ALL MY LUCKY STARS

Alexander

I held Livvie in my arms until I felt her calming down, and her crying soon stopped after that.

"I promise I won't cry on every single date," she chuckled.

"It's okay if you do," I reassured her. Was she kidding? After all she went through. I brushed her hair out of her face and stroked it gently.

I would do anything for this woman. And I thought a lot about killing this Liam person.

Well, not kill, because I actually want to spend time with Olivia and I can't really do that if I'm in jail. But I wanted to show him how I felt about him and the way he hurt the woman I love.

Maybe some action with my fist.

Wait. Love? Do I love her already? I wasn't sure. But I think I was starting to.

We lay there a few more moments before she stood up and grabbed her clothes, starting to put them on. "You're leaving?" I said.

"I think I should."

"Livvie, you don't have to feel bad."

"No, not that. I just shouldn't sleep over again."

"Oh. Well, if that's what you want."

"I think... if we're going to do this, then I have to take it slow."

"Good thing I'm a patient guy," I smile. She smiles back, leaning down to kiss me, then makes her way to the door.

I shot up off the couch to meet her. "So how slow are we talking? Is texting okay?" I ask.

She chuckles. "Yes, Alex, texting is okay." I leaned up to look at her as she put on her flats. I walked over to grab her sweater and put it around her, beginning to put my clothes back on. "Let me at least walk you home," I plead.

"Okay," she started to blush and turn away.

-: ✧ :-

We walked the few blocks to her apartment, in the still of the night, a slight breeze chilling my arms and making my hair stick up. The wind would blow her hair toward me and she smelled so good. I just wanted to stop to inhale her– afraid it'll be too long until I get to do that again.

I'd make a candle out of it if I could. A perfume maybe.

The walk was mostly quiet, and we were both timid to reach out and grab each other's hands, but eventually, they intertwined and my heart felt full.

I could do this for the rest of my life. With her. I never wanted anybody the way I wanted her.

"So, do you do this a lot?" She asks.

"Do what?"

"Hold women as they cry into your arms?" She laughs.

"Nope. You're the first," I pulled her in tighter.

"What? No way."

"I never really dated anyone seriously," I admit.

"Really? Why?"

"Well, because it would mean I couldn't sleep with other people."

"Oh," she said, defeated.

"I was..." I leaned down to whisper in her ear, quietly, "A slut in college too," I said quickly, hoping she'd miss it or ask me to repeat it. But she just started laughing. Full-on, tears in her eyes, silent laughing that she had to stop walking and prop herself against me for balance.

"No way! You?! Mr. Tender and sweet and everything any woman wants in a man?"

I shy away my face, hiding my rosy cheeks. "I can still see you blush even under your stubble, Alex," she finally said.

"Yeah, okay. I was a little slutty in college too. My best friend Jake and I used to get it on. A lot."

"So I'm dating a player?"

"Oh, we're dating now?" I grin mischievously.

"I, no, I didn't... Well, technically we're dating, just not exclusive."

"Would you like to be?" My voice hitched.

"I'm not sure yet. Tell me more about this friend of yours," she said, winking.

"Yes, Jake. Well, he favors penises more than vaginas so you're out of luck. At least nowadays. Back in college, he liked both. We've had a couple, um... Well, yeah, that's Jake. He's still a wild party ani–"

"What were you going to say?" I shook my head 'no.' "Please, please, please! You had a couple... what? Drunken nights together?"

"No, no, nothing like that. I mean maybe. We had a few orgies together. Never together, but we'd... take turns fucking the same girls."

"Oh. That's not so bad." She said so plainly like it was nothing new.

"Yeah, I suppose. We had a lot of them." She said nothing, just a soft 'Mm.' "You seem so unaffected. Do tell your stories, Liv."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Monica and I swore we wouldn't talk about those days."

"Well... Monica isn't here. Come on, I told you mine."

"Okay, okay. Monica and I also had a few orgies, except, we did them together together."

"One-on-one with your best friend?" I was shocked, smiling widely, watching her face light up in joy.

"You know, I haven't talked about this in years. Not since Monica and I did it. Well, a little while after, anyway."

"Why not? It's not a big deal. We were young, and were just having fun."

"I know, I know. It's not that it's bad, it's just you never know how someone will react to stuff like that."

"Do you know your body count?"

She laughed out loud."No, I don't. You?"

I shook my head quietly, hiding a smirk.

"So what changed? I mean, Alex, you're fucking hot. Why'd you step out of the game?"

"Was just tired of meaningless hookups. I don't remember half of their faces," I paused. All except for one. One who left her mark. "What about you? I find it hard to believe men aren't throwing themselves at you left and right."

She feigned a chuckle. "They throw themselves at me even when I make it clear I don't want it. I was always scared to say no after Liam so I just stopped going out. I feared that they would hurt me if I rejected them. It had already happened so much."

"Were you afraid I would hurt you?"

"Never even crossed my mind. I think that's how I knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I'd fall in love with you."

We stop in the middle of the sidewalk, only to find that we've arrived at her apartment.

"Guess we're here," she sighed, disappointed. I was also disappointed.

"I had a really great time with you."

"Same here." She went up on her tippy toes to plant a kiss on my cheek, but I caught her lips before she could.

"Goodnight," she said, walking into her building.
"Goodnight," I told her, watching until I saw the light come on in the window, signaling that she'd gotten inside safely.