Magnet Love

13. Beach Talks and Club Scenes

LILY POV:
"Energy!! Keep it up, come on Lucy straighten that knee - how many times?" Jason shouted over the music. I'd been at the studio for six hours now and was exhausted. Lucy, a good friend of mine was with me and as a distraction, Jason had choreographed a new duet for us to rehearse.

The music finally died down as Lucy and I held our end positions, sweat glistening on our faces and breath panting.
"Brilliant work girls, now get washed and home, we'll call it a night" Jason called, patting us both on the back and closing the door to studio A behind us.

I showered, brushed my hair through and changed before leaving the studio and walking down the road towards the beach. It was eight o'clock, but I didn't feel ready to go home yet. As much as I was alone, I wanted to keep my half of the promise and go to the beach to celebrate Emily's birthday.

I kicked off my converse, shoving them into my bag and walked barefoot on to the sand. Staring out to the horizon and the setting sun, I let a few tears escape my eyes and reminisced about my sister. I eventually sat down and began to speak.

"I'm sorry I couldn't spend your birthday with you, you know I would have in a heartbeat if I could. But I know you're here with me anyway right?" I smiled to myself and wiped my tears for a moment. "Mason said that he sent a balloon up to heaven for you this morning, and Amelia wrote a card for you and left it under your favourite tree in the garden - I wish you could see them both now Em, you'd adore them so much. Amelia reminds me of you every day and Mason - well he has your cheeky humour that's for sure. He called Dad an asshat last week you know? I don't know what the hell they teach 5 year olds at school these days, but I can just imagine your face cracking up when he came out with that."

I laughed and closed my eyes. "I still love you Em, so damn much. I can't wait until we can be together again. I just wish you could talk back to me you know? I'm sure you've seen Alex yourself, you probably spied on my date! What should I do Em? You always told me to be brave but I just don't know."

If she were alive, I would have told Emily everything about my date with Alex, probably have shown her all of the texts and introduced him to her. I wanted her advice, what would she say I should do? 

I sniffed and took out the deflated balloon I put in my backpack this morning. I puffed and blew the pink balloon up and tied the knot. I then taped a strip of photos of Emily and I from my 12th birthday to the balloon and kissed the image of her face.

"Happy birthday Emily, have a piece of cake for me up there" I smiled and let the balloon fly away in the wind, over the waves and into the horizon until it was out of sight.

I sat for a while longer, until it was past 11 - I'd text Mom so she knew I was alright, but instead of getting a lift or the bus home, I decided to walk. It was probably around an hours walk from the beach to home, and I decided to walk through the town so I'd have more to look at on the route.

I'd been walking for around 40 minutes when I came across Frederick Street, known in Newport for housing many of the towns most popular pubs and clubs. I'd only ever been here once, at a birthday party last year with Maddie but apart from that, I was completely unfamiliar with the area.

I began to make haste, feeling uncomfortable with the loud music and clouds of cigarette smoke surrounding the entrances. A drunk group of stags staggered their way down the street and I moved across the road to get out of their path, but without looking up from the pavement, I knocked into a huge bouncer outside the club 'Liberty'.

"I - I - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to knock you" I stuttered, intimidated by his fierce gaze.
"It's not safe here for girls like you, go on, get home" he encouraged in a deep tone, pointing me away from the clubs. Embarrassed and flustered, I walked away quickly and towards the end of the street, to safety.

Just before I made it out, I heard painful sounding smacks and punches coming from a back alley to my right. I readied myself to run across the street and away from the fight before I heard a loud grunt, with a distinctly British accent. There was only one person living here in Newport with a distinct British accent like that. Alex.

I braced myself and turned my head to stare down the alley - praying that my mind had been mistaken and it wasn't Alex I heard, but as soon as my eyes met a emerald green gaze, my worst fears had been confirmed.

Alex had his forearm pinning another man to the wall of the club, hair matted and ruffled, with blood dripping down his face and from his lip. Even in the dusky light, I could see his swollen cheek and a bruise forming by his right eye. The other man, in a dirty, bloody white t-shirt was in a similar state and struggling for air due to Alex's suffocating hold.

I was frozen to the spot with fear, yet unable to tear my gaze away from the horrifying scene playing out before me. Realisation suddenly flooded Alex's face as he recognised me and his grip on the man dropped, causing the nearly suffocated make to drop to the ground with a thud, coughing and panting for dear life.

"Lily I can explain -" Alex began, running towards me and taking a hold of my now shaking shoulders. Without thinking properly, I reached out to touch his injured face and brushed my fingers across his bloody eyebrow, bruised jaw and finally, bust lip. I'd never seen such a horrific sight so close up, and yet he still managed to resemble an angel in a peculiar way.

Alex bowed his head down, defeated and whispered "you were never supposed to see me like that". I couldn't blame him for me seeing him here, I mean, it's not exactly a place I am usually found on a Friday night. However I had never seen or expected to see such a violent side of him - if I hadn't turned up that man would surely be dead.

Ignoring all of the expected emotions of fear, I allowed my concern for Alex's condition to take priority as I coughed to speak "your face - Alex you, you need cleaning up. Let me help you. Please".

"I'm okay Lily, it looks worse than it feels I promise" he reassured, causing my lips to curve up into a smile.
"I believe I have said that to you before, though that didn't stop you taking me to the hospital did it?"

Alex chuckled, stroking a loose piece of hair behind my ear. Close up, his breath smelt strongly of alcohol - he was obviously drunk. How else could I explain the scene I just witnessed? I would ask him about it properly tomorrow, but for now I needed to get him home safely.

I shook his hold off my shoulders momentarily as I took out my phone and called for a taxi to pick us up immediately. I wouldn't leave him like this - he was just going to have to trust me.