Page 82 of Ink & Ambition

“Margot.”

He removes the sputtering light and replaces it with the fresh one he found under the sink, taking the part from my hand and placing it all back within seconds.

“How did you know we’d have lightbulbs under the sink?” I ask, still amazed by what just happened.

Alex shrugs. “That’s where my mom always kept the spare lightbulbs.”

I nod, a grin forming. “Well, thanks,” I say, handing him the water bottle and we both make our way to the couch.

“Would you tell me about her? Your mom? Only if you want to.”

I pull my knees up to my chest and Alex sits across from me, his leg crossed at the knee. “My mom was…eccentric. And I know most people say that when you can’t say anything nice about the person but I mean it. She was happy and funny, warm and kind. She would spend her mornings making us pancakes with smiley faces before she drove us to school. She would buy us treats at the store just because she wanted to or sometimes she’d plan a spur of the moment trip to some town or other on a weekend and we’d pile into the car and drive for hours.

“One time, she said ‘get in boys, we’re going to the moon’ and then she drove us about four hours north to some frozen cave in Vermont,” Alex laughs at the memory. “We sat in the cave, drinking hot chocolate, and she told us stories about her adventures to space with her sisters.”

Alex pauses, his face being more serious. “We never met her sisters though. She had two of them, I think. They didn’t want anything to do with us.”

He takes a shaky sip of his water. “See, because those mornings she would make us breakfast and drive us to school, those were also the days she would forget to pick us up and chainsmoke a pack of cigarettes on the back porch while I threw some frozen pizza in the oven for me and my brother.

“The treats from the store always came with a chuck out the window if we so much as looked at her the wrong way in public and those weekend trips, well…you heard what happened during the last one.”

Alex stops speaking and I have no words to say. I can’t believe he is opening up to me like this. I can’t believe he’s had such a tragic home life. Before I can muster up the courage to say something, he speaks again.

“And you might be asking, but ‘Alex, what about your dad during all this?’” He cocks his head. “Well, he was building an empire, of course. Prescott Cars. Cars for you. Cars for life.” He waves his hands up into the air as he quotes out the motto of his father’s company. “And he loved my mother. Truly, he did. The love radiated off of him whenever he was around her. But when she was going through an episode, when she wasn’t her charming, charismatic self, well, how could he love that person? No, that person didn’t deserve his time or attention. And by extension, neither did her sons.

“I can’t wait until the day that I can get Drew out of that house.” Alex takes a long sip of the water, caps the bottle and then throws it across the room. He runs his hands through his hair, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I’m sorry,” I lean forward, gently rubbing the shoulder nearest to me. “That is so horrible. You and Drew do not deserve that.” Alex surprises me by catching my hand on his arm, he looks up from his lap, his red eyes capturing mine. And then he kisses me.

This kiss is unlike the rest. It’s a kiss that’s meant to help him to forget the past, rewrite the bad memories with good ones, ones we can create together. I lean into his passion, allowing him to lose himself in me as he leans me back onto the couch, pullinghis body on top of mine. His hand travels down to the seam of my shirt and then he grips his way underneath, clutching at my bare waist.

My hands are in his hair, holding him impossibly closer to me as our mouths mold together. The hand under my shirt moves upward toward my lacy bra and I thank myself for putting on a matching set.

I move my hands down to the bottom of his shirt and with very little force, yank it up and over his head. Our lips part for mere seconds before he’s on me again, his smile against mine.

Our passion continues and I release a moan when Alex’s hand wanders down toward the button of my jeans. I want him there, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. Alex pulls back to look into my eyes, a silent question. I give him a nod and he kisses me again, his free hand releasing the clasp of my pants. Slowly, the zipper moves down.

And then the key turns in the lock and our eyes bolt open. We’re on the living room couch. Alex is half-naked and my brother is about to walk through that door.

My frantic expression tells him what he needs him to do and Alex follows direction well as he jumps off the couch and runs into my room, slamming the door behind him, just in time for the front door to open.

“Y'all are back early,” I comment breathlessly, smoothing out my hair and clothes before standing up from the couch.

“Bar got lame once you guys left, turns out you’re the life of the party, Mars,” Arden says, kicking off his shoes and hanging his coat. As that happens, Danika and I have a silent conversation.

Danika:Alex leave?

Me:He’s in my bedroom.

Danika:Yes, bitch!

Me:Eye-roll

I stifle a giggle and look down to hide my blush. It’s then I notice that Alex’s shirt is still on the floor. My laugh dies in my throat. Sydney, having clocked the entire silent exchange, jumps into action.

“Arden, can you get me some water from the fridge? These heels are so uncomfortable, I can’t walk another step.”

My brother, being the southern gentleman that he was raised to be, could never let down a woman in duress. He jumps up and immediately sets toward the fridge. Once his back is turned, I swipe the shirt from the floor and run for my bedroom door.

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