Always

10| memories

ALEXIS

I sat down, fiddling with my gun. This was it. I was finally going to learn how to shoot. My eyes lifted, watching Rhys and Damien shooting their targets with precision.

"Allie, come join us," Rhys' all too familiar voice drifted through the room.

Smiling, I rushed forward to my target. Positioning myself, I removed the safety of my gun. My first shot blew completely out of proportion. It didn't even touch the board, let alone come anywhere near the center. Sticking my tongue out in concentration, I tried again. 

It hit the board this time. The far right corner of the board. Loading my gun, I tried again. With each try, I was slowly getting drained. None of my bullets had come near the center. My best shot was on the outer ring of the circle. 

Sighing, I put my gun down. A pair of hands immediately wrapped around my waist, jumping from the initial shock of being hugged, i turned around and hugged him back.

"I'm horrible at this," I told Dame, showing him my target.

"It's your first time Al, you're not bad, you just need proper technique," he affirmed.

"That's just a nice way of telling me I'm bad."

He shook his head, frowning. "If I wanted to say that, I would've. Now, do you want me to show you how it's done?" I nodded in agreement, turning around and picking my gun up again. 

"Hold it like this," his arms slipped casually around my waist, his warm breath fanning my cheek.

"Like this?" I asked, mimicking his position.

His hands brushed over mine, lifting them up and moulding them around the gun like a second skin. "Like this." 

"So, I'll shoot now?" I asked dumbly, he shook his head, laughing. His laugh is a melody in itself, it's mellifluous to one's ears, I could spend years listening to the sound of his laughter.

"...Al, you there?"

I shook my head, turning to him. "Yeah."

He nodded, gripping my hands, he moved them in front of the target. "Ready?"

I nodded. I pulled the trigger. 

Bullseye. I staggered backwards, into Damien as his grip around my waist tightened, balancing me. A hand pulled me away from Damien.

"That was the wrong technique," Rhys reprimanded, a permanent scowl set on his face. Dame frowned looking at Rhys. "If it was wrong, Al wouldn't have hit the bullseye." 

"She didn't hit the bullseye. You did," I looked up, pulling my hand free from Rhys' grip.

"I don't know what you mean by that." Dame said, matching Rhys' scowl.

"You were practically manhandling her. You weren't showing her how to do it, you were doing it for her." Rhys spat, face heating up in anger. 

I do not know who made the first move, what I did know is that I had to pull them away, and quick. Untangling their hands, I quickly stepped between them. Their eyes snapped to me, almost as if they didn't realise I was still there. 

"I can explain-" 

"You weren't meant to see-" 

Their voices collided. I looked back and forth between them and frowned. "Talk to me when you have your shit together," I told both of them, dropping my gun and walking out of there. 

I remember that day vividly.  I wish I hadn't walked out.