London Has Your Eyes

Chapter 69. Alex

I wake up at exactly 8 in the morning when the alarm clock is mercilessly crackling right above my ear. Without opening my eyes, I fumble for my phone and turn it off. Daniel sniffs peacefully next to me, covering me with his arm. I wonder when he came back? I waited for him for a couple of hours last night before I fell asleep.

I brush my teeth, pulling my hair into two braids to keep the wind from ruffling them on the slope. My phone blinks, reporting a new notification. I turn the screen towards me - the social media notifications come one by one. I don't even have time to read what strange activity has happened as it switches off. Nice! I forget to charge it in the evening.

I put my phone in my pocket, grab the charger, and cover Daniel with the blanket. He's so cute when he's asleep. He's so beautiful. He's mine. The thought feels so good inside. So warm. I stroke his sleeping body on the shoulder and leave the room.

I walk down to the restaurant, where Max is half-asleep, picking up some goodies for breakfast.

- Good morning, honey, - I say to my son as I pick up my plate. - How did you sleep? How was your evening?

- Great. When did you leave, I went back to the spa, met the guys from France. Anyway, it was all right. How are you? Have you reached the club?

- Yeah, - I answer, walking away from the conversation. The young couple next to us whisper strangely, looking in my direction. What's going on? I frown and look at them. Catching my gaze, they quickly look away. It's uncomfortable and incomprehensible.

We sit down at a table near an electric socket, and I put my phone on charge. I look around the room and notice that that couple weren't the only ones whispering about us. It's really weird. Maybe they're whispering because Daniel and I are here?

- It's kind of weird, - I say to Max, - don't you think it's like people are talking about us.

- Oh, come on! About what? We arrived with Daniel yesterday, if they recognized him, they'd be whispering since yesterday. It's not really relevant today. In these fast times, Mom, news doesn't last very long.

Max chews his cereal, pulling his smartphone out of his pocket. Stupid habit, checking social media at breakfast time.

- So, are we going up the mountain as well? - I ask. - It's just the two of us today, Daniel's out.

Max nods mechanically, not taking his eyes off the phone. Suddenly he gets very serious, frowns...

- Max? Is everything okay? - I ask. He looks at me dazed.

- Fucking hell! - He slams his fist down on the table. I flinch in surprise. The people around me take a couple of pictures. What the fuck? Max jumps up abruptly. Placing his hands on the table, he leans towards me.

- Where's that asshole? I'm going to punch him in the face! - He hisses.

- Max, calm down! What happened? - I still don't understand. - Please, sit down. Everyone's looking at us.

Max sits down abruptly, his eyes running back and forth, making me very nervous.

- Mum, have you been on social media today? - He asks.

- I didn't have time, my phone died, - I reply. - What happened?

- There's something you need to see. Daniel's a real asshole, Mom. I'm sorry, but he is, - Max squeezes my hand, sighs deeply, and turns his phone screen towards me.

Instagram is buzzing with the news that Daniel slept with his ex on the air. "Unfortunately, the ether was not preserved, it was cut off. Probably, they were so carried away by passion that they forgot about everything", one publisher wrote. What nonsense is this? But there's no doubt about it. The screenshots show him. Here she is sitting on his lap, now he has laid her on top.

I'm slowly becoming aware. I drop the phone on the table like it's contagious and cover my mouth with my hand, holding back the scream that rises straight from the depths. He couldn't have! He couldn't! He couldn't cheat on me, and yet humiliate me so publicly, and then go back to my bed! He couldn't!

I turn on my phone and go into my account. I understand why my phone's been going crazy all morning. Millions of messages, tags and comments are pouring down on me. Some feel sorry for me, others sneer. Some rejoice that Daniel is getting back together with his love. And there are pictures everywhere. I sort them out, look at them. Each picture stabs with a sharp needle. I flip through until I find a recording of a fragment. Kaitlin is sitting on his lap. With her back to the screen, but Daniel's face is clearly visible. He looks at her and apparently says something. Then abruptly grabs her ass and flips her over, continuing to grop her. He kisses her, squeezing her.

- Mum? - Max sits down next to me and gives me a hug. - Mum, are you okay?

I stare at him silently with dazed eyes.

- Get me out of here now, - I ask quietly.

We go into Max's room, where I fall on the bed and cover my face with my hands. I want to scream, to howl nonstop. What kind of huge gaping hole has suddenly formed inside? Why did he do this? The tears silently pour down in a hailstorm, and at some point I just can't stop them.

Max walks around the room, shaking his fists. He's furious.

- Give me the key to your room, - he yells. - I'll go in there and talk to him.

- No, - I reply, finally managing my emotions. - I'll go in there myself. You stay out of this. You're packing, right now. We're going home. Can you get us tickets? I'll go up and get my stuff. Grab a card. I won't be long.

Max nods and jerks open the closet, shoveling things into a backpack.

- Keep yourself together, Max. There's already a lot of commotion around us. I don't want to create any more. On the contrary, I want to hide and forget about it all.

I go up to my floor and stand with my key card under my room door. How could everything have changed so much in just half an hour? How could he talk to me about love, about family, ask me to move in with him, and then go fornicating, even like that, with his ex-girlfriend? How could he be so hypocritical as to come back with her imprint on his body and lie down next to me. I'm getting sick of all these thoughts. How disgusting it all is.

My heart races, my hands shaking as I walk into the room. Daniel is still sound asleep, wrapped in a blanket. I stare at him in disgust. How much it hurts inside.

I quietly open the wardrobe, pull out my bag and put my things in it. At the exit, I turn around once more and look at the guy I love so much and who finally broke my heart.

Max is ready, he's sitting on the bed in his room, cursing loudly when I walk in.

- Did you find the tickets? - I ask, crossing the threshold.

Max nods: - Yes, I've got the closest flight, it's in four hours.

- Let's go then, we wait at the airport. Can I borrow your balaclava? - Max holds out his brightly coloured scarf to me, so I hide my face away and pull my hood on. That's how we went on a fucking vacation.