Close As Strangers

14. Something new

"Alex," I breathed out, feeling my heart drop to my stomach. "Wha-What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in-"

"Amsterdam, I know," he said, walking in. "There I am, waking up every morning going to my art studio, living my dream, except it's no longer my dream."

I closed the door, sitting on the couch with him. "But you-"

"I miss you," he said. "I asked you before, and I'm asking you again, go with me."

"Alex, I-I can't," I said, completely taken back. "I didn't want to stop you from living your dreams."

"I made new dreams when I was with you, Ry, and I didn't realize it until I was up late at night, painting your face, wishing you were there with me," Alex said, running a hand through his brown curly hair. "I want you back."

"It's been more than a year, Alex," I said, my eyes tracing his light freckles. "I've moved on."

"I'm determined to win you back," Alex smiled. "You can't tell me that you don't miss those nights in Paris with me. When we danced to nothing under the stars in our backyard, when we'd stay up until four in the morning talking about movies, or when we'd get drunk off wine and couldnt keep our hands off of each other."

I smiled at the thought of our memories. "We did have good times together," I said.

"Two beautiful years, Ry," Alex grinned. "But I want more than just two years with you; I want a lifetime."

"How'd you find me?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"The night I left I remembered how you said you were coming back to your home to be a journalist," Alex began, his fingers tracing over my hand. "So I found the best company and found that you did indeed work there."

"Stalker," I said, smiling.

"Shut up," Alex said, rolling his eyes.

Our laughs were interrupted by the door opening. Destiny and Felix walked in, Chinese take out in one hand, and movies in the other. Destiny and Felix both looked at me confused.

"Uh, this is Alex," I said, gesturing towards Alex. "Alex, this is Destiny and Felix."

"The best friend and her lover, as you called him," Alex said, standing up. "Pleasure to meet you both."

"Uh, nice to meet you, too," Destiny said, shaking his hand. "How is that you know who we are, but we have never heard of you?"

"I think Ry should answer that," Alex said, turning to me. "In the mean time, I am going to go back to my hotel and rest."

I stood up, ignoring Destiny and Felix's confused faces, and led Alex to the door.

"It was great meeting the both of you," Alex said as we walked out the door.

I quickly closed the door behind me and stood in front of Alex. He smiled at me, cupping my cheek.

"How is it possible that you've gotten more beautiful?" He whispered.

I blushed, shaking my head. "Come on," I said, grabbing his hand. "I'll walk you to the elevator."

"Hand holding," Alex said. "We are already at first base."

"You're a fool," I laughed.

"You should stop by my hotel some time," Alex said as he entered the elevator, holding the elevator door so it wouldn't close. "We should catch up."

"Maybe so," I said, nodding my head.

"I'm staying at the Hilton," Alex said, moving his hand as the doors began to close. "Visit me, Ry."

I smiled at him one last time before the doors completely shut. On the way back to the apartment, I mentally prepared myself for the questions I'd be bombarded with once I walked inside.

"Who the hell was that?" Felix and Destiny asked in sync as I opened the door.

"That was Alex," I shrugged, walking towards my room.

"Well, how do you know him?" Destiny asked, crossing her arms as she followed me.

"Is he a friend?" Felix asked.

"Yeah," I nodded my head.

"You hesitated," Destiny practically shouted. "Who is he?"

"He was, uh," I began. "We, um, we were, uh-"

"You were together, huh?" Felix asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I slowly nodded my head, looking away from Destiny and Felix. I started tracing the flowers on my bed sheets.

"What?" Destiny shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "For how long? Why have you never mentioned him?"

"I wanted to forget about him," I said, finally looking up at them. "And telling you about him would make it all hurt again."

"But you-"

"I was in love with him," I cut Destiny off. "We were together for over two years if you count how long we knew each other before dating."

Destiny opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it.

"I'll, uh, go set up the, um, movies," Felix said, quickly ran out my room.

"Did you love him more than Xavier?" Destiny asked, sitting down next to me.

"I'll never love a man the way I loved Xavier," I breathed out. "He was my first love and he will always have a special place in my heart, but the way I loved Alex was something new."

"How so?" Destiny asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"The way I loved Xavier was like embracing the warm sun against my skin after a cold Winter," I began. "But Alex," I smiled. "Alex was a fresh breeze in a meadow of flowers."

It's a short chapter, but it's something!