When The Stars Align

Chapter 16

I sat on my bed and sighed feeling a lump on my throat. I was not ready to see his girlfriend. I felt like killing Belle for doing so but when I questioned her about it she said she had no option, and that was a fact, putting James and I and the boy/girlfriend in the same space didn't seem like a good idea to me. I wasn't prepared to see him with her. We saw each other every day and every day was harder to live like that.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked me, popping his head behind the door.

"Almost." I said getting up and watching myself in the mirror. I touched my makeup and poured some drops of perfume, then I put on my sandals and grabbed my purse ready to go. "God help me." I whispered before I left the room.

"What took you so long?" Alex asked starting the engine.

"I am not feeling very well." I said. "Did you bring the present?" I asked him and he nodded.

"You don't seem well indeed, what's the matter?"

"Just a light indisposition." I said. Alex tapped my leg and smiled at me. I looked out at the window and remained silent the rest of the way, mentally advising myself how to behave and saying countless times "He loves me" so I wouldn't freak out when I see her. I could imagine it wouldn't be easy for him too. Alex parked the car in front of Belle's house, and I felt my hands tremble a bit, my heart was beating fast and I just felt like running from there. Like feeling something in that party was different Alex held my hand when I rang the bell.

"Happy Birthday!" I shouted when Belle opened the door. She opened her arms with a gorgeous smile, and we hugged each other. Since she had been dating Lars that Belle was extremely happy, causing me jealousy in a good way that is, because I was truly happy for her.

"Come, we're all at the back yard." She told us. I tried to keep Alex at a certain distance because I didn't want to arrive holding hands with him, but Alex was on me that night and positioning himself by my side he held my hand and I didn't have the courage to take it away. We followed Belle crossing the house and when we reached her kitchen my heart took off racing fast as in seconds we would appear in the middle of the party. I expected not to see James first but when Belle opened the door he was the first person my eyes met.

In the middle of dozens of people, my eyes hit a man near the table, holding a beer can in his hand. His eyes fell on the hand holding mine and then met my eyes again. A blonde by his side looked at me and then at James and held his arm, it was her. She looked young and she was pretty, my heart cracked. It should be me holding his arm. I saw his hand smashing the can and then Alex pushed me away and I looked at him. Alex didn't say anything or made any questions.

"Hey guys." Lars greeted us with a huge smile. He shook Alex's hand and gave me a kiss. Alex still holding my hand firmly and by the corner of my eye I saw him glancing at James again. I felt my cheeks flush, not because I was embarrassed but because when I looked at James again, his girlfriend was still holding his arm. That was going to be harder than I imagined. "Come..." Lars called us. "I want you to meet the rest of the guys." He said. Lars introduced us to Jason and Kirk. They seemed nice guys.

"Isn't missing a guy?" Alex asked and I shuddered. I felt some weirdness in his words. Obviously he knew who was missing and he had seen him already.

"James..." Lars said. I let Alex go with Lars alone, I didn't need to go there but Alex called me.

"Aren't you coming?" He asked me. I shook my head, I couldn't go there, could I? "Andrea..." Alex insisted. I took a deep breath and began to walk. I refrained to hold his hand that time and kept a certain distance so he wouldn't do it. The moment was just strange. Lars approached them and James sipped on a new can of beer.