Goodbye Isn't Forever (18 page)

Kate
raised up from her nap on the couch.  She rubbed her eyes and looked
around sleepily.  Gaddy dozed on the mate to hers.  She sat up and
wondered what had awoken her from such a nice sleep.

She
walked towards the front door and halted as she heard a loud slam.  Was
that the sound that her subconscious had heard?  She peered through the
peep hole and could see Alex as she approached the door.

Backing
away quickly, Kate took a step back as Alex pounded on the door.  She quickly
unlocked the door and stepped aside as Alex angrily strode in.  Kate eyed
her friend warily.  Few things could stir the ire of Alexandra Kensington,
but when it did, it was best to stay out of her way.

She
watched as Alex paced back and forth in the foyer, muttering expletives that
would surely rival that of a sailor.  She stopped as she realized that
Kate was watching her.

She
arrogantly cocked an eyebrow as she eyed her disheveled friend. 
“Something you want to say, Kate?”

Kate
blinked several times trying to clear her head.  She wisely shook her head
and turned back toward the couch.  It was certainly more inviting than
engaging in an embattled conversation with Alex.  Kate felt for the person
that had ignited that fire in her friend.

Almost
on cue, the knocking at the door interrupted Kate’s progress to the
couch.  She glanced wearily at Alex, who had stopped her tirade to stare
at the door.  Making no move to greet the arrival, Alex strode angrily
past Kate and settled herself on the couch that Kate had just vacated.

Sighing
audibly, Kate took the remaining steps to reach the door and unceremoniously
opened it to reveal a startled Zand.  Before Zand could offer a greeting,
Kate gestured toward the living room and advised, “I think if I were you, I
would proceed with extreme caution.  I have only seen Alex this mad once
before and it left a grown man in tears.”

Seeing
that Zand was heeding her words, Kate left him and sauntered toward the
kitchen.  The couch no longer was a place of relaxation for her, so she
may as well occupy herself with something else enjoyable.  Kate grinned as
she decided to give in to her longing for brownies.  She might as well end
this day on a happy note, she vowed.  And, by the look of things, she
wouldn’t be the only one in need of her special brownies.

Zand
stood in the foyer and watched as Kate disappeared in the kitchen.  He
eyed the occupants in various degrees of slumber and finally let his gaze focus
on Alex.  Damn!  Even from there, Zand could feel the absolute fury
in Alex’s gaze.  She was practically boring a hole right through him.

Zand
gathered his nerve and made his legs carry him toward the piercing stare of the
beautiful blonde.  Even in fury, Zand thought, Alex’s beauty was
unsurpassed.  He knew that the blonde would be even lovelier than what he
had remembered, but not to this extent.  Striking?  Beautiful? 
Zand shook his head as he realized that words were not enough to describe
Alexandra Kensington.

“Are
you shaking your head no?  I don’t remember asking anything, yet,” Alex
observed coldly.  “Oh, of course.  You are probably just now
answering the question that I asked over fifteen minutes ago.  A little
slow, Gabriel, but I guess it is better than nothing.”

Zand
was momentarily confused as to what question Alex was now referring. 
Being in the presence of Alex was proving time and time again to be a
distraction that ripped him of most coherent thoughts.

Taking
his silence as agreement, Alex continued, “No it is then.  Just to make
sure that I am understanding which question you are answering, is it no, there
is not something there, or no, we didn’t ruin anything because I am just a
casual fling?”

“What?!”
Zand was stunned.  “Alex!”  He took a step toward the blonde, but
Alex held up her hand.

“No,
Zand.  Just stay where you are.  I prefer you answer me from
there.  Sometimes distance is preferred.”

Zand
looked incredulous at Alex.  When had things progressed to such a level of
controlled hostility?  He tried to think what he had said, or, not said,
that had put Alex in such a state.

“Alex,
I think that we must be on different wave lengths, because…”

Alex
let out a sardonic laugh.  “Yes, Zand,” she interrupted, “I think we must
be.  I am sorry that I misread this weekend.”  Alex laughed
again.  “I keep forgetting how common such a…a…fuck fest is for you! 
Forgive me for wanting it to be more.  Just like camp, right
Gabriel?  And all of your other usual conquests.  Leave us wanting,
no, craving more.  Well, just add me to that ever-growing list of yours,
because I...”

Zand
had closed the distance between them while Alex was speaking.  He reached
out and grabbed Alex’s arm, effectively startling the blonde.  “Alex,
please, enough!  You should know that I am not that way.  Never have
been.  I fell in love years ago, and…”

“You
what?!” Alex cried out.  “I should have known!  I should have damn
well known that there was someone in New York.”  Alex was pacing again
after pulling free from Zand’s grasp.  “What was this weekend then,
Zand?  The club?  Here?  What the hell are you here for,
Zand?”  Alex’s voice had risen as she almost yelled the last question.

Zand
looked at Alex as if she had suddenly grown horns.  Someone else? 
What on earth was she talking about?  Didn’t she know?  It had to be
obvious!  Zand shook his head again and suddenly realized that he still
hadn’t answered.  Alex turned away and was already stomping down the
hallway.  Now where was she going?  Not this time, Kensington, Zand
thought.  He had endured all of the running away that he could
stand.  No more!  Not with Alex, anyway.

Zand
bypassed the soundly sleeping forms as he followed Alex.  Really? 
They could sleep through Alex’s yelling?  Zand didn’t want to ponder how that
was even possible.  He had more pressing matters at hand and actually was
thankful for the lack of interference from Alex’s friends.

The
bedroom door slammed in Zand’s face, but he pushed it open before Alex could
lock it.

“Not
this time, Alex.  We are going to settle this once and for all.”

Alex
glared at Zand.  “What the hell is there to settle?  I am just one of
the many.  I will get over it and move on.”  Alex turned away and
muttered, “Just like before.”

Zand
barely heard the last words.  “Just like before?  What the hell does
that mean?  When was ‘before’ for you, Alex?” Zand asked and then with
sudden clarity, “Camp?  Camp?  You are actually talking about camp?”

Alex
whirled and faced Zand.  “Yes,” she hissed.  “Camp!  Being with
you every day for months.  Just being near you was torture, Zand, even
then.  I desperately wanted to...”

“Torture? 
For
you
?  What the hell does that mean?” Zand interrupted.

“Are
you that blind, Zand?  Seriously?  You are actually that blind?”

For
the first time in years, Zand saw a glimmer of hope.  Was Alex saying what
he thought she was saying?  What he had hoped for so many years now? 
Could it be?

Zand
decided to just bite the bullet and tell her.  All of the years that he
had carried the realization with him, but made himself wait.  And now he
wondered for what?  For the time when he felt that he was ready? 
Ready and worthy?  Now he just wondered why he had wasted those
years.  Alex, hopefully, hadn’t changed her mind and he certainly hadn’t.

“I
love you, Alex,” Zand murmured with all of his heart.  Zand could see the
shocked look on Alex’s face and couldn’t stop himself.”

“I…love…you!” 
he enunciated slowly and clearly.  Zand took the remaining steps until he
faced an unmoving Alex.

He
tentatively reached out and took Alex’s unresisting hands, holding them gently
within his own.  Repeating again the words he not only longed to say, but
longed to hear for himself.  “I love you, Alex.  I always have. 
I think I knew it at camp,” Zand chuckled softly, “Hell, I think even Jackson
knew because when I left camp and couldn’t find you, I moped around for
months.  I guess that is why he...”

Alex
effectively stopped Zand’s confessional with her lips. She had heard all that
she needed to hear.  Zand loved her!  Zand loved
her
!

Alex
pulled back from their tender kisses long enough to softly say, “I love you,
too, Zand Gabriel.  I always have and I always will!”

Zand
responded by pulling Alex tighter against him and kissing her with all of the
emotion that he possessed.  There was no longer a need to hold them
back.  All of the longing, the waiting, the wanting was finally over, and
Zand held what he had always wanted in his arms.  All wrapped up in the
most exquisite package of all.  His Alex.

As
the kissing was quickly becoming passionate, Zand had one last coherent
thought.  Although the gallery was not resolved by any means, he was sure
of one thing.

When
he went back to New York, he knew that he wouldn’t stay.  He did have a
life there to settle, but, as long as Alex was here in L.A., he would keep
coming back.

Time
and time again.

And
each time they would part, Zand knew, no matter how unbearable it would be, his
heart would not break.  Because this time was different.  This time
was not twelve years ago.

No,
this time, Zand knew with everything in him, that it would be just fine.

Perfect,
in fact.

Because
this time…

Goodbye isn’t forever
.

The End

Melanie Blake, a native East Tennessean and
self-professed late bloomer,

has always been an avid reader.  Melanie has been
writing poetry

and short stories since the age of eight, and has
finally given in to the desire

to write the types of stories that she loves to
read.  This is Melanie’s first

published book.