Chapter Seven — Alex
I take a few deep breaths. I can’t believe what just happened.
Somehow, within the span of the last five minutes, I just tried to throw away a million dollars, won it back, and then had the love of my life walk away and tell me that I can take the money, leave, and never see him again if that’s what I want.
I pinch myself. I really can’t believe this is happening.
I look at my phone again. The number on my banking app looks bigger every second I look at it.
I mean, I’m not living paycheck to paycheck, but this is a life-changing amount of money.
This all feels wrong, though. How can I get everything I want?
How can I get the man and the money? Where’s the catch?
Things like this don’t happen in real life.
This must be a trick. I look around to check if somebody’s about to jump out from behind a camera and tell me I’m on some prank show. But nothing looks out of place.
This is real.
I sit down on one of the chairs and let reality sink in.
It suddenly occurs to me that Callum’s going to be back in a few minutes. Obviously I’m not going anywhere. But the more I think about the speech he gave before leaving, the more I start to realize just how unsure he must feel right now.
I think back to the look on his face when he walked away.
He looked pained. Like he was saying goodbye to me forever.
Like, that was actually a possibility. He thought there was a chance I could walk away.
Just remembering that look on his face breaks me.
I don’t want him to ever feel like that.
Obviously, I’d never walk away. But I guess he doesn’t know that.
It makes me sad to think he doubted himself in the first place. I never want him to doubt himself ever again.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
What can I do to show him that? I pause and look down, and it hits me.
Of course.
I know just what to do.