Page 72 of Crazy About Love (All About Love)

I gulp, slowly checking over my shoulder again to make sure Liz is really out. When I see the steady rise and fall of her breathing, I pull down the sheets and roll off my side of the bed. I don’t fear stepping on anything in Liz’s bedroom, since Liz is a much cleaner person than I am, and so I creep toward the bedroom door. I cringe when it creaks as I open it; after I tiptoe out I leave it ajar so I don’t risk another sound that might disturb her or Landon in the other room.

Once I’m through the living room and out in the hall, I sprint the distance between Liz’s apartment and mine. The dark holds way too many mysteries for me to be comfortable, and after a theft right under my nose, I’m a little more than cautious.

I try the knob, and it’s locked, as I expected. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone’s doors are bolted tonight. And Alec would make sure my place is safe while I’m gone.

I lightly tap on the door and whisper, “Alec, it’s me.”

A thin strip of light streams into the hallway as he opens the door, making more shadows come to life in my imagination, so I slip inside as quick as I can and lock the dead bolt behind me.

Alec gives me a small, tired grin, his eyes slightly bloodshot and dark. Half of his button-down shirt hangs out from his jeans, the collar open enough for me to see his white undershirt. His sleeves are rolled to the elbows, displaying muscles in his forearms that no one would believe were under his shirt unless they saw for themselves. He bends over and picks up a broken vinyl record.The Scarlet Pimpernel—just my luck.

“You don’t have to clean up my apartment,” I tell him with a smile. “It pretty much looked like this before.”

He shrugs. “To be honest, I was just looking for something.”

A swoop goes through my stomach. “The necklace?”

“Maybe.” His ears turn red. “Probably.”

“It’s gone. I know exactly where it was before I…fell asleep.”

His tired gaze meets mine, and tiny pinpricks poke behind my eyes. My throat locks up, and I force out a smile to try to keep from crying.

“Figures this happens,” I huff. “What goes around comes around and all that.”

He raises an eyebrow and heads over to the trash can to dump the broken pieces of vinyl. I step over to hold the lid open for him.

“You think you deserved it?”

“Oh yes. I’ve been a very stupid girl. It was bound to catch up to me eventually. I wouldn’t be surprised if more shit comes my way. So I’d keep your distance.” I playfully wink, but he doesn’t humor me. He’s either too tired or too upset, and instead of joking around, he pulls me into his arms. I feel his warmth and his heartbeat against my cheek. My arms automatically close around him, my fingers flexing into his shirt, pressing against the muscles of his back. He kisses the top of my head as a good friend would do, but unlike with a friend, I feel the sensation down to the tips of my toes, making me shiver against him.

“I don’t think I want to put any distance between us right now,” he says with a humorless laugh, then squeezes me tighter.

“I will eventually have to pee,” I joke. I could echo his sentiment and it would be a hundred percent true, but I go for the lighthearted response because that’s really what I need from him. Too much seriousness and the aching feeling of guilt and regret will overpower me and I’ll say something that I’ve been hiding from him since Liz’s engagement party.

I feel him shake his head over me. “How do you do that?”

“Hmm?”

“Be so happy. Be so…Theresa. When something like this has happened.”

“Iama theater major.”

He loosens his hold so he can look at me. “So was I.” He playfully taps my chin, and I feel the seemingly insignificant touch everywhere. “But I don’t act with my friends.”

The room feels as if it’s over a hundred degrees. I place a hand over my heart to try to calm it down and make sure that it stays in my body. I’m too terrified to let it feel so much for someone again, but watching Alec clean up my apartment after I’ve made a monumental mistake makes it hard for my heart not to latch on and never let go. I’d like for it to not be so broken before it does, though.

I sigh and turn to the disaster of my kitchen. My favorite coffee mug is smashed in the sink, pieces strewn all over my other dishware. I curse that rat bastard under my breath, making Alec chuckle.

“For the record,” I say, tossing a mug shard into the trash, “I’m not happy.”

“I know.”

I place a hand on my neck. Funny how I’ve only had the necklace for a couple of weeks, but I already feel so empty without it. It was the tangible symbol that helped me whenever I thought of Liz getting married. Yes, I’m happy for her. Yes, I couldn’t have picked a better guy for my best friend. And yes, I know that once she’s tied the knot, things are going to change. She may be in denial about that, but I’ve been through enough life stages to know better.

Then there’s Eli, who is falling farther and farther out of my life, taking all my ideas of romance and love with him. I feel as if everyone is slipping through my fingers, and the one person I have hold of, though I’m totally undeserving of him, is Alec. I know it’s just a necklace, but it represented so much more.

I hold my breath to keep wild emotions at bay, and Alec flicks his gaze up from the blanket he’s folding, studying my fingers as they brush over my naked neck.

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