Alexandra stared outside of her car with a blank and almost deadly stare. She was in an unexplainable state. She could feel the panic attack happening. There was so much swirling around in Alexandra's brain. Her mother had stopped talking to her again, her grandmother and aunt died, she still had to pay for her hospital bills, heal from her fight with Syn and answer to her kidnapper mysteriously vanishing. She also had a business she was abandoning and she didn't want to disappoint her best friend. But if her thoughts were a city, it's officially the deadliest city in the world and overpopulated.
Alexandra was in a daze for the next couple of days. She would speak but she wasn't the same anymore. She didn't have the spark that made everyone click to her anymore. Everyone could see life finally taking it's toll on her. She wasn't suicidal. At least, she didn't seem that way. She just seemed tired. Alexandra wasn't due to see Aubrey until November 18 when he came back to California. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to see Aubrey knowing that he was hanging out with his ex. They vowed that no matter what if they were still together in some form, they couldn't go back to their exes. Their exes were off limits because of the cantankerous relationships they've had and how much it's affected Aubrey and Alexandra's relationship. Alexandra wasn't hurt she just couldn't take much more from their relationship.
It's November 16 and Alexandra was sitting in her penthouse staring at a wine glass on the kitchen counter. It was 2:00...in her hometown of Washington, DC. Meaning it was only 11 AM in Los Angeles, where Alex was staring down her glass of red wine. She took the glass off the counter, took a huge gulp and walked into her living room with her iPad in one hand and her wine in the other. She sat down in her living room and turned on the tv. It was still on E! News and they were doing a report on the on and off couple, Rihanna and Drake spending almost $17,000 in a strip club while on their tours. She turned to her Apple TV and took the stylus from her coffee table and started working on some sketches she needed to do for winter. She put off so much for her business that she was two months behind on deadlines for the next season and year's collection. She kept sketching and taking sips of wine until her Hold On, We're Going Home ringtone sounded from her counter. She ran to it, thinking it was Aubrey but it wasn't. It was a relative.
Alexandra: Hi, Christopher.
Christopher: Hey, Alex.
Alexandra: What's up?
Christopher: You and Drake's fight was pretty public and I'm hoping I'm still gonna be your cousin today so I'm just checking up on you.
[Flashback]
Christopher was one of the only people that were with Aubrey and Alexandra went missing and waited with him the day she mysteriously stumbled back into her condo. They all believe that since his name was Graham he could stay with him since someone that was supposed to know Alexandra was the one that took her. Christopher talked to Aubrey and updated their family every second of the way since they had a relatively close bond with Alex just like the Shers. After Alexandra and Aubrey had their moment when she came back, Christopher helped her to the EMTs and stayed with Aubrey when he stayed with her in the hospital.
[Now]
Alexandra: Oh, yeah. Umm. I'm fine. I have a lot on my plate. I just think me and your cousin are at stressful places in our lives.
Christopher: Well, Alex, you know that we're always here for you. Even him. Not to get in you guys' business but you two need to talk. Like have a serious talk about your relationship so that you two don't hurt each other.
Alexandra: I understand. Umm. Only time will tell. But I gotta go, Christopher. Bye.
Alexandra hung up and went back to her sketches. She had no choice but to just drown herself in her work.
Elsewhere, Aubrey was on the tour bus on his way to another city, thinking about Alexandra. What he'd say to her. What she was thinking about or doing. He didn't know that Christopher had called him and Chris didn't want him to know because everyone stayed out of each other's relationships in the clique. They were all nice and welcoming to the girls but they never had a hand in what went on between whoever was in the relationship. But Christopher obviously knew Aubrey was hanging out with his ex. And silently but surely, no one really had positive feelings towards her. She was pretty. She was funny and she was really good at rolling but she was more damaging than Alexandra. Everyone could see how bad Alex and Aubrey wanted to be to each other and if they had different circumstances, they would've been perfect. There wouldn't have been so many problems. It really was the life tearing them apart but they tried so desperately to fix it. They needed to fix it because it would be a more destructive path for Aubrey if he stayed messing with his ex.
[November 18]
Alexandra was really nervous to see Aubrey today. She was getting nervous even thinking about him. There were rumors of him being back with his ex more than there were ever rumors of him being with her. They'd done a successful job of keeping their relationship under wraps but was that on purpose? Cause as private as Aubrey was there was always a rumor or a picture or a chance of a picture or a break in between their tours or people tweeting about how she wish she got to be backstage with him. Alexandra exclaimed angrily thinking about that. His ex was beautiful but she was horrible for him. Not even saying Alexandra was a better choice. But she was a better choice. A way better choice. She understood Aubrey better than anyone else because she enjoyed getting to know people. And she thrived at getting to know Aubrey. She waited for him in his dressing room before his Sacramento show. She was dressed in a Nasty Gal Cross My Heart Jumpsuit. The pants suit crossed up covering her breast but not her stomach. Her perfectly flat stomach. When he entered, he was startled a bit then was taken aback by her outfit. He thought she looked amazing. He'd never seen that outfit before.
Aubrey (Closing and locking the door behind him): I've never seen that before.
Alexandra (Nervously): It's new.
Aubrey (Walking towards her innocently): I like it.
He embraced her in a hug.
Aubrey (Taking a deep breath): I missed you.
Alexandra: Same.
They still stood in the hug. After a moment, they broke apart and looked at each other. Both waiting for one to say something to the other. Aubrey heard a five minute warning knock on the door and looked away from Alexandra to unlocked the door to go.
Alexandra: Aubrey.
Aubrey turned around to Alexandra with the door half open.
Aubrey: Yeah?
Alexandra: Happy Anniversary.
