Page 19 of The Marriage Pact
Kaitlyn shook her head. “What a different world,” she replied.
“But one you’ll be happy in, I hope?” Alex said.
He was worried she’d rushed into their agreement without properly thinking it through. Alex knew how different his life was now from how it had been when he’d been living in Cedarhurst, and while Kaitlyn’s was different too, her own life had taken a far more “ordinary” course than Alex’s own. At timeshe had to pinch himself, hardly daring to believe the experiences he was having or the people he was meeting. It was surreal at times, and seeing her reaction to his comment about advising the government was yet another reminder of the privilege he’d entered into.
“We’ll be happy together. That’s how it was meant to be. We’re just… catching up with one another,” she said.
Alex nodded. He was excited about the change and introducing her to her new life. He wanted her to feel comfortable, and he already had several ideas of how to achieve this.
“I’ll walk over to my mom’s and tell her the good news,” Alex said after they’d finished their drinks at Mason’s and said goodbye to Jeannie.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Kaitlyn asked, but Alex shook his head.
“Let me tell her on my own, then perhaps we could arrange dinner for tonight,” he said.
He’d sent his mom a text the previous evening, telling her he wouldn’t be home after the wedding. He’d given no further details. It wasn’t like he was eighteen anymore. She’d not responded, but he knew she’d seen the message. He didn’t think she’d disapprove. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“I’d like that. You could both come over to my house. I’ll cook something,” Kaitlyn said.
Alex was relieved. He didn’t know the first thing about cooking, and his mom had gotten so used to ordering in, she’d not be much use, either.
“That’d be nice,” he replied, and they parted ways with a kiss.
It was as though nothing had changed between them. Alex hadn’t quite come to terms with how easily they’d slipped back into being together.
Not that we ever really were.
It had been a strange situation before college. They had behaved like a couple, yet with a tacit understanding of finality. Not that Alex had helped matters. He still felt guilty for having allowed them to drift apart. It was his fault, not Kaitlyn’s, and she’d have had every right to tell him she wasn’t interested.
“Oh,thereyou are,” Alex’s mom said when he found her in the hot tub behind the house, sipping iced tea.
“It was just one night,” Alex said as his mom raised her eyebrows at him.
“I forget you’re not a kid anymore, Alex. You’re old enough to do what you want,” she said.
Alex nodded. There was no point beating around the bush. “I was with Kaitlyn,” he said. “We’re going to get married.”
At these words, his mom stared at him in disbelief. “Married? But you haven’t seen her for twelve years. How can you decide to get married after one night? Are you crazy?” she exclaimed.
Alex shrugged. He had to admit it was somewhat hasty, but not crazy. It wasn’t as though he and Kaitlyn had met for the first time the previous night. They’d known one another since kindergarten, when Kaitlyn had offered to share her building bricks with Alex, who’d just been pushed into the sandpit by an older, bigger kid wielding a large toy digger in his hand. They’d been friends ever since, and more than that, too.
“It’s not just one night, Mom, is it? You’ve known her as long as I have,” he retorted.
“And I think she’s a sweet and lovely girl. It’sherI’m worried about. Does she know what kind of life you lead?” his mom asked.
Again, Alex shrugged. “She knows about the company and what the day-to-day life entails. She knows I work hard.”
His mom raised her eyebrows. “Last time we were in Florida, I hardly saw you. You had meetings until goodness knows what time, then you were up again at five to exercise. It was nonstop. Is Kaitlyn just going to be left in your wake, floundering in the water?”
Alex shook his head. “Florida wasn’t a good time for me. We were closing a deal on some Canadian investments. It had to go through there and then,” he said.
“Excuses. And more excuses to come. I hope she knows what she’s doing.”
“You won’t say anything to her, will you? She wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Try to be pleased for us,” Alex said.
His mom sighed. “You’ve got to admit it’s a bit of a shock, Alex,” she replied. “I am pleased, but don’t take her for granted. Look after her. She’s been through a lot.”
Alex promised he would. He had every intention of doing so. Things would be different from now on. Florida had been an exception. He didn’t usually schedule meetings for the early hours of the morning. Walking back to Kaitlyn’s house, his phone rang. It was Hilary.
