Chapter 99

Taking in a deep breath, “I’m in love with Alex Thompson” I choke on my food and Adam whips his head around to me but I’m staring with saucers as eyes at the screen and my mouth hanging open unattractively.

“I’ve been in love with her since I first met her. So.... On that note, I’m sorry but I’ve got to leave to go see her.” He stands up and removes the microphone from himself and proceeds to walk off camera.

“What the fuck?” Kyle stands up raging and stares at me with all his might. I cover Adam’s ears but it’s too late.

Cole takes the kids inside the living room not without a protest from them. I’m still staring at the floating screen on the wall.

Oh my god. He just told the whole world he’s in love with me.

With me. Alex Thompson.

What the hell is he thinking?

Holy crap.

“Finally!” I hear a load of voices at once. People laughing except for Kyle and Wes. They do not look pleased at all. I’m sitting here in shock that he had the balls to do that.

“What the fuck do you all mean finally! You’ve all known this?” Kyle roars, making my mom stand over to his side to calm him down.

“Kyle sweetie, we could all see he’s been in love with your sister for years. You were just too caught up in your own world to realize your best friend loves Alex.”

Hearing that I slip out of the house and make a run towards my safe haven. This cannot be happening? I hear my name being called from behind me and I run towards the only place I’m allowed to think freely, with nobody around.

The lighthouse.

It was a quick run thanks to my mind going into overdrive. Panting and sweating, I reach the large green rusted door of the lighthouse and proceed to climb up the winding metal stairs until I reach the top.

Out of breath and needing to sit down somewhere to catch it back. I look out onto the bay seeing ships and boats zooming around the water making a white trail behind it.

Hearing the light laughter out at sea. I inhale to relax my heart rate.

Gripping the old rough railings with broken green paint that has fallen off onto the ground.

He’s in love with me?

Why? Why now?

I unknowingly shuffle around in circles at the top of the lighthouse.

“Why couldn’t I see it?” I ask myself hoping to hear my granddads voice. Right now I could use him here with me.

Sitting across the large concave windows I watch the ocean whisper my memories of when I was here with him.

He used to take me down to the bottom of the lighthouse where the rocks were so I could see the trapped fish and crabs. I would collect the pebbles and stones so I could bring them back and paint them.

I have a collection of the ones he and I painted together. Ones with our names and pictures that we painted.

I love reminiscing about him.

“I could really use you here right now Pop. Knox just told everyone that he’s in love with me... I don’t know what to say to him.....

I knew I fell for him yesterday when we were alone watching the sunrise..... talking about you.... when I stared into those blue haunting eyes of his, I knew I was in trouble. But I don’t get why he’s in love with me?

He could have any girl in the entire world and he says that on live TV. What would you say if you were here?”

“He would tell you he already knew-”

Hearing that soft creamy voice behind me I froze. How did he know I’d be here? I slowly stand up and turn to face this handsome guy standing across the other side of the lighthouse.

“I told him before he passed away. I told him I was in love with you baby doll. But he knew, he watched me all those years admiring you. He caught me too many times staring at you.

Smiling at you. Secretly loving you from a distance. He knew.” He allows the softest smile to rest on his red lips.

“How did you know I’d be here?” I ask him quietly.

Sending me an even bigger smile over the twirled steps leading up to the top.

“Alex, I know you. You always spoke about this place. It was either here or his grave, but my mom told me you left the car at the house and ran. So I figured you’d be here”

Both of us are stationary and watching each other. My heart kicks up a notch and begins to act like an animal out in the wild. Unpredictable.

Feeling my heart beat wildly inside me pumping an unfamiliar feeling around my body. Filling energy around my veins. There’s a silence while he waits for me to say something. I don’t know what to say.

“I knew you’d run” he continues but stays planted with his hands in his pockets. Studying me.

“What can I say? I’m a runner” I shrug my shoulders looking out through the curvature of the windows once more. Hearing a soft chuckle from him, I smile at my joke.

I can faintly hear the waves crashing down below us and I feel a small draft of the warm air seeping through the cracks of the old lighthouse. Blowing my hair uncontrollably around my face and into the open air.

Feeling my chest tightening at the sight of him when I turn my head back to meet his heated gaze “Did you mean it-”

“Every word” he interrupts knowing what I was going to say. “Alex, I’m so in love with you. I have been in love with you since we first met. You were it when you sat next to me.

Your first words to me. Our first kiss. Our second kiss. That time when you kissed me back at Christmas. Our first date. When we made love to each other back in New York.

I fell harder and harder for you each day. You’re my first and only love” seeing him gulp down the lump in his throat making me copy him.

I all of a sudden feel the dryness inside my mouth. I lick my lips to try to help it, but I avail to no success.

“But why did you get back with Lauren? Knox, you really hurt me” I say timidly like I’m afraid to hear his answer. He sighs looking up at the ceiling then dropping his eyes back on me.

“Lauren blackmailed me into dating her again. When I said I did it to protect you. I meant it baby doll.

She had pictures of you... naked pictures and she threatened me to stay dating her and possibly make her my girlfriend or she would release them.

When you said that she was the girl Drew cheated on you with, it all made sense how she got those photos of you. I’ve handled it with my lawyers. She won’t expose you.

My team has wiped the photos clear with the help of a judge’s warrant to seize the revenge porn evidence. I told her to never bother me or you again and I won’t press any charges.

I regret not being able to do it all sooner, baby doll. You’re safe, the photos don’t exist anymore, even the copies Drew had”

I nod shifting my weight to my other foot. I exhale feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I thank him making eye contact with him from a distance.

Maintaining the staring competition I feel my body start to sweat and my heart race. All this happening by him staring at me. I feel like I’m about to burst. The adrenaline is all too much for my small body.

The realization hits me like a moving train. Feeling my cheeks flush red.

I love him.

I love Knox Carter.

I’m so in love with him.

I want him to be mine and I to be his.

I never would’ve thought I’d be in this position. Not in a million years. I’m the girl he wants. I’m the girl he loves. And he’s the guy I love. He’s my one. The one.

My heart is telling me this and my body agrees with my heart. But my head is telling me he’ll hurt me again.

“What if I get hurt again?” I ask him biting on my lower lip. I’m scared. Scared of being cheated on again. “Knox I can’t get hurt again” I plead softly over the barrier separating us.

“I promise baby doll. I will never, ever cheat on you, so stop running away from me. I love you too much to mess it all up again. Nobody will come between us ever again.

I’m not saying I won’t hurt you, but I will try everything in my power not to... I know this; it’s not going to be easy. No relationship is smooth sailing. But I promise I will commit one hundred percent to you, Alex.

You will get all of me. I love you too much to let you go again. You’re not slipping from my grip ever again. I won’t let you” he demands confidently.

The tone he emits catches my attention back on him from my fidgeting hands.

I love him. I really love this man standing in front of me. I need to take this risk or I’ll regret it. I know I will.

Looking back and forth between him and the sea. The smile that was nonexistent begins to slowly appear on my face at the thought of his words. I feel my legs move slowly towards him around the bend.

Looking at him deep in his eyes. I pick up my pace and start to run to him. No more running away. He takes his hands out of his pockets and I launch myself at him.

Kissing the life out of him. He kisses me back with everything he’s got. Gripping the back of my head, our tongues meet in the middle. Caressing each other I run my hands through his hair messing it up a little.

Missing the feeling of our bodies touching. Our lips touched. I miss the warmth he used to send me.

God, I’m so in love with him.