Sleepwalking // Sam Fender

15

Sam's POV

Time was up. I had to tell Alice about my fling with Maisie before Alexia did. The week she gave me ended up actually five days ago and she did not say a word. Perhaps the pregnancy news travelled faster than expected and she felt sorry for her friend. I felt like shit. I went back to London after the announcement to my family and I kept on seeing Maisie but trying to hide it from the lads kept getting harder and harder each day. With me knowing who Alex was, the boys stopped believing that I was spending my nights with him.

I did spent time with him when Beth was around. It was not the best feeling being the both of us with a kid that sort of considered both as her father but at least, I got to see Beth while in London. We were at a park, sitting down in a bench while Beth was playing with other kids.

"So how is Alice?" Alex asked. He was looking at me while I kept my gaze focused on Beth.

"She's alright. Working at a supermarket while she waits for her shelter to be done and that. Trying to cope with the pregnancy on her own but like, I think she's doing fine" I said.

"Is she pregnant?" I nodded. "Congratulations, man" Alex did not sound too excited when saying this so I looked at him with a frown on my face.

"Is anything wrong?" I asked.

"Just... Be careful, that's all"

"With what, with Alice?" Alex nodded. I was in shock. I mean, I get that they were done with their relationship and they did not end exactly in good terms but I thought that this was a bit too much.

"She is not who you think she is" I frowned, once again. I could not believe that this man who I met a few days ago was about to throw shade on Alice.

"What-What do you mean?"

"She is not... Well, she is not stable. Mentally, I mean. She goes through a lot of breakdowns and jealousy gets the best of her. She has been hurt in the past by multiple situations and sometimes, she tends to reflect that in her present" I sighed. I could not get where he was going with this but I did not want to hear him anymore. "Her high school boyfriend was abusive, she has a complicated relationship with her brother and her parents were... Troubled. She comes from this really catholic household but her father... Well, her mother was murdered by her father" What? I mean, what?

Alex kept on speaking. "She has a past with drugs and alcohol along with depression and anxiety. She used to struggle with her weight and... she can be a bit too vengeful" I was confused, this was not the Alice I had met.

I had met an Alice who was strong as a single mother and who could take care of herself and of her daughter. The Alice I knew was confident in herself and had the biggest heart. I could not even begin to picture the person that Alex was describing.

"Look, mate. I don't know what this is about and I don't know where you are heading but I... I'm not interested, alright?" I said. "That's not the girl I know and people can change and improve. I don't... I'm not comfortable with you talking about her like that when she is nothing as you are describing" I stood up. "And if you want to say those things about her, doing behind my back, mate. This is the first and last time that you are going to speak about her like that to me, aye?" And with that, I left without even saying goodbye to Beth.

My head was spinning and it was aching. The Alice that Alex had described was not my Alice, they were not the same person. I lit a cigarette while I unconsciously walked to Maisie's, who opened her front door with the biggest smile.

"It was the last time, aye? Congratulations, daddy" I rolled my eyes.

"Fuck off, alright. Let me in" She stepped aside and I came in. I made my way to the small balcony in her living room and lit myself another cigarette while Maisie leaned against the door frame of her balcony.

"What happened?" I stared at the views while trying to keep it together.

"I had a chat with Alice's ex-husband and... She's not... Alice is not the person that he described, is she?" I turned to look at Maisie while I took a puff of the cigarette. Maisie had her eyebrows raised.

"The witch had a husband?" I rolled my eyes again.

"Don't call her that, alright?" Maisie took a step towards me, took the cigarette out of my hand and gave it a puff herself.

"She stole my man" She lifted her shoulders. "What did the husband say anyways?"

"He told me to be careful because she is unstable and began listing a bunch of odd situations that she has apparently gone through. Her life must have been a nightmare, no wonder she is alright in Shields"

"And so, what are you going to do? Are you going to tell her about us?" There was not an us as such.

"I was going to" I take the cigarette from Maisie and I give it one last puff before she threw it down the balcony. "But I'm not that sure anymore" Maisie lifted her eyebrows.

"Are you going to keep me in secret?" She started kissing my neck. "Because I love being your lover" I sighed both in desperation and pleasure as she kept kissing down my stomach. I was in a really really bad place.