Desperation of Love by Alice Montalvo-Tribue Page A

night of Victor and Ellie’s wedding. Jordan looked stunning, but as the night progressed, she started to get more and more intoxicated. I took it upon myself to make sure she got home safely. I got her ready for bed, and when I tucked her in, she grabbed my hand and pulled me down to her.
     
    “Don’t leave me, Alex. I don’t want to be alone tonight,” she said, barely above a whisper.
    I hesitated for a minute, unsure if I should stay or go, but she looked so defeated in that moment. “Okay.” I slipped into the bed next to her, pulling her warm body tight against mine. “I’m right here.” I began stroking her hair, letting her know that she wasn’t alone, that she was safe with me. I noticed a few tears sliding down her face. “Hey, what’s the matter, princess. Why are you crying?”
    “I’ll never have what they have.”
    “Who?”
    “Victor and Elle,” she responded with a sob. “She’s so brave. She’s been through so much more than I ever have and she managed to let herself fall in love. She let him into her life and I don’t think I’ll ever be that strong.”
    I’m not sure what to say right away. I realize in that moment that Jordan and I have more in common than I ever thought. I think that maybe my childhood is the reason that I’ve never actually committed myself to anyone. It’s a revelation that I don’t want to think of. I wipe away her tears and stroke her cheek lightly. “Just because she went through more than you doesn’t make your experiences any less meaningful. You will have what they have, trust me,” I say, pulling her deeper into my arms and holding her tightly. I let her cry it out until she finally finds sleep.
     
    That was the moment for me when I knew I had to be a part of her world. Then, she walked out of my life. For four months, I wondered what the hell I did to make her practically vanish. I thought that our conversation that night had embarrassed her, but Jordan doesn’t get embarrassed easily. Now, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even remember that conversation at all, and the real reason she left me at her place alone was because she thought we had drunken, meaningless sex that night. I’ve got to give it to her; Jordan does drama like no one else, but it doesn’t matter. She’s what I want, and for once in my life, I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it.

 
     
    Alex takes me by the hand and leads me into the lounge. It’s bigger than I thought it would be, and it’s packed. He tightens his grip as we make our way through the crowd of people to reach the bar. He pulls me to an available stool and instructs me to sit, while he stands behind me and places his hands on the bar, effectively caging me in as he orders our drinks. I can tell it’s his way of staking his claim to me, letting every man in our general vicinity know that I’m taken. It’s kind of a Neanderthal move on his part but I like it. What does that say about me? I turn around in my stool until my back is to the bar. I casually slip my arms around his waist and tilt my head up to look at him. He really is all kinds of sexy. His cool confidence easily draws me to him.
    “How did you hear about this place?” I ask.
    He smiles down at me. “A buddy of mine from the gym.”
    “Well, I like it,” I say, taking a look around.
    He brings his mouth down to my ear and tugs at it with his teeth, making a familiar warmth pool in the pit of my stomach. “You want to go dance, princess?”
    “Yes.”
    Alex grabs my hand and pulls me off the stool, leading me through the crowd and onto the middle of the dance floor. He wraps his hand around my waist and starts to move us to the bass-filled beat that’s invading the space. My arms go up around his neck and I match his movements, feeling the rhythm vibrating through me as we sway to the music. It’s an uncontrolled, heavy beat, and the combination of the music and Alex’s hands on me, his breath in my hair, his close proximity