The Results of Unrequited

by Len Webster

  She didn’t reply as she removed her belt and got out of the car as Evan did the same. Once he closed his door, he noticed that she had already started to walk toward the sand. Evan let out a sigh and followed her. It seemed he was always five steps behind her. By the time he caught up, she was already sitting on the sand with her arms wrapped around her knees. Evan lowered himself down on the soft sand next to her.

  He looked out at the afternoon sun as the waves hugged the shore. He heard seagulls in the distance and felt his heart ache in memory of the last time they were at Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

  They had been trying to beat the storm, but in the end, they sought refuge at the hotel by the beach. The same hotel room where confessions were made. I love yous meant. And where they had made love for the first time together in a room full of candles.

  But so much had changed since then. She’d had another lover after him. Given her heart away after him. Evan had never truly moved on after her. And now here they were, a year later, sitting on the sand together.

  “It’s still a beautiful part of the world,” Alexandra said in awe.

  Evan turned his chin. As he stared at her, he said, “Yeah, still is.”

  Alexandra was still the beautiful part of the world he missed. But he didn’t tell her.

  He promised her father that he’d be the best friend she had been without for over a year. And that meant not confusing her.

  “How’s Stanford?” she asked, eyes still on the ocean.

  A small smile stretched at her curiosity. “It’s good. How’s Duke? How have you been able to come home?”

  Alexandra sighed, and her arms fell away from her knees. She crossed her legs, and her hands settled in her lap. Then she looked at him. Her bright green eyes shimmered, causing his heart to clench. Back in high school, Hunter had been right. She did have the most beautiful green eyes known to man. Had he realized how much he loved her then, they might have avoided all of this.

  “I kinda just up and left. I emailed my professors the next day and told them that I couldn’t attend my classes for personal reasons. I’m already ahead on all my work, and my papers are all done. I Skype with my lab partner when he needs help. I guess they would have figured out by now that Landon and I are over.”

  She confirmed it. That her and her boyfriend were no longer together. He heard the finality in her voice.

  “Evan …”

  He hoped she didn’t ask him how long he was home for. Evan didn’t want to worry her, but he’d be honest and tell her the truth—that Stanford could, and always would, wait.

  “Yes, Alexandra?”

  She pursed her lips. “I don’t feel comfortable talking about Landon here at Watch Hill … with you. It doesn’t feel right.”

  “Right. I get it—”

  “No,” she said, interrupting him. “It doesn’t feel right to the memory of Watch Hill and what it means to us. Watch Hill was ours. I don’t want Landon or anyone else to be a topic here. It just makes me uncomfortable because this is …”

  Her eyelids fluttered as if she were about to cry. He understood what she meant. This was their spot.

  “Where we ran away when Boston suffocated us,” he said.

  She shook her head. “It’s the place where I gave you all of me.”

  His fingers twitched at her statement. Memories consumed his thoughts. He wanted to feel her soft skin beneath his touch. To feel her heartbeat against his palm like he had in her car on the way to the airport. He missed her. Missed the way she looked at him like he was her world. Missed the small sighs she made when she slept. He missed her entirely. And though she was sitting with him, she was miles from him.

  Her heart out of his reach.

  “I know. I’m still thankful you chose me. Loved me and trusted me enough to be your first.”

  She glanced over at the water, and said, “I did. I don’t regret it because what I felt with you was true. It was real. And it was honest. I just regret everything that happened next.”

  “Alexandra,” he breathed as he watched a tear roll down her cheek.

  “Did you love her?” she asked in a tight voice as her eyes found his.

  Evan shook his head. “I cared about her. We’re still friends. Just friends.”

  Alexandra pressed her lips together and nodded. “I was home until the new year. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His heart ached at her question. It was the same question he had asked himself continuously in the past year.

  “You wouldn’t have listened.”

  “You’re right. I don’t think I would have.”

  “Alexandra, I never—”

  She shook her head with a small smile to her lips. “If it’s okay with you, can we just sit here and stare out at the water like we used to? I need that right now.”

  “Okay,” he said as he faced the water.

  It felt natural to be back here with her. To sit with her. To be with her once more. It might not be the circumstances they both imagined, but they were together. He had no idea what the future held, but he wasn’t going to give up on her.

  Evan looked away from the slowly setting sun and at Alexandra. He stared at her. Watched her take in the water in front of her. This view of her was worth missing all the sunsets in the world for.

  He still loved her. Still thought that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Someday, he’d find a way back into her heart and life. But someday had to wait.

  Alexandra’s ringing phone broke their silence as she reached beside her and pulled it from her purse. Once she set her bag back down on the sand, she looked at the screen.

  Evan saw his name. Saw her ex-boyfriend calling. Evan watched anxiously as she stared at her phone. He waited for her to answer it, but she didn’t. She returned the ringing phone to her purse and focused on the horizon.

  Then, to his surprise, Alexandra settled her head on his shoulder and let out a soft sigh. Hope burst inside his chest. Maybe her and her ex-boyfriend were really over. Maybe there was still a chance for Evan and Alexandra. For him and AJ.

  He just had to bring her back. And he knew he had to do it quick. Time was against them. Soon, she’d have to return to Duke. But for right now, he would enjoy this moment with her.

  He’d keep it locked away with all the other breathtaking moments he spent at Watch Hill with his best friend.

  The woman he loved.

  The woman he’d always loved.

  68 Er

  erbium

  ALEX

  Freshmen year of college

  Landon: Baby, I’m waiting outside of arrivals for you. See you soon.

  Alex smiled at the sight of her boyfriend’s text message. She had just turned on her phone after she landed in Raleigh, North Carolina. After she left Stanford, Alex took a cab to Berkeley to visit Will. Her cousin had shown her around his college and introduced her to his friends. Then they went out for dinner at a steakhouse off campus before he let her crash on his bed while he took the couch. When she didn’t want to talk about Stanford, he didn’t press her for more. Instead, he asked her about Duke and Landon, and then they moved on to other topics. She missed Will and hated that she only spent a day with him, but they had made the most of their time together.

  Following the rest of the passengers from her flight, Alex made her way out toward arrivals. When she cleared the exit, she went past baggage claim and searched for her boyfriend. She saw many faces but not her boyfriend’s. Getting on her tiptoes, she tried to see over people. Suddenly, she heard a chuckle behind her and felt a tap on her shoulder.

  “Excuse me. I’m looking for my girlfriend. Occasionally answers to Massachusetts.”

  Alex twirled around and grinned the moment she saw him. “I’m pretty sure that’s me,” she said as she set down her suitcase and threw her arms around his neck, pressing
her body against him.

  Right here, with Landon’s arms around her waist, was where she was supposed to be. Alex had found her peace. She was finally happy.

  The man she loved smiled as if he couldn’t believe that she was his.

  Truth be told, it was quite the opposite.

  She felt horrible for going behind his back, but she had done it for them. She said goodbye to AJ and her past, and welcomed her future with Landon with open arms. And the way her heart now beat, it felt free and strong.

  It felt love.

  “Definitely you,” Landon confirmed in a low voice before he lowered his chin. His lips spoke of all the possibilities they had together as he kissed her.

  And she believed them.

  Opened her heart willingly to them.

  “I’ve missed you,” she mumbled against his mouth.

  Landon pulled away, grinning. “Then don’t go on spontaneous trips to Berkeley without me.”

  “I’m so sorry. I have to be there for Will. Even if it’s to spend a day together. He’s like a brother. And plus, you totally scored points for being so understanding.”

  His smile widened. “And did you have a good time?”

  She nodded. “I did. It was exactly what I needed before finals. Next time I have to go to California, you’re coming with me.”

  “Definitely,” Landon agreed as he untangled his arms from around her waist, bent down, and picked up her suitcase. Then he held out his hand, and Alex gazed down it. “Let’s go home, Massachusetts.”

  Home.

  Home with Landon.

  Just where she needed to be.

  Alex placed her hand in Landon’s and smiled. “Let’s go home, Connecticut.”

  The sight before her was not one Alex was expecting when she opened her dorm room. Her roommate was rushing around the room, collecting clothing before she shoved them into the open suitcase on the bed. Savannah looked equal parts pale and flustered all at the same time. She was even mumbling under her breath.

  “Is she all right?” Landon asked behind her.

  Alex shook her head. “I have no idea,” she replied as she entered her dorm room and heard Landon close the door. “Sav?”

  Her roommate froze as if she had been caught. She let out a sigh before she corrected her posture and faced Alex and Landon. “Oh, hey. How was your flight, Alex?”

  Alex would tell Savannah the truth about her trip when they were alone. “It was long. Umm … Why are you packing? We have finals on Monday.”

  Savannah scrunched up her nose and then shook her head. “I have to go home.”

  “You’re going back to Vermont? Now?”

  “No, Alex,” Savannah said. She appeared almost reluctant to reveal where she was going. Then her roommate’s shoulders sagged. “I’m going back to Southport?”

  “Why?”

  “I haven’t truly been honest about my upbringin’. See, my momma is threatening to cut me off if I don’t agree to my stupid ex-boyfriend’s sudden need to get hitched.”

  “What?” Alex blurted out, completely dumbfounded.

  “Yeah. Son of a bitch decides now is a good time to want a damn future together. Look, I gotta go back to Southport and sort it out. That money was supposed to pay my daddy back for college. Ain’t gonna let my momma threaten that.”

  Alex nodded. She didn’t know much about Savannah’s mother but knew that her roommate was closer to her father. Savannah was working long hours at Chino’s to help support herself to ease the financial burden on her father. “Well, let me come with you. It’s a long drive.”

  “No, Alex. You just got back from California,” Savannah said firmly.

  She rolled her eyes. “Sav, I’m coming with you. As your friend, I have to be there and support you.”

  “You’d really come to Southport? There’s nothing there.”

  “I’m not going to sightsee. I’m going to support you.”

  Savannah’s eyes glazed over with tears. “Thanks, Alex.”

  “Hey, what are friends for?”

  “Well, then, if you don’t mind, Sav, I’d like to come along. You know, be your driver,” Landon offered.

  Alex tilted her head at him as his finger softly and deliberately brushed against the back of her hand. “You sure? I thought you had plans with the team this weekend.”

  Landon shrugged. “I can postpone my first team building exercise as captain for next week. They’ll want the weekend off, and they’ll love me more as their captain for it.”

  Her heart threw itself against her ribcage at his generosity and willingness to help her roommate. Oh, God, did she love him. His gentle heart. The way he smiled at her. Everything about him, she loved.

  “I don’t mind, Landon. It means I won’t feel horrible for bringing Alex along. I better go tell my boss that I’m taking the weekend off. I’ll be back,” Savannah said as she abandoned her packing and picked up her purse from the floor. Then she made several steps until she was closer to them. “Seriously. Thanks, y’all, for coming along. I appreciate it. Especially you, Alex. You’re the best friend I wish I had back in Southport.”

  Alex smiled. “Same here.”

  It was true.

  She had lost one best friend in Evan Gilmore but gained Savannah Peters.

  Savannah smiled before Alex and Landon parted so she could leave. When the door clicked closed behind them, Alex walked over to her bed and set her purse down. She spun around to find her boyfriend rolling her suitcase to her desk. She walked over to him and cupped his jaw.

  “Thank you,” she said in soft voice.

  “I couldn’t let you two drive alone. You’re my girlfriend, Alex.” The hint of pride in his voice had her heart beating wild with love.

  No one looked at her like him. Loved her as he did. No one ever made her feel as cherished as Landon Carmichael did.

  Her thumb brushed against his cheek. “You’re seriously wonderful, Landon. You didn’t have to offer to drive, though it would calm Sav down a bit not having to worry about driving. I’ve never seen her so stressed out before. I appreciate you postponing your first team exercise for her.”

  Landon pressed his forehead to hers. “I postponed it for you, Alex.”

  He did it.

  Made her fall in love with him all over again.

  “Landon,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, Alex?” He pulled back.

  She pressed her lips in a tight line, buying herself some time to really think. But she was ready, and she was sure. It was why she went to Stanford. It was time she embraced her present. Her future. With the man whose sparkling blue eyes and loving gaze left her continuously breathless.

  “I’m ready,” she announced.

  Landon went rigid under her palms. His chest heaved as if those two words affected him. He appeared taken aback by her statement. And Alex knew she had to give him more than just I’m ready.

  He needed assurance that she truly was.

  “I’m ready for us to be intimate.” She smiled. “We’re ready.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready to have sex? We can wait. I can wait.” The softness in his eyes was beautiful and breathtaking.

  “I’m ready, Landon. Tonight? I can come to your dorm after I make sure Sav is okay.”

  To her surprise, her boyfriend shook his head. Alex’s hands fell from his face. Just as she parted her lips to ask him why not, he wrapped his arms around her. Alex pressed her palms to his hard chest as she tilted her chin to look at him.

  “I’d much rather we didn’t have our first time together in my dorm room. It should be done right. It should be romantic. You deserve the romance.”

  Oh, God.

  Her heart throbbed in her chest, savoring and falling in love with the words he spoke.

  “Landon,” she breathed in awe.


  He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then his soft smile stole her breath. “I promise we’ll be intimate at the right time. I want it to be perfect. Is that okay?”

  “More than okay.”

  “Good,” he said as he unwound his arms from around her. “I should go and let you unpack and then repack. Savannah might want to talk about her ex-boyfriend with you and might not be comfortable with me being in the room. I’ll go back to my dorm and book our room in Southport. It doesn’t sound like a day trip.”

  Alex nodded. “You’re right.”

  He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay,” she said and watched him walk to the door. Then he glanced over his shoulder and winked at her before he left her dorm room.

  Somehow, she managed not to tell him that she loved him.

  Like their first time together, she didn’t want him to hear those three words for the first time in her dorm room.

  At the right time, she’d tell him.

  “This is it,” Savannah announced from the back seat of Landon’s Range Rover. Last night, Alex had helped Savannah pack the rest of her suitcase before she distracted her with the details of what had happened at Stanford.

  Her roommate was so engrossed in what had happened with Alex. After she explained that she said goodbye to her past, they had eaten pizza and binged a new show on Netflix before Savannah fell asleep. Alex had packed a few new clothes into her bag and read over her study notes before she too fell asleep. They had left Duke just after ten a.m., and it had been a long three-hour drive. They had stopped halfway to stretch their legs and eat lunch at a diner.

  Alex had offered to drive, but Landon kissed her cheek and told her not to worry about it. So she relaxed in the front seat of his car and read through her study notes on sound waves. When Savannah dozed off, Landon settled his palm on Alex’s thigh as he drove. Alex had smiled and continued reading. However, when they started seeing the beach, Alex abandoned her notes and took in the beautiful North Carolina coast.

  Alex removed her seat belt, pulled on the door handle, and got out of the car. The moment she took in the historic early 1800s mansion, her mouth dropped. The beautiful white two-story home was complete with a large balcony that would have a beautiful view of the water.