Overdose (BXB) Completed/Editing

Chapter 12- Puzzle

Overdose - Chapter 12

TW: R.

-Alex-

Sometimes I find myself too invested in the things I could have done differently. Those are the things that hold the most weight. Despite knowing that the past is unchangeable, my mind lingers on the times when my decisions could have produced a better outcome. An outcome where I wouldn't lose myself in the process of loving someone.

Jackson is to blame for several things but at the end of it all, I had the power to remove myself from him. The reason I refuse to tell my dad all the things that conspired is that all of it happened because I was naive and refused to see the red flags when they waved right in front of my face.

"Alex?" Nico calls out softly. His voice anchors my mind back to reality, once more, I find myself longing for temporary numbness.

I look around before turning to him. "Where are we?" I ask confusedly. As it is dark, all I can make out is a barbed-wire fence and an old brown brick building. "Abandoned rec center..." Nico explains with excitement. For someone sober, he sure does act under the influence sometimes.

I nod despite not understanding what we're doing here. "Come, I'll show you around," he says, walking around the car and opening my door. "Nico, being in a location I've never been to and the fact that it's abandoned doesn't make me want to get out of the car honestly," I say, unbudging.

He frowns, "I... Alex I'm not going to hurt you. Look I'm sorry bringing you to the hospital was upsetting, I just thought I'd make you feel better to see that Regina is alive and recovering," He intones gently. How do you think bringing me to an abandoned building will make me feel? I sigh tiredly and look around once more, from where we are, I can see the road where a few cars have driven past. There's an old sign with missing letters which further confirms that this place hasn't been in operation for a while.

"Here," He holds out the keys to his car. I stare at the keys for a moment before looking up into his pleading eyes, "I can't drive."

"Having the keys ensures that if you feel unsafe at any point, you can leave. You don't have to know how to drive to get in and lock the doors," He explains calmly. I press my lips together and nod, I grab the keys hesitantly. "Why would you trust me with your car?" I ask curiously.

He shrugs, "You haven't given me any reason to think you'd cause any harm to Walter." His tone is serious but the slight smirk on his lips tells a different story. He hasn't given me any reason to think he'd cause me any harm so why can't I trust him? You already know the answer to that.

With fear spreading thickly through my mind, I hop out of the car and follow Nico towards the doors. The closer we get to the building the more things I can make out. The doors are locked in place by a long-rusted chain and what I believe used to be a gold-colored padlock but is now covered in thick red rust. I wonder how Nico knows about this place.

"When my brother was still alive, we would come here every Saturday. He mostly wanted to come because his crush was the secretary's daughter, and she was here every weekend. Me, being the youngest, would get dragged into coming because my mom thought it'd be fun for us to bond. After he died, I stopped coming. A few years later, the owners moved out of town and just left this place. They didn't try to sell it or leave it to anyone. It's just been here serving no real purpose to anyone in this town...except me," Nico explains as we walk past the front doors and towards the side of the building.

The way he talks about his brother shows how much he meant to him. I can only imagine how much he misses him. "I've been coming here since I was fifteen. At first, it was because this was the only place that I saw Tyler truly be happy and be himself but as the years passed, it became my haven. My place to let out all frustrations and reset..."