In Denial | Alex Turner

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Alex's POV:

"Stellar seemed pretty cheerful today," she pointed out from the passenger's seat. I was driving back to her hotel after we had all collectively decided to end our outing.

"He was pissed," I snorted a laugh. "He kept sayin' he was proud of us while you were gettin' drinks with Breana and Katie," I informed and she widened her eyes at me.

"No way," she laughed, "that's impossible," she shook her head as we stopped behind a red light. I turned my head to look at her with a smile as I rested my elbow on the car's door.

"Did happen, though," I nodded, admiring her side profile as she looked in front of us, and to all the cars running up and down the roads. 

My eyes looked up to the red light that had now turned green, so I started the car again, continuing straight ahead on the road as she opened the radio beside me. She went through all my saved stations, news and advertisements popping in the process. Finally, she left it on the last station, where a soft tune rolled off the car speakers.

The soft melody kept us company as I drove through the now-almost-empty streets of LA with the street light lighting up our way. I took a brief look at her, seeing her resting her head on the elbow she had propped on the car door. Her peaceful figure kept me company, even when she wasn't there. In my mind, she was always on the passenger's seat, laughing beside me, or sitting in comfortable silence.

"Will you ever give me any chance to explain myself?" I was finally able to choke out, earning her attention as she turned her head to look at me. My throat went dry after I didn't receive any answer, my heartbeat starting to rise as silence occupied the space over the music.

"There's no need to," she spoke, gazing out the window. "I've already forgiven you," she added, sending a wave of relief to wash me over.

"But—" I started, but she cut me off as the car stopped in front of her hotel.

"We are grown ups, yet acted like small children," she smiled softly, turning to look at me as I did the same. "The blame lies with the both of us, Alexander," she spoke softly, gazing into my eyes.

"Commitment was never my strength," I furrowed my eyebrows upwards, worry filling me up as I started pouring my heart out. "I always left from the back door. But with you, I didn't want to," I confessed and she nodded, listening to me carefully. "So I found a very stupid reason to do that."

"I get it," she smiled, nodding. "I told you, I've already forgiven you," she shrugged. "I guess commitment was never really my strength either, and I found a reason to take my distance as well," she confessed, and a weight got off my back.

"We should had talked to each other about it," I let out a small laugh, looking away briefly before meeting her eyes again.

"Yeah," she muttered, smiling sadly. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked, gazing up from her lap. Her eyes were filled with hope, as were mine anyway.

"Yes," I smiled comfortingly. "I'll call you tomorrow mornin'," I promised. 

And with that, she nodded and gazed at me for a while before she got off the car. I watched her shrinking figure wave at me briefly before her body was turned again, and she got lost in the shiny marbles and glowing lights of her hotel.

-

Monica's POV:

A loud buzzing noise woke me up from the deep sleep I had been in for the previous six hours. I groaned as I rolled over to the other side of the king-sized bed and stretched my hand out to grab my phone, not bothering to check the caller ID. I pressed on the green button and hummed in a 'good morning but why are you bothering me' way.

"Shit, you were asleep?" Coralie's voice rang on the other side. "Sorry, thought you'd be awake at 3pm," she added, more sarcastic this time.

"It's 3pm already?" I exclaimed, struggling to open my eyes. "Fuck, I slept at 5am last night," I cried out as I sat up on the bed.

"Jesus, Mon, what were you doing?" she sighed as I started rubbing my eyes, yawning at the process.

"Went out for a drink with the others, and ended up being back at the hotel at 4.30," I replied, finally able to open my eyes normally.

"Did you talk to him?" she asked, but then my eyes widened, remembering he was to call me the following morning. 

"Fuck, I'll call you later," I rushed, earning confused calls of my name from her. "He was supposed to call me today, I'll call you back," I rushed again before hanging up on her and rushing to my missed calls.

He had, in fact, called me six times until then, and had sent me a worried message a minute before, asking if I was okay. I pressed on his contact and put my phone on my ear, standing up from the bed and walking up to the balcony.

"Finally," he exhaled on the other side. "I was about to come by, see if you were still alive," he huffed a laugh as I did the same.

"Nah, I'm alright," I smiled, opening the balcony door to get outside to the burning sun. Not that I was fond of it, but I needed it to wake up.

"I'll be there in an hour, is that enough for you to get ready?" he asked as I heard keys jingling from the other side.

"Get ready for what?" I furrowed my eyebrows as I rested on the black railing, gazing around the already-woken city.

"Surprise," he chirped. "Just wear something you can get into water in, and a leather jacket," he dropped two hints, making me even more confused.

"A bathing suit and a leather jacket?" I rephrased. "What the hell?" I laughed, and he huffed a laugh back.

"Not tellin' yer, darlin'," I could hear his teasing smirk behind the screen. "Just get ready, I'll be there in an hour," he added, and before I could protest, he had already called out a cheerful 'bye' and had hung up the phone.

I smiled at myself as I put the phone away from my ear, pressing on Coralie's contact before getting back inside to get ready as I was told.

Alex's POV:

I grabbed my coffee mug and walked out on the yard, where Miles was already sitting at with his own mug and a cigarette in hand.

"I'll drive there in an hour," I informed him, unable to suppress my smile as I sat on the high stool beside him.

"What a charmer," he commented sarcastically, and I snorted a laugh, sitting on my own high stoll beside his. "I like seein' yer this happy," he added, more seriously that time. 

"I enjoy myself more, too," I answered back lowly, fidgeting with my mug's handle as a smile appeared on my lips. I was acting like a schoolboy, but nothing mattered more at that moment. Just her.