Chapter 79: Threads of Destiny

It was dark as Taylor and Alex came back to their beach house; the night had thickened, the stars had come out. They were still angry at each other over the incident in the factory, but Taylor was not willing to let that bring the time they had come to an end. She looked at Alex, who shut the door, frowning, as if his mind was somewhere else. “Let’s not think about him tonight,” Taylor whispered, moving closer to Alex and laying her hand on his chest. “We have had enough of his shadow over us. Tonight I just want to be with you."” Alex looked at her and sighed before he pulled her close in his arms and looked down at her. “Yes,” he agreed quietly, and I shivered a little at the gentle tone of his words. “He has consumed so much of our time already; tonight is ours.” They remained there in the room that was rather poorly illuminated, embracing one another without saying a word. The sound of the waves outside was like the beating of their hearts, and gradually the atmosphere became calm. Taylor could be so aware of Alex’s naked body pressed against her, the sound of his heartbeat putting her at ease. As they danced, moving slowly in each other’s arms, Taylor was aware of a fast-building passion inside her. The storm inside her seemed to have been brewing for a long time, and finally the flood gates had opened and the love that she had bottled up inside her was coming out. She slightly leaned away, her eyes meeting with Alex's, and the look in her eyes caught him off guard. “Alex,” she said so softly that he had to lean in to hear her. “I love you, Alex; I love you more than anything in this whole wide world, and I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid to tell you that you are everything to me. Alex’s eyes widened slightly at the raw vulnerability in her words. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently brushing her cheeks. “Taylor,” he began, his voice filled with emotion. “I’ve always known how much you care, even when you didn’t say it. But hearing you say it now... it means everything to me.” Taylor felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she smiled through them, her heart swelling with the overwhelming love she felt for him. “I’m so lucky to have you, Alex. And I promise, from now on, I won’t let fear hold me back. I’ll love you with everything I have, no matter what.” Alex leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers, his breath warm against her skin. “You’re my world, Taylor,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “And I’ll do everything in my power to protect what we have. No one—not Victor, not anyone—can take that away from us.” Their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss, a kiss that conveyed all the emotions they had been unable to express in words. Taylor felt herself melting into him, her fears and doubts dissolving in the warmth of his embrace. This was where she belonged, where she had always belonged—by his side, in his arms, with nothing between them. But as the kiss deepened, a sudden sense of urgency gripped Taylor. It wasn’t just about the love they shared—it was about making sure that love was never threatened again. She pulled back slightly, her breath ragged, and looked into Alex’s eyes, her gaze intense. “Alex,” she said, her voice firm despite the emotions swirling inside her, “we need to be stronger than ever. Whatever Victor is planning, we can’t let it come between us. We need to face it together, head-on.” Alex simply nodded his head in agreement; he then had a more serious look on his face. “You are right here. We cannot let him pull strings over us anymore. We will prepare ourselves for the next move, Taylor. I promise you that here. Taylor felt a kind of determination rise in her. But the woman who sat across from Victor was not the same woman he had met when he came back into their lives. She was confident now, sure of what she desired—and she desired Alex more than she had ever before. She was not going to allow anything or anyone to come in between her and her achievement of that. But as the lady was ready to open her mouth, there was a knock on the door. It was sudden and loud, and it cut through the moment like a knife going through butter. Taylor and Alex looked at each other, the tension that had been absent when Victor was around coming back. “Who could that be at this hour?” Alex spoke out loud, feeling the urge to defend his friend. “I don’t know,” Taylor said anxiously. “But I don’t like it.” Thus, Taylor saw that Alex was slowly approaching the door and her heart was pounding in her chest. There was a knock on the door once more but louder this time and Taylor could not help but get a sense of doom go down her spine. Who could it be? Was it Victor again, who came to interfere with their lives again? Perhaps, therefore, it was not that after all but something quite different. Alex had come to the door and for a second stood still before he began to twist the handle very gently. Taylor looked at her and kept her breath, not knowing what to expect from her next move. The door slowly opened and someone was standing just inside the door in the poor light from the porch. It wasn’t Victor, but who it was made Taylor’s blood run cold. In the doorway stood a woman, whom Grace knew, although she could not say that she knew her well enough to see her here. It was Julia—Alex’s ex-fiancée. “Julia?” Alex could hardly believe his eyes and ears; there was so much disbelief in his voice. This is the same question that I saw Branwen ask Tomos, her lover, when he appeared at her house one day, in the series Poboly Cwm. Julia stepped forward, her expression unreadable, but there was something in her eyes that sent a chill down Taylor’s spine. “I need to talk to you, Alex. It’s important.” Taylor’s heart sank as she watched the interaction. What was Julia doing here, now, after all this time? And why did she have the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much more complicated? Before Alex could respond, Julia’s gaze shifted to Taylor, and for a brief moment, something passed between them—an understanding, a challenge, a warning. Taylor couldn’t quite place it, but she knew one thing for certain: this unexpected visit was about to change everything. The delicate balance they had worked so hard to maintain was suddenly teetering on the edge of a knife, and Taylor could feel the ground beneath her shifting once again. She tightened her grip on Alex’s hand, making a silent promise that whatever happened next, they would face it together. But as the night stretched on and Julia began to speak, Taylor realized that the past had a way of resurfacing in the most unexpected ways—and that the threads of destiny were about to weave a new and unpredictable chapter in their lives. ___________________________________________________ As the tension of the moment filled the air, Taylor could sense that their love was about to be tested in ways she had never imagined. But with Alex by her side, she was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Because in the end, love was worth fighting for—no matter how unexpected the twists might be.