Her expression changed. She seemed… irritated? That definitely wasn’t what he was going for here. “What?”
“That’s so typical of you, Alex.” She took a sip of her beer. “Why do you think that is?”
“Think what is?”
“That you can’t stop thinking about me?”
Why else? “Because I’m crazy about you.”
She seemed stunned but only for a second. “You’ve done this the entire time I’ve known you.”
“Done what?”
“Turn it off and on. I’ll give you that you enjoy… being with me. You can’t be that good of an actor, but I can’t be like you, Alex. I can’t just be with you then turn around and go out with others like you’re just another number in my contact list.”
“Well, that’s good to know, but I’m not like that either.”
Valerie’s sarcastic laugh was so loud the couple in the booth across from them glanced at them. Alex frowned and leaned in a bit, lowering his voice. “I’m not.”
“Is this really what you brought me here to discuss? Because I’m sorry, but I’ve heard enough of your bullshit to last me a lifetime. ”
Alex reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Listen to me, the girl at my place was a tutor. I can get you proof of that. It wasn’t the only time I needed to be tutored. I didn’t want you to know what a hard time I was having in school. It was humiliating, okay?” He took a deep breath.
Valerie glared at him, “She had an overnight bag, Alex.”
Alex’s brain scrambled to remember. Then it came to him. No wonder she’d been so hysterical. “That was her book bag, Val. She did her school work too, while she helped me with mine.”
Valerie’s eyes didn’t waiver, but her expression softened a bit.
He continued quickly. “All those times I’d disappear on you was because I had some damned paper to finish, or I was cramming for a test. I was having a hell of time keeping up. I couldn’t afford to lose my scholarship. I had to keep the grades up. You’ve always been such a huge distraction. Half the time you were all I could think of. ”
The food arrived and Alex had to take his hand back. Damn, he wished they had gone somewhere else. This was going to be one interruption after another. The waitress put out the plates and napkins. Valerie still stared at him.
“Anything else?” The waitress asked.
Valerie never took her eyes off of him. Alex glanced at her then back at the waitress and smiled. “We’re good, hon. Thanks.”
He told her all about the past year. The restaurant renovations, the wedding planning, all the time his parents spent in Mexico, making his presence at the restaurant more demanding and then about his grandpa’s passing. She listened and ate, asking few questions while he poured his heart out.
“I heard about your grandpa. I’m sorry. I was going to call you but… ”
“It’s better that you didn’t.”
She stared at him, the lament deep in her eyes. “Why?”
“That wasn’t a good time in my life. It was right after they told me I wouldn’t play football anymore and I lost my scholarship. I wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around those days.”
He glanced away from Valerie’s compassionate eyes. “I’m over it now. But not over you.”
Alex didn’t eat very much. He’d done so much talking, yet the food was just about gone. He watched as Valerie drank the last of her beer and stared out into space.
“What are you thinking?”
Her eyes were back on him, devoid of any expression. “I don’t know what to think.”
“You want another beer?
She shook her head. “I want to go home.”
This wasn’t the mood he expected he hoped she’d to be in after spilling his guts. Maybe she was really into her new boyfriend. Maybe Sarah was wrong. Maybe he was too late. He swallowed hard.
Alex didn’t want to add any more to his already sinking heart. But he had to know, now. Had to know if all hope was lost. “Are you in love with him, Val?”
Valerie glanced away quickly. He pressed his lips together wishing to hell he knew what that meant.
He reached for her hand. “Are you?” The panic in his voice surprised him. He wondered if she noticed. He didn’t care anymore, to hell with his pride.
“No.”
Relief drained through him. Alex hadn’t even noticed he’d held his breath until he let it out slowly. He squeezed her hand. “Good.”
He paid and they left, neither speaking as they walked out. They ambled silently to her car. Alex wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, but he would have to be patient.
“You’re going tomorrow, right?”
She nodded opening her car door. He held the door as she got in. She seemed lost in thought. “Are you bringing… ”
Valerie finally smiled. “No, I won’t be bringing anyone but Isabel to all the wedding events.”
With the weight lifted, Alex smiled. “With Romero attached to her hip, I’m sure.”
That made her laugh. She thanked him for dinner and drove off without so much as a hug. Well, damn. Even after all the thought he put into tonight he still didn’t know where they stood. One thing was for sure. Tonight sealed it. There was no way he was giving up on her.
*
The drive home was longer than normal. Valerie purposely drove slow, thinking of everything Alex told her tonight. Could it really all be true? She didn’t even care about the earlier stuff, years ago. They were both younger and immature. Was it possible that he had really been studying and she just jumped to conclusions? She had to admit that before she and Isabel got close, she was having a hell of a time keeping up with her own schoolwork.