Not So Out Of Reach

Chapter 12: Caught in the rain

I stood outside the house, the rain drizzling down, soaking my hair and clothes as I tried to catch my breath. The cool air clung to my skin, mixing with the guilt and anger swirling inside me. I had kissed Alex—someone else's man—and the weight of it settled heavily on my chest. How could I do that? How could I let myself get caught up in him like that?

But then, I remembered the kiss—how good it had felt, how natural it seemed in the moment. I clenched my jaw, frustrated that it all got interrupted, that we didn’t even have time to figure out what it meant before Sofia barged in like she owned him. Maybe she did. I don’t know.

I wrapped my arms around myself as the rain picked up, the cold sinking into my bones. I couldn’t just stand out here all night. It was late, and the rain wasn’t going to let up. But I also couldn’t face Sofia again. My mind was spinning, and I felt trapped.

I needed to find Daisy and get out of here. I turned back toward the house, but as I did, I saw him. Alex. Standing right behind me, his dark eyes soft in the rain. For a moment, we just stared at each other. The air between us felt thick, heavy with everything unsaid.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely audible over the rain. "About Sofia. She... she shouldn’t have done that."

I looked away, embarrassed and still angry. "It’s not just about her, Alex." I sighed. "I kissed you. That was wrong. I shouldn’t have done it. You have a girlfriend. I don’t want to be that person."

He stepped closer, his expression serious, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. "Winnie, it’s complicated—"

"No," I cut him off, shaking my head. "It’s not complicated. You’re with Sofia. And I shouldn’t have gotten involved."

My heart clenched as I said the words, but I knew they were true. I could still feel the warmth of our kiss, but now all it brought was confusion and heartache.

Before either of us could say more, the front door burst open, and Jacob stumbled out, looking confused and a little disoriented. His eyes darted between Alex and me, and I could see the questions forming in his mind. But before he could ask anything, Sofia appeared, her arm immediately snaking around Alex like she was staking her claim.

"Let’s go," Sofia said, her voice smug as she tugged on Alex’s arm. “I've decided that I'll forgive you this one time”, she said to Alex.

I looked away, the sight of them together making me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t do this. Not here. Not now.

I turned to Jacob, who still seemed lost in whatever drama he had just walked into. "Can you take Daisy and me home?" I asked quietly. "This party’s done."

~~~~~~~~~~

It’s around 10 a.m., and I’m still wrapped in my sheets like a burrito. The rain outside hasn’t let up, a steady patter against the window that echoes the heaviness I feel inside. The sky is a dull gray, the kind of gloomy weather that makes you want to hide away from the world. Perfect. It matches my mood. I called in sick to the café—no way was I dragging myself there today—and decided to skip my classes. The hangover was the first excuse, but really, I just couldn’t face anyone after what happened last night.

I’ve been binge-watching Law and Order, trying to lose myself in the drama of the show, anything to take my mind off my own. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop replaying that kiss with Alex. Ugh, why did I do that? It was a moment of pure stupidity, and the more I think about it, the more embarrassed I feel. Kissing someone else’s man? Sofia showing up like a storm cloud ready to burst? It’s enough to make me want to hide under this blanket for a week.

Daisy came by earlier. She knocked on the door, all chipper and concerned, before heading to her classes and, of course, to Jacob. She’s always been the best at checking in on me. I told her I was fine, just hungover and not in the mood for life today. She knew better but didn’t push. I could see her itching to ask more about last night, but thankfully, she let it slide. Not that I could handle rehashing it yet.

Honestly, I’m not devastated, not heartbroken or anything dramatic like that. Just... annoyed. At myself, at Alex, at how everything played out. I keep thinking maybe if Sofia hadn’t shown up, things wouldn’t feel so messy right now. But then again, what does it matter? Staying in today was the best decision I could’ve made. The last thing I need is to face the world when I’m feeling this ridiculous.

There’ve been a couple of knocks at the door, pretty sure it was Alex trying to talk to me. Maybe he thinks there’s something to fix, some way to smooth it all over. I ignored him, though. I don’t have the energy to deal with that today. Eventually, the knocking stopped, and he left.

Good. I need this quiet. Just me, the rain, and a show that won’t ask me any questions.

~~~~~~~~~~

I had spent hours curled up in bed, watching movies and bingeing series to distract myself from the embarrassment of last night. But eventually, my stomach made it clear that no amount of distractions would keep it quiet. I needed food before I passed out from sheer hunger.

Dragging myself out of bed, I headed toward the kitchen. As I turned the corner, I froze. There, sitting casually at my kitchen counter, was Alex. He was eating pizza, completely at ease, scrolling through his phone like it was the most normal thing in the world.

For a moment, I was terrified. How did he get in here? Then the shock set in. “What the hell are you doing here, Alex?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but can you blame me? "And how did you get in?"

He barely looked up from his phone as he took another bite of pizza. “Wanted to check on you. You weren’t answering the door, so I used the balcony.”

I blinked. The balcony? Seriously? “You... climbed up to my apartment?” I asked, incredulous. He didn’t look like the rock-climbing type, but here he was, casually breaking into my place like it was nothing. “That’s kind of insane.”

He smirked, finally looking at me. “I’m good at it. Don’t worry, I didn’t break anything.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Only Alex would pull a stunt like this. "You know there are normal ways to check on people, like texting or waiting for them to answer the door, right?"

He shrugged, taking another bite of pizza. "I like the direct approach."

I considered kicking him out right then, but the truth was... I didn’t really mind him being here. His weird entrance aside, he looked concerned, even if he tried to play it cool. And honestly, after last night, I could use some company that wasn’t just a Netflix character.

“Fine,” I said, walking to the fridge. “You can stay, but next time, use the front door like a normal person.”

We sat at the kitchen table, talking first about the party—about how Sofia went off and how awkward it was. I expected him to be defensive, but he actually apologized again, admitting the whole situation was a mess. That led us into lighter conversation, about anything other than Sofia or the kiss. Somehow, we ended up laughing about the dumbest things, like our favorite childhood shows and what we’d do if we had superpowers.

I didn’t feel like hiding under my covers anymore.