Chapter 13
Alex gulped his drink at the bar and grill, where the band celebrated their Houston performance. Customers chatted around him and even a few offered congratulations for their show. Alex had been on edge, though he tried not to show it by forcing a smile. Zoe hadn’t called him back, and it only made his heart hammer inside his chest.
His adrenaline spiked. He didn’t know what angered him more. Her ignoring him, Tabitha showing up, or that his past was catching up with him. He never worried about women blocking his calls. He’d blocked a few himself, including Tabitha’s since the last time he saw her.
Alex pulled out his phone. He’d lost count of the numbers he had. The women he’d dated. The hearts he had disappointed. He browsed through the names. Some he hadn’t talked to in months, but kept their numbers “just in case.” Alex’s nostrils flared. Just in case for what?
Without another thought, he deleted numbers. One by one. Name by name.
“Having a good time?” Tommy asked, as he approached the bar.
“Yeah.” Alex stuffed his phone in his jacket pocket.
“You coming back to the table?” he asked.
“I needed a moment to myself.”
Tommy nodded. “Cool. We’re talking about hanging out later by the pool when we get back to the hotel.”
Alex didn’t want to be the fifth wheel—again. Tommy and Jackson had their women with them. His was back in Bridge Point. He’d never fought this hard for a woman. He didn’t know how he would get Zoe to talk to him, but he’d come too far to give up. Was it a lost cause though? “No, I think I’ll crash. You guys have fun.”
“Alright. See you in the morning.” Tommy grabbed two glasses and headed back to the booth to the rest of the group.
Alex paid for his drink and headed for the door, only for a woman to stop him. Her pixie haircut fit her heart-shaped face. Despite the dim lighting, her dark brown skin look radiant. Alex’s eyes met her chestnut eyes, detecting a fruity aroma with her perfume.
“I don’t think I have your number,” she said. Then she held out her hand for him, batting her long eyelashes. “I’m Shelby.”
“I’m Alex, and no thanks.” He moved past her and continued out the door.
“What? You have a girlfriend?” The woman called out.
Alex paused, seeing Zoe’s brown eyes in his mind. “Yeah, I do.” He turned again and headed to the hotel. The walk helped clear his thoughts and confirmed his decision to delete the rest of the numbers of women he’d collected.
The more names he deleted, the shallower he felt. What was happening to him? He never felt guilty for dating multiple women. Even growing up, his friends cheered his player antics.
Alex sat on his hotel bed not long after arriving to his room. He stayed up another hour deleting numbers. By the time he finished, all he had left were his Aunt Pam, his cousin Lisa, and Zoe.
***
“You’re going where?” Zoe’s mother asked.
“I’m visiting Roslyn in Houston for the weekend.” Zoe packed her duffel bag, along with her laptop and a few textbooks. She could study in the evening. Thank goodness Lisa didn’t have to work this the weekend, since she had pulled double shifts the last few days. She had called earlier informing Zoe she’d be off and not to worry about Celine. That only confirmed Zoe’s decision to visit her friend.
“What about school? You just started classes, right?” her mother asked.
“Mom, they’re online. I can take them anywhere there’s Wi-Fi. I’m being responsible so don’t worry.” Did Zoe’s mother detect the sarcasm in her voice?
“Zoe?” She did. Her mother never missed a thing. “I just don’t want you to get behind. You’re so close to finishing.”
“I know and I will.” Zoe stared at her feet. “I’ll be back in Bridge Point on Monday.”
“Be careful. Have fun.”
“I will.” Zoe hung up only to see a FaceTime call from her brother. She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Hey, bro.”
“Checking on you. What’s up?”
“Not much.” She tossed another pair of jeans into her bag.
“You going somewhere?” Jackson asked, his forehead wrinkling.
“I’m visiting Roslyn in Houston.”
“Z, why are you—”
She held up her free hand. “Before you tell me anything, I’ve already decided. I’ve already convinced Mom, so don’t get me started with you.”
Jackson’s mouth twisted in a grin. “What am I going to do with you?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Let me live my life and figure things out on my own.”
“Okay.” Then his eyes widened. “Wait, a minute.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you guys come to our show?” her brother asked.
Zoe gulped. That meant seeing Alex. What would she say to him? He probably didn’t want to talk to her since she hadn’t called him back. There were no recent missed calls from him either. Was he giving her space? “We may have other plans.”
Jackson’s eyebrows raised. “Other plans? What’s more important than supporting your brother’s band?”
Zoe had to think of a way out. She didn’t want to face Alex with the band around. “I thought you guys played in Houston already.”
“No, we have one more show here tonight. It’s not a long drive so you can make it,” he said.
Zoe swallowed.
“Is there something you’re not telling me? Does this have something to do with Alex?”
She gave a mirthless laugh. “What? Why would this have anything to do with him?”
“You tell me?” Her brother’s expression softened. “I’m not trying to run your life sis, but is there something going on?”
Her scalp prickled. “No.” It was the truth. She and Alex weren’t a couple. Nothing was official. It may not even happen now since she panicked.
Jackson nodded. “Okay, if you say so. I would like for you to come to the show tonight. I’ll text you the address in case you change your mind.”
Zoe forced a smile. “Okay.”
“Be careful,” Jackson said. Then he hung up.
Zoe’s shoulder’s drooped. Things were getting worse by the minute. Shaking out her arms, she packed the rest of her bag, loaded it in her car, locked her apartment, and got on the road.
She bobbed her head to the radio, ignoring the love songs on other stations. What would she say when she saw Alex? While on the highway, she admired the open skies with clouds, sunlight, and planes flying overhead. Horns honked around her between the cars and motorcycles, roaring and revving beside her. She even detected the faint smell of car exhaust.
Zoe made only one stop for gas, but continued her trip until she made it to Roslyn’s apartment. She entered the code her friend had texted her and searched for the building number as she drove through the parking lot.
She spotted Roslyn outside waving her arms in the air. Zoe giggled, parked, and cut the engine. Her friend bounced on her toes and ran to meet her. Zoe got out the car and hugged her friend tight.
“What’s wrong? You’re frowning.” Roslyn asked.
“My brother called.”
“And?”
“There still here in Houston. He wants us to come tonight to their performance,” Zoe said. Her insides quivered.
Roslyn’s eyes widened. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
Her friend shrugged. “I guess we’re going to a concert.”
Zoe gasped. “What? I can’t.”
“You need to. I bet you still haven’t called Alex back.” Roslyn tilted her head to the side, waiting for her answer.
“No.” Zoe rubbed the back of her head. “I’m not sure what to say to him.”
“I figured. So we’re going. I hope you brought a cute outfit.”
Zoe walked to her trunk and retrieved her bag. “It’s not as if I don’t want to make things right.”
“But?” Roslyn folded her arms over her chest.
Zoe’s bottom lip trembled. “Haven’t I done that enough to hurt people?”
Her friend draped an arm around her. “Looks like we have a lot to talk about before tonight’s concert.”
Zoe walked alongside her friend inside her apartment.