coaxed, getting up to throw another log on the fire.
She watched him with appreciation. He was easy on the eyes. “Do we have to?”
“Yes. I need to know what I’m up against.” He returned to her side and grabbed his coffee mug.
“Two years ago I was expecting an engagement ring for Christmas and got dumped. That’s the short of it.” Alex attempted to keep all emotion from her voice.
“You realize Christmas had nothing to do with it, right?”
“Of course, but everything about Christmas reminds me…”
“Go on. Reminds you of what?”
“I don’t like discussing this with you.”
“If you’re going to let go of the past you need to confront it.”
“Are you a shrink too?” She attempted to lighten the mood.
“You’re changing the subject,” Zach accused.
“I’m trying to, but you won’t let me.” She thought back to that day, running it through her mind before sharing it with him. “My parents are wealthy and always have a huge Christmas Eve party. They live in New York. It’s a big social event I dread every year, but I always cave. He flew home with me. I stayed with my parents, but he insisted on staying at a hotel. Owen never showed up, never called. I called his cell phone a zillion times, but he never picked up. I thought something happened to him.” Alex drifted back to that night—the music, the dancing…she could still see the lighted Christmas tree and the all familiar dread returned to the pit of her stomach.
Zach remained silent.
She swallowed to clear a lump in her throat. “I cried myself to sleep watching the snow fall outside my window. I waited to hear from him all day. He finally called Christmas night and asked to see me. I was sure this was the night he was going to ask me. He didn’t even pick me up. He sent a limo to take me to a restaurant where he waited. I thought he was being romantic. God, I was so stupid.” She sighed.
“No, Lexie, you weren’t the stupid one.”
She glanced at him before going back in time. Alex could still visualize Owen turning toward her with a look of pity. That’s what she hated the most, the humiliation. “Owen told me there, on Christmas, we were done. He had fallen in love with his co-star. He had been with her Christmas Eve.” Alex looked directly into Zach’s eyes. “I hate Christmas because that’s when my life fell apart.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “No, honey, that’s when your life began. The lie ended. Change sometimes hurts. Some of the best things that ever happened to me hurt the worst.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t raised by loving parents. They didn’t love each other and they didn’t care about me. But, it made me who I am now. I was determined to show them I’d be somebody, but then somewhere along the line that quit mattering. I wanted to be the best I could be for me. I learned early on what I didn’t want in a relationship. I had perfect role models for that. I want to marry my best friend.” He stroked her cheek. “You didn’t end up with him because you deserve more.” They were both silent for a minute before he continued. “Why did you come here, really?”
“To finish the last book of the series, which leads to the last movie I’m contracted for. The sooner I get it done, the sooner Owen Banks is out of my life for good.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you still love the guy. You’re here to avoid the memories. You can’t hide from Christmas forever. I wish I would have met you first.”
He wasn’t angry when he said it. Sadness filled his voice.
“I’m not in love with him,” she denied.
“Okay, so maybe not him, but the idea of what you thought your life was going to be. You had it planned out, didn’t you?”
Her lips parted in protest, but he was right. She planned everything. “When he was here I felt nothing for him.”
“Honestly?” he challenged.
“You’re right. I did have feelings…anger
She watched him with appreciation. He was easy on the eyes. “Do we have to?”
“Yes. I need to know what I’m up against.” He returned to her side and grabbed his coffee mug.
“Two years ago I was expecting an engagement ring for Christmas and got dumped. That’s the short of it.” Alex attempted to keep all emotion from her voice.
“You realize Christmas had nothing to do with it, right?”
“Of course, but everything about Christmas reminds me…”
“Go on. Reminds you of what?”
“I don’t like discussing this with you.”
“If you’re going to let go of the past you need to confront it.”
“Are you a shrink too?” She attempted to lighten the mood.
“You’re changing the subject,” Zach accused.
“I’m trying to, but you won’t let me.” She thought back to that day, running it through her mind before sharing it with him. “My parents are wealthy and always have a huge Christmas Eve party. They live in New York. It’s a big social event I dread every year, but I always cave. He flew home with me. I stayed with my parents, but he insisted on staying at a hotel. Owen never showed up, never called. I called his cell phone a zillion times, but he never picked up. I thought something happened to him.” Alex drifted back to that night—the music, the dancing…she could still see the lighted Christmas tree and the all familiar dread returned to the pit of her stomach.
Zach remained silent.
She swallowed to clear a lump in her throat. “I cried myself to sleep watching the snow fall outside my window. I waited to hear from him all day. He finally called Christmas night and asked to see me. I was sure this was the night he was going to ask me. He didn’t even pick me up. He sent a limo to take me to a restaurant where he waited. I thought he was being romantic. God, I was so stupid.” She sighed.
“No, Lexie, you weren’t the stupid one.”
She glanced at him before going back in time. Alex could still visualize Owen turning toward her with a look of pity. That’s what she hated the most, the humiliation. “Owen told me there, on Christmas, we were done. He had fallen in love with his co-star. He had been with her Christmas Eve.” Alex looked directly into Zach’s eyes. “I hate Christmas because that’s when my life fell apart.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “No, honey, that’s when your life began. The lie ended. Change sometimes hurts. Some of the best things that ever happened to me hurt the worst.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t raised by loving parents. They didn’t love each other and they didn’t care about me. But, it made me who I am now. I was determined to show them I’d be somebody, but then somewhere along the line that quit mattering. I wanted to be the best I could be for me. I learned early on what I didn’t want in a relationship. I had perfect role models for that. I want to marry my best friend.” He stroked her cheek. “You didn’t end up with him because you deserve more.” They were both silent for a minute before he continued. “Why did you come here, really?”
“To finish the last book of the series, which leads to the last movie I’m contracted for. The sooner I get it done, the sooner Owen Banks is out of my life for good.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you still love the guy. You’re here to avoid the memories. You can’t hide from Christmas forever. I wish I would have met you first.”
He wasn’t angry when he said it. Sadness filled his voice.
“I’m not in love with him,” she denied.
“Okay, so maybe not him, but the idea of what you thought your life was going to be. You had it planned out, didn’t you?”
Her lips parted in protest, but he was right. She planned everything. “When he was here I felt nothing for him.”
“Honestly?” he challenged.
“You’re right. I did have feelings…anger
Similar Books
