Chapter 19
chapter nineteen
I stab at the wilted lettuce in my plastic bowl, the drone of the cafeteria blending with the hum of voices into a white noise that I usually find comforting. Not today. Today, it's all just background static to the cacophony inside my head as I try to focus on my homework.
A flicker on the wall-mounted TV catches my eye—an anchor with perfectly coiffed hair shakes her head. “Billionaire William Vanderholt was attacked in his home last night. He has been hospitalized and his condition is currently unknown. As of now, we do not know if this was a targeted attack, or the result of an attempted break in.”
My heart drops into my stomach as the food in my mouth turns to sawdust. I set my sandwich down, suddenly no longer hungry, and my hand trembles slightly as I reach for my water bottle.
“This is a very close-lipped case,” another anchor joins the first on the screen. “At this point we don’t know if the police were called. We don’t know who it was that assaulted William Vanderholt, and we don’t know his current condition, only that he is still hospitalized.”
Shit. What the hell happened last night? My fingers inch toward my phone, my automatic response to contact Alec and see if everything is okay now.
But the anchor’s next words freeze me in place.
“The Vanderholt family takes the spotlight today,” she continues. “Tech wonder boy, Alec Vanderholt, son of William, launched his new company publicly yesterday,” she says, folding her hands in front of her. “His integration app, LenseClip, has been going wildly viral and hailed as the best user-friendly video editing software in a decade. John, LenseClip is already breaking records for this category.”
“That’s right,” the other anchor takes over. “We haven’t seen a hard launch go this viral in ages. And it’s all due to the brilliant mind of Alec. And who would have ever guessed, that the heir of a diamond company, coming from one of the wealthiest families in the country, was a tech genius who was going to launch himself into the stratosphere?”
Me. I would have guessed.
"Son of a bitch did it," I whisper, unable to suppress the grin spreading across my face despite the chaos swirling inside me.
Success looks damn good on him. They roll footage of a press announcement. Alec looks sharp and confident in a suit that must cost more than my entire wardrobe. My heart swells as I watch him, because dammit, he fucking did it. He created something incredible, and it’s catching fire.
Just like I knew he would.
I lean back, arms crossed, the plastic chair creaking beneath me. For all the times I've jabbed at him, pushed him just to watch him push back, I've never doubted his drive. But to see it manifest into something this tangible, this groundbreaking—it's like a punch to the gut, in the best way possible.
"Alec’s debut is expected to revolutionize social media interaction," the reporter continues, and I snort. Of course it is. Alec doesn't do things by halves.
"Revolutionize? More like bulldoze," I say to no one in particular, shaking my head. The admiration flooding through me is almost too much, like a wave threatening to knock me off my feet.
The news report shifts to cover some trivial scandal involving a celebrity, but I don't hear any of it. My thoughts are a whirlwind, each one colliding with the next—images of Alec's stony face, the rare glimpses of vulnerability he's let slip, the heated exchanges that always leave my heart racing and my cheeks flushed.
And it suddenly hits me.
Now that Alec’s company has gone public, now that the launch is official, how could William threaten it?
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
I push back from the table, my chair scraping against the floor loudly. I look around stupidly, as if Alec will magically materialize. But of course he’s not here.
I need to talk to him.
Right fucking now.
I have to tell him how proud of him I am. I need to tell him congratulations on his launch. And William can’t threaten his company now that it’s officially out there.
I…
We…
I dump the rest of my tray in the trash, and set off down the hall.
Where? Where would Alec be this time of day?
I set off down the lecture hall, peering through windows. My brain is reeling so fast, I can’t even think straight.
William can’t threaten Alec’s company now. Suddenly, so much fear and anxiety is lifted off my shoulders. I… I can call my mom and explain the rest. I can tell her to change her mortgage to a different company. She would understand. Now that I don’t have to worry about Alec, I can deal with the rest.
Holy shit.
Alec, where the fuck are you?
I dart down the hall, searching another building. I don’t care if he’s in the middle of class. I need to talk to him, right now.
But I can’t find him.
He’s not in any classes I can look into without interrupting class. I don’t find him in the library. I check every bit of campus I can think of. And it testifies of my desperation. I miss my last two classes of the day searching for Alec, and I never miss class.
Finally, I make my way to Alec’s apartment. But as I approach, I don’t see his car in his parking space.
He isn’t home.
And my stomach sinks.
Alec isn’t on campus. He isn’t home.
He’s out somewhere.
“Fuck, Alec, where are you?” I breathe as tears sting my eyes.
And just then, a few raindrops fall from the sky.
Defeated, I turn back toward my own apartment.
Rain lashes against my skin, each drop a cold humiliation. I’ve been combing the campus for Alec, but it's like he vanished into thin air. Disappointment and desperation gnaws at me, persistent and sharp as the gusts that whip through my soaked hair. The world feels stupidly empty right now without him.
"Dammit, Alec Vanderholt," I mutter to myself. My voice is swallowed by the storm, and I can't decide if I'm more furious or worried. I could just text him my congratulations. But this feels too big. This is his whole life now. It feels like something I need to say in person. If only I could fucking find said person.
My building looms ahead, the lights a mockery of warmth when all I feel is an icy void. The rain drenches me to the bone, clothes glued to my skin, a shiver running through me that's got nothing to do with the chill. It’s that hollow sensation, the one that screams that something’s missing—no, someone.
I fumble with my keys, cursing under my breath. Finally, the lock clicks, and I stumble into my tiny space, dripping and defeated.
"Where the hell are you?" I growl as I peel off my jacket where it drops to the floor in a wet slop. I’m about to head to the shower when a pounding on the door sets my heart racing. I take a step for the door, and they pound against it again.
"Hold your freaking horses!" I snap, flinging the door open, ready to unleash hell on whoever's decided to drown in the rain just to annoy me.
But it's Alec. He's standing there, looking like a damn wreck, all bruised knuckles and a split lip that makes my stomach twist. There’s lingering rage in his eyes. His nostrils are flared and his jaw clenches hard. I’ve never seen him like this—raw as the storm raging outside.
"Shit, Alec, what happened to you?" The words leave my lips before I can stop them, my anger evaporating into concern.
He doesn't say anything, just stands there with his jaw clenched, eyes burning with something fierce and desperate. I feel… nervous under that scrutinizing stare.
"Get inside, Alec." My voice doesn't waver, even though my hands do. I grab his arm, rougher than necessary, and haul him into the too small space. The door slams shut behind us, sealing out the storm's cacophony.
"My father," he starts, voice a low growl that ripples with barely restrained fury, "he threatened your family. Because of me."
The words hit like a punch to the gut. His father, the mogul with a heart colder than his diamonds, is the reason the two of us have been miserable for the last four weeks. Despite how desperate I was earlier, suddenly, I can’t speak. I don’t know what I dare say.
But my non-answer is answer enough.
“He can’t touch your mother’s house anymore,” Alec says darkly. He stands just a few feet away from me, frozen, his hands on his hips. “No one will threaten her loan again.”
The blood drains from my face. “Alec, did you…?”
“Neither of you has to worry again, I made sure of it,” he says hardly.
Holy shit. Alec paid off my mother’s mortgage. On his own. “How… how did you find out?” I ask, feeling timid.
Alec’s blue eyes blaze as he stares at me. “It didn’t make any fucking sense, Salem. Why you’d just detonate everything. But then my father kept pushing Victoria down my throat, kept talking about the acquisition he wanted in on with some bank. So, I went to his house last night, and I asked him, point blank.”
I’m kind of impressed William told Alec the truth.
Emotions bite the backs of my eyes. “He said he’d tank your company if I didn’t walk, Alec. I couldn’t… You’ve worked so damn hard for this.”
Alec takes a step forward and brushes my soaked hair out of my face. “You didn’t have to shoulder that alone, Salem,” he says, his tone low and soft.
“Yeah, well, your dad is pretty damn scary, and I kind of care about my mom and you,” I say softly as my eyes shift from his down to his lips.
"You never have to worry about him again, do you understand?” he asks. He brushes his split knuckles against the back of my cheek, and I understand now.
There was no intruder at the Vanderholt mansion. Alec walked right through the front door. He confronted his father about what he’d done. And then Alec beat the shit out of his own father.
Fuck.
“I told him I’m done,” Alec says, and something in his eyes goes a little bit desperate. “I’m out of the company. I’m out of the will. If I can find a way to get rid of the name, I’m down for that too.”
“Shit, Alec,” I say, chuckling as things just get more and more final. “You detonated your whole life.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s just finally beginning. And dammit, Salem, I want you there. For all of it.”
My heart goes haywire with hope. With elation. With every desire I’ve been suppressing for the last four weeks. “You really mean that? Even after what I did?”
His hand splays into my hair and he looks down into my eyes. In them, I see everything. I see promises. I see the future. I see someone who is mine, and I wonder how I ever gave him up.
“I mean it, Salem,” he says. “You’re my equal. You’re the only person who has never been scared of me and something as insignificant as a name. You live in my head. And I dread every minute we’re apart.” He brushes his thumb over my lip, and fuck, I could get lost in those eyes of his. “I love you, Salem.”
My heart explodes.
“Holy shit,” I breathe out with a tiny chuckle, and something bites at the backs of my eyes. “Alec, I love you too.”
A smile takes over Alec’s face, and it’s quite possibly my favorite thing ever. Alec Vanderholt doesn’t smile often, so when they make an appearance, they’re rare, like a shooting star. And it wraps around my whole body, tying me all the tighter to this man.
A tremor runs through my body, not from the cold seeping through my soaked clothes, but from the realization that Alec Vanderholt, the guy who always seemed untouchable, has laid himself bare for me. Emotion clogs my throat, and I struggle to keep my composure. Love wasn't a currency I thought I'd ever be rich in, especially not with someone whose life is a stark contrast to my own. But here he is, the boy who had the whole word at his feet and threw it in his father’s face, handed me his heart like it's been mine all along.
And then, he’s kissing me. It's not gentle or tentative—it's a claim, a brand, a relentless force that obliterates every last shred of resistance I have. My fingers tangle in his wet hair as I kiss him back with equal fervor, our mouths moving together in a rhythm that feels both wild and achingly familiar. The taste of him is addictive—like victory and defiance, like something precious I've won against all odds.
The warmth of Alec's body bleeds through my soaked clothes, his heart hammering against mine as if to sync our pulses. My fingers thread through his blond hair, tugging him closer, a silent plea for the distance between us to disappear completely.
"Fuck, I missed you," he breathes against my lips, his words charged with a desperation that mirrors my own. His hands are firm on my waist, guiding me backwards until the backs of my knees hit my bed. We fall onto the mattress, a tangle of limbs and unspoken promises.
He peels off my wet shirt, his fingers tracing the valley of my spine, sending shivers racing across my skin despite the heat pooling inside me. "Salem," he murmurs, his voice husky, eyes blazing with an intensity that only I get to see, only I get to ignite.
"Show me you're real," I challenge, the words all but a whisper. It's not just about the physical; it's an anchor, a tangible proof of us, here and now, beyond the reach of his father's threats and the world's judgment.
He responds with a growl, his mouth finding mine again in a kiss that's both a claiming and a surrender. The rest of our sodden clothes are discarded, each barrier shed leaving us more vulnerable and yet stronger, bound by the need to prove that we belong to each other and no one else.
Our bodies move together with a fervor that is rough and tender all at once. Alec's hands explore every inch of me, setting fire to my skin, marking me as his. I welcome the burn, arching into his touch, desperate for the connection that has become my oxygen.
"You feel so fucking good," he groans, as he enters me, filling me completely. Our gasps and moans mingle in the charged air, a testament to the rawness of our new confessions. There's no pretense here, no holding back – just Alec and me and the storm outside that pales in comparison to the tempest he unleashes within me.
"Yours, Alec," I pant, nails digging into his muscular shoulders, pulling him deeper. "Only ever yours."
"Say it again," he demands, a note of possessiveness threading through his gruff tone.
"Yours," I repeat, louder, my body spiraling towards a release that’s been weeks in the making.
His movements become more urgent, and together we chase the edge, teetering on the brink until the world dissolves into blinding pleasure. We cry out, our names a benediction on each other's lips as we come undone, wrapped in the safety of our shared sanctuary.
As we lay there, spent and still entwined, the rain outside softens to a gentle patter. I trace the bruises on his knuckles, reminders of the battles he's fought, the ones he'll continue to fight for us.
"Whatever comes next," he says, his gaze locked on mine, fierce and unyielding, "we face it together. No more running, no more hiding."
"No more running, no more hiding," I vow.