Fire Meets Ice

Chapter 18: Opening Up

Alexa woke up from her painful memories of her two exes. The first one was a dive in for temporary heartbreak and the last one was a step away from falling completely ill and weak. Tears continued to flood her cheeks like rain on a sad day. When she checked her phone, she had hundreds of notifications that showed messages and missed calls from Anya, Oscar, Marcus, and her bestie Megan. She saw her phone rang again and decided to answer Megan.

"Bestie!" Megan's voice rang out, exasperation and concern mingling in her tone. "I've been calling you twenty times in a row! Why didn't you pick up?"

Alexa swallowed, her voice hoarse. "Megan..."

A pause. Megan's tone softened. "Wait... Alexa, are you crying?" Concern turned sharp, almost protective. "What happened? Did someone hurt you? Tell me who, and I swear I'll deal with them myself."

"No," Alexa whispered. "It's not that... No one hurt me."

"Then what's going on? Talk to me."

"I... I got invited to a friend's anniversary party," Alexa began, her voice faltering. "She was so happy. Nine years with her boyfriend, Megan. Nine years." Her voice cracked. "And it..."

"And it what?" Megan prompted gently. "Go on, you can tell me."

"It made me feel... dead inside," Alexa admitted, her breath catching in her throat. "Like I couldn't breathe. Seeing their happiness—it just reminded me of what I've lost. What I haven't been able to find again for years." She paused, the weight of her confession heavy between them. "I feel like a failure."

"You're no failure, Alexa," Megan replied, her voice firm yet tender. "What you had with them? That wasn't real love."

"I know," Alexa said, fresh tears threatening to spill. "But no matter how many times I tell myself to get over it, those memories, those feelings—they come rushing back. I try so hard to be okay, Megan. I hate feeling like this, like I'm stuck in a cycle I can't break. Some days I'm fine, and others..." Her voice trailed off.

"Others, you feel like it'll never happen for you again," Megan finished softly.

Alexa nodded, though Megan couldn't see. "Exactly."

Megan hesitated, then asked, "What about Marcus? He must be worried about you too."

Before Alexa could respond, a soft knock echoed from her apartment door. She wiped her face hastily, glancing toward the sound. "Someone's at the door. I've gotta go."

"Okay," Megan said reluctantly. "But promise me we'll talk more later, alright?"

"I promise." Alexa ended the call, bracing herself as she moved toward the door, unsure of what—or who—awaited her on the other side.

She slowly opened the door and saw Marcus. He was standing there looking very concerned and panicked.

"Oh," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's just you."

Marcus stepped closer, the lines of worry deepening on his face. "I've been calling and texting you all night. A hundred times, at least. Why didn't you answer me—or anyone else, kitty?"

His nickname for her, usually playful, carried a note of seriousness now. Alexa averted her gaze, feeling the sting of fresh tears pricking her already swollen eyes.

His voice softened as he studied her. "Your eyes... they're red. Have you been crying?"

"No," she said quickly, her words cracking under the pressure of unshed sobs. "I'm fine. Seriously, I am." She turned away, trying to mask her trembling shoulders. "You can go back to your apartment."