Enemies with Benefits

enemies with benefits | 26

Chapter Twenty-Six: Who Did This

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At midnight, my eyes snapped wide open. Then I couldn't go back to sleep for yet another time this week.

It was hard to sleep with all the thoughts going through my mind. My head was a jumbled mess - a clutter of jigsaws all belonging to different puzzles. I didn't even know what to consider first.

The talk with Gina changed a lot. I still couldn't quite wrap my mind around why, but I knew it did.

I peered over at the clock on my nightstand. 2:17. I'd been awake longer than I thought. At this rate, I was going to see the sun rise.

Stubbornly, I tried forcing my mind to stop all the thoughts I would never say aloud and tugged the cover further up my body tightly, shutting my eyes with equally as much force. I had to fall asleep. I couldn't torture myself like this - I'm no masochist.

In my deliriousness, I heard a sound that sounded strangely familiar; like something small clattering against glass.

I must've imagined it. Nobody could have made that noise.

But then I heard it again, and I distinctly remember the sound; it's what I heard when Alex threw rocks against my window the last time he was in my room.

My heart bubbled with hope even though I knew it was silly. Yet I still opened my eyes, observed the window like a hawk. Alex had been radio-silent for a while, and I hadn't seen him equally as long - not since he walked out on me the night his brother came. If it was him...

The sound came again. I needed to check.

Throwing the cover off me, I jumped out of the bed, the cold night air hitting all the exposed skin my pyjamas showed. Heading to the window, I lifted it up and glanced down to see the culprit.

Nobody was there.

I couldn't understand how. I'm certain I'd heard it, and nobody was as absurd as him to throw rocks at my window early in the morning.

"Hey, gorgeous." I heard someone say, causing me to take a startled step back.

Immediately scanning the area, my heart lurched when I made eye contact with him. Alex was here, as I suspected. He was hanging on the tree by my house, wobbling and hardly keeping his balance.

He was drunk off his ass, but the bloody lip and bruised cheekbone were also as obvious.

I remembered when Mike told me Alex fought for me a while back. I was convinced it was a lie - Alex was a lot of things, but he doesn't use his fists. He didn't know how.

Looking at him now made me think perhaps Mike was right.

"What happened to you?" I asked, the shock clear even in my tone.

He shrugged, trying to get a hand free to run it through his mess of dirty-blonde hair, only he almost lost grip of the tree. My stomach lurched.

"You know, this and that." He replied brazenly. Then he smiled widely at me, his eyes glazing over. "I feel much better now though."

He made an attempt to get closer to me, almost falling again. I got as close as I could and leaned over the frame, my hand stretching out.

I told him, "get inside before you fall! I'm sure you don't want to add broken ribs to the injuries."

He laughed. "Well, well. Already skipping to the best part?"

"Get in, Alexander." I told him urgently.