the lonely hearts club || n.h au

thirteen

"Are you sure you've got everything?"

"Yes."

"I don't want you to call me when you're halfway there asking me if you've left some things in your room."

"I thought you like it when I call you," she grins. Her mum looks at her, unamused. Despite the poker face, Alexandra knows she's right — her mum likes it when she calls her, no matter what the reasons are. But her mum is right too — she has the tendency to leave some things behind. Once it was a phone charger, once it was a perfume, once it was a watch. "Besides, I can always drive home and get it."

"So now you want to come home more often?" Claudia Oh teases her daughter. She doesn't get to do this often — there's not much she can tease her about, anyway. And now, seeing her daughter's flushed cheeks, she knows why Isaac likes to tease his sister so much. "And all it takes is for you to date someone from this town."

Alexandra opens her mouth to defend herself, to tell her mum that the reason why she doesn't go home often is because she's busy, but before she can even get a word out, she gets cut off. Probably for the best because if she gives that excuse — again — her mum will only tell her that if her brother, busy, busy Isaac, can come home regularly, then why can't she? It's a conversation she's had before and since she really doesn't want to go down that road this morning, she keeps her mouth shut.

"If I knew that I would've set you up with him sooner."

She won't do that. Her parents aren't matchmakers — she was relieved when she found out that they weren't involved in setting Niall up on a date. As much as they'd like to see both Alexandra and Isaac settle down, they've never and will never meddle in their love lives. They want their children to find their partners themselves. Alexandra appreciates that.

"So... will you come home more often?" Her mum asks. "That boy's gonna miss you, I'm sure."

The memory of the conversation she had with Niall in his car several nights ago returns to her mind. They had talked about this before. "Well, I'll miss you," he had said to her. He spoke those four words with such honesty that she found it difficult to breathe afterwards. Somehow, she had managed to tell him to come and visit her in Dublin.

But that was before he told her he likes her. Before he brushed his lips against hers and turned her world upside down.

Memories from last night flash across her mind as bright as fireworks and as clear as crystals — it's not like she's ever stopped thinking about it. She can still feel the ghost of his lips on her lips, and his fingers in her hair. She can still feel his warm breath on her cheeks, the press of his forehead against hers.

The silence they shared afterwards spoke volumes. It said: so we like each other. It also said: I don't know what this means for us but I do know I like doing this. And I want to do it again. And again and again and again.

At least, that's how she translated the silence and the smile that curved his lips when he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. There's a promise of more in his smile and his soft touch, but before they could kiss again, before she could stand on her tiptoes and press a kiss against his lips — because kissing him once was not enough — Tash and Isaac reappeared.

The knowing look they exchanged told her that they'd seen everything, but for some reasons, neither of them taunted her about it. On their way home, Isaac had asked her if she had a good night and nothing more. Having expected him to tease her, she was shocked when her answer was met with a nod and silence. For once in her life, Isaac Oh didn't tease her. Maybe that's his new year's resolution: tease his sister less. Or never, preferably, but that's too much to ask.