Distrustful Eyes (An AleHeather Fanfic)

Chapter 6

The party was a great success. The children were playing, the adults were mingling, and the birthday boy was greatly entertained. Well, as entertained as you could be when your mom was standing outside the apartment with a scary man you've never met.

Compared to the loud music of birthday cheer, the hallway where Alejandro and Heather stood was deftly quiet. Heather had hurried Lex back inside, signaling for Courtney to take care of the festivities without her. Alejandro was not allowed inside for a single moment, but he finally won some time alone with Heather.

"Let's sit down, Alejandro."

She lead him to the elevators, where a decorative bench was placed by the doors.

Sitting on opposite ends of the bench, neither knew who should speak first, or even where to start. Both of them just looked at the ground awkwardly, knowing full well this was a conversation that needed to happen. Taking a deep breath, and finding his courage, Alejandro spoke first.

"So, Lex, is he your son?"

"I, well, yes... He's my little boy." Heather felt too awkward about the situation; she couldn't meet his eyes.

He honestly wanted to slap himself, so stupidly assuming that the boy was her lover. He buried his face into his hands, deep shame overtaking him.

"That time at the restaurant, I wanted to apologize..."

"No, no, you didn't know. I let you assume things and---"

"Well, if I hadn't pushed you too hard maybe you'd be more open to talking---"

"I was being hard on you too so---"

Fumbled apologies meshed incoherently, and the two of them stopped momentarily to meet eyes. Quickly the gaze held, until it crumbled into a nostalgic soft laughter.

"It's like things haven't changed, huh?" Her tone bittersweet. "Things were always hard before they got better when it came to us."

Boldly, he covered the top of her hand with his. "Do you ever miss it?"

Truthfully, she did. The way he was looking at her right now, upturned and hopeful, it had struck her heart. It brought her back to simpler times: a time when they ruled the world. A time where the warmth on her hand was a constant rather than a distant memory.

But as she looked at him, she could see the change. Alejandro looked older, more mature. His boyish good looks were replaced with the handsome maturity that only time and experience could give. He wasn't the same boy she fell in love with.

He wasn't the same boy she left.

She took her hand away, trying her best to act cold, but instead she just looked sad. "I... Have a son. I'm a mom. I don't have time to think about the past. I'm sorry."

"I see..." Alejandro drew back, disheartened by the rejection. "So, who's the father?"

"... What?"

"Your son, who's the father?" He sighed, annoyed for having to repeat himself. "Surely you're not taking care of him on your own?"

Heather's head was spinning; it was a question she did not expect. Here she was, thinking that she'd have to let the cat out of the bag, the truth would come forth, but Alejandro wasn't putting the pieces together.

He couldn't tell Lex was his son?

It was a scenario Heather never thought of, nor could she let pass by.

Letting her inner fears overtake her, she gave him a rejected nod of her head. "Uhm, yeah. It's just the two of us."

"What!? Did that bastard just leave the two of you to fend for yourselves?" Alejandro was livid, imagining what cold heartless monster would leave a woman who gave birth to his own child, let alone leave Heather.