The Outsider

Part 9

The sunlight cut through the curtains, glaring into my eyes as I slowly sat up. My head felt like it had been through a meat grinder, pounding with the rhythm of too many drinks from the night before.

I blinked and looked around. This wasn't my place. The room was unfamiliar, too clean, too big, and smelled faintly of leather and cologne.

I wasn't alone either.Nate, Serena, and Samantha sat in various spots around the room, watching me in silence. Their concerned expressions only made the headache worse.

"You're finally up," Nate said, trying to force a smile but failing to hide the tension in his voice.

"Yeah... what happened?" I groaned, rubbing my face and trying to piece together fragments of the night.

"You got into a fight," Serena said, her voice quiet but firm. "Some guy at the bar. You just... lost it."

I winced, the memory coming back in bits and pieces. The two guys bragging about a promotion, the rising anger I couldn't contain, then swinging at one of them without thinking. "I remember," I muttered, shame creeping in. "God."

Samantha was the next to speak, shaking her head in disbelief. "You scared us, Alex. You really did. I thought they were going to call the cops."

Nate leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "We had to drag you out of there, man. You weren't stopping. The guy didn't press charges, but... you can't keep doing this."

I reached for the glass of water on the nightstand, gulping it down, trying to clear the haze from my head. "really can I."

Serena's eyes narrowed as she studied me. "That wasn't just alcohol, Alex. You've been off for a while now. What's going on?"

I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for an answer. The room felt stifling, their concern too heavy for me to carry. I wanted to tell them it was nothing, that it was just a rough night, but I knew they wouldn't buy it. And for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted to lie.

Samantha leaned forward, her tone softer now. "Alex, we're here for you. But you need to let us in. You can't keep doing this to yourself."

I nodded, though part of me didn't fully believe her. They wanted to help, but they couldn't see the darkness in me, the part of me that didn't want saving.

I opened the door to my apartment, still feeling the dull throb of the hangover, and there she was. Sitting at the kitchen table as if she belonged there. My mother.

Her eyes met mine the moment I walked in, and a small, strained smile crossed her lips. How shameless could she be?

"Alex," she said softly, as though that would soften the blow of her unwanted presence.

I stopped in the doorway, gripping the handle tighter than I should've. "What are you doing here?" My voice came out colder than I intended, but I didn't care.

"I wanted to check on you. After the funeral... I thought"

"You thought wrong," I cut her off, stepping further inside but refusing to meet her gaze. My mind was spinning from the night before and from the fact that she was here, sitting in my space as if she hadn't been absent for most of my life.

She sighed, leaning back in the chair like she had some right to feel exhausted. "Alex, please. I know I haven't been the best mother, but"

"Mother?" I scoffed, finally looking at her with all the bitterness I'd been holding onto for years.