Where did we go wrong?

Part 30

"Thank you for seeing me to the door." Magnus turned to Alec, who had walked him to the front door.

"No worries. And, thank you for taking the time to come all the way here to drop off the food." Alec leaned against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest.

Magnus observed him for a few moments before a chuckle escaped his lips.

"What is it?" Alec asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"It just reminded me of the good old days," Magnus explained. "When we used to have long conversations by the door, until mom would eventually call out to us to either come inside or leave and close the door."

Alec chuckled in response. "Yes, I remember those days. We did spend hours talking by the door."

"Indeed, we did," Magnus agreed with a smile.

"Well, let's not risk getting scolded by Mom again today," Magnus suggested. "Besides, I'm on my way to see Imasu, and I don't want to be late." Magnus smiled.

"Oh!" Alec asked with a genuine smile adorning his face.

"So, I was right?" He playfully remarked. For a fleeting moment, Magnus was transported back to their teenage years.

"It's the first date." Magnus confessed. He couldn't help but feel a sense of exhilaration about the upcoming first date. A mixture of emotions, including nervousness, excitement, and anticipation, surged within him.

"He seems like a really nice guy. He is well-liked by everyone. Izzy hasn't stopped talking about him."

Magnus responded to Alec's words with a mere smile. He momentarily looked at his shoes before lifting it to meet Alec's eyes.

"I like to see where this goes." Magnus stated. Alec blinked a few times before comprehending what Magnus meant.

"With Imasu?" Alec asked, attentively observing Magnus's face for any subtle changes in expression. He found it unsettling when he couldn't read Magnus's emotions.

"Yeah." Magnus acknowledged before they both lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"Very well, I really should leave now. Bye for now, Alec," Magnus said.

"See you later, Magnus," Alec responded courteously.

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Alec observed as Magnus's car departed from the Lightwood estate. He patiently waited until the car was no longer visible before going back upstairs to his bedroom. Alec looked around his bedroom, searching for something that would provide him with a sense of stability. Among the tumultuous emotions he had experienced over the past few days, he urgently required something to distract him from his distress. His gaze fell upon his cherished headset. He could always rely on his Bluetooth headset to isolate himself from the surrounding chaos. There were numerous occasions when he found himself humming along to one of his favourite songs or subtly swaying his hips to an upbeat melody that had momentarily slipped his mind.

Alec put his headset on and selected one of his old playlists. One from a time when circumstances were somewhat more stable and less overwhelming. From a period when he believed he possessed everything he could possibly desire. His playlist selection proved to be an excellent choice, as he experienced an immediate sense of calmness from the very first song.

Alec made his way to the small library in his childhood bedroom, and he couldn't help but miss the impressive book collection he had at the flat he shared with James. Books had always been good companions to him, but regrettably, in the past few years, he had been spending less and less time with them. Despite all that, he felt that maybe it was time for him to start reading again. Alec's hand automatically went to his collection of philosophical books. Since he was young, he had been a fan of such books that were far too advanced for his age, but for a moment, perhaps, just perhaps, he hadn't truly taken the words of these books to heart. After all, he had been a selfish person for over a decade to everyone around him. He had allowed his selfishness, grudges, anger, and fear of being alone to consume him. He knew it was time to go back to his roots and start again. After all, as Lord Buddha said,