Read Online Starting Over by Cheryl Douglas - Free Book Online Page B

allow that. “Any other
suggestions?”
    “Do whatever it
takes to prove to her that you’re willing to put her first this
time.”
    Alex looked at
his friend, wondering if he was ready to hear the truth. “Was I
really that bad? I mean, if you were in my situation, do you think
Ani would have left you?”
    “Hell
yeah!”
    “Thanks a lot,”
Alex muttered.
    James leaned
forward. “It wasn’t just your crazy hours or the travel. It was the
fact that you weren’t ready to start a family or…”
    “Or what?”
    “Man, there’s
no easy way to say this,” James said, grimacing. “Your wife’s been
unhappy for a long time. You were just too wrapped up in your own
shit to see it.”
    “She said
something to you guys?” Alex had been too blind to see the signs
before it was too late.
    “She didn’t
have to. We saw it in her eyes every time she babysat for us. It
was like her heart was breaking, wishing she could have the life we
had.”
    Alex would have
been hurt less if his friend had hit him. “I can’t listen to this
right now.” He stood up. He needed to get out of the office and as
far away from his friend’s accusations as he could.
    “You have to.”
James stepped in front of Alex. “I’d want you to tell me the truth
no matter how hard it was to hear.”
    “Yeah, well I’m
not you.” Alex just wanted to put the situation out of his mind for
a while. Taking a ride on his motorcycle always helped him to clear
his head, but all he could think about was the memory of Eve’s arms
wrapped around his waist as she whispered what naughty things she
intended to do to him when they got home. Every part of his life
held memories of her. With no place to go and nowhere to escape, he
decided to let his friend do his worst. He wanted to be with Eve,
but since he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone else’s
company. Not even his own. “Fine, whatever you have to say, say it
and then get out. I want to be alone.”
    “Man, I don’t
even know where to start.” James ran a hand over his graying
goatee. “I should have come to you before, but Ani told me we
shouldn’t get involved.”
    “Just say it
already.”
    “You need to be
the man she married, the man you were when she met you.”
    “What the hell
are you talking about? I’m still that guy.”
    “No, you’re
not,” James said, shaking his head. “You’re nothing like the Alex
Bolton I met in college. That guy knew how to have a good time. He
talked about traveling the world and—”
    “I have
traveled the world,” he said, feeling the need to defend
himself.
    “Yeah, on
business. You’ve seen hotel rooms, airports, and board rooms in
every country. But have you ever seen the Eiffel Tower or made it
to the top of Kilimanjaro? Man, what the hell happened to your dreams? Remember the things we used to talk about when
we were young and stupid and ready to make our mark on the
world?”
    Alex hadn’t
thought about those things in so long, he’d almost forgotten them.
Maybe life was easier that way. “I grew up and so did you. You’re a
father now. You can’t take the crazy risks we used to talk about
back in the day. Your family needs you.”
    “You’re right.”
Standing toe-to-toe with him, looking him in the eye, James said,
“And you have no one. So what’s your excuse?”
    Alex was
tempted to punch him in the face, to get into it the way they used
to when they were young and reckless, but James was right. Beating
the hell out of him wouldn’t change that. “You came by today to
make me feel like shit? Mission accomplished. Feel better?”
    “No, I feel
worse.” James sighed and stepped back. “I love you like a brother,
and I hate to see you so miserable. Just like I hated to see Eve so
unhappy in a loveless marriage.”
    “Don’t say
that!” Alex shouted, shoving him hard. “I love her, goddamn it! And
she loves me too!”
    “How do you
know that?”
    “She told me!”
His temper was erupting, and James was