Fire and Ice - (Bucky Barnes x OC) 18+

Chapter 62

Alex felt grounded being surrounded by nature again as they walked around the lake. She'd neglected her need for the sunlight, fresh air, and the breeze against her skin. A lap around the lake later, she was fuelled up with good endorphins.

"Want to talk?" Jace asked, as they both sat down on the plush grass. He threw rocks across the water while she fiddled with a stick in her palms.

"No.." she breathed, shoulders slumping.

"You're gonna have to talk about what happened, Alex."

She knew that, but she still didn't want to open the can of darkness. The pain still lingered in her chest and any talk about the incident only brought more of it.

"I know but-"

"You almost died. You actually did for at least five seconds..." Jace said, watching her scratch at the bark stick. Alex replied with the smallest voice possible. 

"And?"

"And?...that's bold of you." He scoffed, unable to believe what he was hearing. 

"And?? ...Are you shitting me!...Do you have a death wish?"

Her silence gave him the answer he was looking for and he shook his head in disbelief. Where was the girl he knew?...

"Alex, he didn't remember you. We spent months tracking him and when you finally found him, he didn't know you."

"He didn't know who i was because the bitch messed with his mind," She snapped, defending Bucky's actions despite the pain that crawled its way into her heart.

Jace arched a brow, though a muscle in his jaw feathered. 

"What if he's past saving?"

"Don't say that.."

"I will say it." His bi-coloured eyes bore into her. "I will say it because you're going to have to accept that maybe the guy is past the point of saving. Maybe he's too far gone for you to bring him back."

Alex remained silent, lowering her gaze and felt a cold seep into her bones. It made her lips quiver slightly regardless of the sun's warmth.

He huffed, averting his gaze to the lake. "You lied to me," he said.

"What?"

"You lied to me." He said it again, tossing a rock then angling his body so he was facing her fully. Her brown eyes met him with a softness in them.

"When i asked you if you found him...you told me you were still looking,"

Alex slid her eyes closed in recollection of the text she sent him. Her face turned as she gazed at the water glistening in the sunlight. Jace waited for her to answer, to give him an excuse. an explanation, but she didn't mutter a word.

"Since when did we start lying to each other?" he asked, reaching out to clasp her chin and gently turn her back to face him. Alex kept her eyes downcast.

"Look at me,"

She refused to. "I'm sorry for protecting you okay, i-i didn't want to put you in harms way...i—"

"Alex, look at me." he demanded, and there was something in his tone that made her slowly raise her eyes to meet his.

"Do you have any idea..." His breath cut, and his gaze dropped for a second. The words he wanted to say were hard to get out. When he looked back up at her, his hand slid to cup her cheek and she blinked slowly. The pain in his eyes told her enough.

"I almost lost you..." His nostrils flared but his eyes welled. 

"I don't think i can survive losing you again."