Change Is Yesterday.

Chapter 25: Who Could Deny These Butterflies?

ALEX'S P.O.V. (sorry that it's Alex again, but it fits better for what's about to happen, I think anyway)

We walked in silence for what seemed like forever. She still had hold of my hand, leading me to a small patch of grass with a bench halfway down the main road. It was an obscure patch, not seeming like it belonged in the setting.

She pulled me to sit down and got hold of my other hand, still unable to look me in the eye. I knew what she was going to say, and it was clearly making her nervous to have to say it, so I did her a favour.

"Alex, I need to tell you something. I-

"You're with Jack, I know." Her head snapped up, disbelief across her face.

Squeezing my hands for emphasis she said, "No! Definitely not! No!"

I looked at her, puzzled. Jack had given me the exact same reaction. So if they weren't actually together they...

"We kissed." I made her look at me. Her eyes told me there was something she was still hiding.

"You just kissed?" 

She looked down at the floor and took her hands out of mine.

"Connie, tell me, please." Before she could even answer, her phone rang. She reached into her pocket and answered it, still avoiding all eye contact. 

"Sian? What's up?" She really had to ring now? I know she was a big help to me when I came to her, but she really had picked an awful time. I had only told one person I was even considering what I was so desperate to do, and he was the one person to take that opportunity away. I had been thinking about this for months. I'd always dreamed as a kid that this day would come, but it was going far from how I expected.

"Tell Alex what?" I zoned in on the conversation. If I listened carefully I could her Sian on the other end.

"Jack's too damn chicken to do it himself, so I had to call you because Alex has his phone off." She took a deep breath before continuing. "He wants to tell Alex that he's sorry, and that his mistake shouldn't stand in the way of his dream. He said to still 'do it'." Sian let out a squeal. Great. So he'd told her. He owed me so much right now.

Connie looked at me, with pure confusion on her face, she had absolutely no idea. I smiled, it felt weird, all things considered. She couldn't help but smile back at the sight of me happy, she still cared.

"Okay. I think he heard."

"He's with you?! Oh my God! I'm so sorry Alex! Jack told me to, I didn't know, I-"

"He's laughing Sian, he doesn't seem to mind about whatever this is." She pouted, obviously not too thrilled about being in the middle of this conversation she didn't understand. I laughed, not letting the eagerness seep through. She gave me an inquisitive look, she'd heard the edge in my laugh and rushed to put the phone down.

"Erm, yeah. Bye!" She put the phone back in her pocket and stared at me, waiting.

"You first." I gestured to her to carry on. She glared at me, about to protest, when my stern response reminded her how stubborn I was.

Defeated, she began to explain why she had been so distant today. Grabbing hold of both of my hands again, in need of support, she looked into my eyes. "I cheated on you. With Jack. This morning." I gulped the pain back, not wanting to make her feel bad.

Putting so much effort into each syllable, making sure my voice didn't break at any point, I replied, "I figured as much. But why?" I did my best to keep looking at her, because I knew if I looked away, the tears would come and I wouldn't be able to stop them. My fear of hurting her took over me again.