CHAPTER 26

Alex tried Valerie’s phone again. With a grunt, he hung it up when it went to voicemail again. Why the hell wasn’t she answering? Maybe she was hurt. The dread crept through him, overpowering any other emotion. He sped up. Suddenly nothing else mattered. He just had to make sure she was okay.

They pulled into the parking lot and jumped out as soon as they parked. Both of them hurried through the parking lot, Alex’s heart pounding in his chest. He saw them before he entered the emergency room through the sliding glass doors. They were facing the other way, but from behind she appeared to be fine. Then it happened. It was subtle or inconspicuous as Bruce so nicely put it. Luke’s hand touched her neck. Valerie let her head fall back and he massaged it.

Just like that Alex felt ready kill again. The sliding doors opened. Romero must’ve sensed the need to interrupt Valerie’s neck massage. He cleared his throat excessively loud. Both Luke and Valerie turned at the same time.

There was no hiding the bewilderment in Valerie’s expression but most notably the unease in Luke’s.

“What is this, Val?” The jealously finally manifested, taking over any kind self-control or common sense Alex might’ve normally had. He wasn’t thinking straight anymore, but he didn’t care. “Why the hell are his hands on you?”

Romero took a cautious step in between Alex and Luke. Valerie glanced around. Alex knew people were watching. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he got the truth. She’d slept with this guy and lied about it. Did she really expect him to just deal with her being around him all day, touching her whenever he felt like it? Like hell.

“What are you talking about, Alex?”

“You don’t think I know about you rushing out to meet up with him for breakfast twice this week? I asked you last night about your day. You told me everything but that. Why?”

Valerie stormed past him out the sliding room door. Alex followed her. “I can’t believe you came here now to make a scene about that. How did you know I was here anyway?”

“Just answer the question, Val. Why are you keeping things from me? Why does he think it’s okay to put his hands on you? ” The more he thought about it the angrier it made him.

Luke stayed inside, a good thing too, because at this point Alex might’ve slammed him against the wall and asked him instead.

Valerie seemed completely puzzled. She shook her head. “You knew, and you didn’t say anything?”

“Because I’ve been waiting for you to tell me, Z! I know everything. I know you slept with him too. You spent the night at his house. Were you ever gonna tell me about that?”

“What!”

He was done with the bullshit. She’d gone crazy on him when she thought he was cheating on her. Now he had every right. There were too many unanswered questions. He was beyond livid. He was ready to explode. “When you met him the morning of the rehearsal, he held your hand. What the fuck was that about?”

Valerie stared at him, her brows pinched. Alex could almost see her mind working. “How do you know that?”

“They told me!” Alex punched his finger toward the parking lot. “They saw everything, Val.”

Valerie tilted her head slightly and glanced out into the parking lot. “Who are they?”

“A couple of weeks.” She walked away from him, her hand over her mouth. Alex followed right behind. “Can you start answering some of my questions?”

She spun around. “Then how do you know about me spending the night with Luke?”

Alex froze. Up until that second, he’d held out hope that was some kind of misunderstanding, just the made up ramblings of a mad man. He swallowed hard. “You told me you didn’t sleep with him.” His voice was finally down to a whisper.

“I didn’t!”

“Yo, Alex!”

Alex turned to see Romero standing with Valerie’s step mom, Norma. “He’s awake now, Hon.” Norma’s teary eyes addressed Valerie. “We can go in and see him.”

He turned back in time so see Valerie’s face crumble, and she rushed to Norma’s side. Alex stood there feeling like he’d just run a marathon breathing hard, not sure what was happening. Romero came to him. Valerie disappeared into the emergency room with Norma.

Romero filled him in on Valerie’s father. Luke had told him about her getting the call at the office and her losing it. She’d been in no shape to drive, so he drove her. Alex felt his stomach bottom out. He hadn’t been there again when she had to deal with her dad’s health. Worst yet he’d gone off on her at the worst time imaginable.