Page 21 of Alex (Men of Forbidden Temptation #4)

ELISE

I don’t understand.

“How? Why?” I shake my head and try to focus on the commotion. Firefighters scramble with the hose to spray water on the fire.

Alex parks his car far enough away so we won’t be trapped or have ashes fall on his car, but he’s parked close enough that we can still see what’s going on.

Residents stand on the sidewalk across the street and watch as the flames get smaller and smaller.

When there are more firefighters standing around than there are firefighters fighting the fire, I get out of Alex’s car.

I need answers.

Walking up to a firefighter, I say, “Excuse me. I was wondering if you could tell me what happened here?”

He looks toward the steaming building before turning his gaze back to me. “I don’t know anything other than the fire originated from the bottom floor apartment. I’m just a low guy on the totem pole.”

He chuckles before pointing at another firefighter. “He should know more than I do.”

Alex’s voice sounds from behind me, scaring me. “You didn’t know anything.”

I spin around as my heart jolts in my chest. Playfully, I smack his chest. “God, Alex, you scared me! Don’t be an ass.” I turn toward the firefighter. “Thank you for your help.”

He gives me a friendly nod before walking over to the other side of the large fire truck.

Alex follows me as I walk over to the firefighter that should know what is going on.

“Excuse me,” I say as I get closer to the man.

When he looks up at me, I continue. “I was wondering if you know what happened here?”

The firefighter glances toward my apartment. “A fire.”

I roll my eyes as Alex chuckles behind me. “Obviously, I know a fire happened. I just saw huge flames coming from my apartment. I meant what happened in the beginning, like how did the fire start?”

He shrugs. “Honestly, we won’t know until the investigation is complete, but from our preliminary scan, the fire started from the electrical outlet by the window.”

“But nothing was plugged into the outlet. I never used that outlet.”

“Did that outlet work? Was it faulty? ”

Alex steps closer to me, standing tall over my short frame. The firefighter turns his attention to Alex for a moment before returning his gaze to mine.

“I never used that outlet.”

Alex leans his head down and whispers in my ear. “Don’t say anything else because they can use whatever you say to try to pin it on you.”

My eyes widen. I don’t have insurance and can’t afford to repair an entire apartment building.

“Thank you.” I give the man a friendly smile before walking back to Alex’s car.

When we are alone, Alex speaks. “I was probably being a little too paranoid, but I don’t want you to worry. There’s no way they can blame you for this. You haven’t been home in a few days.”

He’s right. I haven’t been home in almost two weeks because I’ve been working from Mr. Strickland’s house.

I pace in front of his car. “I’ve only been home twice to pack, but we never stayed long.”

“Exactly, and we weren’t even here when the fire started. We just got back into town.”

I stop pacing as two of the three fire trucks leave.

“All of my stuff must be gone. There’s no way my stuff managed to survive that fire. Did you see how big those flames were?”

My eyes water as I picture my small apartment and my hand-me-down furniture. I worked my ass off for the past six months to be able to buy my furniture .

Everything was used, except my mattress. I bought a brand new one so I could get a good night’s sleep after having to walk a mile to work and a mile home.

“We can replace your stuff, Elise.” Alex’s voice is soft and caring.

I shake my head. “I can’t replace all of it. Sure, my couch, mattress, the little bit of clothes in my closet, dishes, and food can be.”

Hot tears fall down my cheeks as I stare at the soot on the brick.

“The pictures of me with my mom, our handwritten notes from when I was in college, and the few things I had from my childhood can’t be replaced, Alex. No matter how much money I try to throw at it, those things will forever be gone.”

Alex pulls me into his chest and wraps his arms around me. I lean my head against his chest and let the tears fall.

He doesn’t seem to mind my tears soaking his shirt. He runs his hand through my hair as I try to control the sobs wanting to break free.

After several long minutes, I step back and straighten myself. Alex quirks an eyebrow as his gaze roams my face.

I take a deep breath and blow it out of my mouth. “I’m sorry I’m so emotional.”

I don’t know what else to say. He didn’t sign up for this, and he’s not my boyfriend, so I shouldn’t be putting my break down on him.

Alex wraps his arms around my waist and picks me up. He spins us around and places me on the hood of his car.

“Alex, I don’t want to put a dent in your car.” I look around at my curvy body before glancing at the hood of his car and try to get off, but Alex stops me.

“First off, my car is fine. Second, you won’t put a dent in it. Trust me, I’ve sat and laid on it. The hood is sturdy. And third, you really shouldn’t talk shit about your body. I love your short frame and your curves. I could worship them all day and night.”

“I wasn’t talking shit about my body.” I might have thought about it, but I didn’t say it.

Alex huffs and narrows his eyes at me.

I hold my hands up and roll my eyes. “Fine.”

Alex’s expression turns serious as he sits on the hood next to me.

“Talk to me. Let your emotions out. I know it hurts like hell right now, but you don’t need to keep your emotions bottled up. It’s not healthy, and it doesn’t end well.”

“There’s so many thoughts swirling around in my head, but I don’t know where to start. So many emotions bottled up because I have no one to talk with and pour my feelings out.”

If I wasn’t so poor, I’d get a cat. At least I wouldn’t be lonely, but the cat would be because I work so much.

“You have Kate.”

I chuckle. “She’s a good friend and knows what I went through, but she never sits down and lets me talk things through. She likes to party and travel and that’s her right.”

“I’m here. Talk to me. I might not have lost my mom, but in ways I did. Her leaving us was unexpected and hard on me. I blamed myself for a long time. Hell, I even cried for the first time in years.”

He runs a hand through his hair and sighs.

“She didn’t want to stay to try to make things work with Dad, and she didn’t want to go to therapy for my sake. She left. Abandoned us, me. She left me wondering where I fit in with all of it. Did she want to see me for the holidays? Graduation? Special celebrations?”

I see so much pain, hurt, and disappointment cross his face as he talks about how he felt when his mom left.

“Did she want to see you?”

My voice is so quiet I don’t think Alex heard me, but he answers my question.

“No. Yes. Maybe. I don’t know if she wanted to, but she never did. I invited her to my graduations and holidays, but she never showed up. Hell, I even tried to find out from my grandparents where she was living, but they told me she didn’t want to be in my life anymore.”

I gasp as I process what he just said. How could a mother leave her child like that? With no notice or no willingness to meet with him. How could she not want to be in Alex’s life anymore?

My heart shatters for the man sitting next to me.

He continues, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “I had to face rumors from friends and Dad’s business associates. They ranged from her having an affair and being pregnant to Dad not being able to satisfy her.”

I crinkle up my face in disgust as I picture Mr. Strickland in bed. That’s not an image I want in my head, so I shake those thoughts away violently.

“My personal favorite was that Dad and I shared his assistant before he fired her- which is entirely not true.”

He chuckles as he gauges my expression.

“Those were friends and business associates spreading those rumors?”

“Yeah, and Adam was one of them.”

“Now, why doesn’t that surprise me?” I place my hand on top of his. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“I just want you to know that I’m here for you and I’ll listen whenever and wherever you need to talk.”

I guess it’s my turn to share my past with him. Fair is fair, right?

“My story is a lot shorter than yours. Mom worked two jobs while I worked one just to make enough money to pay our bills. We had no money in savings. We never had a rainy day fund where we could go crazy and blow it on a fun adventure.”

I close my eyes as they begin to water at the mention of Mom. She might not have been perfect, but she tried her damndest to make sure we had food on the table .

“We lived paycheck to paycheck and worked to live. Hell, there were several times where we couldn’t pay our bills and went without power.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, knowing what happens next in my story.

“After high school, I took out student loans to help me get through college. I was going to get a good job and give Mom the life she deserved, but she got sick. I wanted to be able to pay for her to be seen by great doctors.”

Anger builds in my chest as I remember my last days of college and her last days of her life.

“I had to drop out of college so I could be with her during her final days. Luckily, I found a great job working for your dad because I’m drowning in debt between my student loans and Mom’s medical bills.”

I don’t want Alex getting the wrong idea of my pity party, so I quickly add, “Mom promised me her hospital bills wouldn’t be passed on to me, but they have been. I get letters and bills in the mail all the time, plus phone calls threatening to seize my assets.”

I laugh, but it’s not a joyous laugh. It’s dry and sarcastic. “Like I have any assets to be seized, especially now.”

Alex grabs my hand. “Elise, I’m going to say something, but please don’t take this the wrong way.”

He waits until I nod before continuing.

“You’re being screwed over. They can’t make you pay for your mom’s hospital bills unless you signed something stating you would pay them. Actually, you don’t have to pay any of her bills unless you were a co-signer on a loan or credit cards.”

I raise my eyebrow. “We never had credit cards. If we couldn’t afford something, then we didn’t get it. But if I’m not responsible for her medical bills, why are they sending them to me?”

Alex glances away for a moment. “I’m not sure, but with your permission, I’ll look into the matter and if all else fails, I’ll get Dad’s lawyer to fight on your behalf. He’ll get it taken care of and get all the money you paid back.”

“You don’t have to do all that.” I say awkwardly, not really wanting Alex to dive deep into my financial business, but it would be life changing.

“I want to, Elise.”

“Uh, okay, then. Thank you.”

A smile forms on his face and his eyes sparkle as he stares into mine.

My heart leaps in my chest as hope fills my veins. That would be more than enough money to get a nicer apartment and possibly even a car.

But I can’t get my hopes up. Not yet. Legal cases can take years and by that point, they will have enough of my money to buy a house.

Alex and I sit in silence as we gaze towards the retreating firefighters. They roll the hoses up and put them back in their rightful places.

When the last of the firefighters leave, Alex and I climb off his car and walk towards the apartment entrance.

“I should probably check my mail and leave a note for the mailman, so they know to hold my mail at the post office.”

Sliding my mailbox key into the lock, I twist and open the door. Surprisingly, there’s no mail, but sitting in the middle of my mailbox is a yellow poker chip.

I hold the chip between my fingers and read the name engraved on it. Bodega Rooftop Nightclub. “What the hell?”

Glancing toward Alex, I watch as his eyes widen, and all color drains from his face.