Page 84 (1/2)

Soer drains from Alex’s face, and he reaches out to place his hands onin, he looksa lot I know you are too That’s what happens when two people who love each other and don’t have any sane reason for being apart keep the my hands up and clasp them onto Alex’s wrists "It’s not that simple I had to cut Garrett loose"

"You had to cut him loose?" Alex asks me incredulously as he releases his hold His eyes flash hot again "Garrett filled me in on your asinine ideas About how you overheard hi to Stevie, and how you don’t want hi happened to you, yada, yada, yada"

His voice sounds bored…and he’s…he’s…ht of s," I snap at him "You don’t knohat it’s like to be in my shoes and have to deal with this shit"

Alex shakes his head, co…I may not knohat it’s like to have cancer, but I do knohat it’s like to be in love, and there isn’t anything better You gave that up because it got too hard for you"

"I gave Garrett up because I care about him I love him and I don’t want him to be destroyed by me down the road I did it for him"

"Oh, bullshit, Olivia," Alex snarls at me…which is actually a bit scary, and I lean back on the stool to try to distance myself from the venom in his voice "You did it for you…because you’re too afraid to let someone in all the way You disrespected Garrett and des for you You made a unilateral decision, and I’m here to tell you, honey…it was a bad decision"

I openco fish, but no words of wisdo in stunned silence after Alex’s harsh words

Taking a deep breath, Alex lets it out slowly, and he gives me a small smile "Look…I didn’t coive you some perspective"

"And what perspective would that be that I haven’t already considered?" I don’t ask this defensively, but with genuine curiosity, becausetoabout all this

"Do you truly understand how ed since he h hundreds of memories I’ve built with him over the past months, all the complete antithesis to the ed for the better afteryou, because that’s what love does to you It happened tothat ith and fortitude he has shown I don’t know of any other man that would have done what he’s done…stood by your side, ht this"

"I know," I whisper with shame Shame that I took all that fro You need to let hith to you You took away his decision to fight this out with you…you weakened hiness to talk this through You showed no respect or honor for what he’s done for you already, and you should be ashamed"