Fire on Fire

16. Revelations

You knew it wouldn't last. But it was nice for a while. Thanks for making me feel what's it like to have a real friend. Thanks for caring. Thanks for everything, Alexander. Have a good life. – Emma

Alexander looked up, his jaw clenching, and on cue, Delilah raised her hands in surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger."

"Where is she going?" He grumbled.

"I don't know, she didn't want to tell me."

"But you took her to a bus station. You didn't see the destination?"

"I was too busy trying to convince her to stay." Delilah sighed, dropping onto the couch. "She's so stubborn."

Alexander didn't reply. It took him less than a minute to mature the decision that might potentially wreck everything he'd worked so hard for. He stood up abruptly, surprising his sister, and put on his leather jacket. "A woman named Nancy will come knocking," he said as he grabbed his keys, "she'll fix everything."

"Fix what?" Delilah followed him to the door. "Where are you going?"

"I'll get in touch when I can."

✧✧ ✧ ✧ ✧  

"For being a fugitive, you sure don't know how a GPS signal works."

The moment she heard his voice coming from the bus seat next to her, Emma's heart fluttered, but she masked it behind a deep sigh. "Once a stalker, always a stalker, huh?"

Alexander sat beside her on the bus. "Come on, you know smartphones make it terribly easy."

"Is that supposed to justify you?"

He scoffed, keeping his hands on his legs to avoid doing something rash, like grabbing her, pulling her into him, and begging her not to ever leave again. "The only justification I have for following you, is the one you won't listen to."

Emma sighed, turning her head to the window. "I hoped you would understand."

"Understand what, exactly?" He wondered. "That you ran away the moment I told you-"

"No." She cut him off. "You did not tell me what you think you told me. Less than less did you tell me what you wanted to. Because it's not real."

"You know I-"

"No." Emma argued stubbornly. "No, I don't know, and you don't either. You're still in time to drop off, the bus hasn't left yet." She knew it would take way more than her cold shoulder to make him change his mind after he'd driven all the way from New York to Connecticut just to stop her, but she had to try.

Alexander stared at her for a long moment, thinking it over. He could have picked a better place and time, but he had no choice. Hence, he grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around, so that he could look straight into her eyes when he declared: "I love you, Emma Hudson. Whether you like it or not. I didn't choose to, I just do. And you need to come to terms with it, as well as with the fact that I won't give up on you, you stubborn, thick-headed, impossible woman."

She closed her eyes, a sharp pain erupting through her ribs the exact moment those words reached her ears. Emma forced every single tear to hold back, because she ought to remain true to her decision, the sincerity of his confession could not make her waver. Hence, she turned back to the window, muttering: "That's not even my real name."

He grabbed her chin, to make her turn again. "That's not the right answer, don't you think?"

"Alexander ..." she sighed, her heart racing.