Game Changer

FIFTY-ONE

I shove another spoonful of lemon sorbet into my mouth and reminisce over the last time Alex and I were here. After the first time I met Martin and Cole, Alex drove us to the town over and bought ice-cream for us here. He had chosen chocolate and I had chosen this exact flavour- lemon sorbet. We had then walked down the pathway where I told Alex about my dad and he did too.

To think how far we've come.

"What are you thinking about?" Alex snaps me out of my thoughts. He raises an eyebrow in amusement from across the table and I smile.
"Just about the first time we came here." I say. Alex smiles.

"When the guy kept hitting on you?" He asks and I laugh, rolling my eyes.

"Is that all that is of importance to you?"

"Considering the fact that he was checking my girlfriend out, yes."

"We weren't dating back then." I counter.

"Still counts."

I roll my eyes and he smirks.
"But no. I remember you telling me about your dad," he says and I nod.

"And you told me,"

He grabs my hand on the table.
"Yep. All because I trusted the brunette in front of me."

I grin. "We've come a long way."

He nods, "We have."

"Are you happy?" I ask and he looks at me so intensely I squirm.

"More than you'll ever know."

I grin at that and finish off my cup of ice-cream. As we eat in silence, I realize I owe Alex an apology.
"I'm sorry," I say softly and he casts his attention on me.

"I'm sorry that I believed Courtney and didn't give you time to explain yourself. I'm sorry for thinking so lowly of you. I'm really sorry." I rush out.

His lips twitch at the sides.
"It's fine, Sophie. I'm not upset." He answers and I shake my head.

"It's not fine, Alex. I shouldn't have said those things."

He leans in closer, resting his face on his palm but looking at my lips before looking back at my eyes.

"I've said some things, you've said some things. Neither of us meant it. That's how we grow." He says sincerely before smirking.
"And plus, we forgive those we love." He says and my lips twitch into a smile before he leans over the table and presses our lips together. When he sits back, I lick my lips.

"You taste like vanilla." I laugh and he rolls his eyes.

"And you taste like lemon,"
I give him an eye roll and he laughs. Thirty minutes later and we're pulling up outside my house. The whole drive, all I could think about was that text received on Courtney's phone. Maybe it was a long-lost cousin or uncle, but for some reason I just have this suspicion curled around my stomach that it wasn't. Whether the unknown number is the person who spilt Alex's story or has some other connection to Courtney, I need to find out. I never mentioned the text to Alex; at first I thought it would be better not to and when I wanted to, I received some news from Courtney. But now I think he deserves to know. Alex is just as much a part of this as I am.

That is the reason why, as Alex switches off the car and turns to me, I confess what I saw.
"I found something on Courtney's phone today."

His eyebrows knot in confusion.
"How did you have Courtney's phone?"

I give him a sheepish smile and chew on my lip.
"Well, me and Nina sort of got hold of it." I mumble. Alex sighs.

"I'm not even going to scold you."