How it Began

|40|

"Hey gorgeous, this is a nice surprise." He smiles when he sees Alice sitting on his couch. "What's up, babe?"

She looks up at him from across the room and he can see tears in her eyes. "We need to talk."

"Okay?" He walks closer, all too confused about what's going on. "What's wrong?" She stays quiet. He kneels down in front of her and places his hands on her knees. "Al?"

She finally meets his eyes just a tear slips down her cheek. "I slept with Hal."

His eyes grow wide. "You what?"

"I'm sorry."

"Please tell me you literally slept together, like had a sleepover or something." She shakes her head and he pushes himself away from her. "I can't believe you."

"I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, I am too. I'm sorry for trusting you."

"I didn't mean for this all to happen-"

"Oh what, did you just trip and fall onto his dick?"

"FP-"

"Oh God, were you the one who gave him that hickey?" She nods slowly. "Jesus, you're the girl he's always talking about? How did this all start? I thought you didn't like him."

"I didn't but... well we went to that party and Hal and I got sent to the closet-"

"Did you fuck him in there too?"

She glares at him. "Shut up. I'm trying to explain this to you, stop being an asshole."

"Whatever." He slumps down into a chair across from her.

"We talked and he listened to me. He supports me, he believes in me-"

"I believe in you!"

"I know you do. But it was like a flip switched, I saw him in a whole new light. This time he wasn't just some nerdy kid who was always hanging around us, he was this sweet guy just trying to fit in." She takes a deep breath. "I kissed him, but I swear to you that's all that happened."

"You kissed him? Alice I was on the other side of the door!"

"I know, I felt awful."

"So when I went home with you that night and we were having sex... were you thinking about him?" She doesn't meet his eyes as she nods. "What about all the times after that? Were you thinking about him?"

"No. It was just that night." She looks up at him and sighs. "I do love you."

"Well you have a funny way of showing it." He drops his head into his hands and groans. "How could you do this? I trusted you. I just thought you were hanging out with Cooper so much so that you could get better at journalism."

"Well, I was. All the time I went over to his house I really was working on the paper."

"When-" he takes a deep breath before continuing. "When did you two..." he trails off but she knows what he's asking her.

"A couple of weeks ago."

He scoffs. "I think you should go."

"FP-"

"Leave, Alice." He doesn't even look at her when he says it, too hurt by the revelation to meet her eyes.

She nods and walks over to the door, but pauses before leaving. "I really do love you."

"Yeah well I love you too but I can't be with someone I can't trust so get the hell out of my trailer."