Aftertaste (Sin #2)

XXXIV.

When we come home, I go straight to the kitchen. "Do we have any chocolate left?" I ask, opening the cabinets.

"Wouldn't know," Alexander says. I hear him putting the keys down.

I find what I'm looking for. Chocolate – a white one with hazelnuts. Not what I would typically go for, but chocolate is chocolate and I am not particularly picky when it comes to that.

Alexander comes in when I put a piece in my mouth as I stand in the middle of the kitchen with an opened chocolate in my hand. "You didn't eat any breakfast. Aren't you going to be sick?"

I shrug. "This is my breakfast." Besides, chocolate always helps me with my problems.

"Gabby," Alexander says softly, his eyes gentle.

"I'm okay," I mumble with my mouth full of chocolate.

He sighs, closing the distance between us. He wraps his arms around me, pushing my head against his chest. I sag against him, closing my eyes as I seek the comfort from him. "I love that you defended me and that you're on my side, but I don't want you to fight with your mum. This is between me and her and it's not fair to involve you."

Alexander scoffs. "Newsflash, little one, everything that involves you, involves me. I'm not standing back and watching the shit go down for you when you didn't do what they accused you of."

I sigh, stepping back and tilting my head back to look at him. "It just doesn't make sense. Lena had to tell something to make Rosalyn believe I did it because I know she wouldn't believe her if she wasn't sure." I purse my lips, hanging my head.

"Figured it out already because my mum is not so gullible. She had to tell her some bullshit story to make her believe it."

I look into his eyes again, my face breaking into a smile. "How does it feel to have girls fighting over you?"

He rolls his eyes. "Not as cool as I thought it'd be, especially since one of them is my girlfriend."

"I wonder why she's doing this. Just because she hates me? Or just because she has an obsession with you and wants to have you no matter what?"

"She can't have me," Alexander deadpans.

"Well, yeah, obviously." I make a hand gesture, showing at myself. "But she thinks if I'm not in the picture, you'll ... I don't know, fall in love with her?"

Alexander chuckles, but then quickly gets serious again, his face making a grimace. "Yeah, not going to happen. Not really my type."

I tilt my head to the side. "Maybe not if we're talking about personality. What about looks? Is her looks your type?"

Alexander's head moves back as he gives me a weird look. "Babe," is all he says.

"What? I'm just wondering, really. Like, I know you're a good boyfriend and you're not checking other girls out. But we're just talking. Buddy to buddy."