Chapter 37 Boiling Point
Sarah was back home later in the evening, exhausted. She stopped in the kitchen doorway.
Alex was there. He was leaned against the counter, a glass of water in his hand, looking entirely comfortable in a house that was currently falling apart.
"Sarah," he said softly. He began to move toward her, his eyes full of that dark, constant concern.
"I heard about the court. I knew they wouldn't find anything."
"Don't," Sarah snapped, her voice trembling. "Don't you dare act like this is a victory."
Alex paused, his hands half-raised in a gesture of comfort.
"I’m just glad it’s over. You're safe."
"Safe?" Sarah’s laugh was a jagged, ugly sound. "Is that what you call this? I just walked out of a courtroom where a prosecutor treated me like a common criminal because of what happened to Gary. I saw my son on the street, and he looked at me like he didn't know me.”
"Sarah, give him time," Alex began.
"I'm the reason he’s gone!” She screamed. The volume of her own voice surprised her, echoing off the marble and tile.
"You are the reason I had to stand in front of a judge. Whatever you did to Gary in that garage—whatever you did to 'protect' me—it brought the law to my door. It brought the scandal to my son's feet. My life is a mess, and every single thread leads back to you!"
Alex didn't flinch.
But there was sadness in his eyes. She was still a lot in her feelings and won't let him have a moment with her without these incessant outbursts.
Sarah was a woman who was used to having her life move so perfectly and flawlessly.
The thought of standing before a judge, roughly kicking aside a business rival was not part of the things she wanted her life to constitute and he understood that.
"I didn't hurt Gary," Alex said, his voice low and firm.
"I found the evidence of his fraud. I gave him a choice to leave you alone. If he fell, Sarah, he fell because he was drunk and desperate. The police aren't after me because there is nothing to find. I was careful. I did everything to keep you from losing Veridian."
"And look what I lost instead!" Sarah paced the kitchen floor like a trapped animal.
"I lost Mark! He won't answer my calls. He’s talking to strangers on the street. And why? Because his mother couldn't keep her hands off his best friend. Because I let you into my bed and let you convince me that we could handle the fallout."
"I adore you, Sarah," Alex whispered. He stepped closer, his presence warm and heavy.
"Everything I do is for you. You think I don't feel the weight of this? You think I don't miss my best friend too?”
"Don't lie to me," Sarah spat, though her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.
"You’re possessive, Alex. You wanted me all to yourself, and now you have it. You’ve cleared the room. Gary is gone, Joseph is silent, and Mark is out of the house. Are you happy now? Is this the protection you promised?"
Alex's face hardened with hurt. He reached out, his fingers grazing her arm, but she jerked away.
"Our love affair was a mistake," she said, the words coming out cold and sharp. She saw him wince as if she had struck him.
"It was a moment of weakness that has cost me everything I actually value. I can't do this anymore. I can't look at you without seeing the look on Mark's face."
"You don't mean that," Alex said.
"I do. I need you to leave, Alex. Not just for the night. I need you to leave me alone until this project is settled. Until I can find a way to get my son back. If there is even a shred of the respect you claim to have for me, you will walk out that door and stay away."
The silence that followed was heavy. Alex looked at her for a long time. He didn't try to argue or dominate the conversation.
He simply nodded.
"I’ll give you the space," Alex said. His voice was thick with emotion, but he kept it under control.
"I’ll stay away because you asked. But you need to listen to me, Sarah. Just this once, without the anger."
He stepped toward her, and this time she didn't move away. He didn't touch her, but he stood close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him.
"Richard Harrington is a predator," Alex warned.
"I know how he thinks. He doesn't just want to win a contract; he wants to own you. He has done this to a dozen businesses before yours. He freezes them out, he isolates them, and then he swallows them whole. He won't let you be, Sarah. If he doesn't have his way, he will try to destroy what’s left of your reputation. Don't let your anger at me make you blind to him."
"I can handle Harrington," Sarah said, though her voice lacked conviction.
"No one has handled him alone," Alex replied. He looked at her one last time, a look of such intense, protective longing that it made her heart ache.
"I'm not going to give up on us, even if you’ve given up on me. We will work this out. You'll see."
He turned and walked toward the back door. He didn't look back. Sarah stood in the kitchen, listening to the sound of his footsteps receding, then the soft click of the door as he vanished into the night.
She was alone. Truly alone.
The house felt bigger now, and much colder. She walked to the sink and splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the salt of her tears and the heat of her rage.
She had done what she needed to do. She had pushed him away. She had chosen her son and her career over the boy who made her feel like a person again.
She walked through the house to the front door, intending to check the mail before she locked up for the night. Her hands were still shaking as she opened the heavy oak door. The evening air was chilly, biting at her skin through her silk blouse.
She reached into the mailbox and pulled out a single, formal-looking envelope.
“A message from Alex. Oh dear lord.”