Coming Home

Chapter Five

Screaming - Again. Clarissa was beginning to open her eyes to the world she was in, and she began to realise that she didn't believe.
'It's that little shit brainwashing you isn't it!' Philip spat, as his face reddened in anger.
'Her name is Alexa! And she has finally opened my eyes that I'm not myself anymore! I changed everything about myself for you and this damned house and your fucking family - what does it even fucking mean?' Clarissa took a second to breathe, the silence was deafening.
She sighed before continuing, in a softer voice.
'You used to look at me and be happy, you always said you loved me because I didn't care about all of this.' she pointed to the expensive ornaments on the brass fireplace. 'You loved me because I wasn't like your other girlfriends, and then you turned me into them.'
Philip's lips were tight in frustration; he knew his wife was right but they had built an empire on the way they lived, people respected them because of how they presented themselves. He dropped to his armchair and stared deep into the fireplace. He thought this was what she wanted, he thought the life he had given his wife and their children the life they wanted - and of course Alexa was simply spoiled and ungrateful.

Clarissa left the room, leaving her husband to his thoughts - she walked up the stairs and went to check on Steph and Alexa.
'Everything okay, Mum?' Alexa asked, as Clarissa walked into Steph's room.
'Yes, everything should be changing soon and I can only imagine for the better.' Clarissa smiled at the girls.
'What happened?' Steph asked, wiping a tear from her cheek.
'Well, me and your dad have come to a realisation that things aren't as great as thought. We've both changed over the years and hopefully things will change for the better.' Clarissa answered, as she sat down on the bottom bunk of the bed to hug her step-daughter.
'Are you guys getting a divorce?' Steph's eyes began to well up again.
'No darling, we're going to talk things out a bit more instead of arguing and hopefully we can all be a lot happier together.'
Alexa nodded and smiled, happy that her mum had started fighting for herself.
'Right, I promised Jace that I'd go see him today. I'm glad that things are getting better, Mum. Steph if you need me I'm text away okay?' Alexa stretched her arms around her family for a hug and made her way to her friend's house.

Alexa lit a cigarette and took a long drag as she walked from the bus stop to Jace's house. It was only around the corner, but she didn't mind waiting outside for a minute or two. As she reached the building, she noticed a woman strutting out of the complex. She was tall, with perfect skin and a large chest. Jace stood at the door, promising to call her. Alexa bit her bottom lip and nodded as the act that played out in front of her confirmed how Jace truly felt. Alexa allowed herself to be seen but still kept her distance, Jace's eyes widened and began to ignore his latest conquest - or maybe it was more than that. 

The girl finally passed Alexa and disappeared to become another face in the streets. Alexa and Jace stare at each other until she finished her cigarette, at which point she walked towards Jace and simply said hello, and nothing more.
'Alex, you weren't meant to see that.' Jace said, grimacing.
'I figured. It's cool.' Alexa replied.
The two headed inside, Jace offered Alexa a beer which she finished in less than two minutes, to get another drink.
'Can we talk about what just happened?' Jace said, his brows burrowing and his lips forming a sympathetic frown.
'What do you mean? You brought a girl back to your place, why do we have to talk about that?'
'Because it's not like it's anything serious, she's just some girl.'
'Okay, good for her.'
Jace ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in frustration.
'What do you want from me? If you don't care about it then why are you being so weird with me? Yes I had sex with someone else, but it's not like you're my girlfriend, Alex!'
'I don't care, you're the one who's making it weird by thinking you owe me an explanation. I'm not your girlfriend, but a little bit of courtesy would be great.'
Jace ground his teeth, his knuckles going white as he balled up his fists. His mind fought itself, he wasn't sure whether the laugh because he knew Alexa was lying or whether to start an argument because she refused to admit it. He chose neither and walked to the bathroom and wet his face and give himself a chance to cool off.

When he came back to the living room, Alexa was still sat on the blue sofa drinking a beer. She looked up at him with a half smile, her eyes yearning for him to do something but he couldn't figure out what it was that she wanted anymore.
'What?' He asked, raising an eyebrow.
'I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see another girl coming out of here.'
Her voice was more timid than Jace had ever heard before, he felt bad for her. He threw himself onto the sofa next to his friend and began tickling her. The two wrestled playfully until Jace landed on the floor and hit his head.
'Oh my god, Jace are you okay?'
Alexa peered over the edge of the sofa, only to be pulled to the floor by her hand, landing on Jace and head butting him.
'Ow! Sorry, are you okay?' He laughed.
'Yeah I'm okay, that just really hurt my head.' She said, rubbing her head in pain.
Jace twisted so that Alexa was beneath him, he held her down by her wrists and whispered softly.
'Now where were we?'
Alexa bit her lip and began to sweat through her hands. Jace's fringe tickled Alexa's nose and she giggled, struggling to get away from it. Jace slowly moved down to her face and bit his bottom lip.
'Jace, wait.' Alexa pushed Jace away and sat up on the floor.
'What's wrong?' Jace asked. 'Do you not like me that way?'
Alexa shook her head.
'If we're going to do this, I want to be the only one. I don't want to be another notch on your bedpost - I'm not that kind of girl.' 

The two friends sat for a moment in silence, stewing over their thoughts and emotions.
'I don't think of you that way.' Jace finally said. 'You're not like other girls.'
Alexa scoffed, 'That's not what I meant, but okay.'
'But you are, I mean look at you! You're amazing and you're so beautiful.'
'Shut up - you don't know what you're talking about.'
Alexa stood up and opened her bag to roll a cigarette.
Jace followed her, turned her around and kissed her. After a second, Alexa dropped her tobacco tin and wrapped her arms around Jace.
A fire struck between the two and they fit together like jigsaw pieces. Eventually the kiss had to stop.
'Jace, is this real for you?' Alexa asked, her voice low.
'What do you think?' He pulled Alexa's hand to his fast paced heart and she smiled.
She kissed him on the cheek.
'I could really do with a smoke, do you want one?'

He nodded and followed her out to the front of the building. Alexa had begun to notice all the features in Jace's face; the lines on his forehead, the freckles on his cheeks and the small scar on his chin from when he fell off a swing as a child. She bit her bottom lip and cracked her knuckles as her thoughts consumed her. Jace's blue eyes sparkled as he noticed her eyes examining him.
'What?; he asked, chuckling as he spoke.
Alexa shook her head and moved her hair behind her ear. 'Nothing.'
He stepped closer towards her, took her chin in his hand and pulled her face closer to his. This kiss was softer, more caring that the one before. He put everything he could in this kiss, lowering his hand to her neck and his other to her lower back - pulling her closer still. Her free hand moved up his arm and around his neck as she fell deeper into the hypnotic kiss.

The following morning not much could be said, the two lay for hours in each other's arms; keeping each other warm. Eventually all perfect moments must come to an end and so Alexa dressed and headed to her mother's home.
But something wasn't right.