behind him. I nip his neck with a soft kiss and breathe in the spice of his cologne. In an instant, the gray lifts, and I’m catapulted into a realm of euphoric joy.
God, he makes me so happy.
He holds me tightly in his arms, the scruff of his five o’clock shadow bristling my cheek when he whispers gruffly in my ear, “I plan on pouring this entire bottle of champagne over your naked bo—”
“Tori,” Brooke snaps, driving bliss into a dark hole.
Alec and I unwrap ourselves from each other as she glares at us with her arms folded across her chest.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was coming.”
She walks over to the desk and snatches up her laptop. “I don’t want any part of this.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You already are a part of this.”
“It’s one thing for us to talk about him,” she says, directing her arm toward Alec. “But I don’t want it thrown in my face when your husband is—”
“Don’t go there!” I yell.
Alec sets the bottle down on the coffee table and takes a step toward Brooke, saying, “I never would’ve come if I had known you were here, and I can assure you that Victoria didn’t mean to throw us in your face. She was just excited to see me.”
Brooke’s eyes are practically glazed in acid and disgust as she glowers at Alec, and I can’t take the disrespect. “Stop looking at him like that.”
“He calls you Victoria?” she ridicules.
“You have no reason to not like him. You want to hate him because you don’t know him, but I’m the one you should hate.”
“He knows you’re married! Don’t act like he’s innocent in all this.”
“You’re right,” Alec says to her. “I’m not innocent. I’m just as guilty as she is.”
“Why are you guys doing this?”
“I love him,” I defend. “Eventually you’re going to have to get to know him, because I can’t keep hiding him as if he doesn’t exist.”
Brooke shakes her head, and I’m torn between the two of them. I hate that I’m hurting her, especially in her fragile state. The last thing she needs is to be getting angry with her due date right around the corner.
“Landon is one of my best friends,” she says, sticking up for the man who doesn’t have a voice in this since I’ve blinded him from the truth that lurks right under his nose.
I’m a monster.
But I won’t defend another man in front Alec. I won’t disrespect him like that, so I keep the focus on the here and now. “Alec’s a good guy too. You keep telling me and assuring me that I’m not a bad person, that I’m just making bad choices. With me, you’re forgiving. Why is Alec any different?”
“I don’t know. It just is.”
“It’s fine,” he tells me before turning his attention to Brooke. “Put it all on me because she’s been through enough this past year, and I refuse to allow her to carry this burden on her back any longer. You want to hate me because it’s easier? Then hate me. Blame me. Take it all out on me because there’s nothing I won’t do to protect her from any more heartache.”
“You want to protect her?” Brooke sneers, stepping up to him. “Then leave her alone.”
Alec turns to me. “Is that you want?”
“No.” My answer is firm when I walk to stand by his side.
Brooke keeps her focus on me. With sadness in her eyes and anger on her tongue, she seethes, “I’m so mad at you.” Her strong façade cracks, and a tear fights its way down her cheek.
I don’t respond, because what can I possibly say? I love Brooke and I hate that I’m hurting her again. I hate all of this and wish I could make it all go away, but that’s no longer a possibility. This has spun too far out of control that it’s past the point of stopping. I’ve fallen for another man, and now I have to carefully calculate how to end things with Landon without him finding out about this affair until we’re officially done. The last thing I want is a bitter divorce even though I know I deserve it.
Brooke pushes past us and walks out, leaving Alec to mend the unmendable. But somehow, he manages, because that’s how powerful he is—he’s a force to reckon with. He’s the antidote that intoxicates and heals, refusing to let me break. Licking my wounds, he frees me of guilt and misery and