That Beautiful Boy... and Me

Chapter 20: Second Chances

Chapter 20... Can't believe I've written that many! It's crazy!

Anyway, here it is. This is really just a filler chapter for something big that's coming later on. There's no Nate or Annie in this chapter, just so you know. But you will meet two new characters... Enjoy, fan, vote, and most importantly, comment! I love hearing what you think!

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*Alex's POV*

We spent the rest of the day exploring the city and all it had to offer. It was easily one of the best days of my life; I had never been so happy. I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world; somewhere I had always wanted to go, and what's more, I was with the three people that meant the most to me in the entire world. Life couldn't have been better.

After everything had been cleared up with Trent, it was like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, like I could breathe again. It felt great, but I still couldn't quite get my head around what Trent had said. Had it really been that obvious that Nate and I had feelings for one another? How was it even possible that everyone else knew when neither of us had a clue ourselves? It was mind-boggling to say the least.

As we wandered the streets of the big apple, I couldn't help but smile. My best friend and my brother were together and happier than I had ever seen them, and for once in a long while, I wasn't one bit jealous. I had Nate and I was as happy as could be. All he had to do was hold my hand or look at me with those big, beautiful eyes and I was gone. It was as though he had cast some spell over me; I was totally and utterly enchanted by him. He made me laugh and smile more than I had in years. He made me feel like my old self again, and for that I would be eternally grateful.

It was evident that he cared about me, just like he said he did. He was sweet, he was kind, and he was caring. He was everything anyone could ever want in a boyfriend, and he was mine. He chose me! I was the girl who gained his attention, I was the one who got the good morning texts and good night kisses. I was the one who got to wake up and fall asleep in his arms, the one to capture his heart. I felt like the luckiest girl alive. He made me feel special, like I was the only girl in the world and I loved each and every moment of being his girlfriend.

The days passed by, each better than the last. Nate thought of every last detail and made each moment of our trip memorable. It was, without a doubt, an experience I would never forget, and I had him to thank for that.

It had been a week since we had gotten together and, in truth, it had been the best week of my life. The more time we spent together, the more I felt myself falling for him. Maybe Trent had been right, maybe I had feelings for him all along but just never quite realized it or refused to acknowledge it. It was Monday once again and we were starting into our second and final week in NYC. My parents had called the previous evening to inform us that they were coming down to see us, and we were all a little sceptical. As we sat in the dining room of The Plaza, silence washed over Trent and I. Annie and Nate weren't joining us for dinner; they had gone off for a day of sightseeing and shopping and were going to meet up with us later.

Nerves flooded through me and I took a deep breath in an unsuccessful attempt to calm myself. I hadn't seen my parents in almost 2 months. They had left straight after Christmas for work and we hadn't seen them since. Sure, we got an odd phone call here, and a stray text message there, but it wasn't enough. It didn't come as much of a surprise to Trent and I because, in reality, this was the norm. For the past five years, it had been the same story. After what happened, it seemed like neither of my parents could bare to be around us anymore and that had always confused me. When tragedy struck, it reminded me that life was short and I wanted to spend each moment I had with the people that meant the most to me. Clearly, my parents didn't share this opinion. It was almost as though they thought getting too close would make losing us harder in the end. They pushed us further and further away, and as the years went on it felt as though I didn't really have parents. I hated it.