what happens in Maine, stays in Maine.

2.

december 22nd
alex : don't forget i'm bringing a friend, it'd be embarrassing if we sat down and she didn't have a place at the table.

jen : oh that's right...a friendddd 😏

alex : it's literally just bradley 🙄

jen : sureeeeee, well don't worry there is a place setting already waiting with your girlfriends name on it.

alex : asshole.

alex rolled her eyes as she put her phone down on her knee, taking her glasses off and closing her eyes briefly.
"what's up?" bradley asked her.
they were sat on the plane heading upstate, their seats facing each other, bradley's drink balancing on a mini fold out tray.
benny had his head resting on bradley's feet, his ears perking up every so often as he slept.
"oh nothing, just my sister...trying to wind me up" alex smiled faintly as she diverted her eyes away from bradley and out the window.
bradley's eyebrows furrowed briefly as she looked at alex thoughtfully for a moment.
"she's ok that i'm coming right?"
alex looked back to bradley, her eyebrows also knitting together,
"of course, yeah don't worry about it. she-"
alex paused a moment debating wether or not to mention it to bradley.
"she's just fucking about, calling you my girlfriend" alex laughed nervously as she looked down at her fingers, she clears her throat.
bradley blinks, taken aback that alex's sister would even think that, something feels weird to bradley,
"wait why would she think that y-"
however just at that moment, alex is almost saved by the bell, as the pilots voice is heard on the intercom telling them they'll be landing soon.
the seatbelt light dings on.
bradley's question is lost in the moment as they gather all their hand luggage and get ready to land.

once they'd got all their luggage and loaded it into the rental car they headed towards alex's sisters.
bradley's eyes were wide as she struggled to take everything in, having never been to maine before it was like a whole new world to her.
she turned her head to alex.
bradley also noted how strange it was to see alex driving for a change.
they were still in a range rover which was definitely alex's go too way of travelling; but seeing her change gears, absently bite her nail as they stopped at red lights, muttering curse words under her breath as people cut them off; it all opened up a new image of alex for bradley.
an image of a woman just like anybody else, she wasn't as untouchable as she always tried and succeeded in coming off like.
"what are you smirking at?"
alex's voice pulled bradley out of her reverie.
"oh nothing...just watching how well you handle the stick" bradley giggled.
"what, you're suprised i can actually drive now?" alex laughed trying to act offended with a smirk playing on her lips.
"no...just didn't think you were any good" bradley quipped back.
alex scoffed in fake offence as she pushed her glasses further up her nose, shifting gears and revving the engine to tease bradley for her comment.
bradley's stomach fluttered, it was just at the feel of the car accelerating suddenly...right?
there were a few minutes of silence as bradley tried to focus on the surroundings as they changed.
they started to leave the busy streets behind, entering the suburban snow covered streets
"so how come i haven't heard of a jennifer levy before?" bradley asked, turning the radio down slightly.
"well that would be because it's not levy...she was married, that's how she got the surname aniston"
"ohhh that makes a lot more sense. will he be there this year aswell?" bradley asked, she somehow got the feeling she'd asked a sensitive question as energy shifted ever so slightly in the car.
"umm no, he passed away a couple of months ago"
"oh, i-i'm so sorry"
alex waved it away with her hand "oh it's fine, just a good job you brought it up with me and not jenny. i think it would've sent her over the edge to have to explain it one more time" alex laughed slightly under her breath, bradley could see alex didn't like this topic so she didn't push anymore.
however alex decided to carry on the conversation anyway,
"it's only hard to talk about because it was so sudden, right after ollies birth aswell, he's 4 months old now but at the time he was about two weeks old...it broke her"
"i can imagine...wow" bradley's brow had knitted together in sympathy.
"is there anything else i should be caught up on before we get there? i tend to have a habit of bringing things up at the wrong time" bradley jokes which gets an agreeing look from alex, she knows all too well how often bradley talks about stuff she shouldn't around people who definitely should not be hearing those things.
"ermm...i don't think so. there's max, he's eight. and ollie like i said he's 4 months. just don't bring up jason because jen will never shut up about how i ought to chop his balls off or whatever" alex laughs "she's very feminist driven like that"
"kinda like you then" bradley comments.
"ha...i think you mean like you" alex laughs.
"oh and just avoid anything about matt, that was his name...i don't wanna-"
"oh yeah i understand. ok so as long as those topics don't fall out my mouth we should be good to go"
just as they turn into the long driveway alex also comments,
"yeah and don't be put off if we seem really mean to each other either... that's just our love language" alex winks at bradley as the car comes to a stop.
switching off the engine and unbuckling her seatbelt she opens her door.
she lets benny climb through the front and jump onto the driveway, grabbing his lead, before shutting the door.
bradley pulls her coat closer around her body as they walk towards the front door that's already opening.