Chapter 239 Save Yourself Before It’s Too Late
Alexander’s face turned a shade of green, but he remained adamant on not answering.
Further emboldened by his reaction, Courtney continued to tease, “I understand if you have certain fetishes and your sexual preferences have always been a mystery to the entire Melrose City. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, you know. I’m just curious as to what could have caused two grown men to wrestle in bed in the first place.”
His expression darkened as he tried to show some restraint.
“Could it be that the first round wasn’t rough enough for you? Or was it because neither of you could decide who would be on the top? Was that why you guys fought?”
Her theories were getting more ridiculous by the minute. He glowered at Josh’s reflection in the rearview mirror; the man was trying so hard to suppress his laughter that his face reddened with the effort.
At that point, Alexander’s face was thunderous. “I’m sure you know my sexual preferences and fetishes more than anyone else.”
The bass in his voice reverberated throughout the car, swiftly putting an end to her mischief.
Upon hearing that, Courtney felt as though her face was on fire. She was rendered speechless and she did not dare to lift her head to meet his gaze. What a shameless rogue!
She appeared to have shrunk into herself after Alexander’s retort. The look in his eyes softened as he cast a sidelong glance toward her; he was amused at how she could be so thick-skinned and forthright at one moment before clamping her mouth shut in the next minute.
No one was speaking and the air in the car grew stifling. The silence was suffocating.
Alexander seemed to have realized that he had been too blatant for Courtney’s comfort and he began to regret his choice of words. He also realized that it did not matter how upset or angry he was with her actions, because at the end of the day, she held a special place in her heart that could never be replaced by anyone else.
When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor efficiently treated the wounds on his face and made arrangements for him to undergo chest radiography in order to make sure that his ribs were still intact.
After that, the doctor headed out to attend to other patients while Josh went to collect the prescription from the dispensary, leaving both Courtney and Alexander to keep each other in silent, awkward company.
Courtney clutched her bag closer to herself and pursed her lips. She hesitated for a moment and finally said, “Since you’re alright, I’m going to make a move.”
She had barely taken a step when Alexander—who wore a stoic front as he stood next to her—demanded icily, “Are you not going to explain yourself for what happened today?”
She paused. “What do I have to explain myself for?”
“For the fact that you actually intended to join Tobias at the hotel after he asked you to do so. Don’t tell me that you showed up there solely for business purposes.”
There was suspicion in Alexander’s tone and it pricked Courtney’s heart with an aching familiarity.
She was initially moved by his act of showing up at the hotel to defend her honor and virtue despite his stubborn refusal to admit it. However, whatever sentiment she had for him now came crashing down by his sharp line of questioning. There was hurt in her eyes as she gazed at him. What else did he think I showed up at the hotel for if it was not for business?
Both of them knew exactly what he was trying to imply.
“That’s my business,” she coldly answered while she glared at him. She hated herself for always being moved by him. “You never told me why you showed up at the hotel either. Why should I be frank with you when you clearly don’t intend to reciprocate the favor? I have things to attend to, so I’ll head off now.”
Upon having said that, she turned on her heels and stormed toward the exit.
“Do you really not know why I was at the hotel in the first place? Are you that ignorant, Courtney?” Alexander questioned incredulously from behind her. His voice echoed from the walls of the emergency unit.
Courtney stopped in her tracks but she did not turn to face him. She sarcastically answered, “Thank you for being so thoughtful, but seeing that I saved you from getting your head cracked open by Tobias, I’d like to think that we’re even now, President Duncan.”
“What if I wasn’t there? What would you do then?”
“I would have done what I needed to, but you already know that, don’t you?” she answered in cold defiance as she turned her head so that he could see her side profile. Her back was facing him, but from where he stood, he could tell that her gaze was distant.
The rage that was burning within Alexander was further stoked by her indifference. Without a second thought, he reached out for her wrist and pulled so that she spun toward him. She let out a yelp of surprise and struggled to pull away from him, but he ignored her efforts as he roughly pinned her down onto the surgical bed in the treatment room.
“What are you doing? Let me go!” She snapped as she struggled against him, although she was discreet in her effort to escape, fearing that someone would hear her.
His strong arms were braced on both sides of her shoulders, trapping her between himself and the bed as he hovered above her like a broad shadow that barricaded her. She swallowed convulsively; she could not move at all.
Alexander stared at her, feeling a sense of helplessness coursing through him despite their current physical dynamics. “You keep pushing my limits like this, Courtney. I must have been blind to have ever fallen for you,” he spoke forcefully through gritted teeth.
Upon hearing that, Courtney could feel her heart racing, but she put up a tough front as she retorted, “You won’t stay blind forever. You could do yourself a favor and save yourself before it’s too late.”
“It’s already too late.”
Alexander now gazed at her with his dark orbs and grabbed her shoulder. He tightened his grip and heard the air pop in her joints with the strength in his fist threatening to crush her bones. She winced in pain, but he ignored her as he snarled above her, “It hurts, doesn’t it? It hurts a thousand times more for me whenever you say things like these. It’s hard to imagine that I can feel this much pain over a woman, but tell me what you were doing when I was hurting so badly? Were you screwing around with that guy who gave you a green card? Building a new and happy family-of-three?”
Courtney bit on her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain, but she was tearing up with the effort. She hated him with a burning passion. The man was clearly too stubborn to realize that he was the cause of all his misfortune and instead convinced himself that he was a victim. He continuously dwelled in self-pity and he was oblivious to the pain that everyone else was feeling.
“Are you done humiliating me? If you are, you can let me go now,” she hissed through her teeth. Cold beads of sweat were rolling down past her temples and it fell on the snow-white pillow behind her head; they sank into the fabric and evaporated just as quickly.
Alexander, on the other hand, did not appear to want to let her go. He wanted her to retaliate against him and struggle. He longed for her to curse at him. However, she did none of those and instead remained as indifferent as she had been before he pinned her down into that vulnerable position. He was infuriated; fighting with her was like throwing a forceful punch against cotton, but the person who was hurt was still himself.
“Does this humiliate you?” he asked menacingly. His eyes were cold as he regarded her. “What’s going to happen after I let you go? Are you going to call the police? Are you going to charge me for assault?”
Reliving the past after a painful break-up was like peeling a scab off a wound, leaving little space for reminiscence. All that would be left was an open, bloody gash—one that made the both of them miserable. Presently, Courtney stiffened beneath his weight, afraid that he would do something terrible out of spite as genuine fear flashed in her eyes.
The fluorescent lighting above her brought out the look of fear in her eyes. Upon seeing that, Alexander snapped out of his rage. He was instantly seized with regret and he began to sit up as his grip on her shoulders loosened.
He once thought that he was the only person who could keep his emotions in check and that no one else could make him feel anything that he did not want to. However, ever since he met her, the life that he had intricately woven for himself was completely turned upside down.
Alexander was at the dinner party when he heard that Tobias had asked to meet Courtney at the White Moon Hotel. After that, it was as though the party had melted away and he spent the rest of the night wondering whether she would be crazy enough to actually oblige with Tobias’ request for the sake of the project. After all, it was a woman who was once crazy enough to marry anyone for a green card.
The more Alexander thought about it, the angrier he was at himself. How could he ever allow a woman like that—a woman who would do anything to achieve her goals—to take up so much of his headspace?
“Get out,” he said suddenly. His voice was hoarse and there was a painful loneliness that coated his tone.
Courtney sat next to him. She had been tightly clutching her bag, but upon hearing what he said, her eyes softened and she began to calm down.
