Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ALEX AND GWEN, ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES, SAT INSIDE THE restaurant. The table was filled with laughter and happy faces. The Stacy family got along well with Alex's parents. Alex looked at her phone to see that it was 8:10 pm and Peter was still a no-show.
"Hey Alex, didn't you say Peter was supposed to show up?" Mrs. Stacy asked before biting into her dumpling.
"Yeah, Um, he said he probably be running a little late," But when she looked out the window and saw Peter's figure looking at her before turning to walk away, she abruptly stood up.
"I'll be right back, everyone. I think I saw him outside." Alex made her way outside. The air was chilly and wet as it had just rained a few hours before. Peter could be seen pacing back and forth. He looked stressed-his fingers tugging at his hair.
"Hey," Peter glanced at her before he stopped pacing and stood in place. Alex was shaking her head, "What is it? What's wrong?"
Peter let out a long breath. "I don't know what I'm doing, Alex I really don't." He expressed.
"It's Gwen's father? Isn't it?" Alex reached out to touch him, trying to comfort him as best she could. "I see him everywhere I go, I can't, and I don't know what to do. I can't get him out of my head. It's like he's stuck there."'
Alex took a step forward, wrapping her arms around his torso. He looked down at her. "Peter, we talked about this. I know it's hard to let it go. You were there when he died. Gwen doesn't blame you, and I don't blame you."
"I know, but Alex."-
"It's not his choice Peter. I make my own decisions." She replied sternly. "You make your own decisions. I never promised to stay away from you, and I'm not going to start now."
"I promised I would keep away from you, and now I'm coming to have dinner with your parents. What does that make?" Peter sounded defeated as he looked at the girl in front of him. He was slowly breaking her heart.
"I don't know, what does that make you, Peter? I thought that it meant you loved me; you loved me enough to stay with me." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I do love you, Alex, you know that."
"Then why is that not enough for you? We get back together, and then you break up with me? It's like a constant cycle."
Peter held her face in his hands. "You don't get it. What if something happens to you just like it happened to him because of me? Try placing yourself in my shoes."
"I would never do this to you," Alex removed her face from his hands trying to hold back the angry tears that were bound to fall.
"I would've been with you regardless. Because I love you, listen to me, Peter, you're Spider-Man... and I love that. But I love Peter Parker more. I've always said I've loved Peter Parker more." She expressed, looking into his brown orbs-the same brown eyes she had fallen in love with.
"It's worth it to me. You're worth it to me." She professed.
Peter dragged his hands down his face as he looked at Alex. "I can't lose you too. I can't, leaving your parents without a daughter the same way I left Gwen without a father."
Alex folded her arms across her chest and swallowed the lump in her throat. "If because you can't lose me, we can't be together, who does that work out for, Peter? Mmh?" Peter was looking everywhere but at her.
"I...I can't. I'm sorry, Alex." Alex let out a dry laugh as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Wow. You have done this to me again and again, Peter. I can't live like this. I can't keep fighting for you if you won't meet me halfway. Well, you know what? I break up with you. I break up with you." Soon the angry tears began to fall.
Peter looked around. He was ashamed, but he knew what he was doing was for her own good-to protect her. He could not lose her.
"I gotta go. They're probably wondering where I am." Alex wiped a few tears off her face and tried her best to make it look like she wasn't crying. When she returned to the table, she could tell Gwen knew something was up but didn't question it.
By the look in her eye, Gwen knew that Peter had once again broken things off between the two. Everyone began to pack up and leave the restaurant, but Gwen walked over to Alex. The tip of her nose was bright pink, and her eyes were puffy.
Alex quickly wiped her face again. "Hey, you wanna spend the night at my place?" Alex agreed she didn't exactly want to be left alone and have to explain to her parents what had just transpired.
"Yeah, erm, I've gotta go home and pack a bag. Thanks, Gwen." Gwen softly squeezed her shoulder before walking off toward her mom.
Alex just couldn't understand where Peter was coming from, she loved him so way wasn't that enough? She didn't care if she got hurt or if something was to happen to her. The love she had for Peter was much bigger, and that alone scared her more than the possibility of her getting hurt.
But the saddest fear was that she knew she couldn't live like this. She couldn't endure the constant breaking up and get back together no matter how much she wanted to be with him.
She had a life to live, and as much as she wanted Peter in it, she couldn't make him stay. Her whole life was ahead of her, and she knew Peter fit somewhere in it. She didn't know where.
"Alex, honey," Her dad's voice rang through her ears. "You coming?"
"Hey, can I spend the night at Gwen's? I'll be home tomorrow morning." Her parents agreed and allowed her to take the car.
This is what she needed. Some time away from Peter.
