Sinful Addiction

Part 30 - Dead. Very, very, dead.

Song- Power Over Me by Dermot Kennedy

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"Can I pick you up for breakfast slash dinner around eight tomorrow morning?"

"I'd like that." Alexia smiles up at him.

Pressing a kiss against her lips she wraps her hands around his neck as he pulls her closer, lifting her up to her toes when the entrance door hits her back. "Ow."

"Oh my God, baby are you ok?" He asks, pulling away from the kiss.

"Yea, I barely felt it." She brushes it off as they move out of the way.

"Oh, get a room you two," Jake says, peeking his head out the door. "Hey, Finn."

"Hey, Jake." He nods slightly before looking back at Alexia, "You're sure you're ok, you don't need anything."

"Yes, I'm fine, really it was just a bump. Thank you though." She laughs. "I will see you in the morning. Sleep tight."

"Ok, have a good night at work." He presses another soft kiss to her forehead then walks back up the street hailing a cab. Blowing Alexia a kiss before getting in.

"Alright Jake, what's up?" She asks, turning and walking inside.

"Other than my lunch?"

"Very funny."

"That was sickeningly sweet. There is a Bella here to see you, she is up in your office."

"Ok, thanks." Stopping at the bar she grabs two bottles of water before walking upstairs. Pushing open the glass door and then tapping her finger in the corner causing it to fog over. "Hey Bella, how's school going?"

"Hi! And really good, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, well kinda."

"Of course, what's up?" She hands Bella one of the water bottles then sits in the chair across from her.

"I've been selected for the study abroad program next year, but we have to make our decisions by November first. If I go I will get to use the labs at both Cambridge and Oxford. It's an amazing opportunity but..."

"But, you are worried about Carson?"

"Yea, he'll be almost eleven by the time I leave and I know he can handle himself. Thanks to you he was placed with a cousin we didn't even know we had and he's loved living with them. Am I being paranoid?"

"No. Bella, you have been through hell, and you somehow managed to shield him from almost all of it. He may just be your little brother but you have taken care of him since you were his age." She reassures her, knowing Bella is capable of amazing things and Alexia wants her to have every chance possible to actually do them.

"Would it help if I said he can always call me? If he needs anything I will be right there. Same deal I have with you, I mean it has always applied to him as well but it still stands even if you don't come to meet-ups anymore."

"So you think I should do it?" She asks, unsure of what answer she is hoping for.

"I would be a massive hypocrite if I tried to make this decision for you so I can't tell you what to do, but I can say if you go I will keep an eye out for your brother. Bella, you are on the track to earning a bachelor's degree in a STEM field in three years instead of four, and if you continue on the path you could earn your Ph.D. and that is insane. Do you think you are possibly using your brother as an excuse not to go?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you got a full ride to Columbia you almost turned it down because you didn't think you deserved it. Your whole life you have had to sleep with one eye open, always worried about your next meal and where it would come from. When you were accepted it was the first time your hard work actually paid off. Bella, you deserve every good thing bound to come your way. In a few years, you will receive some amazing job offers straight out of college. Have you ever looked into what your average starting salary will be taking into consideration the fact that you are at the top of your class at an Ivy league?"