The Way Back To You

Chapter 22

Don't forget to vote and comment!

(If you don't, you'll step on a lego)

Follow me to become a member of #TEAMBLOSSOMS!

A P R I L

I sit with my hands positioned around my steering wheel, tapping in beat to a song blaring out of the radio. Alex should be coming out to meet me in a bit. I suddenly feel a bit nervous at the prospect, but I really shouldn't.

The only reason I proposed to do this in the first place was to get my mind off the crap that's going on with my friends. Usually it would be them helping me get over something, but now the tables are turned. And I don't like it.

Alex seems to be really supportive in all of this, and I suppose that's another reason I want him here with me. And of course there's the fact that I genuinely owe him. It really isn't turning out to be so bad after all.

I lean back and slip a pair of shades over my eyes. When I straighten up, I see him standing on the asphalt through my window, uncertainly shifting around with his hands jammed into his pockets. I smile and gesture for him to get in.

He does so hesitantly, pulling on the door handle with extreme care and setting himself on the seat like it's scalding hot. I roll my eyes, lean over, and pull the door shut before turning on the ignition and racing down the empty driveway.

I hear him let out a deep chuckle and click his seatbelt into place. "You know, I was sitting by the fence over there for a while wondering whether or not I should actually show up."

I tilt my head and send him a sidelong glare. "Oh, really?"

"Not in a bad way," he is quick to insist. "Just...I don't know. I thought it would be the end of my red-headed stalker, and I must say, you've kind of grown on me."

I smile. "I knew it!"

He lets out an exaggerated breath. "Don't get ahead of yourself there. There was also the fact that if my Dad knew I was running off with some girl...I could have seriously gotten killed."

I laugh before I realize that he isn't joking. "Oh."

We sit in silence for a few moments before I bring the car at a halt in front of a red light.

"But...Surely...You must have had girlfriends in Indiana, right?"

I remember the rumors circulating about him from the first day he showed up. And I have no trouble believing that aspect of the mill, I mean, he's gorgeous. Even after being branded as dangerous around our school, he's still a point of intrigue among much of the female population.

Alex's eyes look troubled and he shakes his head. I suddenly regret asking.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to-"

"Nah, it's cool. Um..."

He pauses and looks at me. I swallow nervously and silently will for the light to change so I have something to concentrate on other than those golden eyes.

"I-I had a girlfriend. Singular. And that didn't go so well."

He bows his head and then rushes to add one more thing. "For the record, I didn't break her heart. I mean... Yes, her heart is broken, but not because of me. And it's not like I came out of that relationship completely okay either."

I bite my lip and frown. This is surprising, and only makes Alex seem all that more interesting to me.

"Why aren't you still together then?"

Something ticks in his jaw and there's a spark of anger that looks so violent it almost scares me before I remember who I'm talking to.

"My Dad. As I'm sure you can already guess...The root of most of my problems."

He laughs dryly. "It's just, she was too much of a distraction to my sport. My father breeds wrestlers as I've told you before, and...I was his best one. He took me with him everywhere, and the more games I won, the more money he made. I was always given a small portion but it went straight to the family my father never looked back on. "

Alex shakes his head. "So...My girlfriend was someone I met at one of the matches. Her brother was my competitor, and my father was convinced it was a ploy on their part, and saying it aloud makes it sound like he was right, but he wasn't. She-Well, she was different."

The light turns green and we surge forward. It's almost like something snaps between us and Alex straightens up.

"I'm sorry. You didn't have to hear about that."

I shake my head. "No, I'm glad you were able to tell me. I want to be someone for you to vent to. I'm sure you won't be able to find much support at school, so..."

I clear my throat and awkwardly turn the steering wheel. Alex smiles at me before the corner of his mouth lifts up in a smirk.

"Anyway. How about you? Any ex-boyfriends I have to look out for?"

In that moment, I curse my red hair and extremely pale skin as I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. Oh, god, I must look a red smurf.

He laughs out loud, which I certainly do not appreciate. 

I purse my lips and try to regain a portion of my dignity. "Um. No, actually. I haven't had one."

Alex snaps his neck to look at me and raises an eyebrow. "Did I hear that correctly?"

I shrug and cross my arms before I remember that I'm supposed to be driving a car. "Yes. Is there a problem?"

He shakes his head, but I can feel his smile. "No, no problem, it's just...I find that a little hard to believe."

I'm not sure if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult, but it definitely doesn't help with my blush, which at this point probably looks like a really bad rash.

Alex laughs even harder and I release a hand to smack into his arm.

"Shut up," I mumble. "Frankly, I don't see why a teenager needs to be romantically involved with someone in high school. When you think about it, we're pretty young. It's probably smarter anyway to wait."

Alex goes quiet for a moment and I think that I may have impressed him with my words. When I look to him with a triumphant smile, I see that his own face is beginning to turn red. I furrow my brow in confusion before I realize he's just trying to hold back his laughter.

"Oh, god, you're such a prude!"

I turn into the parking lot of Cherry Cabin and lean back in the car seat.

"You know what? I changed my mind."

He raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You really are an asshole."

We both look to each other for a beat before collapsing in laughter.

"Just get out of the car..."