I will always protect you.

I love you with all my heart.

Yours forever,

Alexander

P.S. - Please burn this letter immediately upon reading. XOXO - Your Own Personal Mercenary-In-Training

Smiling, she grabbed a matchbook from her mantle in the living room and held the flame to the piece of paper, knowing that Alexander wouldn’t want that information getting into the wrong hands. Retreating back into the guest room, she lifted the lid off the first box she saw and began sorting through all the photos she came across.

There were hundreds, spanning the first six years of her life. A tear escaped when she found one from when she was probably not even a week old. A small boy sat in a rocking chair, holding a little baby with a full head of dark hair. She turned the photo over and saw what she remembered to be her mother’s handwriting.

Alex (2 years) and Olivia (5 days) – Mystic house.

She lived in Mystic. Maybe that’s why everything seemed so familiar when Alexander took her there. Anxious to learn more, she spent all day sorting through hundreds of old photos. She would laugh and cry, sometimes both at the same time, as memories came flooding back.

Alexander really was an important part of her life from early on. He was in nearly every photo with her. There were pictures from birthday parties, summers on the beach, and various holidays.

The hours wore on as she continued to learn about the life that she knew nothing about. She had rummaged through a few boxes, but was beginning to feel overwhelmed by everything that still remained.

She decided to sort through one more box before calling it a night. Her heart stopped when she pulled back the lid. “Mr. Bear!” she cried out, grabbing the stuffed animal and hugging it close to her body. The large powder pink bear must have been the same size as she was as a little girl. Inhaling deeply, she snuggled with her childhood toy.

A memory came flooding back. She had gone to the boardwalk with Alexander and her mother one summer day while they were spending time at the beach. Olivia remembered what a whiny little brat she had been as a child and was surprised that Alexander would even put up with it when he could have been playing with other boys.

She had seen that bear as a prize at one of the boardwalk game stands. She begged and begged for Alexander to win it for her. He had spent nearly all afternoon trying to capture the prize she wanted. As they were about to close for the day, he finally got the ring around the bottle. Olivia remembered kissing him on the mouth.

“You got that bear the day you kissed me for the first time.”

Olivia turned her head toward the doorway, surprised to see Alexander standing there, his hands sheepishly placed in his pockets. “Yeah, but I had to give myself a cooties shot after that, if I recall correctly.” She smirked playfully at him.

He grinned, taking a few steps closer to where Olivia sat on the floor, clutching her bear. “Yes. You did. Do you remember what you said that day?” he asked, sitting down next to her.

She stared deep into his eyes. “I told you that you’d have to marry me to make an honest woman out of me.”

Alexander erupted in laughter, the sound bringing a smile to Olivia’s face. “That you did.” His eyes narrowed and his laughter died down. “I still plan on marrying you, Olivia.”

She sighed, looking at her bear. “I know, Alexander. You’ve just dropped a bomb on me and I need some time to process all of this.”

“Okay,” he replied, clutching her hands in his. “I’ll give you all the time you need. Just please don’t do anything stupid now that you know everything.”

Olivia stood up, grabbing her bear. “But I don’t know everything. I can’t remember playing that Treasure Map game for the life of me.”

He raised himself off the floor and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, it’s okay.” His voice was full of compassion. “That’s what all this stuff is here for…to help you remember. It’s going to take more than a day to figure it all out, but I’m here to fill in the blanks if you need me to.”

Olivia lifted herself onto her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you, Alexander.” She looked at him and his eyes were still closed.

“God, your lips are so soft.”

She pressed her lips to his again. He moaned before slipping his tongue in her mouth, caressing hers. Olivia giggled, pulling away from the kiss. “You better watch it, or I’m going to have to give myself another cooties shot.”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her body flush with his. “I think we’re far past worrying about cooties, don’t you agree?” His eyes became hooded and Olivia’s heart started to race.

She nodded and dropped Mr. Bear to the ground, unable to break her eyes away from Alexander’s.

He gently lowered his mouth to hers.

“I still haven’t forgiven you,” she murmured against his lips.

“What’s it going to take for you to do that?” He planted soft kisses up and down her neck.

“Tell me. Please, Alexander.”

He pulled back, searching her eyes. “What, love?”

“You know what. I want to hear you say it. What you used to call me all those years ago. What I’ve heard you calling me in my dreams all these years.”

A sly grin crossed his face. “I love you, Olibia.”

Her heart swelled and she grabbed his head in her hands, forcing his lips against hers.

He picked her up and pinned her against the wall.

She wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Do you feel that, baby? You feel what you do to me?” he asked, thrusting himself against her, burying his head in her neck.

Olivia was aflame with the sensations coursing through her body from Alexander’s touch.

“Tell me you feel this, Olivia,” he begged. “Tell me you feel how much I love you. How much I can’t live without you.”

“I do, Alexander. I feel it,” she said, her breathing heavy.

“Then why do you constantly keep fighting it?”

She stared into his deep green eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

He crushed his lips back to hers, invading her mouth. “Hold on tight, beautiful.” He held on to her thighs and she tightened her grasp around his neck as he carried her up to the bedroom, slowly lowering her delicate frame onto the bed.

Olivia kept her eyes trained on him as he quickly stripped out of his clothes. Climbing on the bed, he planted soft kisses down her collarbone, slowly lifting her shirt over her head. She bucked him with her hips.