BLACK ROSE

What a lovely surprise

Alex. 

"I do have a lot of questions."

Of course he does.

I ignore him as I leave the living room. He follows after me, waiting for me to speak. To say anything, at this point.

"Oh seriously, Alex? What did you expect from me? To pretend nothing happened? That would be possible if you hadn't exactly chosen Leo's girlfriend."

How I wish to punch him in the face now. But I can't, because he's telling the truth.

"I know," I say over my shoulder. "And I haven't chosen her."

I can see it on his face, the disagreement.

"All I'm saying is that this isn't...."

"There's nothing to consider. Nothing..."

He interrupts me with a dry laugh. Loud and dry. "Don't tell me nothing happened."

"I was going to say nothing..."

"And don't say nothing's ever going to happen."

I turn around and stare at him. "What am I allowed to say?"

"Nothing."

I shake my head. "As long as you don't say anything. And River and...."

"They won't say anything. They barely registered your presence anyway. Have you two met before?"

Jumping from one thing to another. Typical Ace when his thoughts are faster than him. When they're wilder his ability to keep track with them and his mouth, wilder than the crucial connection between them, he interrupts people and jumps from one topic to another.

"No." A beautiful lie.

"Doesn't look like it."

"She spilled coffee on me once," I say just to keep his mouth shut. "A couple of months ago."

"So you have met before!"

I turn around to face him, my eyes filled with disbelief. "She spilled her coffee on me, Ace. I had no idea who she was or what her name was. How was I supposed to know I'd ever see her again?"

"Fate it is then."

This time I laugh. A deep, dry laugh. "Yeah, sure, and I can bring the dead back."

"Don't be so pessimistic Alex." Ace shakes his head. "Maybe one day you'll gain that ability too."

With a flat tone I say, "I'm waiting for it to come."

He leans closer over the kitchen island, his kitchen island, grinning at me. "When are you going to tell me what happened between you two?"

"She has a boyfriend, Ace."

He lifts his eyebrows, a daring question. "And when has that ever stopped true love?"

"What the fuck?"

"Alright, strong words, I admit. When has that ever stopped.."

"Don't finish it."

"Us...?"

"Keep on painting this bad picture for yourself, don't drag me along, please."

I leave the kitchen, flashing one last look on the clock on the wall, before going back to the living room. "And besides. Where were you the whole night? Or should I ask with whom?"

"No, no, no. We're not talking about me; we're talking about you now."

I halt and look at him, grinning. "Why is that? Who were you with?" I raise my eyebrows, getting no answer from him. "Where were you, Ace? You weren't with Sophie or Violet; Heather and Violet weren't with you either. So," I sit down on the couch. "Who was it."