Time Changes

Part Fourteen

Luiz’s mouth was open, he looked stunned. Peter looked from the stranger, the stranger who had a key, to Alexis who looked sick, and the penny suddenly dropped. She’d moved on, and why wouldn’t she? He recognised the man as the same one who’d left, and allowed him to sneak in, oh such irony! It was him she’d expected when she’d pulled open the door, all excitement and glitter in her eyes, it wasn’t at seeing him, it was because she expected this young, dark and admittedly handsome man.

                "Luiz!" Alexis gasped, striding towards him, "this is not what you think!"

Peter had a split second to act, and he knew he had to make this right, he’d hurt her enough, SO many times, and suddenly he realised how selfish he’d been, how childish and simplistic in his motives, he honestly believed that without him she’d be sitting in still waiting for him!

Spinning around to face her, he sighed, “Sorry Alexis! I should never have come! I didn’t intend to make things so awkward." He turned to the other man, "I’m sorry, Luiz is it? This is entirely my fault! I thought a woman as beautiful and enchanting as Alexis would be sitting alone pining over me! I should have guessed that she had moved on!" The other man looked stunned, so he reached out and grasped his hand shaking it firmly, "take care of her. She’s special and deserves the best, don’t leave it too late to realise!"

With that he was gone, tail between his legs.

Luiz was watching Alexis could feel his eyes on her as she watched Peter leave. Taking a deep breath she fought the urge to cry, that would be the worst thing in the world to do. So she met his eyes and tried to smile.

"That was the complicated thing you mentioned? The one that made you reluctant to become involved with me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded sad that this was hurting him, "It was over months ago. I swear. I’ve not spoken to him since before I came here, and I had no idea he was coming here, he just knocked the door. I thought it was you coming back."

He lifted the bags he carried, eyes diverted, "food for two as requested!"

Walking up to him, she forced him to meet her gaze, and she could see the hurt in his eyes, so she took the bags, placed them on the floor, then swung her arms around his neck, "I’m sorry if that upset you! But it was nothing, he’s nothing, I swear!"

Luiz sighed, staring at her eyes, "You didn’t answer him though Lex. Was it special? The kiss I walked in on, because it looked pretty steamy from where I was."

She shook her head, "I didn’t know he was going to kiss me! He was my teenage crush Luiz, nothing more. I thought at one point we had a future, but we didn’t. I knew that before I came to Rio. I like what I have here with you. It’s real! THIS is what I want YOU are what I want."

He nodded knowingly, "real as in not the fantasy!"

Lex groaned, he was reading between the lines, that time with Peter would always be a luxurious fantasy, that was true, but Luiz offered her everything that Peter couldn’t, he was a partner, not a crush, and she had to make him see that.  She tried to change the angle, "Luiz, don’t be silly. I’m happy with you; I’m looking to extend my placement, purely for you. You know that!"

He lifted her arms from around his neck, "I left you twenty minutes ago and everything was good. But I don’t know now, I really don’t. I need some time Alexis."

"Don’t go, not like this! Luiz please!" she felt the tears that threatened to fall prick at her eyes. “You’re wrong over this, but you shouldn’t have had to see him here, and he shouldn’t have kissed me!”