The next morning, Alyssa was so apprehensive at the prospect of working for Nicholas that she left early without having her breakfast. After she left, Eva had just taken a bite of her sandwich when the doorbell rang. She was sure Alyssa was back for something. She opened the door with an eye roll.
“Since you’re back, you might as well have your breakfast,” she said with a grin, but froze at seeing Alexander at her doorstep. His disheveled state, and tousled hair made him look as if he just woke up from bed and arrived here.
“You? Don’t you have any work early in the morning?” Alexander grinned lazily, his eyes sweeping over her and resting on her face at last.
“Yes, me! Just came over to grab some coffee and breakfast till I set up my new home.” Eva’s eyes widened as she tried to grasp the meaning of his words.
“New home? Have you moved away somewhere?” she asked, following Alexander inside while he eyed her food hungrily.
“Don’t touch my food. I’ll get you yours.” She rushed to the kitchen, and he followed her there.
“Yes, I moved into your building last night!” Eva turned and gave him a look of utter disbelief.
“Are you kidding me?” she gasped, searching his face. Alexander’s grin widened, and he took the food and coffee from her hands and walked out of the kitchen.
“Alexander, can you please explain? Where did you move into?” she asked, following him, looking bewildered. Alexander sat sprawled over on her rug and attacked his sandwiches hungrily.
“To the apartment next to yours. Where else?” he said in between bites while Eva gaped at the guy.
“How? Why?” she gasped, sipping her coffee, still digesting the news.
“I bought it last night,” he said, giving her a smug look while Eva groaned.
“Why? I moved out to stay away from you and your future wife!” she pointed out, but Alexander snorted with displeasure.
“I’m not marrying her. She doesn’t know that I’m back from London.” He sipped his coffee broodingly, deep in thought. Eva sighed and turned to face him.
“There has to be some way out of this mess. How long will you avoid her? Your wedding is coming up in two months.”
“Don’t remind me. I’ll see what I can do. So will you wait for me?” he caught her chin and forced her to look at him. Seated cozily beside one another on the comfortable, warm rug within the small confines of the room, it was difficult to ignore the sparks between them. The memories of their Paris trip made them long for one another.
Alexander’s eyes drank her in hungrily. After the stunt Beatrix had pulled, he had lost all hope of Eva, but after meeting Ashton yesterday, he found some hope. He found out that Sean and his wife, Michelle Garner Fairfield, were undergoing a highly controversial divorce case. It would take months to know the results with all the mud-slinging and washing of dirty linen publicly in the court. It gave him hope, and he used the opportunity to strengthen his relationship with Eva. He realized his parents would never give him permission to marry Eva, and he had to take matters into his own hands. With his dad better now, he could take the risk. Maybe with time, they could win his parents over.
“I don’t know, Alexander. Things look bleak to me.” Alexander released her as if stung and glared at her angrily.
“Does this have anything to do with Maxwell? How did you agree to go out with him? That too twice?” he demanded furiously.
“Why can’t I? He isn’t engaged. He wants to marry me and cares about me,” said Eva, immediately defensive.
“Do you think he cares? It’s all bullshit. He is trying an underhanded way to get at me because of some past enmity between us. He takes you out and then sends me pictures of the two of you together. Why can’t you realize that he’s using you?” demanded Alexander angrily.
“Why do you feel everyone is that way? Maxwell is a good friend of mine. You have nothing to feel jealous of him.”
“Why the f*ck should I feel jealous of him? I’m just warning you to stay away from the likes of him.” Alexander stood up angrily and strode out of her apartment. “I won’t warn you again, Eva. If I see you going out with him, I’ll beat him up again. This time he will land up in the hospital, dead!”
Eva gasped with shock but he disappeared to his apartment after banging her door shut. Eva finished cleaning up and got ready for work. Her mind was in a state of confusion. Alexander’s threat echoed in her head the whole day. She didn’t know how to stop Maxwell since he was stubborn, just like Alexander was.
In the evening, she returned home earlier than Alyssa and made herself some coffee. However, the moment she took a sip, the doorbell rang. She opened the door and groaned at seeing Alexander again at her doorstep.
“Don’t you have any work, neighbor?” she asked with an eye roll.
“No, this is the most important work for me now. I’m strengthening the neighborly bond!” He handed her the food packets he brought and Eva couldn’t help but smile at his thoughtfulness.
“I’m unsocial. I hate pesky neighbors!” Alexander laughed, but before he could reply, the doorbell rang and he gave her a look. Eva crossed her fingers, hoping that it wasn’t Maxwell. She couldn’t face a fight in her apartment now!
The door unlocked and Eva sighed with relief, knowing it was just Alyssa, as she was the only one who had the keys apart from her. Alyssa froze at seeing her brother in the living room. “Alexander, what are you doing here?” she asked with surprise.
“Just came over to get acquainted with my new neighbors,” he said with a smirk, and Alyssa just gaped at him.
“What utter shit is he saying, Eva?” she asked her friend, who placed a plate of chicken wings, two boxes of pizza, and mozzarella sticks on the rug.
“He’s moved into the apartment next door. So he brought these to treat us,” said Eva with an eye roll and she helped herself to the food. Alyssa sat down on the rug with them, picking up a chicken wing and munching on it.
“But why did you move in next door when we clearly moved out because of you? This is so frustrating. Go back to your house Alexander,” she said, but he sat munching on his food, paying no heed to her.
“I’m staying here till you two return home with me,” he shrugged.
“I’m staying here because this is my home,” said Eva with determination, while Alexander looked a little annoyed. He couldn’t stay here forever. He would have to go to work in a couple of days, and Beatrix would know about his return. Then there would be no escaping her!
“Neither am I going back. In fact, I’m moving out of here as well. My company is providing accommodation and I’m shifting there soon.” Both Eva and Alexander gaped at her in surprise.
“Which company do you work for that’s offering you an advance and accommodation?” demanded Alexander angrily. Alyssa paled and wondered if she should tell him.
“No, you aren’t going anywhere, Alyssa. You’ll stay here with me,” said Eva, but Alyssa shook her head.
“With Alex as your new neighbor, I don’t want to stay here anymore,” she protested and Alexander glared at her.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Alexander with a brooding look at Eva.
They sighed, knowing how stubborn and impossible he was. The food was delicious, and they were thankful that they didn’t need to cook after a tiring day.
“Thanks for the treat, Alexander,” said Eva, feeling guilty for being so harsh on him. The poor guy had left everything behind and was living in a tiny apartment with some bare essentials only because of her. He didn’t need to at all!
“No problem at all! I can do this every day! After all, that’s what neighbors are for!”
“Go home, Alex. I don’t want mom and dad here because of you,” scolded Alyssa.
“Don’t worry. They won’t come here because they don’t know that I have returned from London.” Alyssa gaped at her brother. What was going on?
“Why are you hiding? Can’t you face all of them?”
“I will. Just let me figure out a few things.”
“Don’t take forever, Alex,” warned his sister, getting up to clear their dinner. Eva’s phone buzzed with a call and Alexander noted the name Maxwell flashing on the screen. However, to his immense relief, Eva showed no urgency to accept his call. Instead, she helped Alyssa clear up the dinner. He couldn’t contain the sense of satisfaction in his heart, but with his sister present, he couldn’t say a single word to her. He got up and looked at her eagerly.
“Come over and help me fix the damn button, which came off a few minutes ago.” He marched out, followed by Eva, and Alyssa rolled her eyes at the two of them.