Second Chances

twenty-four

a l e x

After Luke dropped the love bomb, we went back to having fun, pretending like it didn't happen.

But it did. And I couldn't stop replaying it in my mind.

His words rang in my head as I helped him bake cookies for his brother back at his place.

God, why'd I bring it up?

At around four thirty, I left Luke's apartment and decided to visit my family's house. I really had nothing to do alone at my place, and my thoughts were starting to give me a horrible headache. Talking to someone would probably do me some good.

Luke actually drove me back to my apartment, but I just went straight to my car and drove to my family's house once he left.

Thirty minutes later, I found myself inputting the password at our gate and having Jonathan open the front door for me.

"By any chance, are any of my siblings home?" I tried.

He nodded and shut the door behind me. "Paige is upstairs in her room. She came home from school around an hour ago. The rest aren't here. They usually get back late. Jackson gets back the earliest, around six thirty, maybe six. Your parents aren't here either."

"Got it. Thanks," I made my way to Paige's room, but immediately regretted it when I opened the door and poked my head in.

"Hey, Pai—" my eyes widened at the sight in front of me. My sister was on top of a boy, kissing him like he was her only source of oxygen. Good thing I didn't come in later or I would've been scarred for life. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

Paige threw herself off him and stared at me with eyes just as wide as mine. "Holy sh—Alex what are you doing here?"

"Nothing, nothing. I was just looking for someone to talk to, but you're busy, so I'll just be in the gym," I spoke hurriedly. "You two be safe. If you don't have any, I'm sure you can get some protection from Ryder's room, unless you have that already, and in tha—"

"Alex, just go," Paige pleaded.

"Yup. I'll just lock this," I twisted the lock on the door handle from the inside. "Just so this won't happen again with someone else."

I quickly shut the door and made my way to the kitchen. Might as well make myself a drink while I wait for someone to talk to, right?

After going through the liquor cabinet, I fixed myself a mojito in a cute glass and walked into the home gym.

It was a weird place to drink, honestly, but the couch there was weirdly more comfortable than the ones in the living room. I learned that when I got tired after working out one time and decided to take a break.

I'm really not the type to drink in the middle of the day, but one drink wouldn't hurt, and I was really willing to try anything to get Luke's words out of my head for a while.

I spent probably twenty minutes there, just slumped on the couch, staring at my drink and watching the ice swirl around when I moved the glass, creating a tiny whirlpool in the middle.

"Hey, want some company?" a voice asked from the doorway, following a soft knock.

Turning, I realized the voice was from the boy Paige was with in her room. Now that I finally saw his face, I understood why Paige would be interested in him. He was really her type.

His light brown hair looked styled, but I'm sure it wasn't, I mean, he was just making out with my sister a few moments before. And if it was, damn, that was some good hair product.