Alex has been looking for a sign from the universe. A sign to tell him that he needs to keep fighting. To live on for his brother who died in a tragic car accident.
When Alex stumbles across a man in town wearing a blindfold, holding a sign that say...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I'm not really sure what just happened between us but I know that Alex has been triggered. That's why he charged out of my apartment door with his head hung low and eyes on the floor. Barely able to stare at my face.
I glance back at the door like an idiot for a couple of moments. A hand runs its way through my hair and I scratch the corner of my head. I hate feeling like this. Out of my depth when I wish that I could help everyone.
But it's not news to me that Alex has been struggling. He came to me that day for a reason.
Without realising what I'm doing, I whip my phone from my pocket and type in Liam King into the search bar. Articles upon articles of the car accident, tributes and kind words. I scroll through a site on The Telegraph, then I find myself focusing on a picture of Liam.
I have met him before a couple of times but now I look at the picture of him, now I understand. The resemblance comes to me in an instant. My eyes widen and I scroll to confirm my suspicions.
Alex and Liam were brothers.
My thumbs can't move fast enough until I see a picture taken at the funeral. Alex has his arm around who I presume is their dad, holding him close with tears covering his cheeks. A part of me begins to howl with frustration, people taking pictures when they're trying to mourn a family member.
Then I drop my phone onto the sofa and stare at the wall. It makes sense why Alex is hurt, why he asked me if I knew who Liam was. He wants to learn more about his brother because this is the town that absolutely adored him.
When he came to me that day, telling me he lost someone close to him. He lost Liam. He broke down because he lost his brother forever and suddenly things start to make sense as I piece together his life, his intentions here.
As it approaches the weekend, I still haven't seen Alex since he walked out of my apartment. Not that he's avoiding me or anything, I presume that we've both been busy and never crossed paths since.
On Sunday as a group we always head down to Chessman's to see Luca working, he works almost every day of the week. And sometimes Demi if she's been roped into a weekend shift. But on a Sunday it's usually quiet, so we sit around, have a coffee and enjoy the company.
Luca's mother certainly doesn't mind either.
When everyone makes their way over, I stand in the hall and stare down at Alex's apartment door. I find myself chewing on my lip. Deep fear that he has no friends in this town, he's moved away from home and maybe he has no one until he finds himself a job or breaks out of his comfort zone.
That thought doesn't sit well with me. Not after the last encounter we had.
I don't want him to think of me as the person with the cardboard sign who helped him out of a dark time. I want him to think of me as his friendly neighbour that wants to involve him in our group, in this town.
