Chapter 101 A Promise
ALICE
After ending the call with Theo, I feel restless.
The excitement in his voice was what put me in this state, and now, I was walking up and down my apartment and wringing my hands while a smile tugged at my lips.
What was he up to?
Though it took some effort, I finished getting ready so we could have some time to talk before I went to work. I downed my coffee in record time, then decided to head downstairs to wait for him.
He would be arriving any minute. I waited anxiously close to my car and asked myself for the tenth time what it could be. I'd just have to wait and see. If it had anything to do with—
"Alice?"
I whirled around and froze. I couldn't believe my damn ears.
Benjamin?
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked loudly, not caring that I sounded aggressive. I was mad. What the hell was he doing, standing in front of my apartment building and calling my name?
He inched closer to me, completely oblivious to the fact that I didn't want him anywhere near me. "Alice, I just wanted to talk to you about something. It'll be quick."
"I don't care how quick it is. I don't want you anywhere near me!"
He stopped only a few inches away from me. "Look, I messed up and I'm sorry, Alice. I really am. I realize now that a lot of the decisions I made were driven by lust. I never meant to hurt you the way I did."
"You didn't hurt me, Benjamin." I inched closer to him and my voice dropped to a venomous hiss. "You did me a huge favor and I only realized it later. I don't need an apology for that. I should be thanking you, or I'd be your wife by now. Imagine the horror."
His face fell. He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say, Benjamin. Get away from me!"
"Emma and I aren't together anymore."
I scoffed. "What the hell does that have to do with me?"
Benjamin shocked me by reaching for my arm. "Everything."
My eyes widened. "Let me go!"
"She set me up," he continued while I struggled against him, "but that's because she was set up. I wish I could turn back time and do it all over again, Alice. You were a good woman. I just...I regret it so much. You tried telling me and I—"
"Someone set her up? What does that even mean?"
"Someone talked her into the whole thing. They wanted this to happen. Do you realize how messed up that is?"
My head was spinning at this point. This idiot wasn't making any sense. "This? You're not making any sense!"
"Jesus, Alice. The whole thing. You and him in the office. They planned for it!"
I peered at him closely and decided that it was either I believed him or I didn't, and he looked and sounded so damn crazy that I figured he was doing this for attention. There was no way around it. "You're crazy. Who could've possibly benefited from that? Are you fucking lying to me?"
"Emma told me the whole thing. She was—"
Benjamin never had a chance to finish what he had to say. Theo showed up and was by my side in an instant, shoving him back. Benjamin was forced to release me, and then the two men were face-to-face, their noses almost touching.
"Back the fuck off," Theo said in a cold voice. "You don't want to get into a fight you won't have the balls to end."
"I'm talking to her."
This angered Theo. "And she's with me, son of a whoring cunt."
I got in between them, but seeing Theo like this...No, this wasn't the time. What was wrong with me? I had no business being this aroused.
"Just go, Benjamin!" I hissed. I wrapped my hands around Theo's arms and started pulling him toward the entrance of my apartment. "Go!"
Benjamin finally walked away and we made it inside. Theo let out a breath. He looked so flustered that it was a little bit funny.
Just a little.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked me. "What did he want?"
I moved my hand to run my fingers through my hair then remembered it was in a slicked-back bun. "He just...I don't even know. He kept telling me things that didn't make sense."
"He was grabbing your arm."
I rubbed the spot absentmindedly.
"I don't like that." Anger flashed in his eyes and he looked murderous for a second there. "I don't like the fact that he was so close to you. Touching you."
My mouth was a little dry when I told him, "I'm fine. He's just a weirdo. I'm not threatened by him at all."
Theo looked at me intensely for several seconds, and then he grabbed me with no warning and I crashed into him. His lips found the top of my head and he whispered, "The thought of someone hurting you sickens me, Alice."
"I'll be fine."
"I could've killed him right there on the spot."
"Benjamin wouldn't be worth a prison sentence. He's not even worth the breath we're wasting right now." I pulled away to peer at his face. His hands were still on my waist, holding me tightly against him. "I'm a big girl, remember?"
His thumb drew circles on my cheek. "That doesn't mean I can't worry about you."
"I appreciate you worrying about me. I really do." I placed my hand on his chest. "I was waiting outside for you. Your call really left me anxious."
Theo's expression changed and he nodded. Benjamin was forgotten in a second. "I was nervous the whole way here, too."
"What is it? Just tell me. I can't stand the suspense anymore!"
Theo's lips remained pressed together as he reached into one of the pockets of his blazer. Suddenly, he was holding a velvet box in his hand and I swore that everything inside of me stilled.
"Theo," I breathed out. "What is that?"
He popped the lid open and my heart skipped a beat. He explained, "This is my promise to you, Alice. I promise to be by your side and love you every step of the way. We're taking things slow, but I wanted you to know that I'm committed to this relationship and to you. If you'll let me, I'll love you for the rest of my life, but this will do for now. Do you accept it?"
"This is a promise ring."
"Yeah."
He plucked it from its bed and slid it on my shaky finger. My heart was melting. I stared at it for the longest time, fighting back tears.
"Oh, Theo. It's so beautiful. I...I don't know what to say."
"Say yes. That's all I need from you."
I nodded and a few tears finally slipped from my eyes. "Yes."
He wrapped his arms around me and picked me up. If I had any fears that he would end up bored or that he wasn't going to take this seriously, they were long gone at this point.