I know this one's short, but I don't have a lot of time on my hands and I thought a short but fast update was better than no update at all. Reviews make me write faster!
When I finished showering, part of me thought I would find Alex gone when I went out into the living room, but I was surprised when I found her still there, sitting on my couch and leafing through old newspapers.
I sat down beside her, close enough for her to notice my presence but not close enough to be physically touching. "What are you doing?"
She moved away from me and didn't answer.
Then I saw the picture she was looking at, the one that was in the paper when she and Robert had first gotten married. They both looked absolutely radiant in the photo and Alex was smiling slightly as she traced Robert's outline on the page.
I sighed. "I know this is really hard for you, Alex, and I'm sorry. I know you're feeling really confused right now. You're happy he's dead because that means he won't be able to hurt you anymore, but then you're feeling guilty and sad that he's dead because you still love him, even though you don't understand how that's possible."
Alex glared at me. "What part of stop it is too complicated for you to understand? Do I need to speak slower and use smaller words?"
I took the newspaper from her hands and moved it where she couldn't reach. "We can find you a place of your own. I'll help you. Or you can go back to that house if you like – we can transfer the title."
"Olivia," said Alex in a soft, dangerous voice, enunciating every syllable. "I do not need your help."
I sighed again. "Yeah, honey, you do. You do need my help."
"No, Olivia! I want you to leave me alone."
"I know what you want, but I care more about what you need. You need someone to stand by your side. You need a place to stay. You need someone to listen if you want to talk."
Alex glowered at me, but I could see her starting to break. "You killed my husband. I have nobody."
And then I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her, pulling her close to me and whispering, "You have me."
Review for chapter thirteen!
