Influx (Book Four)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Rolling over on the couch confused, I look out the massive windows and see that I am still on the couch in the Tower. Pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I stand up and stretch. Alexander strolls into the room with his hair slightly askew and dark circles under his eyes. He gives me a grin before walking into the kitchen. I hop up on one of the stools and wait for him to be finished.

"Do you want pancakes?" He asks

"Always," I say, and he starts cooking and I check my phone. Click went home with Orion last night and is hanging out with them again today.

"Can I ask you a question?" Alexander asks me tentatively and I sip on some water.

"You just did," I state, and he shakes his head.

"Why are you pulling away so suddenly?" He asks me and I know he's been talking to Aviva and Cathleen about my sudden behavior change. I wish they would all just drop it.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I mumble as I scroll on my phone.

"Hadley, seriously?" He asks me slightly annoyed before sliding me a plate of pancakes.

"Everything is fine, nothing is wrong," I say bored and he gives me a hard look.

"Your stubbornness certainly hasn't softened in the last decade," he says annoyed and I roll my eyes.

"Nope," I reply, and he sets down his own plate.

"Please tell me what is wrong, I can't help or even understand if you don't talk to me," he pleads in a softer tone. I just shovel pancakes into my mouth to try and stop the conversation. 

"Hadley,"

"I don't need help, everything is fine," I say. I already know that he is going to counter everything I would or will say, there is no point in having this conversation. I don't want to hear it!

"Hadley," he says again in the same serious tone.

"Alexander," I mock, and he stabs his pancakes frustrated for a few moments.

"What did we do wrong?" He asks me and his voice aches with pain. That cuts through me more than I would ever admit, I hate hearing him sound so hurt. 

"You did nothing wrong, nobody did. I am inserting myself somewhere I am not needed, and I need to step out before things become messy," I say carefully, and he looks at me confused.

"Everyone wants you and Click here Hadley, what are you talking about?" He asks me confused and I try to figure out a more eloquent way to say I feel as if I am invading.

"Alexander I am not a hero, I don't belong on this team," I say, and he takes my dishes and sets them to soak.

"You are just as much as a hero as the rest of us," he counters, and I give him a flat look.

"You don't know what I've done in the last ten years, you can't attest to that with as much conviction as you are trying to claim," I state firmly, and he rolls his eyes. But my body aches and all I can see is blood before I clear my vision. Rubbing my eyes again, I try to ignore the memories; I did what I needed to.

"Now you sound like Cathleen, we've all done some horrible things, Hadley. All of us are flawed in some way," he counters.

"Don't tell me I sound like her," I snap annoyed, and he smiles.