Chapter 22
ALEX
"Ow! Damn it, Byte!"
I hop on one foot, glaring at the white ball of fluff currently digging his claws into my ankle. Paige looks up from her laptop, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Aw, he likes you."
I grunt, shaking my foot until Byte detaches, sauntering away with his tail held high. "Yeah, well, the feeling isn't mutual."
Paige laughs, the sound warming me from the inside out. It's been two weeks since the MindMeld launch, two weeks since we decided to give this thing between us a real shot. And while it hasn't been easy, navigating the new dynamics of our relationship, moments like these make it all worth it.
Even if I do have to put up with her demon cat's torture.
I flop down on the couch next to her, peering at her screen. "Whatcha working on?"
She tilts the laptop towards me, showing me a dense wall of code. "Just some tweaks to CupidCode. I think I can improve the matching algorithm by at least 20%."
I whistle, impressed. "Look at you, putting that genius brain to work."
She grins, bumping her shoulder against mine. "Well, one of us has to. Can't let you have all the fun."
I clutch my chest, mock-offended. "Excuse you, I am plenty fun. Who was it that convinced Owen to let us have a Nerf gun battle in the office last week?"
Paige snorts, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, and who was it that got shot in the ass by Jamie and cried about it for an hour?"
I pout, rubbing my backside. "She cheated. Everyone knows you can't aim for the butt, it's against the Geneva Convention."
Paige laughs again, shaking her head. "You're such a dork."
I grin, leaning in to press a kiss to her temple. "Yeah, but I'm your dork."
She hums, tilting her face up for a real kiss.
I oblige, savoring the soft press of her lips against mine.
We've been taking things slow, both of us wary of moving too fast and risking what we've built.
But god, every time I kiss her, every time I feel her melt into me, it gets harder and harder to hold back.
I deepen the kiss, my hand coming up to tangle in her hair. She makes a soft noise in the back of her throat, her fingers curling into my shirt. I'm just about to suggest we move this to the bedroom when a loud yowl breaks the moment.
We jerk apart, both of us glaring at Byte, who's sitting on the coffee table and staring at us with judgmental eyes.
"Dude. Read the room," I grumble, running a hand through my hair.
Paige sighs, giving Byte a stern look. "We talked about this, mister. No cockblocking during boyfriend time."
I raise an eyebrow, a slow grin spreading across my face. "Boyfriend time, huh?"
Paige flushes, ducking her head. "Shut up. You know what I meant."
I scoot closer, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, I'm not complaining. I like the sound of that. Boyfriend time."
She looks up at me, her eyes soft and a little vulnerable. "Yeah?"
I nod, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah. I like the sound of a lot of things with you, Paige. Boyfriend, partner, teammate...love of my life."
Her breath catches, her eyes going wide. "Alex..."
I swallow hard, my heart pounding. "I know it's soon. I know we still have a lot to figure out. But I just...I need you to know how I feel. How much you mean to me."
She stares at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile blooms across her face, brighter than the sun.
“You’re the love of my life too, you giant sap."
I grin, feeling like I could float away on the sheer joy bubbling up in my chest. "Yeah?"
She nods, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Yeah. Even if you are a dork who cries over Nerf battles."
I laugh, pulling her into my lap. "I'll show you a dork, Reynolds."
I attack her with tickles, reveling in the way she shrieks and giggles, squirming in my grasp. We tussle on the couch, both of us breathless with laughter, until somehow I end up on my back with her straddling my hips.
"Gotcha," she murmurs, her eyes dark and her smile wicked.
I swallow hard, my hands coming up to grip her waist. "I surrender. Do with me what you will."
She leans down, her hair falling in a curtain around us. "Oh, I plan to."
And then she's kissing me again, hot and deep and sinfully arousing. I groan into her mouth, my hands sliding under her shirt to stroke the soft skin of her back.
Things are just starting to get really interesting when my phone buzzes on the coffee table, the sound jarring in the charged air.
Paige pulls back, her lips swollen and her cheeks flushed. "You should probably get that."
I groan, letting my head fall back against the armrest. "Do I have to?"
She kisses me once more, quick and sweet. "It could be important."
I sigh, reaching for my phone. But when I see the name on the screen, I sit up, my heart in my throat.
"It's my mom's hospice nurse."
Paige's eyes widen, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Oh god. Is she...?"
I shake my head, already standing up and reaching for my keys. "I don't know. But I have to go."
Paige nods, climbing off my lap. "Of course. Do you want me to come with you?"
I pause, looking at her. She's disheveled and rumpled, her hair a mess and her shirt askew. But her eyes are steady on mine, full of love and support.
"Yeah," I say, my voice rough with emotion. "Yeah, I really would."
She takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Then let's go."
The drive to the hospice is a blur, my mind whirling with worst-case scenarios. Paige keeps her hand in mine the whole way, her thumb stroking soothingly over my knuckles.
When we arrive, the nurse meets us at the door, her expression grave. "I'm so sorry to call you so late, Mr. Spencer. But your mother...she's taken a turn for the worse."
I feel like I've been punched in the gut, all the air leaving my lungs in a rush. "Is she...?"
The nurse shakes her head, laying a gentle hand on my arm. "Not yet. But she's fading fast. We've made her as comfortable as possible, but...it won't be long now."
I nod, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. "Can I see her?"
The nurse smiles, stepping aside. "Of course. She's been asking for you."
I glance at Paige, who gives me an encouraging nod. "Go. I'll be right here if you need me."
I squeeze her hand, trying to convey everything I'm feeling in that one simple gesture. Then I square my shoulders and follow the nurse down the hall, my heart pounding with every step.
When I enter my mom's room, the first thing I notice is how small she looks. She's always been a tiny woman, but now she seems to disappear into the white sheets, her skin as pale and translucent as paper.
But when she sees me, her face lights up, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "There's my boy."
I swallow hard, crossing the room to take her hand in mine. "Hey, Mom. How you feeling?"
She huffs a weak laugh, patting my cheek. "Oh, you know. Like death warmed over."
I wince, my throat tightening. "That's not funny."
She sobers, her gaze softening. "I know, baby. I'm sorry. Gallows humor, you know how I am."
I nod, blinking back tears. "Yeah. I know."
We sit in silence for a moment, just holding hands and breathing together. Then she cocks her head, her eyes curious.
"You didn't come alone, did you? I thought I heard another voice out there."
I smile, my chest warming. "That's Paige, Mom. My girlfriend."
Her face lights up, her grip tightening on my hand. "Paige? The Paige? Oh, Alex. You have to bring her in here, I want to meet her!"
I laugh, shaking my head. "Mom, it's late. And you need your rest."
She scoffs, waving a dismissive hand. "Rest, schmest. I'll have plenty of time to rest when I'm dead. Right now, I want to meet the girl who finally captured my son's heart."
I sigh, knowing there's no arguing with her when she gets like this. "Okay, okay. I'll go get her."
I stand up, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But you have to promise to behave, okay? No embarrassing stories from my childhood."
She grins, her eyes twinkling. "No promises, kiddo. Now go, before I change my mind and start yelling for her myself."
I shake my head, warmth blooming in my chest. Even now, even facing the end, my mom is still the same spitfire she's always been. I don't know what I'll do without her.
I step out into the hallway, finding Paige pacing anxiously. She looks up when she sees me, her eyes wide and worried.
"Is everything okay? Is she...?"
I shake my head, holding out my hand. "She's okay. For now. And she wants to meet you."
Paige's eyes go wide, her mouth dropping open. "She does? Oh god, Alex. I don't know if I'm ready for that."
I chuckle, pulling her into my arms. "You'll be fine, Paige. She's going to love you. Almost as much as I do."
She takes a deep breath, nodding against my chest. "Okay. Okay, let's do this."
I lead her into the room, my heart swelling as my mom's face lights up at the sight of her. "Paige! Oh, honey, it's so good to finally meet you."
Paige smiles, her grip tight on my hand. "It's good to meet you too, Mrs. Spencer. Alex has told me so much about you."
My mom waves a hand, scoffing. "Oh, please. Call me Karen. Mrs. Spencer was my mother-in-law, and that old bat never liked me anyway."
Paige laughs, the sound bright and warm. "Karen it is, then."
I watch as they chat, my heart so full it feels like it might burst. My mom asks Paige about her work, about her family, about how we met. And Paige answers every question with grace and humor, her eyes sparkling and her smile genuine.
I've never loved her more than I do in this moment.
After a while, my mom starts to fade, her eyelids drooping and her words slurring. Paige notices, squeezing her hand gently.
"We should probably let you get some rest, Karen. But thank you so much for wanting to meet me. It means the world."
My mom smiles, patting Paige's cheek. "Oh, honey. Thank you for making my boy so happy. That's all a mother ever wants, you know."