Summon All The Courage You Require(DISCONTINUED)

Death It Feels So Much Like A Memory(Real)

Sooooooo, promising a chapter in less than a week was a terrible idea. From now on, the first of the month and you MIGHT, M I G H T get a double update.

J. Laurens' POV

"I can't believe you left your phone here," Maddie complained as we walked in. "It's our last day here after all." We just got back from one of Ellie's performances, which was right after Junior's after school debate that ran at the same time as one of Maddie's dates. Alex was also kicked out for whatever reason so I had to take over. Not to mention, I still had work in the morning before school, which recently, really seemed to get in the way of things.

"Sorry, okay?" I tiredly replied. "I got distracted."

"By?" she asked, lightly pushing Ellie up the stairs and out of earshot. "Go get ready for bed, I'm coming to read you a story." I smiled as I watched Ellie run up the stairs in her little hip-hop costume. It was ridiculously adorable and she was a decent dancer considering she was just six.

Maddie then turned to me and gave me her full attention, asking me for an answer to her question.

"...I'm worried about Alex," I admitted. After our talk on Christmas Eve, I thought things would get better. The Christmas party was also nice too. But afterwards, we didn't have much communication due to constantly being busy. "A lot's been happening and I haven't heard much from him."

"Well, go text him," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I grinned at her before speeding up the stairs to get my phone.

What would I say to him? Hi? Hello? How are you? Maybe I should've asked about Philip or maybe even his mother. I turned on my phone and saw that he had texted me. Three pictures, with the text, "This is how much I love you." My heart fluttered as my fingers struggled to hastily unlock my phone. I finally got in and tapped the messages icon. In it, was Alex's text with a blue dot next to it. I clicked it, and my face fell.

The first was of him holding hands with her. Straightened brown hair and in a blue cocktail dress. He was in the same suit he wore to the Christmas party, so I assumed it must've been a formal event with her. The hand holding was excessive but innocent enough.

The second was hard to look at. She stood there in a blue two piece dress. It had a small bejeweled crop top that went all the way up to her neck like a chocker and a high waisted bikini-like bottom with a sheer maxi skirt with two slits on each side over it. Looking at how Alex was dressed, she was overdressed. But he held the camera and happily wrapped his hand around her waist. And she had her arms flung around his neck and sloppily kissed half of his mouth. They both smiled into it, reminding me of something Alex and I had done when we first got together. I couldn't believe how he just redid that moment with her.

Last, and definitely not the least, was the one that put tears into my eyes. It was a side view of Alex who was looking down, his hair covering his face. His upper back and his scars were uncovered by the blanket that was over everything else. His hands were on each side of someone. Her. She lay there underneath him, clutching the couch. Her legs were covered, but her top half was on full display. 

I froze and didn't hear the door open or someone coming in. However, I did feel someone look over my shoulder and hug me. "John..." they said, trailing off. After a moment, I realized who spoke and turned to hug her back.

"Martha..." I cried, remembering the biggest hitch in my sister and I's relationship. "You were right." 

Instead of answering, she just hugged me tighter before pulling back and saying, "I'll give you some time. Ice cream?" I started to shake my head as she got off my bed, but then rapidly nodded before she left.