
He was on fire.
He ran to her, like he wasn’t in public, like there weren’t people standing there staring at him. This man could never be confused for a robot. Could never be mistaken for AI. But then, she never had. She had always known.
Yes. She had always known.
“Alex,” she said.
“You were right,” he said, his voice fractured.
He cupped her face with his hands and leaned down and kissed her.
“My beautiful Cricket, you were right. You knew. All this time. That I could feel something. That I was hiding. I...am so incredibly wounded by the things that happened to me. I don’t want that to be true.
I want to believe that I’m stronger than that.
But I can outrun it. With money, with power.
I wanted to believe that I could make a name for myself with this business and have it be the only thing that truly mattered.
” He took a shuddering breath, his voice shattered.
“Money doesn’t fix this. And neither does protecting yourself.
It only puts a wall in front of all that pain.
But it doesn’t make it go away. You...you made me knock it down.
Because I would rather be in pain. I would rather bleed out on the street and have you for those last moments of my life than live forever safe without you,” he whispered.
“I did care about Christmas. I did care about my birthday. I wanted those people to adopt me. I wanted my life to be better. I wanted someone to love me. It took thirty-four years. Finally you did. I didn’t know what to do with it. ”
“Of course,” she said, holding him close, tears falling already. “Of course.”
“I tried to pretend that I was the one in control. That I was the one who didn’t care.”
“It was never a problem with you, Alex. It was always a flaw in the world, and I know it’s hard to believe that. But you always mattered. Always. It isn’t your success that makes that true. It’s you.”
He lowered his head. “When we were in the museum I panicked. I saw myself in the statue, hard and cold. In that painting, foggy and misty and unreachable. And I couldn’t bring myself to wish on a star.
Because wishing is hope. And I cut myself off from it so long ago.
But I need it. I need it or I might as well not even be here.
I didn’t realize how important it was. I didn’t realize what I was missing.
Until you walked into my life, and by some miracle, you reached over the wall.
You infiltrated. Reached parts of me that no one and nothing ever has. I couldn’t even reach.”
She touched his face, tilted it upward so his gaze met hers. “You did the same for me. Alex, you did. You really showed me who I am, and what I want. And you made me feel strong enough to ask for it. Demand it, even, even though it hurt.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “My perfect girl. I will never hurt you like that again. I want us to be together. I told the president of the board that I didn’t care about the product launch. I don’t. I’ll tell the whole story, the real story to the whole world.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “I don’t need you to prove anything. You’re here. And that’s proof enough.”
“I love you,” he said. “I’ve never said those words to another person. To anything. I love you, Verity.”
She closed her eyes, and let them wash over her. “I know,” she said. “I’m really glad you said it. But I know, because even if you didn’t know it, you were showing me that you loved me. Until you freaked out.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It had to happen. Just like I had to yell at you after the wedding. Sometimes I think...you have to feel these things. You can’t push them down. Not forever. We’re going to have to feel difficult things sometimes. But we have each other.”
“Yes,” he said. “And we...we are a family.”
“Yes, Alex,” she said, tears filling her eyes. “We are.”
He took her hand, and looked down at her. “Where were you headed?”
“To get some lunch.”
“I have missed having lunch with you,” he said.
“Me too. Salad?”
He threw his head back and laughed, and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “On second thought. Why don’t we skip to dessert.”