In Denial | Alex Turner

XXXI

Alex's POV:

"Nick, we're leavin'!" I kept checking my watch every five seconds and tapping my foot nervously on the ground as I waited for Nick to finally get ready so we could leave.

We had been in Paris for a day already and we were now getting ready to meet Monica's parents.

"What are yer even so nervous about, eh? It's just Mon's parents," he came out of the bathroom fixing his hair. He was wearing a beige button-up and a pair of black wide trousers.

"I just don't want to make everyone wait," I shrugged, looking in the mirror.

After a couple more minutes, Nick was finally done with his hair and we could leave our room and meet everyone else in the lobby.

Everyone, except for Monica and Elle, were staying in a hotel just 15 minutes away from Monica's house. If I were to describe it, I'd say it looks exactly like the word 'expensive'. Golden elevators and staircases, marble walls and floors, huge corridors and nude colours all over the place.

"Al? Al, are yer listening?" Matt nudged my side as we were in the van, driving there. They were all having some sort of conversation, but I couldn't be arsed to pay attention to them.

"Hm? Oh, yeh, I am," I turned my head away from the window and faced everyone else.

We were all dressed in formal clothes. Breana and Katie were wearing dresses and the lads were all dressed in suits.

"Anyways, we were talkin' about what wine we should get Mon's parents," Matt looked at me with an arched eyebrow.

"Just buy an expensive french one, they all taste the same," I shrugged, not in the mood to talk.

"Alex Turner saying all alcoholic beverages taste the same?" Breana scoffed. "Who hurt you?" she huffed a laugh and soon Katie and Nick were trying not to laugh.

I sighed and turned my gaze to her. "Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne," I kept my gaze on her. "Or any other red wine," I shrugged.

"Alreyt, make a stop there, cheers, mate," Matt told the lad driving the van to stop just outside a liquor store.

The lad stopped the van in front of the store and everyone got off, except for Matt and I.

"Reyt, what's with yer today?" he changed seats, sitting across me so he could see me clearer.

"Nothin'?" I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him. "What d'yer mean?"

"Yer actin' weird," he shrugged and leaned forwards, placing his elbows on his knees.

"No, I'm not," I replied defensively. He raised his eyebrow and huffed a laugh.

"Are yer nervous?" the smirk planted on his lips soon turned into a wide smile.

"Why would I be nervous?" I questioned, leaning back on my seat and crossing my hands over my chest. Was I nervous?

"Perhaps yer want to make a good impression?" he raised an eyebrow and I shot him a glare to which he responded with a chuckle.

"My parents will hate you," she laughed as I came out of my hotel room. We were getting to leave for the airport.

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows and huffed a laugh as I took her suitcase.

"You know, all the gel, leather and stuff," she shrugged as we made our way downstairs.

"I don't mind," I shrugged and looked out the window.

"Is there anythin' goin' on between you two?" he questioned.

"For the last time, no," I exclaimed, making the driver snap his head back. Matt gave him a smile and a nod and he turned back around.

"We both know there is, Al," he said in a lower voice.

Before I could talk, everyone came back from the shop and Matt raised his eyebrows with a smirk.

Damn it, he was right.

-

"Hey!" Elle opened the door, revealing the rest of the house behind her, along with two unfamiliar figures. "Oh, you brought wine! Thank God," she took the bottles off Jamie's hands and gave them to the woman standing behind her. I was searching the room for Monica, but she wasn't near.

We all mumbled a 'hello' to the people standing behind Elle as we entered the house and they took a look at us.

The woman standing on the left had red curly hair and a pair of blue eyes. She was slim and not very tall. She had defined cheekbones and pale skin. She was wearing a black loose dress with wide sleeves and a pair of black boots.

The man standing next to her had his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He looked extremely like Monica, so I guessed he was her father. His hair was mostly black and had a hint of grey here and there. His eyes looked exactly like Monica's and his jawline was sharp for his age. He was wearing a beige suit and had a white undershirt.

"Gabriel, Aurelie, let me introduce you," Elle smiled and brought me back to reality.

"This is Matt and his girlfriend, Breana," she pointed at them and they shook their hands with smiles on their faces. "Jamie and his girlfriend, Katie," they did the same. "Nick," it felt like a countdown.

"And finally, Alex," she pointed at me and I swallowed a lump in my throat before breaking into an awkward smile.

"Nice to meet yer," I shook their hands and watched as Monica's father kept looking at me with an arched eyebrow.

"These are Mon's parents; Gabriel and Aurelie," she pointed at them.

"Oh, you're here!" a familiar voice called and I immediatelly snapped my head up, meeting her slim figure walking from inside.

She was wearing an indigo turtleneck and a pair of wide white high-waisted trousers that hugged her figure perfectly. A silver chain around her neck and a couple of rings on both hands, along with a pair of silver hoops. Her hair was in a low messy bun with a few front strands falling in front of her face.

Fuck.

Our eyes locked and she smirked, raising an eyebrow. I broke into a wide smile unintentionally and felt Nick nudge my side with his elbow, making me snap my gaze at him. He was holding back his laughter as he bit his lower lip.

Monica's POV:

As soon as our eyes locked, I knew it'd be a hard night. He was in a navy blue sweater with a yellow collar popping out. A pair of dark jeans underneath and, of course, his usual gelled quiff.

"Did you meet each other, then?" I asked as I approached them and placed my arm on my dad's shoulder. He took his hand out of his pocket and wrapped it around my waist tightly as he kept staring at Alex.

"Oui, we did," my mum looked at me with a smile planted on her red lips and eventually clapped. "Right, let's eat then!" she turned around and walked inside, everyone following her.

I stopped walking and waited for Alex who was walking last. He looked nervous and tense.

"Everything okay?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows as I tried searching for his gaze.

"Hm?" his head snapped back up from the ground. "Yeh, everythin' fine, darlin'," he smirked and placed a hand on my lower back as we walked.