You took my heart, could I please have it back?

[49] You took my heart, could I please have it back?

.:Recap:.

We stayed for about two hours, and it was mostly Alex and dad doing the talking. I was just watching him talk to his mother, very slightly jealous. I missed my mother so much it hurt to think about her, I had loved her so much. She taught me music, the only thing that remained constant in my whole life.

But I shook these thoughts away. Alex had suffered a loss, too, and besides, I was very happy now. I would not ruin it with thoughts I couldn't bring back.

.:Story Start:.

February was the same as ever, long, cold and boring. Although, I did a lot more things with my friends, and we made great progress with the band. Sue Collins also got out of hospital, which was a relief for everyone, and Alex and Sarah no longer stayed at ours, which was a shame.

One thing that made my month was the 14th - Valentine's Day. There was a knock on the door and I was upstairs strumming my guitar, and I heard dad get the door. I heard an embarrassed laugh and Alex's voice, perhaps a little shyer than usual. Confused, I headed to the door to see what it was all about.

Dad was smiling and I could just see Alex's face above dad's arm which was holding the door open. He was blushing considerably and dad seemed to be having fun making him squirm.

"Leave him alone, dad," I scolded, rolling my eyes and slapping his arm gently. He grinned at me, walking down the hall to leave us alone. I turned back around, shaking my head and took a proper look at Alex.

To my complete surprise, he was holding a box of chocolates in one hand and a velvety, beautiful red rose in the other. He was tracing circles in the ground with his foot and looking at the ground with a brilliant red face.

I smiled, biting my lip.

"Come in," I said, stepping aside. He stepped in and finally looked up at me as I closed the door. His blue eyes were adorably shy yet sweet and he was biting his bottom lip gently, rocking slightly on his feet. He was undoubtedly nervous.

"H-happy Valentine's Day," he mumbled, looking straight back at the floor again as he handed me the items in his hands. My face split into a broad smile and I pulled him into a hug, his warm body embracing mine comfortingly. He relaxed into the hug and smiled at me as we pulled away, and I sniffed the rose. It smelled sweet and fresh, just how it should.

We went upstairs and I found a vase which looked half decent before filling it with water and placing the rose in it. Then I returned to my room, where Alex was sitting on my bed. I placed the vase on the window sill and the chocolates on my desk before sitting on him, hugging him again.

He gently cupped my face and brought my lips to his. It was soft but passionate, filled with the love we felt for each other. When we pulled away, I thought about how unlikely it seemed I'd ever have friends and a future, but when Alex had stepped into my life, it had all changed.

He was definitely the most important person ever to step into my life, as well as his late father, who had introduced me to him, in a roundabout way. I thought about this for a while.

In a way, I wasn't sure what to think. If my mother was still alive, then it would all be happy families and I wouldn't have those horrible memories to look back on. I would have stayed happy, I would have an amazing life.

But if she was still alive, dad wouldn't have become an alcoholic, and Neil wouldn't have come to our house and found me. I wouldn't have met Alex. It wouldn't be the same. Or would I have? Neil came to find his old friends...maybe he would have come anyway, and I would have met Alex.

Fate had a funny way of twisting people's lives.

"What're you thinking about?" Alex whispered, grazing his lips against my cheek. I smiled.