The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 12

Alex’s POV:

“What the hell are you doing here?” My voice was low and calm but it held enough force to let Elijah know that I wasn’t anything but pissed off.

“Alex, just hear me out—”

“What the hell are you doing here?!” I yelled and he flinched. Regret was clouding his expression but I didn’t give a damn. After everything he’d done, he had no right to stand in my house.

“I came to fix things!” he said. “Just listen to me.”

My hands curled into fists at my sides and my vision reddened as I glared at him. I didn’t realize the fury inside me had gotten so strong that it would start burning my skin, especially my tattoo.

He took a step back in caution but didn’t leave. His feet were planted firmly on the ground as if he was trying hard to not run away. He took a deep breath before looking at me again.

“I know it’s late,” he started and my eyes flared. I knew it was scaring him but he still forced himself to continue. “But if it’s worth anything, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not,” I told him.

“I was fifteen,” he said. “I freaked out and I’m sorry I left you like that.”

“Do you even know the intensity of what you did?” I asked. “You’re apologizing like it isn’t even a big deal. Like what you did doesn’t even matter. Well, let me tell you, Elijah Wilson, it does matter!”

“Alex—” Emma started but I ignored her and continued. The rage burning inside me was stronger than anything I’d experienced.

“You left me when I needed you! You didn’t even care!” At that moment, I realized it wasn’t just rage swallowing me whole; regret and longing was swirling inside the anger. Tears stung at the back of my eyes yet the glow was so red, I could barely make out any other color.

“I did care! If you’d just listen to me, I could explain—”

“Just shut up!”

“Alex.” Before I knew it, Zoe was in front of me, gripping my shoulders hard. Her gaze was stern and fearless and I could already feel the rage slowly dying down. “Your brother is here. Troy is here. You need to get yourself under control, we can talk in your room.” Her voice was slow, forceful, and urgent.

I closed my eyes as my mind processed her words. My fingernails dug into my palm, my knuckles turning white as I tried to regain my composure. I felt the glow subside and opened my eyes just in time to see Troy stop in the kitchen. His gaze traveled from Emma to Elijah, then Zoe before settling on me. I let out a breath as Zoe took a step back.

“I don’t think it’s the best time to drop any information on you but I know you want to hear this,” he said. The coldness present in his hazel eyes never seemed to go away, whether he was happy or not. His hair was pushed back and he was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Despite his clothes, he always gave me the vibes of a mafia boss which added to the reason we weren’t close. He couldn’t be kind even if he wanted to. “I just got off the phone with Xander.”

The moment I heard his name, my eyes widened and I forgot about Elijah. “What did he say?”

“The course was cut short,” Troy said. “They covered things earlier than they thought they would. Plus, the weather conditions were predicted to get worse in the next month so… his flight back home is scheduled for tomorrow.”

Relief washed inside me like a wave. I knew I wasn’t worthy of Xander’s trust but I still felt like it was my responsibility to make sure he was okay. My instincts had gotten used to it after thirteen years, especially since Dad never tried to give him the childhood he deserved.