What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love) (38 page)

             
“Everything around here is
booked.
I checked, believe
me,
I checked. It’s one night,
so
we’ll quietly sneak through and get into the
room, and no one
will see us.”
I knew that
the
no one
he was referring to
was Alex. I
nodded
and laid
my head on Derek’s chest as we
walked
down the hall. The first
security guard checked our keys and allowed us through. We mad
e it to the room without incident.

             
Once
inside,
Derek ordered
wine and a few snacks. I walk
ed to my room and threw on a
pair of boxers and a tank top. I wash
ed my face and took
my hair
down,
only to throw it into a ponytail.  I walk
ed
out to the living roo
m area of the suite and Derek was
in a pair of gy
m shorts and a t-shirt. He looked
relaxed. “So are we doing drama, action
,
or comedy tonight?”

             
“Well, I think I’ve had enough drama of my
own,
so let’s go with comedy.” My mind was in need of something easy and light. I didn’t want to think and I needed a good laugh.

             
We agreed on a movie and room service came with the wine and a few appetizers. I couldn’t eat, but Derek had no trouble polishing them off.
While Derek
ate,
I filled him in on the conversations with my mother and Lexi. He seemed happy that I at least mended those relationships.
I mus
t have fallen asleep sometime during
the
movie,
because I woke when Derek was placing me in my bed. I grabbed at Derek, “Please stay here tonight, I don’t want to be alone.” Derek didn’t say
anything, as
he stripped of his shirt and crawled
in to
be with me. I was back asleep in no time.

             
I
awoke, feeling
panic or dread. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and saw Alex at the door. I thought maybe I was dreaming, but with the look on his
face,
it was not a dream. He never had worn a face of anger in my dreams, but one of passion and need.

             
“Is this why you ignored all my calls, because you came back and slept with Derek?” At the so
und of Alex’s
voice,
Derek
awoke
and sat up in bed too. He looked
pissed
at
seeing Alex in front of us. I was still so shocked
that
he was in the room
that I couldn’t speak.

             
“What the fuck
are you doing in here?” Derek was
pissed.
He
threw the covers off and climbed off the bed. He reached down and pulled
on his shirt.

             
“Don’t get dressed for me,
because I’m
clearly interrupting something.”  I then hear
d
the door to the suite ope
n and Sam appeared
by Alex.

             
“I’m so
sorry, Abby.
He
found out from the hotel that he was paying for another room and figured
out
I
had
reserved it for you. He demanded that security let h
im in to talk to you.” She looked
upset
. H
er eyes travel
ed
back and forth from Derek
to me
and she looked
a bit panicked.

             
“Get the fuck
out!
She
doesn’t want to see you.”
Derek spat at Alex. Alex balled his hands into fists and walked
towards Derek.

             
“Stop,
stop
it, I can’t take this anymore.” I didn’t even
know
the words
left
my mouth. Derek and Alex stop
ped
and look
ed at me. I thre
w the blankets off and walk
ed
over in between them. “You
have no right to be
here,
” I said
, looking
at Alex. “If you think I would run back here and sleep with
Derek,
then you don’t know
me very well
and I don’t want to know you. Derek was left picking up the pieces of my life and sanity again. He’s the reason I was even here last night. I wouldn’t have come and after seeing you after the
show,
I wish I hadn’t.
If
anything,
you should thank him for the second chance he offered you, the chance you blew all on your own. There is nothing else to say,
so
leave.” I said it so
sternly
and
firmly,
I actually surprised myself. Alex’s body
deflated;
he looked exhausted and beat up.

             
“I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have done anything with
her,
Abby. She sat on my lap and I
reached
for her to get her off. That is what you saw. I didn’t want her there. Give me a
minute,
please
.
I can’t sleep, I can’t think, please give me a minute to talk to you
.
”

             
I couldn’t speak,
so
I
just
shook my head no. I couldn’t, I wouldn
’t be left
alone
with
him,
because
all my sense of reasoning
would leave
me
with only
pure desire
remaining
an
d that desire
was
want. Sam stepped forward and told
the g
uys to leave the room. She shut the door behind
them, walked over,
and wrapped
me in a hug. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t how last night was supposed to go. I tried calling you last night to explain everything, but you didn’t
answer. Of course,
I don’t blame you.” I look
ed
at
Sam.
Her
eyes show
ed
pain and I
didn’t
know why.

             
“Sam, I can’t. I can’t think when
I’m
with him and I need to have
the
ability to say
no, which is an
ability
I los
e whenever I am with him.” I said
it
so
quietly;
I was surprised she could
hear me.

             
“Do you think that I would allow him to even talk to you if he did what you think
he did
last
night?
God, after you
left,
I thought he was going to kill the guys.
He punched
Johnny,
because he was the one who told the girl to sit on his lap. Right now, I’m not even sure
there’s
a band left. He walked out on
them last night. We are expected
to fly back to California today. Alex told them
that
he was done.”
I looked at her shocked from what she just
said.
I had just assumed that Alex was with the girl and planned on being with the girl. “Listen, this isn’t my place, but he didn’t sleep last night.
He’s
hurting, you are hurting, and it really can’t hurt anymore to talk to him.” She was right, my heart was completely shattered last night and it
couldn’t
possibly hurt anymore.

             
“Fine, but I can’t talk to him in any room
where
there is a bed. Take Derek to
breakfast and
I’ll talk to Alex in the living room area. I’m going to jump in the shower and get dressed. Tell Alex to wait out there. I don’t think anything will change though.” Sam
leaned
in, kissed my che
e
k,
and wrapped
me in a hug.

             
“Deal, I’ll go tell Derek to change and Alex to make him self cozy on the couch.”  Sam
smiled
at
me as she reached
the door. “Hey, if you need us back, text us, we’ll only be in the lobby.”
She left
and I let out a deep breath. I sat on the
bed,
trying to gather my thoughts. I final
ly jump
ed
into the shower and thre
w on a pair of shorts and tank
, putting my hair in a ponytail
. I packed a sundress for today, but I wasn’t wearing it for this conversation.

             
I
left
the bedroom and noticed it was really quiet in the suite. I thought maybe
everyone,
including Alex left, but when I entered the living room
area,
he was standing b
y the window looking out onto DC. I didn’t say
anything, just watched
him.
He
had on a pair of fitted
dark
jeans,
flip-flops
and an AC/DC vintage tee. The muscles under his shirt were noticeable and I had to remind myself to
breathe
and stay strong. Alex must have felt my
presence,
because he turned and looked right at me. “I ordered coffee and some breakfast. I hope you don’t mind.” I rea
lized I hadn’t had any coffee
this morning
and
without
coffee,
I didn’t know if I could
get into this conversation
.
I needed coffee to help clear my head and to fully wake up.

             
“I don’t mind, thanks.” I walked over to the sitting chair. I couldn’t sit on the
couch,
knowing Alex would probably try to sit with me. I sat
down,
brought my feet up next to my butt and
wrapped
my arms around my legs, resting my chin on knees.  Alex walked over to me and knelt in front of me. He leaned his forehead on my legs and just that touch was enough to make me
become
completely undone
with desire
.
I wanted him touching more of me, but knew it wasn’t an option. I
began
to
second-guess
the decision to talk to him in the room. I started to
tense, but I
didn’t
know if Alex felt it, because he left his head there. Neither of us said anything until there was a knock at the door. Alex rose and let the waiter in with the food cart.

             
When the waiter
left,
Alex finally spoke.
“
Come,
have a seat. I’ll pour you some coffee and we can eat. I’ll talk and you can listen. If you want to talk you can.”

             
I rose and walked over to the table. “I only want
coffee.
I’m not hungry.” Alex let out a
sigh
, but didn’t argue with me. He poured my coffee and placed it in front of me.
I picked it
up,
taking a big sip and closing my eyes to enjoy the first morning sip
fully
.

             
“I miss you. I miss talking to
you.
I miss hearing about your day with the girls and your voice. I wake up wanting to call just so I can hear it. Abby, you have no clue what
you’ve
done to me.”

             
I
stopped
him from
continuing.
“Alex, you barely know me. You
’ve known
me
for
a few weeks.
We had great sex, but you don’t
know me.” In
reality,
he didn’t know me. How can you really know someone in the time that we spent together? “You have an idea of me. Things that you
know
paired with ideas you put in your head about me. Just
as
I did
with
you, and look how wrong I
was
with you on all my assumptions. So, what makes you think that you are right on any of the assumptions
you’ve
made about me?”