Kiss Me Goodnight

Chapter 9

Friday December 22nd (Continued)

"It's almost Chrstmas." Tobin mumbles it into her tea.

"Yeah, just a couple days now." Alex was wondering when Tobin would say something about her extended stay. These past couple of days have been a rollercoaster. From the moment Alex arrived to just a few minutes ago when Tobin opened up and Alex read her thoughts. Walls to no walls. It's a bit of a whirlwind when Alex thinks about it too much. Christmas is only three days away.

"Are you going back to see your family? You should spend Christmas with them." Tobin's guilt is pretty evident. Alex doesn't want her to feel that way. Plus, she doesn't really feel like going home.

"My mom knows I'm here. They won't miss me too much." That's a bit of a lie. She's never spent the holidays away from home.

"She's your mom." Tobin smiles into the mug a bit. Alex is straight up lying to make her feel better, and that says something about Alex. Actually, these past few days have said a lot about Alex's character.

"But you're my friend." And yeah, the moment that left her mouth it kinda sucked because 'friend' is not a term she's looking towards using for Tobin.

"I'll be okay." Tobin shuffles her feet against the bottom rail of the stool she's sitting on. Ali's coming up in a day. Having Ali and Alex in her home, that'd be interesting.

Alex looks Tobin right in the eye and says: "I know." But that's what surprises Tobin. Alex says 'I know' and the curious look Tobin gives Alex just makes Alex smile.

"You're strong. I mean everyone has a person. Like someone they lean on. Kelley's been my person for as long as I can remember. And you haven't had one in awhile. You didn't want one, but I don't think that's because you're a recluse or anything. I think that that's because you don't want anyone to experience the things you feel. I don't know much about what happened I don't really know much about your history..." Alex trails off a bit. She hasn't been looking Tobin in the eye since she started explaining herself. It's nerve wracking to pyscho-analyze someone in front of them. What if she says too much and it's just that evident. That evident that she's pretty emotionally invested in Tobin. Can anyone really look that deeply at anyone else without having some sort of investment? But then Kelley's words echo through Alex's head. "Why do you suddenly think it's that simple?" "Why don't you?"

Why isn't it? Alex looks up at Tobin and she continues her thought. "I don't know much, but I think what I've learned from you is that you're protecting the world from yourself, when you don't even realize that people want to know you. I want to know you." And Tobin's no longer got that confused look. Her eyes are closed and she's just sort of resting her chin on the mug.

"Often we pass beside happiness without seeing it, without looking at it, or even if we have seen and looked at it, without recognizing it." When Alex said that Tobin's smile was probably the biggest it's been in a really long time. And now Tobin's repeating it back to Alex less than an hour after Alex had said it. What else does she say to all of that? Alex hasn't known her long. She hasn't really known much about Tobin, but she's assessed all that.

"You make me happy." Alex replies back with a smile. Tobin laughs because wow. Seriously? Seriously they're mush. But a thought pops up in Tobin's head immediately; what are they?

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"Ali's coming to stay with me for Christmas and stuff. I hope you don't mind?" Tobin gave up on trying to get Alex to go home and stay with her family, not to say that Tobin wanted her to leave, she just really didn't think it was fair that Alex had up and left and came back for her.

"I can go back and stay at my place, so there's more room and stuff."

"You don't have to do that."

"No, really it's fine. I should probably get new food and whatnot anyways."

"Okay." Tobin lets her because her place really doesn't have much room, which just sorta sucks. "But, come back and stuff okay?" The older girl adds it because she doesn't want Alex to feel unwelcomed or anything. Plus, it's almost Christmas.

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Saturday December 23rd

"Your place isn't really decorated."

"Alex said the same thing."

"Alex?"

"She's been staying here."

"Since?" Ali's got her eyebrow raised and Tobin almost laughs because it's just really funny to her how quickly Ali steps back into the best friend role.

"She flew in the 15th."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I had been staying at hers in Cali and I came back here and I don't know what happened. She felt something was wrong and came here."

"She flew across country on a whim?" Okay, so Ali's impressed. That's impressive. But, people don't just do that sort of thing.

"You done, detective?"

"Fine, but I'm hungry."

"Your pizza in Cali sucks, time to hit up New Haven's." Tobin grabs her coat and throws one at Ali.