21. Alex Sebring
Chapter 21
Alex Sebring
The soft hum of conversation and the faint clink of glasses welcome us as we step into the restaurant. The cozy buzz of diners fills the space, their voices blending with the gentle background music. The lively atmosphere is a stark contrast to the last time I was here—tucked away in the private dining room with Charleston, hidden from prying eyes.
Once we’re seated, Laurelyn flips open the menu. We order drinks, and as soon as the waiter steps away, she folds her hands on the table, her gaze settling on me with a calm intensity.
“I thought it would be a good time to steal a moment with you since Jack Henry is out of town this week.” Laurelyn’s casual delivery hints at something more thoughtful underneath.
“I appreciate the invite.” But I can tell this isn’t just a friendly catch-up.
Her smile softens. “I’m so glad you brought Charleston to dinner the other night. I really enjoyed meeting her.”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “She enjoyed meeting you.”
“I wanted to check in and see where things stand between you two.” Laurelyn’s usual playfulness gives way to an unexpected seriousness.
“Things are great. We’re having a lot of fun together.”
A smile spreads across her face, lighting her features. “Good. Because I really love Charleston. Can we keep her?”
I laugh, and her expression shifts to something more serious. “I’m actually not kidding, Alex. Hear me out.”
Her words grab my full attention. “All right.”
“She’s wonderful. She’d fit into your life—and your family’s life—so naturally. Malie and Alexander would adore her, and I know all your siblings would too. Especially Leilani and Sefina.”
Warmth spreads through me at the thought of having something more with her. “Yeah, I know they would. But she’s not looking for that kind of connection right now.”
“Maybe she’s not looking for it, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be open to it if it unfolds organically. Sometimes the best things in life aren’t planned. They just happen.”
I pause, letting Laurelyn’s words sink in for a moment.
Her expression softens as she studies me. “Where’s your head at with all of this?”
“It’s still early, but I really like her. More than I expected to. And I already know it’s going to hurt like hell when she leaves and I lose her.”
Laurelyn studies me for a moment. “What if you didn’t have to lose her?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been in your shoes, Alex. I know how easy it is to let something good slip away because you’re scared or convinced it won’t work. But letting her leave without telling her how you feel would be a mistake.”
I shake my head slightly, a quiet laugh escaping. “I can’t ask her to change her world for me. She’s got her life in Charleston, her work, her friends.”
Laurelyn doesn’t waver. “I’m not saying you have to ask her to stay. I’m saying you owe it to both of you to be honest. Let her know how much she means to you. If she still chooses to leave, at least she’ll know. And if she doesn’t… well, maybe fate has other plans.”
Her words stir something undeniable in me. “Charleston’s here for work, Laurelyn. When her assignment ends, she’ll go back to the U.S. It’s not like she can simply extend her stay. And she’s not going to drop her life for me—not without a real reason.”
Laurelyn’s gaze sharpens, her determination unwavering. “Then give her a reason.”
I shake my head. “She’s made it clear she’s not interested in marriage. That’s not what she’s looking for.”
“Maybe not right now. But she’s here with you, Alex, spending her time with you. That tells me she’s open to something more, whether she realizes it yet or not. The question is this: are you brave enough to show her what that could look like?”
Laurelyn’s smile is soft, almost amused, but there’s a knowing edge to it. “Jack Henry wasn’t looking for marriage either, but look at him now. No one could be more married than he is today. Things change, Alex. People change. And I see the way you two look at each other. She might not be there yet, but that girl is falling for you. And I know you’re falling for her too.”
Her words stir something deep within me, a thought I’ve been too cautious to fully embrace. I let out a slow breath, deciding to be honest. “You’re right. I can’t lie—I have growing feelings for her. I can see a life with Charleston, but only if she wants it too. I can’t force her into something she doesn’t want.”
“You have, what, seven weeks left with her?”
A pang of anxiety tightens in my chest. Each week that passes feels sharper, the countdown looming over everything. “Right. Seven weeks and then I have no idea what happens after that.”
Her expression softens. “Make those seven weeks count. Show her what a life with you could be like. Let her see what she’d be leaving behind.”
She studies me for a moment as if weighing her next words carefully. “Charleston is different. You can trust her. She’s not Celeste, and she’s not like the other women who chase you for all the wrong reasons.”
My thoughts drift to the moments Charleston and I have shared, moments that were raw and real, untouched by the shadows of my past.
“She showed up at the Rabbit Hole to meet you without knowing a thing about you. She genuinely likes you for who you are—not Alex Sebring, the rugby legend. Not Alexander Sebring III, heir to Sebring Hotels. Just you.”
Relief loosens the tension in my chest. “I know she isn’t like Celeste or the others—not even a little. And I do trust her. She’s everything I was hoping for when I signed up with Soul Sync.”
I chuckle softly, shaking my head as a small smile tugs at my lips. “You know it took me a bloody week to fill out that compatibility assessment—tripping over every question, every word. My brain was a mess. But somehow I ended up finding her. Charleston is exactly who I was describing in every answer on that questionnaire.”
“That doesn’t surprise me one bit. She’s the one for you, Alex. I know it deep in my soul.” Her expression shifts, turning serious. “I know the aliases have been fun, but at some point, you’re going to have to tell her who you really are. Once the role-play ends, that’s when you’ll know if this is something real—something that could last.”
Laurelyn’s words sink in, their truth undeniable. She’s right. Charleston has more than earned my honesty. She deserves to know it all.
“You have to admit she’s passed every test. She’s proven herself and deserves to know you—fully, completely, down to the core.” Her gaze softens, warmth threading through her words. “Jack Henry and I love you, Alex. We want to see you happy—you’re so deserving of it. And if it means sticking my nose into your business to make sure of it, well, I’ll do that happily.”
“You’re starting to sound an awful lot like Margaret McLachlan right now.”
She grins, her eyes sparkling with pride. “Thank you. I’ll take that as the highest compliment.”
There’s a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I want to do for you and Charleston what Margaret did for Jack Henry and me.”
My curiosity is piqued. “And what exactly was that?”
“To help open your eyes to the possibilities of true love. Now, do I have your blessing to invite Charleston to lunch? I’d love the chance to get to know her better… and maybe plant a few seeds.”
Planting seeds—that’s Laurelyn’s specialty. She introduces an idea so subtly that it starts to grow before you even realize it. I’d bet Jack Henry didn’t see it coming until he was already in too deep.
“Of course. Charleston would love that. She told me a couple times how much she enjoyed hanging out with you last weekend.”
“She seems like a strong woman, someone who’s had to build walls to protect herself. Don’t let your time together slip by without showing her who you really are and how you truly feel. Heaven forbid, she’s like I was and decides to leave because she can’t bear the thought of saying goodbye.”
Her gaze softens, her expression tinged with a memory that seems to ache. “It took Jack Henry months to find me after I ran. And during that time, I was living in hell.”
Her words settle over me with a heaviness I can’t shake, cutting deeper than I expected. The thought of Charleston leaving, slipping through my fingers, leaves an ache in my chest I can’t ignore. Watching her walk away never knowing how I truly feel would be unbearable.
As Laurelyn continues talking, her voice fades into the background, and my thoughts drift to Charleston. It would be so easy to tell her the truth, to lay it all out and believe she’d keep it safe. I do have faith in her—more than I’ve had in anyone in years.
The secrecy, the aliases, the constant tension of being someone else in public—it’s exhausting. With Charleston, the idea of stepping out from behind the mask feels less terrifying and more like relief.
I want her to see the real me. No pretenses, no walls—just me. And more than that, I want to see what we could be together if she knew everything.
As the evening winds down, the quiet hum of Laurelyn’s words drifts into silence, but her message remains. A newfound certainty takes root, steady and undeniable. Charleston is worth the risk. She’s different from anyone I’ve ever known.
I may have found the one I’ve been waiting for.