It's not just complicated, it's a disaster

Disaster (Chapter Twenty Three)

Chapter Twenty Three

Alex’s P.O.V

“Dad, please,” I literally begged him.

“Not now, Alex,” he brushed me off.

“You’re punishing him now too, not just me. I’m the one who did all those things, not him, and this isn’t even about me,” I argued.

“It’s just not a good idea,” my father muttered.

“Not a good idea? Dad, he’s your son... your biological son. Don’t tell me the moment you found out about him you weren’t interested?” I asked.

“No, no, I’m not falling for it,” my father muttered, pointing at me and walking into the kitchen.

“Falling for what?” I asked him, following him.

“That thing you do. Where you make me feel guilty, give me reasoning,” he said.

“But this does have reasoning,” I said. “He’s outside right now, and he just wants to talk to you. There’s no harm in talking to a son you’ve never known about. He’s travelled half way across the country to find you, because he just wanted to get to know his own father.”

“Really?” my father asked, turning to face me.

“Yes, really,” I said calmly. “And he’s nervous, just like you are.”

“I’m not-,” he started to say, but when I gave him a look he stopped. “Fine, he can come in, and I’ll talk to him, but you can’t be in the room.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me,” I sang, walking over to the front door.

I opened the front door and walked over to the road where Jet was leaning on the car.

“He agreed to talk,” I said, “it look a lot more convincing than I care to admit, but he’s open to it.

“What if this doesn’t work, Alex?” Jet asked. “What if we don’t get along?”

“Who says you’re going to get along straight away? These things take time... and if it helps, I think he’s nervous too,” I smiled slightly.

Jet smiled for a slipt second but then stopped. “I’m glad that out of all the people in the world, you turn out to be my half sister.”

I smiled. “And I’m glad you turned out to be my brother. Now go, before he loses his patients.”

Harriet’s P.O.V

“Wow, you’re not just scared about this marriage thing,” I said to Tom.

He sighed slightly and sat on the table near me. “I’m not scared about marrying Claire. I’m... happy that she said yes, it’s Alex I’m worrying about.”

“Isn’t that sweet?” I said with a smile. “You’re worrying about your soon to be sister in-law.”

“You don’t understand, Harriet. I know she’s your best friend, but you don’t live with her like I do. I remember what she was like, and now... Claire thought it would be a good idea to let her plan to the wedding, distract her from everything going on around her, and get her closer to you and Claire... but I don’t think it’s enough.”

“You think she’s getting worse?” I guessed.

“I’m not sure... I walked into her room the other day and caught her looking at some photos...she hide them from me before I could say anything she hid them from me, pretended she never had them. When she came downstairs later I went into her room and found these in her trash can,” Tom said as he then pulled out some photos from his pocket and gave them to me.

I looked through each one of them surprised to what I was seeing. These were photos of Alex and Zeke while she was visiting him in Australia. Some of the photos of them where one I never thought Alex would want to see again, Zeke might want to, but Alex...? I could see why Tom was confused.

“She had this?” I asked him.

“Yep, and I guess after I caught her with them she chucked them away,” he shrugged.

“She is acting so strange over this,” I muttered. “I can’t tell anymore what she’s feeling.”

“What if she still likes Zeke?”he asked me.

“Then why is she so insistent on hating him, and why did she break up with him?” I pointed out.

“Obviously something happened, she did something... or he lied about something, and she found out,” Tom suggested.

“If Alex did something, I think I’d know... she tells me a lot,” I muttered.

“Well, what if it was something so bad that she couldn’t tell anyone, not even you?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I shook my head. “It’d have to be bad, like really bad, and Alex doesn’t do really bad... but we’re definitely missing something.”

“Yeah,” Tom agreed.

“This can’t just be about Alex. I know you Tom, you’re getting something out of helping her,” I said.

He sighed slightly.

“This is something Claire wants.... and Claire can’t... fully... give herself to me until she feels everything is right,” he muttered.

“Is that why you two haven’t-? That’s ridiculous,” I told him.

“I know, but its Claire... you know she said she’d never look at Alex the same now she knows what she did with Zeke,” Tom muttered.

“Well, I know how that feels too. I don’t know why, but when I randomly look at her, I just don’t see her the same anymore,” I shrugged. “But then again she hasn’t been herself for a while.”

“Just... either distract Claire about Alex, or make it look like she’s herself again,” he shrugged.

“You really want to get with Claire, don’t you?” I asked.

“Can you blame me? I’ve been with her for a long time now,” he said.

“Yeah,” I nodded, and then held up the photos. “Do you mind if I keep them?”

“Go for it, Alex doesn’t want them, but what are you doing to do with them?”

“I’ll save them for a rainy day,” I shrugged.

“Are you going to do anything with them?” he asked me.

“You’ll see. I’m not going to put them to waste, I’m going to get both of my best friends back,” I muttered.

“Both?” Tom asked confused.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Zeke isn’t himself. He’s gone... soft. Alex hurt him, she broke him out of his shell and then crushed it so he’d never get it back, and until he either gets Alex back, or gets over her, he’s not going to be himself,” I explained.

“This has to be done before my wedding,” Tom said.

“Don’t worry, I have this under control.”