smiled.
Angie was not impressed. “It is cloak and dagger Hussein, even if you do own the building,” she told him tartly.
“Why are you leaving?” he asked suddenly.
“Ah, my return ticket is for today.”
“What about Alex?” There was no smile on his face now.
Angie stared at her hands which had somehow formed a knot without her noticing. “I haven’t seen him. He didn’t come to say goodbye.” Her voice cracked then, but she cleared her throat and fought down the tears that were already hovering on the surface.
“He told me about your husband.”
“Ah.”
“And that you’re afraid to trust.”
“It’s…it’s more complex than that. If Alex left me, I don’t know what I would do. It would kill me.”
“So you’re leaving him instead.”
“I have no guarantee that he won’t leave me.”
“There are no guarantees in life Angie. It’s all a risk. Life is a risk and it’s trusting people that helps us through.”
Angie didn’t expect him to understand. She knew about risk and life and the pain, the hurt that went along with both. She had lost too many people in her life. First her dad, then her mom and finally, Michael. Even though she knew now that she’d never had him to begin with. Still, she wasn’t prepared to go through that again. And she wasn’t leaving Alex, not really. She just needed to be gone before they started anything. The pain in her heart said they’d already started a lot, but she refused to heed it.
“Do you love him?”
Angie stared at the man who looked so much like Alex but was not him. She didn’t know how to answer his question. Did she love Alex? She loved him so much she had no idea how she was going to face the rest of her life without him. Dear Lord, just the thought of it was tearing her apart. She felt like her heart was splitting in two and there was nothing she could do about it. Suddenly the pain was too much for her and she doubled over and began to heave, dry sobs racking her body. This was ten - no, a hundred - times worse than losing Michael and this time around she had no one to blame but herself.
She felt enveloped in the tangy scent of cologne before strong arms came around her. Hussein held her as she wept like her life was over. He murmured soft, comforting words to her until she finally stopped shaking.
“Should I take you to him?” he asked softly handing her the box of tissue that magically appeared.
Angie just nodded and leaned against the seat, inhaling the scent of leather while he spoke into the receiver beside him. She was scared and she still wasn’t sure if she could trust her judgment and her heart, but she trusted Alex totally. That would have to do for now because the thought of losing him wasn’t something she was willing to contemplate. Even if she had to beg and grovel, she would do whatever it took to get him to look at her again like she was the only woman in his world.
***
“I’ll leave you here.”
Angie turned to Hussein in alarm. He’d brought her all the way to Port Klang and had led her onto a very beautiful sailboat, where he said Alex was hanging out. After her crying spell, he’d entertained her with stories about him and Alex when they were younger. By the time they had stopped at the wharf, she had come to the conclusion that Hussein Farhadi wasn’t all that bad. He still was an arrogant playboy, but he had a lot of redeeming qualities. She faced him now, strangely nervous about the thought of facing Alex alone. “You won’t stay just a little while?”
He cast a wry smile at her and lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ears in a gesture so reminiscent of Alex that she caught her breath. “I think you’ll do better by yourself,” he said gently. “You should find him in the Captain’s cabin, below deck.”
She nodded and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Hussein. Regardless of how this goes, I’ll never forget your friendship.” She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his
Angie was not impressed. “It is cloak and dagger Hussein, even if you do own the building,” she told him tartly.
“Why are you leaving?” he asked suddenly.
“Ah, my return ticket is for today.”
“What about Alex?” There was no smile on his face now.
Angie stared at her hands which had somehow formed a knot without her noticing. “I haven’t seen him. He didn’t come to say goodbye.” Her voice cracked then, but she cleared her throat and fought down the tears that were already hovering on the surface.
“He told me about your husband.”
“Ah.”
“And that you’re afraid to trust.”
“It’s…it’s more complex than that. If Alex left me, I don’t know what I would do. It would kill me.”
“So you’re leaving him instead.”
“I have no guarantee that he won’t leave me.”
“There are no guarantees in life Angie. It’s all a risk. Life is a risk and it’s trusting people that helps us through.”
Angie didn’t expect him to understand. She knew about risk and life and the pain, the hurt that went along with both. She had lost too many people in her life. First her dad, then her mom and finally, Michael. Even though she knew now that she’d never had him to begin with. Still, she wasn’t prepared to go through that again. And she wasn’t leaving Alex, not really. She just needed to be gone before they started anything. The pain in her heart said they’d already started a lot, but she refused to heed it.
“Do you love him?”
Angie stared at the man who looked so much like Alex but was not him. She didn’t know how to answer his question. Did she love Alex? She loved him so much she had no idea how she was going to face the rest of her life without him. Dear Lord, just the thought of it was tearing her apart. She felt like her heart was splitting in two and there was nothing she could do about it. Suddenly the pain was too much for her and she doubled over and began to heave, dry sobs racking her body. This was ten - no, a hundred - times worse than losing Michael and this time around she had no one to blame but herself.
She felt enveloped in the tangy scent of cologne before strong arms came around her. Hussein held her as she wept like her life was over. He murmured soft, comforting words to her until she finally stopped shaking.
“Should I take you to him?” he asked softly handing her the box of tissue that magically appeared.
Angie just nodded and leaned against the seat, inhaling the scent of leather while he spoke into the receiver beside him. She was scared and she still wasn’t sure if she could trust her judgment and her heart, but she trusted Alex totally. That would have to do for now because the thought of losing him wasn’t something she was willing to contemplate. Even if she had to beg and grovel, she would do whatever it took to get him to look at her again like she was the only woman in his world.
***
“I’ll leave you here.”
Angie turned to Hussein in alarm. He’d brought her all the way to Port Klang and had led her onto a very beautiful sailboat, where he said Alex was hanging out. After her crying spell, he’d entertained her with stories about him and Alex when they were younger. By the time they had stopped at the wharf, she had come to the conclusion that Hussein Farhadi wasn’t all that bad. He still was an arrogant playboy, but he had a lot of redeeming qualities. She faced him now, strangely nervous about the thought of facing Alex alone. “You won’t stay just a little while?”
He cast a wry smile at her and lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ears in a gesture so reminiscent of Alex that she caught her breath. “I think you’ll do better by yourself,” he said gently. “You should find him in the Captain’s cabin, below deck.”
She nodded and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Hussein. Regardless of how this goes, I’ll never forget your friendship.” She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his
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