He folds his hands on the table. “I still wish I could take it all back. I know I’ve told you this before but I would give anything to change last summer. I made the biggest mistake of my life when I ended things with you.”
I reach across the table and put my hands on his.
“I know. Unfortunately, we can’t change the past even if we wanted to.”
He takes my hands in his. “There’s always a chance. And don’t you want someone who will be devoted to you and only you.”
I knew it. Wait until I tell Angie and Gina.
“I’m confused. First of all, Alexander is devoted to me and you’re with Melanie now.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not seeing Melanie. We went out a few times, but it just wasn’t meant to be. She’s in love with Alexander and I’m . . . well, I’m still in love with you.”
It’s my turn to be speechless. I’m not surprised to hear him say he’s in love with me, but I am a little surprised to hear him say that Melanie is in love with Alexander. She obviously shared this bit of information with him.
“So, you two have been lying this whole time?”
“The whole thing was a stupid idea,” he interrupts. “We started talking at the restaurant opening, and it was really cool. After we got to talking, we admitted that we had feelings for other people. Melanie came up with the idea to try to make you guys jealous, and I went along with it.”
I shake my head. “Jake, you even came to my apartment to tell me you were seeing her.”
“I know. Anyway, it obviously didn’t go as planned and I just decided to back off. She’s been trying to keep it going because Alexander didn’t like the idea at all. She thinks he’s finally showing his true feelings.”
I laugh loudly. “He’s been worried about how it was affecting me.”
“Summer, don’t you see it?” he asks. “Doesn’t it bother you that she’s always there?”
There’s no way I’m admitting anything to him. By him going along with this plan, he’s just proven to me that he can’t be trusted. He will probably run back to Melanie with everything I tell him.
“She’s his assistant, that’s it. He loves me, and I’m in love with him.”
Jake nods his head. “I’m sorry I lied to you and for everything.” He pauses. “I truly hope it works out the way you want it to. I wish you nothing but happiness.”
“Thanks.”
A few minutes later, I make up an excuse to leave, because truthfully, the sight of him disgusts me. Now that I have this information I’m prepared for whatever happens next. I can only hope that Alexander loves me enough to make the right decision.
~*~*~
“We told you they were playing you,” Angie says loudly. I pretend to cover my ears, and she throws piece of crumpled paper at me. Ugh. I’m really going to miss teasing her about how loud she is.
Gina is leaning back in her chair, smacking her gum as usual. “Both of them are scum. Now can I make a call?”
“No,” Angie and I yell at the same time. We all start laughing.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t think threats of cement shoes are the answer.”
She grins.
“So, what are you going to do?” Angie asks.
I exhale. “I’m going to wait on Alexander. He says he’s going to take care of it, and I have to trust him.”
“He will. That man loves you,” Angie insists.
I smile. “I know. I just hope that’s enough.” I stop. “Anyway, let’s talk about something else, like this good-bye bash we’re having. I have a few fun surprises planned.”
Tears well up in Angie’s eyes. “I just can’t believe we’re talking about this.”
I clear my throat and try my best to keep myself from crying.
“You’re the one who’s ditching us for sunshine and theme parks, so you only have yourself to blame,” Gina says sarcastically.
Leave it to Gina to take an emotional moment and turn it into a joke, but it worked. Angie starts laughing before her tears begin to fall. Unfortunately, I know this is just the beginning of the tears.
Chapter Twelve
I’m rushing around trying to finish the last-minute details for this party. I’m really not that great at party planning. That’s always been Angie’s thing. Tonight is the good-bye party for Angie and Brett, and there are going to be even more surprises than I was planning. Brett called me a few nights ago and told me he was planning to propose to Angie. We have it all set up for him to pop the question tonight at the party. Angie doesn’t really like surprises, but I have no doubt she won’t mind this one. I really appreciate him trusting me enough to tell me. Of course, I promised him I would keep it a surprise and so far so good.
Alexander has been working in his office for most of the day while I’ve been dealing with caterers and decorations. At least the karaoke is ready to go. I’m so tempted to jump right in and completely butcher some Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera songs.
Alexander hasn’t mentioned Melanie since our conversation last week. Of course, we’ve both been so busy we haven’t seen that much of each other either. Once the party is over I’m going to have to sit down and talk to him. He needs to know about Melanie and Jake and their master plan to try to break us up.
“Awe. Everything looks so nice,” Angie says loudly. “Not as great as my Halloween party but a close second.”
I giggle. “Thanks. I’m glad I could make you proud.”
I notice Brett standing behind her looking super pale. I can see how nervous he is already.
“I can’t believe the last time we were all here together was Halloween,” she says sadly. “A lot has happened since then.”
I nod.
“Oh, I have to go say hi to Vinny. I’ll be right back.”
While Angie greets her cousin, who is also bartending for us, Brett pulls me outside on the deck.
“Are we all set?” he whispers loudly. “I’m freaking out. Do you think she’s going to say yes?”
I start laughing.
“Of course. Relax.”
He motions for me to follow him. Once we are a good distance away from the French doors, he takes a small box out of his pocket. I gasp when he opens it to show me the beautiful engagement ring.
I squeal in delight. “She’s going to love it.”
He relaxes a little. “You sure?”
“Yes.”
“What are you two up to?” Angie asks.
Both Brett and I jump when we hear her voice. He shoves the box into his pocket.
We both turn around as she slowly wanders over to join us.
“We aren’t up to anything,” I reply. “I was just having a private talk with Brett, reminding him that he better take good care of you for me or else.”
She gives us a skeptical look but doesn’t question me. Whew. That was close.
“Welcome, everyone.”
Alexander is standing in the doorway munching on chips and salsa.
“Look who it is,” Angie says excitedly. She runs over to give him a hug, and Brett is right behind her to shake his hand.
“Since Summer just gave Brett a lecture about taking care of me, it’s my turn.”
She drags Alexander back inside the house. Brett gives me a grateful smile and follows them.
This is crazy; my best friend is about to get engaged. I could stand here and cry or I could go inside and get this party started. I watch Alexander talking to my friends, and he fits in so perfectly. He looks at me and gives me a wink, reminding me of how much I adore him.
The guests slowly trickle in, and it’s a great turnout. Angie and Brett obviously have a lot of friends, so Brett’s going to have quite the audience for his big proposal. The karaoke machine is a huge hit. Angie and Gina don’t waste any time performing several songs. I even join them in singing “I Will Survive.”
Alexander comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Having fun?”
I give him a ki
ss on the cheek. “Yes. I was just thinking that soon I wouldn’t be seeing Angie every day or even every other day. It’s just surreal.”
Alexander nuzzles into my neck. “I understand. But you still have me.”
Before I have a chance to respond, Brett interrupts us.
“I’m ready.”
Suddenly, my adrenaline kicks in and I quietly call all the guests into the living room.
Angie and her cousin just finish a very poor rendition of “I Got You Babe,” when Brett takes the microphone.
Here we go.
Alexander joins me and wraps his arm around me. Brett begins by thanking everyone for coming.
“Angie and I appreciate you all and the roles you’ve played in our lives. We hope we have a lot of visitors in Florida.”
Angie nods in agreement.
“Before we get back to partying, I wanted to say one more thing.” He turns to Angie and grabs both her hands.
“What the hell is happening?” Gina says in my ear.
I shrug my shoulders and give her a knowing look.
“Oh my gosh,” she says, putting her hand to her mouth.
“Angie, I know this was a very difficult decision to leave our lives behind and start fresh. You’ve already made me happier than I could imagine.”
His voice is trembling, and he’s obviously terrified. He drops to one knee, and the guests gasp.
“There’s only one more thing you could do to complete my life and that would be if you agree to marry me.”
Angie is speechless, which I’ve never seen before. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
“Are you kidding? Of course I’ll marry you,” she yells.
The crowd erupts in cheers and applause. There are a few tears shed—some by me.
“That was great. Good for them,” Alexander says, after the crowd begins to disperse.
“I wish them a lot of luck. Marriage can be hard, but it can be fantastic, too.”
Of course, I know he’s referring to his marriage to Helena.
“I’m so happy for them,” I say excitedly.
“Me, too. I’m sure they’ll have a long and successful marriage. Some people aren’t meant to be married, but I have a feeling they’re going to make it.”
Well, that’s interesting. Is he referring to himself and Helena or just himself? Of course, we’ve never talked about marriage at all. It’s much too early in our relationship for that kind of a conversation, and we have other issues to work through before that.
“Summer, you knew about this and didn’t tell me? You know I hate surprises,” Angie squeals. I give her a big hug and congratulate her and Brett.
“Only for a few days,” I say with a giggle. “I would never have been able to keep that to myself for that long. And you have to admit, this surprise was pretty great.”
“Let’s see the rock,” Gina says, interrupting us. She studies Angie’s left hand very carefully for several seconds. “Oh yeah, that’s a good one.”
“You’re moving and engaged,” I say excitedly. “It’s an exciting time for you.”
She pulls me into another tight hug. We both get a little choked up, but before we have a chance to talk about this emotional moment, she’s approached by several of the other guests. I stand back and watch, and I couldn’t be happier for her. Spring has certainly brought her a fresh new start.
~*~*~
As much as I love a good party, I really dislike the cleanup. Alexander, Gina, Vinny, Brett, and Angie all stay to help clean up. Of course, we save the karaoke machine for last.
“Do you see what’s happening over there?” Angie whispers.
I look in the direction she’s pointing and sure enough Gina and Vinny have their heads together and they seem to be in deep discussion.
My mouth drops open. “Whoa. I would have never thought of that.”
Angie’s face falls.
“I can’t believe I’m not going to be here for all of this. You and Alexander are on your way to the next step, and now Gina and Vinny are flirting. I’m going to miss everything.”
I grab her hand and remind her of the gorgeous bling on her finger.
“You’re making a fresh start with the love of your life. Enjoy it.”
She nods. “You will always be my best friend, Summer, no matter how far apart we are.”
I give her a big hug. “Of course.”
“And will you promise me that you will let yourself be happy with Alexander?” she says loudly.
I shush her, but luckily no one is around to hear us.
“I’m trying. Hopefully, we can get everything sorted out with this Melanie situation.”
“It will all work out. I know it,” she insists.
I wish I could be as sure as she is.
Chapter Thirteen
I open my eyes to the sun streaming in the window. For a second, I don’t even know where I am. Suddenly, I remember that after the good-bye party it was so late I ended up staying at Alexander’s.
After I get ready, I wander downstairs to find Alexander sitting on the deck. He’s drinking coffee and working on his laptop.
“Good morning,” he says cheerfully.
Hah! It’s already almost noon. I never sleep this late.
“I’m sorry I slept so late. I guess I needed the rest.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me down to kiss me.
“I’m sure you did. You worked hard on that party.”
I pour myself a cup of coffee and stir in some sugar and cream.
“Are you working?” I ask, pointing at his laptop.
He rolls his eyes.
“Just following up on a few things. I’ll be done soon, and then I’m all yours.”
I hate to ruin another good day but I need to address the elephant in the room. I wish I had his ability to avoid it, but that’s just not me.
“I was hoping we could talk.”
He looks up from his laptop and gets a worried look on his face.
“Okay.”
I try to swallow the lump in my throat.
“I met up with Jake a few days ago, and he told me a few things. First of all, I was right, he and Melanie are not seeing each other. They pretended to be together to try to make us jealous and ultimately break us up.”
Alexander stares at me as if I’m speaking in another language.
“I know it’s hard for you to believe that Melanie is capable of these things, but I assure you she is. Jake also told me that he was still in love with me and that Melanie is in love with you.”
I wait for Alexander to say something . . . anything.
“Please say something.”
“I’m so sorry,” he says sadly.
Okay, that’s something. But what’s he apologizing for?
“I let this get out of hand. I appreciate Melanie for all her service over the years. I guess I never believed it would get to this level.”
“Have you spoken to her since our conversation?” I ask.
He nods.
“She insisted that what happened in Pottery Barn was a misunderstanding. She actually told me she was happy with Jake and things were progressing for them.”
“She was trying to make you jealous,” I interrupt.
Really? A misunderstanding. What kind of hold does she have over him? I have to give her credit because she’s a master manipulator.
“I’ve been so unfair to you, Summer. I promise I will take care of this once and for all. Can I ask just ask one more thing of you?”
I stare at his gorgeous face, and I can see the sincerity in his eyes. Suddenly, Angie’s words play over in my head about letting myself be happy with him.
“Yes.”
“Can you give me a little more time? This is going to be a huge change in my life.”
I don’t say anything.
He pulls his chair over to mine and puts his hands on mine.
“Do you trust my feelings for you?”
Ugh. Of course I do,
but I don’t know if that’s enough.
“I trust that you love me, but I believed Jake loved me, too. I gave him almost two years of my life.”
To Spring with Love: A Novella (Seasons of Summer Novella Series Book 3) Page 7