Falling Like Stars

Chapter Five

"Alex!", he suddenly got up from bed and rushed towards the locked door of his room as he heard his mom screaming his name.
"Yeah, mom! Ugh, what's up?", he said, still rubbing his eyes, yawning.
"From when did you start sleeping till 11?", Samantha had anger in her voice and eyes.
"Umm, sorry mom. I actually didn't sleep last night. Maybe I fell asleep at 6 or 7 so.", he was nervous as he never had slept that long.
"I've been knocking your door from 15 minutes!", again she kind of shouted.
"I'm sorry!"
"You hungry?"
"No, I'll take lunch."
Then she got away. Alex felt a little headache. It wasn't surprising, so he just went to take a shower. The warm water really relaxed his muscles as mental stress always used to give him physical pain too.

After coming out, he sat on his bed, a bit sleepy, but he wasn't able to. The train of memories were starting to push him, again.
So he just thought of taking a break and took his guitar and opened his songs.

Soon, after 20 or 30 minutes, his mind took off, as he saw a text messege on his phone,
*No, I wasn't. You are meant to be someone's. You just haven't found it yet. Don't be sad, it's okay to tell the truth. You did the right thing. Whatever, we can meet and talk in person if you want.*

It was a beautiful thing, Alex and Ella. Her personality and words, always made him smile, even when he was upset. She always supported him, even when no one supported him. He didn't know what he felt about Ashley then. He was so in love with Ella that he wanted to move on from Ashley, and so he thought. He didn't forget it totally but he didn't want to abandon Ella and he loved her, so he did let it go. It was a beautiful feeling, being with Ella. But he never made Ashley feel the way she made him feel in her first few months of relationship. He always made time for her. Ashley never actually showed her support towards Alex and Ella's relationship but she never showed any jealousy towards them then. And maybe Alex was a bit mad because she didn't feel the same way but he knew that it was normal because she never saw him in that way.

One day, after a long, Ashley suddenly called Alex, crying, and she told him to come to the bridge. Alex was tensed about her, so he got out and met her.
"What happened?", as soon as he saw her, he asked, worried, and she was crying.
"I broke up with him.", she was still sobbing, that her voice came out like a whisper.
Alex felt a sudden weird feeling in his heart that he didn't even understand.
"Why the hell did you do that?", Alex sounded, surprised, but deep down he felt sad for her but he didn't even understand if he did feel a bit happy or not.
"He suddenly told me that he can't marry me next year, he can't commit him to myself right now, and he demanded his ring back.", her voice was trembling, she couldn't stop her tears.
"Why did that happen?", Alex asked, suspicious.
"I don't know, I was hurt but he didn't break up with me. Then he started ignoring me for some days, so I just thought that's there's something going on with him which he's not telling me. So I asked him today, but he shouted on me saying that I don't give him space. I don't know the reason of his sudden change of behavior to me, but maybe he's with some other girl. He's too perfect for someone like me.", She didn't stop weeping, but she told everything she could. Then she started crying again and put her head on Alex's shoulders. Alex felt a stone on his heart as he came to know all of that in a sudden. He didn't want to feel the things he was feeling. He knew he loved Ella and he was much happier than before. He tried to support Ashley, emotionally.
"Don't worry Ash. People have their own reasons. Maybe he is busy with something and he's gonna tell you that one day. Just stop crying! Why did you even break up with him if you're gonna cry all day?", Alex felt overprotective for her, he was never able to see her crying from his childhood. After sometime Ashley stopped crying and started to talk to Alex abou Ella. Alex told every good thing he thought about Ella and even if he wanted to say some more and make Ashley jealous, he didn't, because he loved Ella, and he thought his feelings for Ashley to be just an infatuation. So he wanted to be with Ella and stop thinking about Ashley. She really looked happy, hearing all this. Suddenly, Ella called Alex, and Alex had to go to home, because Ella was there, wanting help in project. Ashley was so happy having a time with him after a long but as he had to go, she felt what Alex felt in her first few months of relationship. She didn't want Alex to go, but he had to. So they shared a warm hug after long and waved to each other.

After being back home, he told everything to Ella that day, and they started to talk. Again, Alex got lost in Ella's beautiful smile, and he forgot every confusion he had about his feelings for Ashley.

Soon Ashley and Ethan reconciled. Then Alex got to know that it was Ethan's family problem, which made him take the ring back for money and he was so upset that he backfired on Ashley. She forgave Ethan, though she loved her. Alex didn't know his feeling about the patch up but he was happy because Ashley was too.

Alex and Ella's relationship was cute. They use to tease each other, play with each other. Alex and Ella never really got into a fight. Alex was really feeling like more attracted to Ella and forgetting about Ashley. Alex and Ashley didn't get to have more time with each other as both of them were busy, making their love life good. But they used to go to each other's home in every weekend and talk to each other about everything. In a night like that, Ashley was sharing a brief conversation about her patch up to Ethan, Alex didn't feel good about it, but he listened, like he always did.

"But he really can't marry me next year, though it has been 8 months of our relationship. What is it with him?", Ashley said, disturbed.
"He has his own reasons Ash, why do you want to marry him so fast? You're in college!", Alex felt disturbed about her desperate behavior.
"I know but why did he say it in the first place?", she was annoyed by everything.
"He loves you too Ash, he just needs some time.", Alex tried to confort her through his voice but he didn't sound like he meant it. He didn't think that Ethan was a good guy for Ashley. He didn't think it for his feelings for Ashley, but Ethan was handsome. He had a huge dating history. But most of the breakups occurred in his life because of the girls cheated on his or left him because of his extra possesive manner. He was even jealous of Ashley and Alex's friendship. Ashley never told him that but he knew by the way Ethan looked at him. And he thought Ethan to be the reason of Ashley's less interest to talk to Alex then.
"Hey! You there?", Alex was so in thinking that he didn't hear what Ashley said.
"Yeah, um, sorry. Tell me what you were saying.", Alex was embarrassed.
"I was saying that, how is Ellah..?"
"Wait wait, what is that face?"
"What face?", Ashley sounded embarrassed.
"The way you said, Ellah! What does that mean?"
"Um, nothing, I just, am curious!"
"No, I know that face! 5 years ago, ths is the way you called Lunah! When I was in love with her!"
"Yea, I mean, I just didn't feel like she was the right one for you!", Ashley's face went red, maybe because she told him indirectly what she meant.
"So you think the same about Ella?"
"No, ugh! I don't! She is a nice girl. I lover her. But I just think that she is too nice and...", her face was full of shyness.
"What?", Alex was rough, embarrased, shy, suspicious.
"That she is not perfect for you."

"Then who was perfect for me Ash? You?", Alex whispered as he was so into thinking about that day, he didn't even realise when he started all of it thinking again!