[There were things that Alex was never expecting Richard to say. There were the obvious ones of course: admitting he was wrong about anything, especially when involved in the supernatural. That he actually had some sort of psychic ability, or that Alex was a good cook. But this? All of it? Was really high on the list of things she didn't expect. How could she or why would she? Every time Richard had spoken about his wife, or nearly every time anyway, it had been because Alex had pulled the words out of him in one way or another, be it with a question or just him being angry enough at her to bring it up.
After all, for six months, the last memory of him was her speaking about the kids in the painting and the Eastern United States and being very sternly reminded that Coralee remained his wife rather than his ex or his former wife. Given some time thinking about it, Alex had assumed that it was because he was still angry with her for going off to Turkey without telling anyone until she'd landed there on her own dime so that Nic couldn't say anything about it. One thing that Alex hadn't expected to come out of that trip was Richard probably never forgiving her for going alone in the first place.
She had mentioned him getting his wife back, because despite her feelings for him, because she had always assumed that's what he wanted. That that was the reason that he'd spent so long and invested so much money and energy and hell, even the show in finding the woman. In finding Coralee who flittered into his life like a ghost, sending messages and leaving Alex to deal with the pieces of Strand that Coralee left behind. It was hard to love someone that you firmly believed was in love with someone else, and Alex had deflected a lot of it by way of well, making it so that Coralee's return to Richard and them getting back together was the goal.
If at least she could have made him happy that way, he would have been happy and he wouldn't have been alone.
Alex Reagan was firmly of the conviction that Richard Strand should never be left alone; when he was too much in his head it was too lonely, and he needed someone to draw him out of it.
Focusing on him as he sat down on the sofa next to him, Alex folded her legs up to give him space and against the protests of the bruises on her ribs, she leaned forward. Once on her podcast she said that it had been hard seeing Richard torn apart like that, pressed into pieces by Coralee. That was the sort of thing that she was feeling now, especially when there was that wistful tone in his voice. Alex knew that there would be a large piece of his heart that carried Coralee's name on it, that belonged to the woman who had been his wife for thirteen years and who had been there for birthdays and Christmas mornings and long nights when Charlie was sick. Those were the sorts of things that made a family, and on the other hand, what he had Alex had consisted of her barging into his life, breaking things and grabbing all off the shades off the windows and leaving him vulnerable in the sunlight.
But it also had her.
Letting out a deep breath, with a smile that was entirely made of hope, she reached out and took his face in her hands and moved until they were close enough to almost kiss, but she didn't kiss him. Instead, she wanted to see his eyes, watch his expression in the same way that he always seemed to watch hers.]
I'm only going to ask this once, because I believe you but... I would hate it if I never gave you a chance to have an out. But. Are you completely sure? Because I am. There's no one but you, Richard.
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After all, for six months, the last memory of him was her speaking about the kids in the painting and the Eastern United States and being very sternly reminded that Coralee remained his wife rather than his ex or his former wife. Given some time thinking about it, Alex had assumed that it was because he was still angry with her for going off to Turkey without telling anyone until she'd landed there on her own dime so that Nic couldn't say anything about it. One thing that Alex hadn't expected to come out of that trip was Richard probably never forgiving her for going alone in the first place.
She had mentioned him getting his wife back, because despite her feelings for him, because she had always assumed that's what he wanted. That that was the reason that he'd spent so long and invested so much money and energy and hell, even the show in finding the woman. In finding Coralee who flittered into his life like a ghost, sending messages and leaving Alex to deal with the pieces of Strand that Coralee left behind. It was hard to love someone that you firmly believed was in love with someone else, and Alex had deflected a lot of it by way of well, making it so that Coralee's return to Richard and them getting back together was the goal.
If at least she could have made him happy that way, he would have been happy and he wouldn't have been alone.
Alex Reagan was firmly of the conviction that Richard Strand should never be left alone; when he was too much in his head it was too lonely, and he needed someone to draw him out of it.
Focusing on him as he sat down on the sofa next to him, Alex folded her legs up to give him space and against the protests of the bruises on her ribs, she leaned forward. Once on her podcast she said that it had been hard seeing Richard torn apart like that, pressed into pieces by Coralee. That was the sort of thing that she was feeling now, especially when there was that wistful tone in his voice. Alex knew that there would be a large piece of his heart that carried Coralee's name on it, that belonged to the woman who had been his wife for thirteen years and who had been there for birthdays and Christmas mornings and long nights when Charlie was sick. Those were the sorts of things that made a family, and on the other hand, what he had Alex had consisted of her barging into his life, breaking things and grabbing all off the shades off the windows and leaving him vulnerable in the sunlight.
But it also had her.
Letting out a deep breath, with a smile that was entirely made of hope, she reached out and took his face in her hands and moved until they were close enough to almost kiss, but she didn't kiss him. Instead, she wanted to see his eyes, watch his expression in the same way that he always seemed to watch hers.]
I'm only going to ask this once, because I believe you but... I would hate it if I never gave you a chance to have an out. But. Are you completely sure? Because I am. There's no one but you, Richard.