"I'm guessing what I heard about you is true." I hear a familiar feminine voice say.
After the conversation I had with Jace, I didn't feel like going home so I decided to go to my under-tree spot.
It's been like an hour now.
Everything Jace said to me is still haunting my mind.....especially the coward part and the part he mentioned how disappointed he is that I didn't keep my word about facing whatever comes with letting go of my mom's first advice.
He was right about that though. Part of me feels disappointed at myself too.
So to distract the thoughts of everything happening between me and Jace.....a little, I decided to continue with the novel I was reading before Jace came to the apartment.
I took the novel with me while leaving the apartment.....just in case.....
I look away from the novel....up to see the person with the familiar voice.
It happens to be the last of the last person I wanna see right now.
Jace's ex, Alexa.....
What's she doing here??
I just got out of a pretty bad conversation with Jace, I'm not sure I'm ready for another bad conversation.
I look back at the book without uttering a word.
"I heard you're quite a bookworm and that you come here a lot.....this spot." Alexa says.
Yeah.....right...
Did Jace also tell her that?
I still utter no word.
Alexa lets out a little sigh.
"I know I'm the last person you wanna see now and that our first encounter wasn't exactly the best but I'm only here to set things right." Alexa says.
Set things right?
"It wasn't him, it was me. Jace is innocent. If you'll give me a chance I'll tell you the truth about what happened that night." Alexa says.
That's tempting....
I slowly lift my head to look at her.
She moves closer to where I'm sitting.
"May I sit with you?" Alexa asks politely.
I've no idea someone as bitchy as herself would be so polite.
I reluctantly adjust for Alexa to sit beside me.
She sits and adjusts a little to face me.
With my right index finger on the page I'm reading, I reluctantly close the book.
I'd be lying if I said that I'm comfortable with Alexa sitting right beside me. I don't know how easy it'd be to have a conversation with her after what happened at that party.
"So.....Jace is innocent, huh?" I ask.
"Yes, he is. I forced myself on him." Alexa says.
"Oh....." I utter.
"Jace was trying to prevent me from doing what I was doing. He kept trying to stand from that chair to find you but I kept preventing him. When it felt like he was winning, I got on his laps and kissed him. I also made him touch me the way you saw that night. He didn't want any of that.....it was me." Alexa says.
I didn't believe Jace when he said Alexa forced herself on him but Alexa saying it now, it sounds so honest.
Oh....no....
What have I done???
I don't know what to say right now.
"I believe I owe you and Jace an apology. I'm really sorry for everything that happened that night." Alexa apologizes.
Is it just me or am I dreaming?
Alexa Reed is apologizing to me?
The same Alexa I've heard a not-so-pleasing story about?
Nice one.....
"It's fine." I say.
"I know it isn't. You know......I feel worse about Jace 'cause it's like I've stripped him of his happiness. Do you know what he said to me that night?" Alexa asks.
"What?" I ask.
"He said something like, "Congrats on your successful mission to ruin my life....again, Alexa. I wonder how many more similar missions you have in mind. Hope you've found your happiness....". He was right about me ruining his life.....first, I use and dump him and second, I make his new girlfriend think he is cheating on her with me. I'm sure Jace told you how my relationship with him was." Alexa says.
"He did. He told me how you used him to gain back your popularity. Was it really worth it?" I ask.
"To me then, it was. I was one girl obsessed with being popular.....you know, all those high school dumb stuff. It felt good to be noticed by everyone....I love being noticed that's why I did everything I could to get back to that position after I was dumped by the person that got me that position. I didn't care if I was gonna hurt someone's feelings, all I cared was to not remain an object of mockery to so many people.....those I bullied, those I talked down on for being themselves and not living a fake life like myself. I needed to date a hot and rich guy to be that popular girl again and Jace was the perfect catch. He's hot....hotter than my ex as at that time and he's rich but doesn't like to show off. I didn't know Jace was gonna be so serious about the whole thing." Alexa says.
"What did you expect from a guy who has had a crush on you for like two years or even more?" I ask.
"That's right. Jace was really sweet to me. He cared for me the way no one has ever.....except my family. He did everything I asked him to.....like a dummy. Whenever I was ready to dismiss him, I'd think of the things he does for me and I wouldn't know how to just dump him like he was nothing. I hoped for a perfect opportunity to do so and it presented itself. I told him the truth behind our relationship and dumped him.....just like that." Alexa says.
"How easy was it to abandon someone who'd do anything for you?" I ask.
"My heartlessness made it easy but then I regretted later." Alexa says.
"Heartlessness indeed." I say.
"Mia......Jace is a loyal lover who'd never cheat on the person he loves. I don't know if he has changed now but the Jace I knew or rather I thought I knew would never.....ever do anything to hurt someone's feelings. One of the biggest mistakes I've ever made was treating Jace Harris like crap. It was after I dumped him that I realized I threw away a perfect person in my life. If I had appreciated the things he's done for me and returned his affections, I may be the happiest girlfriend in the world but I threw it all away and I feel so horrible right now." Alexa says.
"Well, you deserve to feel that way. You should imagine how Jace felt about everything too." I say.
"Yeah. I'm really sorry, Mia." Alexa says.
"It's okay. I think you should be apologizing to Jace not me." I say.
"I don't know if he's ever gonna forgive me but I'll do what I can." Alexa says.
"You should. Turns out you're not as horrible as I thought you'd be. This conversation hasn't been bad." I say.
"Yeah.....turns out you're not as mean as I thought you'd be." Alexa says.
"I'm sorry for how I cursed at you that night.....especially the 'M' and 'C' words and also for calling you a slut." I say.
"It's fine, I deserved it and I'm a slut like you said. I've been slut-shamed couple of times. I hang out and flirt with different guys even when I've a boyfriend. Jace even caught me fucking a guy the day we broke up. It must've been a horrible sight for him." Alexa says.
Of course it was....
"How's your back.....you know.....after throwing you down that night....." I say.
"It's fine. It hurt me a lot but it's fine now. How's your hair?" Alexa asks.
"It doesn't hurt anymore." I say.
"I must say I felt intimidated when I saw you." Alexa says.
"Intimidated?" I ask.
"Yeah. You're so pretty, way hotter than myself and I bet you're a better person. I envy you even more for having someone like Jace by your side." Alexa says.
I don't know what to say to that.
"Why did you decide to tell me all these....you could've gotten away with it but you found me just to tell me about it. Why?" I ask.
"I didn't just ruin your relationship with Jace, I ruined mine too. I didn't know my boyfriend, Steve, saw when I did what I did. He ended things with me after I couldn't explain why I did what I did. I think the pain I felt stirred up a little conscience in me. I really love Steve." Alexa says.
"Oh.....but why did you do it?" I ask.
"It was what I had to do." Alexa says.
"I don't understand." I say.
"I'm not supposed to say this but I can't help it now. It wasn't just me, I was asked to do what I did." Alexa says.
"What?" I question.
"What happened that night was planned." Alexa says.
"Planned? How? By who and who?" I ask.
"You may not like what I'm about to tell you now." Alexa says.
"All I want is the truth. I don't mind how it's gonna make me feel. I know it won't make me feel worse than when I don't know the truth." I say.
"Okay, if you say so." Alexa says.
************************************
Jace's POV.......
"She thinks I used her to get Alexa back. I tried to tell her that there's nothing between me and Alexa and there'll never be but she doesn't wanna understand. She doesn't trust me anymore." I say.
I'm narrating my encounter with Mia, earlier today, to Idris.
I'm sitting in a bar, helplessly gulping down alcohol....beer to be precise.
After my discussion with Mia, I didn't feel like going back to my apartment so I went to the hill side and stayed for a while, thinking of what else to do about the issue with my girlfriend.
When it became evening, I came to this bar to clear my head with some bottles of beer. Idris had called me shortly after I got to the bar to know my whereabout and I told him.
He came over here and I started narrating what happened between me and Mia.
"So, what did you do then?" Idris asks.
"She said I should stay away from her and that's what I'm gonna do. I've decided to give her that space she wants. I won't call or text her or send voicemails anymore. That's what she wants. I've lost her, Idris......I've lost Mia." I say.
I gulp down the remaining beer in my glass and signal for the bartender to get me another bottle of beer.
Just as I lift the bottle to transfer the content into my glass, Idris stops me by gripping the bottle.
"What is it, dude?" I ask with a tipsy voice.
I've been drinking for a while now. I can feel myself getting drunk.
"Dude, how many have you had?" Idris asks.
"I don't know. I think I lost count." I say as I force the bottle of beer from Idris' grip.
"Excuse me.....please, can you tell me how many bottles this guy has had here?" Idris asks the bartender.
"He's had like six bottles." The young male bartender says.
"What? Six bottles?!! Dude, what's wrong with you?!" Idris asks, snatching away the bottle, interrupting the process of pouring it into the glass.
"Hey!!! I'm not done." I say.
"Yes, you're. You can barely control your movement when you're drunk... which you're already." Idris says.
"Whatever....." I say as I take up the glass to drink the little beer I poured into it.
Idris snatches the glass of beer away from me.
"The fuck, man!!" I yell.
"Jace, quit drinking. You're already drunk." Idris says.
"I'm not drunk. This isn't being drunk. Gimme that." I say as I try to take back the glass of beer.
Idris pulls his hand further away from me.
"No....you're drunk and I'm taking you home right now." Idris says to me "Here's your cash." Idris says, handing some cash to the bartender.
"Is it complete?" Idris asks the bartender.
"Yes. Thanks, gentlemen." The bartender says.
"Alright.....get up let's go." Idris says as he stands.
He grips my arm to pull me up from the chair.
"No....I wanna drink more. Lemme drink more." I say, trying my best not to let Idris pull me up.
"One more glass of beer, you're gonna be wasted. I'm not gonna let you do that to yourself." Idris says.
He forcefully pulls me up.
"This isn't fair." I say.
"Not everything must be fair. Come on, let's go home." Idris says.
Staggering a little, Idris and I start making our way to exit the bar.
---------------
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Teaser: ....unbelievable truth.....
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