Do I Wanna Know? -Alex Turner

Cornerstone

I walked into the small pub on Last Laugh Lane, the music hitting me immediately as I held the door for the boys behind me. We found a table towards the back of the pub and sat down. Matt was to the right of me, Jamie to the left, Nick next to Jamie and Matt saved the seat to the right of him for Breana. Alex went up to the bar as soon as we walked in, which left him next to Nick. I hooked my bag to the back of the chair and watched as Alex came back with beers in glass cups for everyone.

 Everyone but me. 

I watched as he gave a beer to everyone but me, and sat down next to Nick as if he didn't purposely not get me anything.

I got up to get my own drink as Jamie looked around and noticed what Alex did. 

"Alex what the fook mate, yer forgot 'er drink," Jamie said hitting Alex's shoulder. 

Alex looked down into his cup, "I didn't forget anything"

Jamie scoffed and lectured Alex for being a total dickhead as I walked up to the bar, and Nick mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to which I replied with a small smile. 

"Fook off!" I heard Alex yell before the music drowned out their conversation as I walked away.

 I took a deep breath and collected myself as I walked up to the bar and ordered a few shots. I sat on the stool as the bartender slid me 3 shots, and I opened my bag and slid a 20 dollar bill to him. I took all three shots with ease as the liquid burned down my throat. I didn't really wanna go back there with Alex, so I sat at the bar for a while. I ordered a beer for myself and the rest of my 20 covered it as the bartender slid it to me. I brought the bottle to my lips and took a big gulp of it before hearing a familiar voice behind me.

"Well well well, if it isnt Arabella Hart."

I set my beer down and slowly turned around on the stool, coming face to face with my ex boyfriend Noah. 

I haven't seen this dumbass in about a month. He was one of the first people I met when I moved here and decided to visit another pub in town one night and he bought me a drink. We dated for about a month before breaking up because I found out he was cheating on me with his ex girlfriend. 

"Noah," I said through gritted teeth. I really didn't wanna deal with this motherfucker right now. Or ever again. 

"Nice night aint it?" He said trying to make small talk and slightly slurring his words. And hes drunk too. Fantastic.

"What do you want Noah," I said glancing at the table where the boys were before looking back at Noah.

"Well I wanted to see if you wanted to dance" he said with a small smirk, which I fucking hated. 

"Yeah no, I'll pass," I said before turning back around on my chair as he grabbed my wrist, spinning me back around. 

"C'mon Bella, I know you wanna dance with me. I know you miss me" he said pulling me off my chair by my wrist.

I tried to pull my wrist away but his grip was too tight. "Its Arabella to you, and no I don't," I said before trying to pull my wrist away again.

He kept a tight grip on my wrist, attempting to drag me towards the dancefloor. 

"Noah let go of me!" I shouted before a fist flew into his jaw, snapping it to the side and his grip on my wrist loosened. I gasped and put my hand up to my mouth with wide eyes.

Noah held his jaw as the person grips him up by his jacket. 

"Dont yer fookin' touch her ever again, yer hear me? Get the fook outta 'ere" Alex said before releasing Noah with a shove. 

Noah looked over at me and mouthed 'this isnt over' before walking out of the pub, his friends following closely behind him. 

Alex watched Noah until the door closed, and I just stood there stunned, still trying to recover from what happened. I rubbed my wrist and tried to catch my breath and heard a voice next to me.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" A girl with short brown hair came over to me and took my hand in hers and looked at my wrist. 

"I um, yeah I'm fine.." I stuttered.

"Bre? Is she alreyt?" Matt said as he pushed through the crowd of people. So this was Breana. What a great way to meet her. 

"I'm fine Matt" I said rubbing my head.

"What a fucking bastard, did you know him?" Breana said and I nodded my head. 

"Yeah, he's my ex boyfriend," I said and looked over at Alex. 

He made eye contact with me before walking away back over to the table without saying a word. 

I honestly cant believe he had come to help me. Maybe he doesn't hate me, he just tries to convince himself he does. Someone who hates someone wouldn't help them from their crazy ex boyfriend, right?

I realized I had zoned out when Jamie and Nick came from the bathroom, snapping me back to reality. 

"What happened? I needed the loo, I was fookin burstin" Jamie said as Matt told him and Nick what had happened.

I glanced over at Alex and he was back at the table with a glass in his hand, looking at me. I held eye contact with him before giving him a small smile. He brought his glass to his mouth and downed the rest of his drink before getting up and making his way outside, the pub door shutting behind him.

"Hey guys, ill be right back" I said and Breana asked if I was okay and I replied with a yes. 

I grabbed my bag off the bar and made my way outside. The pub door slammed shut behind me and the music muffled. I looked around and saw smoke coming from the side of the building. I slowly walked over and peaked around the corner and saw Alex leaned against the wall with a cigarette between his fingers. 

"Hey," I said quietly as he looked over at me and blew smoke out of his mouth and waved his hand around to get rid of it.

"What do yer need?" he said as he put the cigarette back to his mouth and inhaled.

"I just wanted to say thank you," I said simply, not knowing what else to really say. 

He blew the smoke out of his mouth before he spoke, "fookin bloke 'ad his 'ands on yer, what was I 'sposed to do, let it 'appen?"