Chapter 23 – You’re the only place that feels like home.
“Oh, so you know, do you?!” I screamed, clenching my fists and readying myself to punch him again as tears threatened to leak out of the corners of my emerald green eyes. “Do you know how alone I fucking was after you left? Everyone fucking left me! You, Oli, even my own god damn father ran the fuck off! You’re a bastard, Rex! Always have been and always will be! I just wished I would’ve realized it before I fell in love with your stupid ass.”
By this time, I was balling my eyes out, taking my foot off him and drying my eyes with the back of my sleeve. He got up slowly, dusting himself off and sighing. “I know,” He nodded, looking down at my tear-stained face.
“Will you stop fucking saying that?! It’s really pissing me off.” I snapped, glaring at him through my blurry vision and sniffling.
“Linx, calm down,” He glanced around at the couples that were staring at us, then back to me. “You’re making a scene.”
“I don’t care if I’m making a scene, Rex! They can watch all they fucking want!” I yelled, waving my hands around in frustration. I never thought about I would react if Rex came back, but I suppose I would have guessed I would act just like this.
Without hesitation, Rex picked me and threw me on his tuxedo-ed shoulder, waving at the couples and walking into the parking lot. “We need to talk.”
*~*
“I fucking hate you.”
“Stop lying to yourself, Linx.” Rex said, plopping down on his old bed and undoing his tie. “You still love me just as much as you did when we first met.” He said confidently, glancing up at me with those piercing blue eyes of his.
“And how do you figure that, jackass?” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest and scowling at him with a ball of fury raging inside my heart. I still had the incredible urge to punch him in pretty face one more time.
“You wouldn’t be crying your eyes out if you didn’t.” Rex smiled and I nearly swooned, but I settled for glaring instead. He stood up, his tie loose around his neck, and he took a step closer to me, his hand coming up to caress my cheek. “I’m so sorry, Linx. I really am.”
“How do you expect me to believe you, Rex?” I mumbled, looking up at him with no anger left in me, just sadness. “One minute, you love me and the next you’re hundred miles away, probably living the good life without me.” I pushed his hand away from me, sighing and looking down at the hardwood floors beneath my sneakers. “You left me because of things that happened before you and I got together, before I even knew I loved you.”
“Linx,” He breathed out huskily, causing goosebumps to form on my arms. “I should have never left. I love you so much and probably always will, but I was pissed off, not at you, but at myself. I was angry because I knew I should have made you mine long before I actually did. I couldn’t believe that you had slipped away from me without me even realizing it. To put it simply, I was terribly jealous and I was afraid, just like everyone else who’s ever been in love, that you would find the perfect guy and leave me.”
He ran his fingers through his perfectly spikey hair and plopped down on the bed, dropping his head in his hands. “You taught me what love really was, Linx. I’ve had no exposure to it up until this point. I just really wished I had realized I love you sooner, maybe then you wouldn’t have slept with Oli, I wouldn’t have jumped off a bridge, you wouldn’t have gotten into that car crash.” He groaned, shaking his head. “I’m just really sorry.”
“Wait, when did you jump off a bridge?” I stuttered, slowly sitting down next him.
His eyes went wide and he facepalmed. “Shit, you weren’t supposed to know that.” He glanced over at me, seeing my pretty amazing puppy-dog eyes and biting his lip. “Don’t do that, you’ll make me weak.” He blushed, quickly looking down at the floor. “It happened the night of the party, the one that everything happened during. My mind didn’t want to comprehend that I was in love and seeing you with that guy in the closet sent me over the edge.” He coughed awkwardly. “Quite literally, I suppose.”
I took his hand and looked at it, tracing the lines of his palm. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“To be honest, I didn’t remember what happened until we were at the beach. I was having flashbacks and that’s when I remembered. It terrified me. I couldn’t believe that, instead of facing reality, I decided that the next best solution was jumping off a bridge. I mean, I was piss drunk, but still.” He bit his lip and looked over at me, sighing. “I can’t apologize enough; I’m so sorry for putting you through everything I have.”
I ignored his statement, my mind stuck on something else now. “Are you staying here or you returning to Beverly Hills?” I asked softly, avoiding his eyes again.
“I’m going to finish out high school here. After that, who knows?” He said honestly with a slight shrug of his shoulders as his dazzling blue gaze shifted over to me. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Linx.” He sighed happily, smiling at me.
“What did that Hills Girls not do it for you?” I smirked, meeting his fierce gaze and licking my lips.
“Not like you do,” He mumbled, leaning in, but quickly getting rejected as I pulled away, still smirking like the little devil I am and shaking my head. “What?”
“I still haven’t forgiven you yet, handsome. You’re going to have to work for my kisses now.” I winked playfully, standing up and trotting happily towards the door. I stopped, looking back at him, my smirk twice as wide. “I have an idea on what you can do.”
“Oh, no.”
*~*
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, put it in already.”
“Remember you asked for it.”
“I feel like we’ve been in this situation before.”
“Probably.” I shrugged, putting in the DVD and hurrying back to the couch, excited.
He looked at the case, squinting at it. “Why is it called The Notebook? They really couldn’t think of anything more creative? That’s really sad.” He shook his head, but I quickly stopped him by slapping him on the shoulder. “Hey, what was that for?!”
“Shut up and watch the movie.” I snapped, snuggling into my blanket and narrowing my eyes at him. “It doesn’t need a fancy title; this movie is perfect.”
He rolled his eyes playfully, smirking over at me. “Whatever you say, love.”
I glared, but a smirk quickly formed on my full lips. “Let’s make a bet.” His eyebrow rose, telling me to continue. “I bet you twenty bucks that this movie will make you cry like a baby.” I said confidently, sitting up and looking him dead in the eye, extending my hand for him to shake.
“Deal.” He said sternly, shaking my hand.
*~*
“Cough up the twenty bucks.”
“Fine.” He groaned, still sniffling from the movie as he got out his wallet and handed over a crisp twenty-dollar bill.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” I grinned, hopping up from the couch and putting the money into my purse. When I returned to the living room, his tears were dried and he was watching football. “You watch football?”
“Of course not, but I’m trying to feel manly again.” I laughed and joined him on the couch, hugging my knees. “Linx?” I looked over at him and smiled, waiting for him to continue. “Have I earned a kiss yet?” He asked with a small, hopeful smile on his soft lips.
“I think you’ve earned a few, actually.” I grinned up at him, giggling a bit.
“Oh, good.” He nodded happily, but before I knew it, he had already pressed his lips firmly against mine. I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his soft hair and pulling him closer. His hand caressed my hip and pushed me back, letting him get on top of me rather easily. He pulled away, leaving me breathless and wide-eyed. “How many kisses do I have left?”
“You’ll just have to find out.” I smirked teasingly up at him, playing with his hair.
“Oh, I will. You better believe that.” He kissed me once again, making the butterflies fly around my stomach crazily.
He stood up, pulling me with him and keeping his lips on mine the whole time. His arms slithered around my waist and pulled me flush against him, causing me to get those familiar goosebumps all over again. He started to back us up, step by step, and quickly lifted me up, carrying me like a princess and reluctantly breaking the heated kiss. He easily found his way back to his room through the dark, nudging his door closed with his foot.
He set me down on the bed, straddling me and starting the passionate kiss back up again. I pulled on his shirt and he quickly threw it off, leaning down to kiss me again, but he was interrupted by my giggling. He chuckled, smiling down at me with hands on either side of my head. “Why are you giggling, Linx?”
“Because I remembered you cried during The Notebook earlier.” I grinned, biting my lip hard to keep my giggles somewhat contained, unsuccessfully.
-----AUTHOR'S NOTE-----
I actually like this chapter. Well, the ending. It makes me smile.
Dedication because she actually commented and inspired me to write.
Comment, Fan, Vote!!!! <3