Love Me Like I Do

chapter 2

^what Ava and Alex look like^

It was nearly 4 in the evening when I got home. The first thing I saw when I went in my room was Ava, wearing a big worried look and pacing around.

On seeing her,i smiled widely. She always made me smile. Was that normal for 'best friends'?

"Omg Alex!" She exclaimed "where were you even? I couldn't reach your cell phone and you've been gone all day and..." She paused. Her gaze slowly darted to my face then my clothes then my hands... I had blood all over and my knuckles were swollen. Her eyes widened. Those big, blue..... "Wtf Alex!!!"

"I'm fine ....I....."

She didn't wait for me to finish before she hurried out of the room. I sighed, slumped on my big cosy bed and checked my wrist watch, 4:21pm. Mom would be home soon. I may or may not be in trouble. I could already hear her yelling in my head. I automatically blocked my ears with my palms. My body ached.

I lost count of the time but Ava returned shortly after, with, as I'd guessed, a first aid kit and a large pack of ice.

She sat at the foot of my bed, stretched out her hand and said "explain, now"

Well, I had a lot of explaining to do alright, to myself. Like, why I suddenly found my best friend so attractive.. And why my heart raced anytime I saw her lips and those eyes... Those sweet, beautiful eyes that....

...... Were glaring at me right now.

"I'm waiting, dork! What the hell happened to you?"

I could save myself being yelled at by Ava that moment, by lying. My mom would tell her everything when she got back anyways.

"I fell" I said bluntly.

"You fell..." She repeated, obviously in disbelief.

"Yea....I was riding a. . bike?"

She was examining my swollen knuckles "how do you explain this?"

"Crashed front wards, my hands got the full impact" I was a very good liar and ..my best friend could see right through me.

She touched a cut at the back of my palm. I closed my eyes and drew in sharp breath, not because it hurt but because somehow, I react differently with her slightest touch."you were fighting..." She interrupted my thinking

I looked up at to stare into those piercing blue eyes a split second before quickly looking away. It felt like she could see right through my skin.

She sighed deeply "who were you fighting with?" She was cleaning the grazes on my knuckles with an alcohol pad and massaging it soothingly with the ice pack. She was really good with her hands. Was that a dirty thought or does everyone compliment their best friend in their heads?

"Okay,i got attacked on my way home by some guys who wanted to rob me... Nothing I couldn't handle as you can see" i added just as she opened her mouth to speak

She cleaned the rest of my wounds in silence while I watched her. She was really good at it. Both her parents are doctors, after all.

She had only just finished and I'd already changed into fresh clothes when there was the sound of a car, driving into the garage outside and several seconds later.....

"ALEXANDRA!"

It was my mother.

"Get down here this instant!!"

I groaned. Ava looked questioningly at me in a 'what did you do this time?' I didn't answer her but started for my door, she shook her head slowly and followed suite.

"Hey mom" I said as soon as I sighted my mother and waited for the many words to come.

"Good evening, Mrs Harris" Ava greeted sweetly and sat on a sofa, I sat beside her.

"I got a call about an hour ago from the James' residence.... Oh, hey Ava, honey. How are you?.... Can you tell me why?" My mom said all in one breath, sinking into a couch and ransacking through her hand bag, looking for something.

Ava had shot me a look when she heard the name my mom mentioned. I bet she was putting two and two together, she's a smartie.

"No, mom" I said automatically

"Just as I thought!" My mom frowned, running her hand absentmindedly through her hair. I stared at her, wondering why i looked so much like her.. from the big, brown eyes, ebony skin to the perfect hour glass figure which no one got to see in me because I was always in baggy clothes. "You cause too much trouble for a 17 year old! None of your brothers put me through this much..."

Yep, I have brothers. Two older ones. The first one, age 22, was in college and the second one, my very first best friend, whom I suddenly missed so much was... Also in college *face palm*

My mom hadn't stopped talking "let me see your hands, young lady"

I held them out to her. Both knuckles were bandaged.

She took in a sharp breath "what were you thinking?? Breaking someone's nose??? Getting them landed in a hospital?"

Ava was looking at me again. I was expressionless. She turned back to my mom "wh.. whose....?"

My mom answered the unasked question "Stefan James"

Ava's hands flew to her mouth. She had turned ghastly white. She looked at me yet again. I didn't dare meet her eyes.

"Now, tell me, Alex. what were you thinking?" My mom asked

Do I tell her I wasn't thinking at all? I opened my mouth as if to say something. I had no intention to tho. It was to make her think I had something to say for myself. Worked everytime.

"I don't want to hear it, A"

See?

I looked up at Ava, she looked furious. "We had a score to settle, mom"

"That's not what he said, he said you showed up at his house and beat him up... He doesn't even know you"

"That wasn't what...."

"Trespassing??? Seriously????.... Do you know he can file a report against you? Trespassing is a criminal offence"

I brought out my phone and held it up "he can, mom but he won't. I promise you.... I've got something in here that can send him to jail.. Besides,i didn't trespass at all,i was...."

My mom looked at me curiously. Ava did the same, she still looked very mad. "You have what?..." my mom said

"What?" I asked

" What thing do you have?"

I would have loved to tell her. It had been a genius plan after all but I couldn't, I didn't want to put Ava in trouble. "I'll pass" I said

My mom sighed "I'll be in the kitchen, making dinner.... Try not to get into any more trouble" She stood up to leave "I should ground you but... Argh, you're a handful..." Her voice trailed off.

I was dismissed "I'll be in my room, staying out of trouble" I announced. Although by the look Ava was giving me, I knew I was already in big one.