[For a moment, he was quiet, his eyes casting downward as he worked through his reasonings. Finished admitting the whole truth to himself. Things like this were more than difficult for him to vocalize. He was a private person, but he also felt that Alex had a right to know. Especially since it involved what they were; what they'd become over the course of their three years of knowing one another.
Richard, of course, hadn't been taking the words he'd said about Coralee and him lightly. In fact, it was something he never thought he'd admit, not even to himself. It was a form of defeat, knowing that he'd failed at his marriage. That his wife would never again return to him of her own volition; that she'd never planned on returning to him in the first place.
He'd thought Coralee had been the love of his life, for twenty years he'd believed in their reunion. He'd done everything he could think of to find her again. He'd lost his family, his fortune, his hope. He'd even gone so far as to believe in the impossible to try and find her. Everything he was had gone into the woman who had just vanished without a trace at a gas station. Even his reputation as a person had been destroyed and dragged through the mud.
Coralee's disappearance had even cost him his only daughter. A daughter who was now grown and finally willing to talk to him now that he was able to tell her what had happened to her mother. And yet, he still loved her, always hoped for reconciliation even when he'd learned that she knew everything for the past twenty years and still stayed away. But once he'd found her, she'd left again.
Perhaps stopping them from talking to Warren that first time, telling him everything, maybe that had been a sort of penance for her. A way of putting right the twenty years of searching, of justifying all the things she'd caused him to lose because of his desire to find and be with her again. But none of that truly mattered, she'd still left. No matter how much he wanted her to stay, no matter how much he wanted to go with her, she still left.
And Alex was there. Through everything, she'd been there to pull him out of his pain and misery, there when Coralee had chosen to leave all over again. Alex had driven with him all night, drank with him. Alex had even hesitated to ask questions. Questions they both knew that she'd wanted to ask since he and Coralee had exited the room, so many hours before. And Alex had given him so many choices, so many moments where he had made the decision. Even if she were persistent and pestered about what she'd wanted, she'd still given him a choice. She'd offered to give up her entire life to be with him, to try and keep him safe and keep him from a madman's attempt to end the world, and she'd still given him a final choice in that. She'd put her entire life in his hands; it was his decision.
At this point, there was no question in his mind what he wanted. He loved Coralee; he always would, but that life was in the past. Coralee had chosen to put it in the past. A choice that she hadn't involved him in. But he also loved Alex, a woman who he knew would stay by his side through anything. Through fights and disappearances, through assumed apocalyptic crises. A woman who would stand toe to toe with the most dangerous man either of them had ever met and threaten him, for Richard.
No, there really was no other choice in his mind. So his eyes moved back to hers and he answered with one simple word.]
no subject
Richard, of course, hadn't been taking the words he'd said about Coralee and him lightly. In fact, it was something he never thought he'd admit, not even to himself. It was a form of defeat, knowing that he'd failed at his marriage. That his wife would never again return to him of her own volition; that she'd never planned on returning to him in the first place.
He'd thought Coralee had been the love of his life, for twenty years he'd believed in their reunion. He'd done everything he could think of to find her again. He'd lost his family, his fortune, his hope. He'd even gone so far as to believe in the impossible to try and find her. Everything he was had gone into the woman who had just vanished without a trace at a gas station. Even his reputation as a person had been destroyed and dragged through the mud.
Coralee's disappearance had even cost him his only daughter. A daughter who was now grown and finally willing to talk to him now that he was able to tell her what had happened to her mother. And yet, he still loved her, always hoped for reconciliation even when he'd learned that she knew everything for the past twenty years and still stayed away. But once he'd found her, she'd left again.
Perhaps stopping them from talking to Warren that first time, telling him everything, maybe that had been a sort of penance for her. A way of putting right the twenty years of searching, of justifying all the things she'd caused him to lose because of his desire to find and be with her again. But none of that truly mattered, she'd still left. No matter how much he wanted her to stay, no matter how much he wanted to go with her, she still left.
And Alex was there. Through everything, she'd been there to pull him out of his pain and misery, there when Coralee had chosen to leave all over again. Alex had driven with him all night, drank with him. Alex had even hesitated to ask questions. Questions they both knew that she'd wanted to ask since he and Coralee had exited the room, so many hours before. And Alex had given him so many choices, so many moments where he had made the decision. Even if she were persistent and pestered about what she'd wanted, she'd still given him a choice. She'd offered to give up her entire life to be with him, to try and keep him safe and keep him from a madman's attempt to end the world, and she'd still given him a final choice in that. She'd put her entire life in his hands; it was his decision.
At this point, there was no question in his mind what he wanted. He loved Coralee; he always would, but that life was in the past. Coralee had chosen to put it in the past. A choice that she hadn't involved him in. But he also loved Alex, a woman who he knew would stay by his side through anything. Through fights and disappearances, through assumed apocalyptic crises. A woman who would stand toe to toe with the most dangerous man either of them had ever met and threaten him, for Richard.
No, there really was no other choice in his mind. So his eyes moved back to hers and he answered with one simple word.]
Yes.