Alex slips his hand into mine as we walk. It makes me smile and pulls me out of my head that is just spinning and replaying my confrontation with Elias over and over. My shoulders are still sore and my chest still burns when I breathe, but I'm glad I'm okay.
Who knows how far Elias would have gone if I refused to help him.
"Thanks for busting me out of jail," Alex says, breaking our silence.
"Thanks okay," I reply. "How has it been with Elias?"
Alex groans and pushes his hair off his face. He stays silent in thought as we continue to walk through this park we found right next to the motel.
"It's just Bishop and I, well, we heard you guys fighting before we came," I explain, giving Alex's hand a squeeze.
We continue walking, the sounds of birds calling and young children laughing in the background. Eventually, we reach a bench that is sat under a giant, old oak tree.
"We were fighting about nothing really. I'm just sick of him," Alex finally replies.
I scrunch my nose. Liar.
Alex then sits down on the bench pulling me down with him. I land with a thump on his lap.
"Alex!" I squeal.
"What! Come here," he laughs, pulling me closer to him.
I giggle and cup his face in my hands. He runs his fingers up and down my spine, causing goosebumps to form on my skin.
"Can I ask you something?" Alex asks.
The breeze rustles the leaves of the mighty oak above us.
"Sure."
He looks down, taking my hands away from my face and putting them in his.
"Do you like Elias?" he murmurs.
I laugh, thinking Alex is joking but when he slowly looks back up at me, I realize he isn't.
"Wait, you're serious?"
"Yeah..." he slowly replies. "I just don't want him ruining this. You matter too much to me."
Okay, that made my heart flip. I try and suppress my smile.
"Maddie! I know that was cringy but don't laugh," Alex groans, rolling his eyes.
"I'm not!" I reply, softy, giving his chest a shove. "It is just... you're being ridiculous."
"Am not," he grunts.
"Am too."
Alex slowly shakes his head with a scoff. "Okay, okay. I maybe I am being ridiculous."
I sigh, lifting Alex's head up so he looks me in the eye. "I don't like Elias and never will, okay? Sure, everyone seems to love him but not me. He's a bit creepy."
Alex fiddles with the ends of my hair.
"So he is coming on to you?" Alex grumbles. "The dickhead told me he wanted nothing to do with you."
Alex's eyes seem to pool with sadness as they turn icy and cold. I lean into him and give his forehead a kiss.
"He is gross and a disgusting human being. You and Georgia are right, but I'm not going to let him get to me and you should do the same."
Alex runs a hand through his black hair before grabbing me around the waist and pulling me into his chest. My stomach forms butterflies as I nestle closer to him, his hands still on my waist.
"Why are you so sweet?" he asks into my shoulder.
"Dunno. The universe decided you need someone to balance out your grizzly-ness," I reply with a giggle.
"Excuse me? What the hell is that?"
"You are so angry all the time!"
"Am not."
"Am too!"
I feel Alex shake his head. "I think I've gotten my mood under control this year!"
"Please! Jack tried to sit next to you on the bus the other day and you literally kicked him off the seat and told him, 'Don't fucking sit next to me, I want to be alone.' Then when Will tried to play music you grabbed his phone, threw it, and grunted something about how 'Only rejects like this shit.'"
Alex laughs. "Yeah, well, I didn't want to be around people that day and Will's music is shit."
I laugh but I do agree; Will is the kind of person who thinks female rappers are bad.
As comforting silence starts to consume us, I allow myself to close my eyes. The afternoon stretches on and the noise of the park dies down. I wish I could stay here forever with Alex. That way I wouldn't have to see Elias's stupid face again, or Sienna's fake smile or have to worry about another competition.
"Did Sienna ever give you the bracelet I got for you?"
...and I wouldn't have to call my deranged...wait. What did Alex just ask?
I slowly sit and look at Alex with my eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"
"When we were in Brisbane, Will and I went and both picked out stuff for you and Lily. I got you a bracelet," Alex explains. "I knew all the girls were watching a movie together and when I saw Sienna heading to your room I asked her to give it to you."
I glance down at the silver bangle on my wrist. Sienna said Alex told her to hide it in my room for me to find. Something isn't adding up.
"Is this not it?" I ask, holding my wrist up.
Alex takes my arm and looks at the bangle, his features furrowed. "Umm... no. It wasn't a bangle I know you hate those."
I knew something wasn't right.
"Did she give you this one?" Alex asks.
I nod. "Don't worry about it though. She might have just gotten it confused with her own jewelry."
Alex shrugs, appearing to agree with me. The truth is though, I am worried. Sienna is the kind of girl who knows what jewelry is hers. She couldn't have made that mistake. My original suspicions were probably right and Sienna probably tossed Alex's bracelet and when I caught her snooping in my suitcase, she just gave me one of hers as a cover up.
But what was she doing there, to begin with? Maybe trying to find dirt on me to get Alex and I to break up? Whatever it was, I have to find out because Sienna is a nutjob.
"It doesn't matter I'll get you a new one," Alex smiles, leaning up to kiss me. "I promise."
I start kissing him back but my mind never stops worrying about what Sienna was doing in my room that night.
----------------------------------------------
Alex and I snuck through the park about an hour later and dashed back up to his motel room. My plan was a success and luckly we didn't get caught. Hopefully, we won't get dobbed on either.
Alex twists the doorknob and shoves open the so we can sneak inside as quickly as possible. I look around the room, still giddy from my day out with Alex. Bishop is on the floor, eating chips and looking at his phone. Elias is on the bed, with a shirt on this time, reading a book.
It looks like one of those books they use as props in IKEA that they know no one will steal because the words are in Swedish.
It surprises me Elias actually is a reader. I take a glance at the cover and though I don't know what the title is, I make out black and white figures running.
Looks very cheery.
"Ah, the lovers are back!" Elias suddenly cheers, looking up from his book.
Alex glares at him as he takes off his shoes. Elias smiles at Alex's annoyance.
"Didn't know you read?" I sneer.
Elias looks down at the book then back up at me. "Why are you surprised?"
"Because I thought only intellectuals read books. It turns out I am mistaken," I reply.
Bishop lets out a snort and Elias's mouth fall open slightly.
"Well, you weren't mistaken actually. And you would be surprised at what I can do, Maddie," Elias laughs with a ghoulish grin.
My stomach sinks. Only I know what he really means by that statement.
Suddenly a faint buzzing rings out. Elias pats a hand over the bed, pauses, then pulls a phone out from under the sheets. I watch as he frowns at the caller ID. Elias gets up and we all watch as he enters the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Bishop and I both exchange a look before glancing at an unfazed Alex.
"Probably his dad," he murmurs with a shrug.
If it is, Elias didn't seem too happy to be taking his call.
"Well, I better go before I get caught," I sigh.
My chest has started to hurt again and I need some fresh air. I kiss Alex goodbye quickly, ignoring the confusion on his face from my abrupt goodbye. Shuffling to the door, I open it and then step out of the stuffy motel room. I take a deep breath that sets my lunges into a furious rage but the air still feels refreshing.
I hate this, I hate this, I hate this.
It takes a lot of strength but I pull away from the door and step carefully towards the balcony. Heights have never scared me, but as I lean against the railing and stare down, my stomach starts to feel woozy.
The concrete below seems to be sinking further and further away from me. It is a long way down to the ground and it feels like I am on the top floor of the Empire State Building, which is just growing and stretching closer and closer to the sky. My eyes are fixed on the ground below, my heart going cold at the thought of falling...
"This isn't working!"
My senses rush back to me and suddenly, I'm not so high off the ground after all. I peer further over the railing and see someone pacing around the car park, phone in hand.
"I've done everything your shitty plan has required and guess what? They are still in love!"
Who is this person screaming into their phone? And what plan?
"Are you sure this is going to work?" the person continues, their voice no longer angry but defeated.
Hang on... I think I know that voice. Even when it is screaming it is so happy and cheery and makes me want to barf. But it couldn't be.... or maybe it could?
I peer down closer and spy the dark red hair and Doc Martens.
It's Sienna!
I watch as she sighs into the phone, rubbing her face with her other hand.
"I know we haven't fully completed everything but not much progress has been made," she complains. "And a girl is in hospital now."
Sienna pauses as the person on the other end talks to her.
"Yeah, I know-just-umm. No, I get it! You just have to..." she stammers into the phone.
Who is she talking to?
"You promised me that your plan would get them broken up, okay? But guess what, I watched them in the park today still right as rain and all loved up and kissy-kissy," Sienna growls.
Is she talking about Alex and I? Has Sienna made a plan with someone to break me up with Alex? Honestly, I am not surprised.
I bite the inside of my cheek, waiting for Sienna to say more to this mystery caller.
"Okay, calm down. No, I won't double-cross you and we will still fulfill the whole plan, you have my word," she continues.
The whole plan! This can't be good.
"Look I stole that stupid necklace for you, okay? Doesn't that prove it!"
A gasp escapes my lips. She is talking about my necklace. Margo's necklace.
I slowly back away from the rails, the air catching in my throat. I can't believe it, I can't believe what I've just heard.
That is why Sienna was in my room that night, to steal Margo's necklace. She was the one who took it.
She stole it for him.
Elias must have gotten it from her. That is how he has it; Sienna stole it for him.
No, no, no, no.
I quickly make a dash for the staircase. I have to get away. I have to get out of here. I have to... I don't know what I have to do. This is all so confusing and my mind feels crushed. Elias answered the phone seconds before I saw Sienna. It has to be him she was talking to. They are planning something together. Something big.
And by the sounds of it, I'm in huge trouble.
|Hey hey. Didn't write a chapter yesterday but that was because my fingertips turned red and went numb... lol. According to Google I either have lupus, untreated diabetes or they are damaged from too much 'keyboarding' (bc that is a thing) so decided to not write yesterday.
Also I'm bored so I'm going to do some fun facts after each chapter about the story.
FUN FACT: The original name for this series was going to be The Horse Boarders and Virgo wasn't going to be called Virgo...