Where Two Collide

Chapter Thirty - Alice

Chapter Thirty

Alice

It catches me off guard when Owen later shows up at the house. He rarely does anything spontaneously, and he definitely doesn't bring caramel doughnuts as a gift. In fact in general, he's not really a gift giving guy, at least not unless the occasion calls for it like Christmas or Valentine's day. Luckily Cat's gone to a craft store to stock up on art supplies, so for once I bring him to my bedroom where we can be alone. The only other times I've had him in my room are times we set up purposefully to Netflix and Chill, emphasis on the Chill.

I gave him a bright smile and patted next to me on the bed for him to join me. He seemed to be in good spirits and bounced on the bed, popping open the plastic carton he's brought and offering me a doughnut. I love love love doughnuts, they are absolutely one of my most favourite things, especially when they are fresh like these are. I take one and bite into the soft dough, making audible mmm sounds.

"They're good right?" he says after eating his own in approximately two bites. "I arrived just as they'd finished baking, I know how you love the taste of just-out-of-the-oven stuff. So I thought I'd treat you."

"They are sooo good," I mumble in agreement between bites.

"Anything for my best girl," he said and planted a soft kiss on my cheek.

I licked the sugar from my fingers, in a state of carb-laden bliss. "What's the occasion?" I asked, because how could I not ask. As delicious as this was, and as unexpectedly pleasant as it was, it was not like him. I didn't want to be suspicious, but it was in my nature, if there was a problem to be solved, I would be the one picking apart the clues.

Owen took my hand out of my lap and held it in his. "It just feels like I haven't seen you much recently, we're either with friends or at school," he said looking somewhat downcast. "I miss my girlfriend, that's all."

My heart did a happy little dance and I jumped at him, throwing my arms around him. "I missed you too," I whispered against him, breathing in his clean shirt scent.

He hugged me back. "It's been really hard at home lately, my dads been on my back a lot. I think my gran made it worse when she bought me the car after I wrecked mums."

I released my arms from around his neck and rested back on the bed. I nodded slowly; this explained his recent sharpness toward me. It was a relief to know it wasn't all me.

"I wish I didn't have to live in that house, my dad just doesn't get me at all. I'm not sure he even wants to. Sometimes I think he wishes I didn't even exist, wasn't even born. Like I ruined his life or something." He scratched his neck. "It's just nice to be with you sometimes. Just you and me. It feels like I'm escaping that house."

"Well I don't mind hanging out with you whenever. Especially if you bring doughnuts," I giggled.

He reached over and tickled me at my waist where I was the most ticklish. I giggled even harder and tried to wriggle away.

"Say Owen's amazing," he said, still continuing to tickle me.

I obeyed, surrendering the fight. "Owen's amazing."

He grinned and removed his hands from my waist. "What have you been up to today then?" he asked, gazing around the room.

I gestured a hand toward the stack of papers I'd left on the dresser. "Just working through some forms for school."

He jumped off the bed as if something had bit him. Frowning, he went to my dresser and picked up the page on the top of the paperwork pile.

"Are you serious Alice?" He looked irate, and so very disappointed.

I strained my eyes to see what was in his hand. As his fingers tightened on the page, it crinkled audibly. I crossed the room to look closer at what had sparked him off and when I reached for the page, he moved it out of reach, not before I'd gotten a look at it though.

I raised my eyebrows. "My school form for studying abroad?"

"I thought we talked about this Alice, I thought you'd decided not to go."

"We did talk about it. You said you'd miss me, but I never said I wasn't still planning on going," I replied. Why was he so angry? This trip was for me, it had nothing to do with us. It was only going to be a short while too, barely a term even.

"You're still going, even though I don't want you to?" he huffed. His fingers clenched harder around the paper as though it was in danger of escaping his grasp. "Does how I feel not matter to you?"

Dread hit me like a tidal wave. The furious look on his face told me I needed to defuse the situation as quickly as possible. "No, that's not what I said." I put my hand on his arm, trying to calm him. "How you feel matters too."

"Then why are you doing this to me?"

I stared straight at him, shocked. "I'm not doing this to you, I was doing this for me. I've always dreamed of spending time in another school in a different country. It's an experience I've always wanted."

It was as though a switch had flipped. His eyes narrowed; his skin reddened with fury. He wasn't my Owen, in that moment, he was something else entirely. With his free hand, he wrapped his course fingers around my throat and shoved me hard into my bedroom door. "You're trying to leave me aren't you," he roared into my face. "I knew it."

I gasped. His fingers were tight on my throat, but I didn't fight back. My arms hung loose at my side and all I could think of was that my mum was in the house and she might be able to hear. Please don't hear, please don't be nearby. I wasn't sure if I was afraid of what he might do to her if she tried to intervene, or if I was trying to protect him. Either way, I didn't react, just pleaded with him. "I'm not trying to leave you Owen, I love you."

He loosened his grip but still held me there. "So you won't go?"

"If you don't want me to go, then I won't," I promised.

He peered at me, his eyes still narrowed, as though he was trying to decipher if I was lying to him. Finally, he let go of me and stepped back, creating some much-needed space between us. I inhaled sharply through my nose, pursing my lips as my whole body attempted to relax now that he was calmer.

"I love you," I repeated, smiling slightly to assure him. "I'm not going anywhere."

The page was still in his hand. "If you're not going then you don't need this," he said and abruptly tore it to pieces and dropped it in the bin, the pieces falling from his fingers like wilted petals from a dead rose.

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