Fire Meets Ice

Chapter 7: Out of My Comfort Zone

While Marcus was still at basketball practice, Alexa settled into her apartment, scrolling through his Instagram photos that she had previously overlooked. As she navigated to his tagged posts, a wave of surprise washed over her—there were countless photos featuring Marcus with a variety of friends, all of whom had amassed a significant following over the years.

One post caught her eye: a collage of ten images from a homecoming dance. She chuckled at the thought of the girls in tuxedos and the guys in dresses, the playful imagery lifting her spirits momentarily. However, her amusement dimmed as she spotted Marcus in the corner of the frame, smiling alongside a striking blonde girl.

"Hmm," she wondered, Is that blonde chick his ex?

As she examined the photo more closely, she noted that Marcus's smile seemed forced. He didn't seem that happy with her...

Alexa: On the inside. I should check out her page...

She clicked on Delilah's profile, where she was greeted by a parade of solo shots of the blonde. Her bio boldly proclaimed, "Biggest bitch on the planet." The statement irked Alexa, but she pressed on, scrolling through older posts featuring Delilah and Marcus. One particularly mischievous post caught her attention, emblazoned with the words "Double trouble" in Swedish. In it, they both wore black cargo pants, grinning as they sprayed paint on the walls and ground. 

I wonder why they broke up... she mused, studying the photos intently. Delilah seemed to have a dominant presence, an aura that suggested trouble rather than the carefree spirit that Marcus formerly embodied. She looked like she was dominating him. Obviously a troubled girl.

As her thoughts turned darker, she grimaced at the name Delilah. Sounds like a bitch's name. 

Each passing day, Alexa and Marcus were getting closer and closer than ever. Especially Alexa was becoming less in her shell and more opened up whenever she conversed with Marcus. Before meeting her, Marcus was always a focused and practical man who never allowed anything to distract his mind from his duties and responsibilities. After getting to know Alexa's true personality more, he couldn't help but daydream about her and would zone out each time he hung out with Oscar. They were playing billiards inside the Main Street Sports Bar and Marcus was barely focusing on the game.

"Dude, did you hear me? It's your turn to hit one of the balls!" Oscar said, his brow furrowing in concern.

Marcus blinked, snapping out of his trance. "Oh, what was that? Sorry, I got sidetracked..."

Oscar leaned back, crossing his arms. "You've been acting really strange lately. What happened to my focused and unwavering buddy?"

"Let me guess... It's about Alexa, right? Do you still talk to her often?" Oscar pressed. 

Marcus hesitated, caught off guard. "Umm, you're right. But how do you know I still talk to her? I thought you were always hung up on Anya, haha."

"Dude, we've been friends for twelve years. You can't say I don't know when you're not yourself."

Marcus sighed, feeling the weight of his feelings. "Okay, let me make this clear. I know Lexi and I had a rough start, but she's not as withdrawn as she looks."

He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I've never met anyone like her before. I always find myself relating to her views every time we talk. You may think I'm crazy, but something about her... feels like she's the one."

Oscar's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Whoa, man. That's deep. You sure you're not trying to sound like Joe Goldberg?"

"Bro, who do you think I am? I'm no soul reader," Marcus retorted, rolling his eyes. "What I'm saying is, Alexa has made me rethink everything I thought about girls. She's really nothing like those girls who get attached to guys easily based on their looks or popularity."