Flowers trapped in the web

Chapter 22

I spent the rest of the afternoon studying, taking a brief break to cook myself something to eat before heading to my class.

"Hey Ally-bear," a Texan mum named Marissa beckoned me with a smile "how's that fella of yours treating you?" I really wasn't in the mood to be brought into their spouse conversations.

"Yeah he's great, we've been busy with school and stuff lately, so we haven't spent too much time together"

"You got a picture of him?"

"sure, bare with me two seconds" I muttered as I scrolled through my phone, couldn't show any of the ones with him in the suit. I found one from our roller-skating date, my arms were around his shoulders with disco lights bouncing off our skin.

"ain't that the sweetest thing" Marissa gushed, "reminds me of when I was young. He's kind of a pretty boy ain't he?" I smiled lightly.

"yeah he is, and he damn well knows it" I joked, eliciting a few laughs.

"Do you live together?" Karen asked and I hesitated.

"kind of, we spend nights between his and his aunts' home and my flat. It just depends where is closest."

"and you aren't married yet, your parents must be proud" all eyes turned to Fey, and I could feel my stomach drop, but it was nothing new. I knew a lot of the older generation, especially women, frowned on relationships such as mine.

"I think I'm too young for marriage, I'm certainly not mature enough yet." I dismissed gently as not to disturb the group.

"amen to that"

I didn't win that day either, I might have but that familiar brew of stress, guilt and anxiety began to brew, and I couldn't shake it. I found that even on my best days, there was always the chance that the looming demon would leer its head, even when I didn't want it to.

James had been right about the therapist, she helped, made me feel like I wasn't crazy for falling into the pit of my own head. Peter understood sometimes that I needed space, space that I couldn't explain or justify. I think he found it hard, not being able to support me when he knew I felt alone, but I found it hard to rely so heavily on people.

That doesn't mean I love his company any less, I just tend to focus on the good days rather than the bad. And I was getting better, slowly but surely. Healing takes time, as Dr. Raynor would say.

He wasn't picking me up today, still busy on patrol in Manhattan and it was the first time I had walked home by myself. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous, but it had to be done. Baby steps.

And Peter wasn't my protector, sure he was my boyfriend, and Spiderman, but I couldn't expect him to be there at my every call. He wasn't my personal bodyguard, and I couldn't exploit him or his powers.

I hummed nonchalantly, keeping my wits about me whilst I walked down the street, the path illuminated by the yellow of the lamps. I think I was just ready to go home and watch some shit TV, maybe cry a little and eat some ice cream. We had Liz's party coming up in a few days too, I didn't understand why in America all parties you went to, you had to dress sexy. It was bizarre and I was almost glad we didn't go to any Halloween parties last year.

More than just a dream... (Pretty boy calling...)

"Hey baby" I said into the phone, hearing some rustling. "Pete?"

"Al? Are you home?" he groaned into the phone, and I immediately picked up the pace, so I was almost sprinting towards my flats.

"not yet, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"