Snapshot (Alexbelle)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"This movie makes me have second thoughts about you..." Joel trails off. I laugh at him. I have to admit, Orphan is pretty creepy.

I prop my legs up on his lap and eat another piece of popcorn out of the bowl. Joel tries to show off by throwing a piece of popcorn in the air to catch it, but it just lands on his nose when he tries.

Whenever I begin to laugh at him, he throws a piece of popcorn at me. I throw another back at him, and he does the same. My mother walks into the living room right in the middle of our popcorn fight.

"I am not cleaning this up." She says, throwing her hands in the air.

Joel throws one more piece at me before going back to watching the movie. I can't believe he's never seen it before.

Joel looks shocked when it gets to the big twist in the movie. I laugh at his look of surprise. When the movie is over, he looks as if he doesn't know what to do with himself.

"Do the accent." He says after several moments.

"No!" I reply sternly. Every time I show someone this movie, I have to either 'do the accent' or 'do the look'.

Joel laughs and stands up, beginning to pick the pieces of popcorn off the ground. I help him, and set the bowl on the counter when we finish.

"I should probably go. I have schoolwork and stuff to do. I'll talk to you later." Joel says.

I walk with him to the front door, and he tells me bye before walking out. I smile and close the door behind me as he walks out.

"Looks like you two are getting pretty close." Madeline says from the kitchen

I walk in and find her eating the popcorn out of the bowl. She has a smirk on her face as she does so.

"Better him than the Ludwig-"

"Shut up!" I tell her. I feel bad instantly. Madeline and I have never really gotten too mad at each other, but I'm tired of her talking about him like that.

She looks shocked and stands up straighter. "Didn't realize you still liked him. Sorry." She mutters.

I sit down on the couch and sigh. "Why do you constantly just say things like that about him? It's every single chance you get. Yes, I still care about him and yes he was the reason I was upset for so long. But he's not your problem, Madeline. He's mine."

"If he's a problem then why do you still like him so much? And I don't care if he did nothing to me at all. You're my sister and I care about you more than he ever will. Got that?" she asks demandingly.

I nod my head. She does have a point. If I look to Alexander as a problem, why do I like him so much?

The last time I talked to him was that night at Dayo's, and I haven't really seen him since. He was pretty upset that night; I was too. But I have been hanging out with Joel a lot lately and I don't want to end up hurting him. Plus, Alexander has a girlfriend.

I lay back on the couch, letting out a groan. Everything is just so confusing.

I start to hear the ringtone of my phone. I don't pick my head up, just yell at Madeline to get it for me.

She walks back into the room, my cell phone in her hand. "Speaking of the...guy."

I answer the phone and hold it up to my ear. Madeline sits on the armrest of the couch.

"Hello?" I ask when I answer it.

"Hey, you answered." Alexander's smooth voice says back. "I really wanted to talk to you. Wanna go get lunch or something?"

"Um, I just ate so-"

"Well, how about just going down on the boardwalk?" he asks.

I sigh. "I don't know. I have a test and stuff tomorrow..."

"Yeah but I know you. You aren't going to study until before you go to sleep tonight. I'll be at your house in 20 minutes." He says.

"Xander I-" I begin, but the line cuts off and his voice is gone.

I groan and set my phone on the table beside me. Madeline laughs sarcastically before getting up and walking back into her room.

I decide I should make myself a little presentable, and change into some different clothes. I walk back into the living room just as I hear a knock on the door.

When I answer it, Alexander stands waiting. He wears a familiar grey tank top that he always wore during stunt training.

"Hey." He says when he see me.

I smile awkwardly. "Hi."

"So uh, I guess we can go down to the boardwalk and talk for a while. Or down on the beach. Whatever you want." He says. He seems in a lot better mood than he was the other night.

"Sure, whatever is good with you." I answer. I close the door behind me and walk out to his car.

His car smells of old air fresheners and whatever kind of cologne he uses. It's kind of strong at first, but I got used to it as we continued to drive.

Neither of us spoke the whole way. When Alexander parked a block away from the beach, I stepped out of the vehicle and followed behind him.

The beach isn't as nearly crowded as it usually is. The two of us walk down and are practically alone.

"So." I start. "You said you needed to talk to me?"

He stops walking, and I stop too. He stares down at me with a perplexed look. He sighs after a while.

"What is this between us? That's what I want to know. We aren't friends, apparently. We don't hate each other, I don't think. I'm trying to bring back what we had and you're just pushing me away." He says.

I can't think of a reply and look down at the sand. When he begins to speak again, I turn my head back up.

"I'm just trying to figure things out. I am so confused right now. I have a girl living with me who I've been with for a long time now, and who I thought I loved. But it's like as soon as I saw you again, that feeling went away. All I can think about is how much I just want to be with you. I can't make it go away, no matter how much I try. And when you showed up with that other guy at Dayo's, I just fell apart. I can't process the thought of him being there for you. I can't think of him being there when you need it because that is supposed to be me." He says, pausing to take a deep breath. "All of that; I'm supposed to be there. I'm supposed to be the one to comfort you. I'm supposed to be the one that makes you feel safe but I threw it all away and I can't take it back. I'm so, so sorry and I know that it means nothing to you. I know that you may still hate me a little and that your family probably hates me but right now I don't care. And now, I don't know what to do. Nicole-I don't want to hurt her. But what else can I do? I can't date her and be in love with you."

My face must be showing all sorts of shock at that last sentence. Alexander's face lightens a little as he stares at me.

"What? You didn't think I would actually say it? Well, I did. I am in love with you, Isabelle Fuhrman. I know that it took me too damn long to say it, but I am now. After two years of not talking, I am here now saying that I am in love with you. And I mean every word of it. I am in love with everything about you. I know it's pretty lame and cheesy, but I just am. I loved having to wait an extra 5 minutes for your stupid caramel macchiato, which is weird as hell but I miss doing that. I love how you look down at your hands when you're nervous or embarrassed or you just don't know how to handle a situation. Which, by the way, is what you are doing now. I know that you probably don't even care about anything I am saying yet I am still in love with you."

I keep my eyes on my fumbling hands, trying to comprehend everything that has just happened. My stomach is filled with nervousness and I don't even know how to reply.

Before I can even think of replying, Alexander wraps his arms around me. Thank God we are the only ones on the beach, or reporters would be everywhere.

But no. There are no reporters, no cameras. It was just the two of us under the wooden pier.