Never Say Forever (LAMS READERS CHOICE)

Chapter Seven

Option Two - "Wouldn't want the neighbors to think anything."

"Really, I don't think you should be driving, you seem so tired, and-"

"Elizabeth, I'll be fine, don't worry. Besides, we wouldn't want the neighbors to think anything, now would we?"

Elizabeth stares at me after that response. "John, the neighbors won't think anything. They know you don't like women."

"How would they know that?" I ask, blushing gently. 

"John, everyone knows. It's fine." She sighs. "Just, please, you can stay on the couch, I just don't want you driving-"

"I've already woken up a little," I lie. "I'll be fine." 

She gives me a look before sighing and giving up. "Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything. Okay?" 

I nod and exit the house. Truth is, I couldn't stand being around her anymore. She was so.. happy. Or at least, she pretends to be. But either way she was going on dates, getting over Alex, and here I am, imagining him. Making him up to make myself feel better. 

I think of him yelling at me. I never did go after him. I never helped when everyone else went searching for him. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I sat at Elizabeth's house, making sure her kids were okay while she went out with everyone to look for Alex. 

Part of me wishes it wasn't fake. I wish that Alex really wasn't dead, and he just left me because he felt the need to reappear to everyone at the same time. But I knew I was just hoping. Alex never really came back, it was just a sad hallucination. 

I get into my car and rub my eyes, sighing softly as I drove away. Elizabeth was probably right, I probably shouldn't have been driving. But I couldn't stay any longer.

As I drive, I feel myself getting even more tired. My eyes slowly start to close, but I quickly wake up when a car honks at me for swerving into their lane. I pull over and sigh, putting my head on my steering wheel.

I hit my head on it repeatedly. I'm such an idiot. I wish I could get over this like everyone else. Everyone else was moving on. Nobody else was imagining he was here, and still alive.

I take a deep breath and sit up straight, merging back onto the road. Luckily it was late, so almost no one else was on the road. I had two more lights to go through, one right, one left, and then home sweet home.

Two lights, one right, one left.

Two lights, one right..

Two lights, one..

I feel myself dozing off again and I panic wide awake, seeing a person in the middle of the road. I freak out even more and swerve to miss them, the person diving to the side away from the car. I manage to slam on my brakes before I run into anything else and put my car in park, taking deep breaths.

Once I gather myself, I frown angrily and get out of the car, going to the person who was now sitting on the ground, seeming pretty nonchalant about almost being hit.

I glare at them. "What the hell? Could you maybe stay out of the road?!" I ask.

The person shakes their head. "I.. I'm sorry.." They say, looking at their hands.

I roll my eyes. "Why the hell are you in the middle of the road at one in the morning?"

"Why the hell are you coming from Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton's house at one in the morning?" He asks stubbornly.

"How would you-" I pause and look at my surroundings, half expecting cameras to jump out and tell me I was being pranked. "Who are you?"

"I'm getting major deja-vu right now." He chuckles, standing up and brushing himself off. He turns towards me and crosses his arms, the shadows still covering his face. "So, what were you doing with Mrs. Hamilton?"

I roll my eyes. "It's none of your business, really." I tell him, stepping back a little. "But I'm going to leave now, stay out of the road next time."

I turn to walk away but he grabs my arm, frightening me. "Stop, don't touch me!" I yell.

"John, shut up, you'll wake the whole neighborhood." The man says, stepping closer. I get a good look at his face and I shake my head.

"God dammit, get out of my head! Go away! You're dead, I can't keep imagining you here!" I say, pulling myself away from him. He looks at me, looking heartbroken.

"You think you're.. Imagining me..?" He asks.

I look at him. He seems real, but I know he's not. I'm just tired. Hell, I probably fell asleep on the side of the road, and I'm dreaming right now. That had to be it. I had to be dreaming.

"I don't think, I know. Be gone, get out of my head." I say firmly, turning around and taking a deep breath. I get into my car and try to clear my thoughts, only to be interrupted by a tapping on the window.

I jump and turn to the window, seeing Alex standing there, looking up at me with worry. "John, I'm here.. Really, I am. Please let me in."

I hesitate but unlock the doors, and he jumps into the car. "John, I'm sorry for putting you through all of this, it was not my intention at all."

"You're.. You're not real.. How are you here, why have you come back to haunt me?"

He groans. "God dammit. I should have just come back and stayed the first time. Come back and went back to Eliza, back to the kids. Life was easy. I should have just ignored the want to stay away." He rambles.

I take a few moments to gather my senses. He really was here, this was really him. He talked too much for it not to be. I look over at him. "Why would you go back to her? You don't love her."

He stops and looks at me. "Love doesn't matter, Laurens. My kids need me. And I walked out on them. I hurt you. I hurt Eliza." He puts his head in his hands, sighing.

I look down, before quietly saying, "You hurt me being with her too, you know."

He looks up at me. "What does that mean?" He asks.

I bush madly and shake my head. "Nevermind. Are you going back to her or not?"

Alex sighs and looks out the window and then back at me. "That's up to you. If you drive me to my old house, I'll go in and explain everything to Eliza. Be a better father for my kids." He says, nodding. "But if you bring me to your house, I may never come out of hiding."

Option One: Take him to Eliza's house
Option Two: Take him to John's house

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1157 Words

I'm sorry for coming out with this chapter so late, this weekend was really rough for me and I had absolutely no time to write. I literally pretended I was doing homework just so I could write this chapter for you guys. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, see you in four more days (hopefully).