Becoming The Hero • Elijah Mikaelson [4]

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Eccedentesiast, someone who fakes a smile, when all they want to do is cry, disappear and/or die, or someone who hides pain behind their smile, that was what Alex had been doing for the past two days before completely isolating herself in her penthouse, the need for some space and to be alone felt peaceful, yet those where the moments that were the loudest in her penthouse, her thoughts constantly being consumed by Elijah as she tried to forget him, she missed him, his scent, his voice, there was now just an empty hole in her sky, something was missing from her life.

Alex placed her cup of coffee on the coffee table and sits down on the couch in her living room, it was a gloomy day outside almost like her mood, dark and cold, she picks up the book that laid on the couch and placed it on her lap, her eyes stared out the window slowly spacing out as she opened the book, planning to read it, but she couldn't seem to focus.

"She was a good fuck..." Santino's voice echoed in her mind as she thought back to what she saw in Elijah's mind, she blinks as she lowers her gaze to the book in her lap, gnawing at her bottom lip, she closes the book pushing it off her lap and closed her eyes, she needed to find Santino, she needed to speak to him, find out the truth, did he care for her or did he put up such a great act to make her think that he gave a damn? Her mind seemed to work in fast-forward as it took her through thick forests, past rivers before stopping by the Mystic Falls cemetery, just located outside the town.

The scent of death quickly surrounded her before she opened her eyes, instead of sitting on the couch in her penthouse back in New Orleans, she was now seated on the dead grass outside the cemetery gates, from where she sat she could see spirits moving around looking lost, searching for something, she slowly stood up dusting off the sweatpants she had on, doubt slowly crept up her spine, should she enter or stay outside.

"Santino!" Alex calls out, she could see the spirits turning to look towards the gate, but she was only searching for one. "Santino!" The spirits could feel the strong energy radiating off from her, they felt unsure themselves and Alex could feel that doubt, she takes a step into the cemetery. "I'm looking for a Santino Iglesias." They slowly move out the way, revealing Santino's ghost standing near a headstone. "Santino." She blocks out the other spirits as she usually did when an unwanted spirit tried to contact her, it was the only way she could lead a normal sane immortal life, that was one of the things Annemarie had her learn first. "Santino..."

"Alexandra..." Santino says. "Is that you?" Alex walks towards him, nightfall was slowly approaching. "It is you!" She stops in front of him, he throws his arms around her engulfing her in a hug. "But, how? How is this possible? Are you dead?" He breaks the embrace. "What happened? Where did you go?" His hands resting on her shoulders.

"Santino, I'm not dead," Alex says, he tilts his head. "I'm immortal."

"What? What does that mean?" Santino asks. "How can you see me? How can I touch you?" Alex placed her hands around his wrists and removes them from her shoulders.

"I'm a hybrid Santino, but I'm not here to talk about me," Alex says. "I'm here because I have a question for you." She releases his wrists.

"Hybrid? What does that even mean, amore?" Santino asks ignoring her statement.

"Santino!" Alex says loudly. "Did I mean something to you? Were you in love with me? Or did you just put up an act?" She pushes her hair behind her ear as she stared up at him. "And I want an honest answer because I'll know when you're lying to me."

"I..." Santino begins, it had been years, but the feelings had never vanished. "Alex, you must believe me when I tell you that I did once feel something for you." He reaches to touch her, but she takes a step back. "But you were not mine, you would never be mine, so instead I numbed my feelings for you, convinced myself it was just fucking."