Alex watched in silence as the young girl disappeared behind her office door. She was off to go meet her half-brother? Val hadn't really told Alex anything about this Nico guy. She had only given a brief summary last night.
Val mentioned needing to meet up with him after the movie the night before, and that he was her estranged half-brother that her father didn't count as a legitimate heir... but Alex hadn't asked for more details and assumed they would come with time. They never did, probably due to the following events, but if Val were meeting with him now then surely Alex would find out just what he wanted with his little sister. Something didn't feel right about it, but then again, Alex hadn't felt right ever since that morning, when her fiancé showed up out of the blue.
To top things off she had just almost fucked her seventeen year old employee. What made it worse was that she felt disappointed that she hadn't gotten to. Even using the word 'fuck' seemed inappropriate. When they were together Alex was... she didn't just want sex, she wanted Val's company and goofy humor, she wanted to kiss her—something she hadn't ever wanted to do when she had been sleeping with Cyn.
But she was so young. Maybe the age difference wouldn't mean anything in a year—hell, she was legalso it technically didn't mean anything now. But it still felt a bit strange, and Alex was sure as hell everyone else would think it was strange too. Not that they were together, or anything, she didn't think that was a good idea. Not to mention her future husband was waiting at home for her. She hoped Val would understand. Things were messy right now, and Alex was tipsy.
She remembered earlier that day, him on top of her, rough and forceful. Sometimes Alexis wasn't sure if their sex was even consensual. She never told him no, but she really didn't feel like she could. Whenever she resisted he just got rougher, and she had ended up with a bloody nose when he 'accidentally' hit her with his hand. All things considered, he had done worse things to her, and she was sure that if Val hadn't been in her house then a bloody nose would have been the least of her worries.
Alex combed her hands through her hair, trying to undo the mess Val had caused by running her fingers through it. It was entirely unfair, considering she hadn't even had sex, so why must she put up with sex hair?
There was a knock on the door, and Alex wondered if Val had already retreated from her brother's side. "Yes?" She called, returning to her desk, which she promptly sat on top of. She crossed one slender leg over the other and folded her arms over her chest. "Come in."
It wasn't Val, but Cyn.
The sable-haired beauty sauntered on in, closing the door behind her and then coming to a stop in the middle of the room. Her stormy gray eyes narrowed at Alex and she mirrored the blonde, crossing her arms over her chest as well. She shifted her weight to one side, all attitude and judgment wound up into a tight ball. "You didn't," she said.
Alex's expression remained unchanging. She tilted her head slightly. "Excuse me?"
"Don't give me that, you know what I'm talking about." Cyn pointed to her high ponytail. "Remember these? Yeah, yours is gone and it looks like you've been... rolling around." She then pointed to the glasses on the floor, the ones Alex remembered throwing from her desk in her rush to get Val onto it instead. "And those."
If Cyn wasn't giving her such a serious look, Alex was sure she would've blushed. The flashbacks were still replaying in her head: Val underneath her, their mouths connecting and their tongues dancing, the feelings of Val's smooth skin under Alex's hands, Val's moans and how she pulled Alex closer, how they both wanted more.
"What do you want me to say?" Alex asked, her lips forming a small frown. Her hands found the edge of her desk and she held onto it to anchor herself. If she could focus on holding tightly onto her desk she could better focus on keeping her facial expression in check.
Cyn stomped over, got so close their faces were only inches apart, and stared deep into Alex's eyes. Alex felt Cyn look right through her, piercing and sharp. "You are going to tell me you didn't just screw your busgirl in your office? What is this, a game to you? She's seventeen!"
This time the frown was real, and Alex actually backed down, averting her gaze from the accusing glare of her waitress. "Who told you that?" The retreat didn't last long though, and just as quickly as they had left, Alex's blue eyes pinned Cyn again.
"Darby. The bubbly idiot can't keep a secret for her life, was giggling and humming and being, well, Darby." Cyn backed off—but only slightly. She straightened and glared daggers down into Alex's eyes.
"While it is none of your business," Alex began, her tone level and calm and the look in her eyes lethal. "I will have you know I did no such thing with my busgirl." She paused, inwardly cringed, and corrected herself, "Val. I didn't do anything with Val."
Maybe anything was a bit of a lie but Cyn didn't need to know that.
Cyn didn't look any less furious. "You know, Alex, if this is some sort of way for you to... I don't know... deal with Brian being back—"
"It's not," Alex said, cutting her off. She stood up now, feeling as though she wanted to take control of the situation again. Now she was looking down into Cyn's eyes, something she used to do often. "At least, I don't think it is." Her brow furrowed slightly and she became thoughtful.
Cyn rolled her eyes. "For someone who spends a lot of time just thinking you sure don't do enough of it. Let's do the math, shall we?" Cyn placed a hand on her hip and arched a brow in Alex's direction. "You, 25 year old manager of a bar employs seventeen year old to work the night shift at said bar."
"She has school during the day," Alex defended. It was a lie but she remembered no one else working with her knew who Val really was. She was surprised, thinking one of them would've noticed eventually. But Val's story had begun to disappear from the news, and it's not like Alex employed the kind that would be up to date on current events.
"Right... anyway, I wasn't finished." She cleared her throat as if she were preparing to give a speech. "So," something Alex loved about Cyn was how she moved her hands as she spoke, illustrating everything in the air and not even noticing it. "So you employ a teenage high school student to work at your seedy bar... right?"
Alex sighed. It wasn't that seedy.
"And you seem to be doing a good job of ignoring her obvious crush on you. Then, all of a sudden I hear you're fucking Val in your office the night Brian, your psycho fiancé, is back from his business trip early. You're really going to tell me that scenario doesn't sound a little familiar? Does Val know she's not the first and probably won't be the last busgirl you've had fun with whenever your fiancé waltzes back into your life?"
Alex placed a comforting hand on Cyn's shoulder and tried to communicate how regretful she felt. "I'm really sorry, Cyn. You deserved better than that and I..." she looked away before meeting Cyn's eyes straight on again. "And I wish I could take it all back. If I could I would've never done that to you." Or the others, but Cyn had been different. She had actually liked Cyn.
Cyn slapped Alex's hand away, tilted her head back, and laughed like a hyena. But she wasn't amused, not really, because when she looked back at Alex there was hurt and pain swirling behind her eyes. "You know the fucked up thing, Alex? I would do it all over again because even if you don't love me, even if you don't want to be with me, I want you so bad that I'd be willing to let you use me."
"Cyn..." Alex murmured, her brow furrowing as if she didn't understand. "Don't say that."
Cyn stepped up to Alex, placed both her hands on Alex's face, and leaned up to kiss her on the lips.
Alex didn't push her off or fight back, but waited for it to be over. She felt as though she owed Cyn at least that. When Cyn was finished she stepped back and opened her eyes to reveal tears had welled up and threatened to fall. "I don't like Val. The girl is spoiled, destructive, and terrible at her job."
Alex smiled slightly, that she knew. "She's learning."
Cyn glared at Alex, but reached forward and held her hand anyway. "Alex... do you actually even like her? She's a child."
Alex would have cringed at Cyn referring to Val as a 'child' had she not been so good at hiding her emotions. Instead she allowed a small frown to appear on her lips to show her disapproval.
"She is not a child... if anything she's more mature than you know." Okay calling Val mature was maybe pushing it but she wasn't a child.
Unconvinced. Cyn looked absolutely unconvinced. But should Alex even care what Cyn thought?
"You didn't answer my question," Cyn pointed out, her lips twitching into a small smirk.
The blonde suddenly appeared uncomfortable. She shifted quite a bit, seemingly unable to get comfortable. It was odd, as the woman almost always could appear confident and laid back no matter the situation.
"I..."
"Think carefully, Alex," Cyn whispered, getting close again—too close. "Are you giving in to her crush because you want her or because Brian is back and you're looking to escape again?" Her eyes flickered to the empty glasses on the ground, the glasses that had been filled with alcohol before Alex had downed them earlier that night. "You know how you get when Brian is around... you need to control yourself. You act reckless when you feel threatened and out of control, I've known you long enough to know that much." Cyn's warm hand felt Alex's cheek, like it had done many times before. It felt familiar, comfortable. Alex leaned into it, allowing her eyes to flutter closed.
Cyn's lips formed a devious smile, her eyelids lowering slightly. She continued, "You're going to hurt this girl, Alex. Just like you hurt everyone else. You hurt your family, your friends, you hurt Brian, you hurt me, and now you're going to hurt Val because you can't control yourself. This is why you close yourself off, to prevent anyone from getting close... because when they get close, you panic and slam the door so fast they get stuck in it, and it hurts. I'm speaking from experience here..." Cyn trailed off, her body now pressing lightly against Alex's. She wanted Alex to hold her, wanted to feel at home again.
Alex did no such thing, but she half-opened her eyes to peer silently at Cyn. The look in them was sad, lonely. "I won't hurt Val," she finally whispered, and when she did she felt Cyn's hot breath on her own lips. When had she gotten so close?
"Then you need to stop seeing her, Alex. You know what Brian did to you when he found out about me and... the others. And you know what he threatened to do to me. It's the same with Val."
Except worse, Alex thought. Because of who Val is. It was disastrous to Alex if she was caught with Cyn, but Cyn could come and go and she pleased.
It was Val who was stuck beside Alex, stuck with nowhere to go and with no protection from the people that wanted to hurt her. Only Alex stood in the way of Val and the police, Val and her family.
But with Brian in the picture... that all meant nothing. Alex couldn't guarantee protection... but now she wondered if maybe she wanted Val to stay because it made her feel protected from Brian? Or maybe Alex so desperately wanted to be the protector she felt she needed in her own life? Maybe she was selfish.
When Alex snapped back from her thoughts she realized Cyn was kissing her—had been kissing her. The problem with getting lost in her thoughts was that Alex often truly got lost in her thoughts—to the point of not paying attention to the world around her.
Alex barely kissed her back, wrapping her arms around Cyn and replaying their conversation in her head. Did she really want Val, or was it purely lust? Alex had been doing a semi-good job of avoiding a sexual relationship with Val up until that night, which coincided with Brian's untimely return.
Alex was only idly aware of Cyn's hand making it's way up the back of her shirt, where it unclasped her bra within seconds. Her mind was a thousand miles away, and though a very vocal part of her mind told her to pay attention and to stop what her body was doing—she ignored it in favor of figuring out her emotions—something she had never been good at thanks to a rigid, nearly loveless upbringing.
A cold hand found it's way to her breast and that finally cleared the Cyn-induced fog from her head.
Wait... the word bounced around Alex's mind, as alarming as flashing neon lights. Why was she kissing Cyn?
She broke the kiss and gently pushed Cyn backwards, only because the only thing behind her was her desk and she couldn't back up herself. "Sorry," Alex breathed, reaching behind to fix her bra. Cyn was watching her with wide-eyes, panting lightly and with red, slightly swollen lips. Had they really been kissing that intensely? Alex inwardly cringed. She had avoided such an instance with Cyn for a few weeks now... figures Brian comes back, she pounces on her busgirl, and her waitress pounces on her all in one day.
"I can't," Alex breathed out, trying to fix her hair again. "Christ, Cyn," Alex said, burying her head in her hands and running her hands through her hair before looking up again. "I don't want to... do this with you anymore. Can't you see how destructive it is? To both of us?" She needed to stop drinking; it clouded her judgment.
"Mainly to me," Cyn countered. "And I already told you I'm okay with it. Tell me... did you mention to Val during your big explanation that you were going to break up with Brian... for me?"
Alex's eyes narrowed at her employee. "I have to go."
Cyn shrugged and stepped aside to let Alex stalk past her. "When Brian does to Val what he does to you... don't say I didn't warn you," she called, effectively causing Alex to pause just in the doorway of her office.
The woman was like a whirlwind again, and she shot a cool, icy glare over her shoulder at Cyn and stared. She said nothing—ten times more effective than if she had said anything at all.
Cyn shivered under such a merciless gaze but stood her ground.
And without another word Alex was gone.
Cyn huffed and stood there in silence, her eyes staring angrily at the floor. She hated feeling like she lost to a spoiled teenager. She hated that she couldn't make Alex smile the way Val seemed to, hated that she would catch Alex staring over in Val's direction, even on that first day when she just waltzed in like an awkward, lost schoolgirl. Val was pretty sure but Cyn didn't get it. Was she really worth a lawsuit? Was she really worthy of Alex when Cyn apparently wasn't?
Who was Val anyway? Where did she go to school? Why did her parents let her work in a bar? Why did Alex arrive at and leave work with her? It was obvious she was 17 and not 21, but what else was she hiding?
Cyn grabbed her phone and dialed. He picked up on the first ring. "I heard you were back in town..." she paused, took a deep breath, and asked, "What do you know about what your fiancé has been doing while you were gone?" She listened closely and then smirked. "Friends? Is that what she told you? You're a little out of the loop, Brian."
***
When Alex got to the bar she was already feeling better—mostly because she could see Val was smiling and that was a good sign. Alex slowed down, just to admire from afar, and then walked around the bar to where Gabe was.
"Hey, boss," Gabe said, smiling playfully at Alex and handing her an empty glass. "This one is a rum and coke."
Alex filled it with rum, then coke, and handed it back, her eyes flickering to where Val was sitting at the bar, chatting away to a man Alex recognized. She paused, blinked, and then leaned over the counter. "Nick?"
Nick looked up and beamed at her. "Alex!" He greeted, leaning over the bar to slap his hand against hers. "What's up? I didn't see you on duty tonight, was wondering where the commander had gone off too."
Alex smiled and then looked to Val, who was now looking between the two with a confused expression on her cute face.
"Nick?" Val repeated, arching a brow in Nico's direction.
He shrugged. "It's less embarrassing than Nico," he explained, offering a sheepish grin. His eyes—which Alex noted were indeed mirrors of Val's green—suddenly flickered between Val and Alex, his brow furrowing as he seemed to try and figure something out.
Val met Alex's eyes and a shy smile made it's way onto her lips. Alex returned it. "Would you like something to drink, Val?"
Val shook her head. "I'm good, thanks." They were still watching each other, both smiling slightly.
Nick's eyes suddenly widened and he said, "No. Way." He then stuck his pointer finger into Val's shoulder and asked, "You're Alex's girl? The new one?"
Val brushed his hand off and frowned at him. "Why do people keep asking me that? And why does everyone look surprised..." Val shot Alex a glare, as if to say Am I not pretty enough to be one of your 'girls'? Whatever THAT means.
It was beginning to scare Alex that she could already decipher Val's many facial expressions and practically read the girl's mind. In response to Val's glare, Alex held her hands up as if to say, I have nothing to do with this.
"No comment," she said, a slow and sexy smile spreading across her face.
Normally Val would argue but she seemed far too entranced by Alex's smile and seemed to temporarily forget what was going on. Alex arched a brow in her direction, and that seemed to snap Val out of it. She turned back to her half-brother.
"I'm not hers," she defended, folding her arms over her chest. She then slid a discreet glance at Alex again. Alex couldn't interpret the look though.
"Man, how did you knock Cyn from the top spot?" Nick continued, sounding really intrigued.
Val's expression completely shifted. She tilted her head to the side, her brow furrowed slightly as if she couldn't quite understand what her brother just said. "I wasn't aware there was a top spot. Or that Cyn was in it. Or that I was now in the top one. Or that there were spots at all." She glanced at Alex. "There are spots?"
Alex chuckled into her hand, gaining her another glare from the teenager. She then held up her hands defensively. "Hey, I didn't start that."
Nick, who was apparently in his 30s but dressed more like an awkward teenager—a ratty T-shirt and jeans that were too big—laughed and then turned to Alex and said, "I'm just kidding with you lot." He then turned to Val and patted her shoulder. "She's too young for you anyway."
This time Alex's expression changed, and Val started laughing.
"You got that right," Val said, smirking in the stunned Alex's direction. "She wouldn't be able to keep up."
The blonde blinked at that then leaned forward, over the bar. "You think so, huh?" Alex offered one of her smiles again, and rendered Val's face completely mesmerized yet again. Man she was easy to distract. "Would you want to test that theory?" Alex lowered her eyelids halfway and fixed Val under her unwavering stare.
"Um..." Val murmured as she stared back, as if unable to remember how to form sentences.
"Ew, don't hit on my sister in front of me," Nick complained, making a face of disgust. His eyes flickered between the two women, and for a second Alex could tell he really wondered if there was something going on.
Alex noticed Val's slight narrowing of the eyes every time he referred to her as his sister. Alex thought this was interesting, and figured she would find out why Val seemed to be put-off by this later. On another note, Alex also thought maybe she shouldn't be so observant of Val's every movement—it probably was noticeable.
"Where is Cyn anyway?" Nick asked, looking around the bar.
"I'm here," Cyn said, appearing next to Gabe and handing the bartender a tray full of new glasses and cups. She leaned up and kissed Alex on the cheek, glanced at a now-frowning Val, and then smirked before spinning on her heel and walking off again.
Alex watched her go and when she returned her gaze to Val she found the teenager was now staring at her suspiciously. The blonde straightened. "Yes?" She asked, when Val didn't say anything.
Val shook her head, though she still looked confused, and then returned her attention back to Nick. "Cyn's always so pleasant," Val murmured.
Nick too had brown hair but unlike the dark brown of his sister, his hair was lighter and was styled to look like a shaggy mop upon his head. Aside from the eyes, though, Alex could not see the resemblance. Nick was of average height, with a thin long nose, fairer skin that was less Italian than Val's, and a kind smile that spread strangely on his too-wide lips. Whereas Val was gorgeous and more or less stylish, Nick didn't seem to care a bit about his hastily put together appearance.
"Okay," Val said. "Nick." She frowned, and Alex could tell calling him 'Nick' was strange to her too. "How do you know Alex?"
"I'm a regular," he replied, as if it were obvious. He looked in Alex's direction and smiled. "I've known Alex for a few months now, isn't that right?"
It was true. He often wandered in, sat at the bar, threw back a few beers, and left. Sometimes he'd even order food, but it wasn't often. He barely spoke to anyone but when he did it was with other men and not women. Alex didn't think it was because he was gay, but because he was so socially awkward he didn't even know how to talk to women.
He had spoken to Alex though, when she had filled in for Gabe one day as a bartender. Alex made it a point to get to know and talk to any regular patrons, and Nick was no different. He had been awkward at first, mumbling his responses and refusing to look Alex in the eyes (something Alex was used to) but eventually he had opened up and would greet Alex regularly whenever he stopped in. Alex hadn't even known his name was really Nico, since he always paid with cash.
Val stared at Nick and her brow furrowed again. Alex thought she was cute when she looked confused. And Val often looked confused. "Why would you be a regular here? This place is as far from the estate as you can get without completely leaving the area."
Alex tried to resist snickering at Val referring to her home as 'the estate.'
Now Nick looked away, and he stared somberly into his drink. "Well, I'd know people at the other bars," he muttered, sounding embarrassed. He spun his drink around with the straw and then met Val's eyes again. "And it's not like you were ever around anyway."
Val blinked and straightened in her seat. "What do you mean?" Alex could tell Val had no clue what really went through Nick's head. Did she know him at all? Did she even make an effort to get to know him? Or did she just ignore him like her father had, because of the age gap and because he didn't share a mother?
"You were always out with your friends and your boyfriends, going to parties and getting into trouble. We never got to hang out." He frowned at her. "Like really hang out."
Val gave him a weak smile and glanced briefly in Alex's direction.
Alex arched a brow at her. "Boyfriends?"
Val returned the look but added an amused smile. "Out of all of that, all you heard was 'boyfriends'?"
Val cleared her throat and ignored the look she was receiving from Alex. "Anyway. I'm... sorry?" She didn't sound sorry. She just seemed surprised that there was something she should feel sorry about. Alex didn't blame her. Alex had siblings but she wasn't close to her oldest brother at all and he was only 4 years older than her. Besides, it wasn't Val's responsibility to entertain her half-brother. He was an adult with his own life, she was a teenager in high school. Alex didn't really see how Nick could've expected Val to be anything more than a distant younger sister.
Nick waved Val off. "It's fine, it's fine. I just would've liked to have been closer to you growing up, you know? I am your big brother after all."
The expression on Val's face told Alex that Val was trying very hard not to say something, but she figured she'd get the full scoop later. If this were a talk between Val and a stranger Alex would've whisked Val away by now, sensing how uncomfortable she was. But because it was her brother and he supposedly wanted to help... Alex could only watch.
"Right," Val said, still not sounding like she understood at all. "So about dad..."
Nick scowled. "Right. I want to help you escape. He's been furious, you know. Because of you we lost territory to the Costas family and you got Salvatore arrested. I hear he's getting bailed out soon."
Alex glanced at Val, who visibly paled before turning and mouthing the word underboss. Ah, so this Salvatore was Donato Greco's right-hand man, the guy that would take over if anything happened to Val's father, sort of like a vice president.
"Salvatore's getting out soon?" Val squeaked. "That was faster than I thought..."
"And do you know where this place is located?" Nick said as he gestured to Alex's bar. Val slowly shook her head. "This is Costas territory."
"That's not true," Alex said, causing both Nick and Val to look at her.
"What do you mean?" Val asked.
"The area this bar and the surrounding buildings are on don't belong to any mob family. I think I would've noticed by now."
Nick frowned and shook his head. "It's technically an up for grabs area... but it's too far from Greco territory and the Costas family's main territories are much closer."
"Just because they're closer doesn't mean this is their territory," Alex pointed out. She sighed and placed a hand on her hip. "What is this the 19th century? Are we really talking about mob families? I feel like we stepped out of The Godfather."
Val offered Alex a weak smile and ran her hand through her wavy hair. "Yeah," she admitted. "It sounds ridiculous, I know. But it's real. It's my life."
Nick nodded solemnly from beside her, before turning his attention back to Val. "You're no safer here than you are back on Greco territory. The Costas family know you're missing... I'm sure they're hoping they can find you before father does."
Val averted her gaze to the main floor, where patrons were eating and drinking, being oblivious. She looked envious for a second before returning her attention to Nick. "And why is that?" She almost whispered.
"Because they figure they can ransom you back to father."
"Wouldn't he just prefer they get rid of me so he doesn't have to?"
"Father might want you dead but not at the hands of his enemies."
"Are we even sure your father wants you dead, Val?" Alex asked, leaning across the bar and resting her chin on her fist. She peered over at the young girl, who was staring intensely at the floor. "You definitely pissed him off from the sound of it, but isn't killing his own daughter a little extreme?"
"You don't know him," Nick said quietly, placing a comforting hand on Val's shoulder.
She looked up at Alex, a sadness lurking behind her eyes. "He's right," she said softly. "I couldn't believe it at first but... when I think about everything else he's done..." she trailed off and looked away again. "Well I knew I'd rather be safe than sorry, anyway. And even if he for whatever reason decided not to kill me—there'd still be some severe punishment I'm still not okay with."
"Yeah. Keep in mind this guy has had 3 wives, all who died of mysterious circumstances. He also sold Val to these guys... forced her out on dates. And that's when he was on semi-good terms with her. You don't want to know the kind of stuff he does to the people he's furious with."
Val was silent as she seemed to absorb and then mull over her brother's words, her arms coming up to hug herself as if she were suddenly very cold.
Alex's expression darkened, her jaw tightening and her gaze piercing. "I won't let him lay a hand on you, Val," Alex told her, reaching across the bar to place a hand on Val's shoulder, the one Nick had put his own hand on moments ago. "I promise."
Val lifted her gaze to Alex's and offered a weak smile. "Thanks." She didn't seem too convinced, and frankly, Alex didn't blame her. Alex thought maybe she shouldn't be making such promises she wasn't sure she could keep.
"So what's the plan?" Val asked, and she looked up to meet Nick's gaze head on. It was as if she had completely changed and the girl that had appeared young and afraid just moments ago was now looking confident and unfazed. Alex was impressed.
Nick smiled and then leaned back, his arm resting on the bar. "Well," he brought his drink to his lips, sipped, and replaced it. "I am having a fake identity created for you but it'll take about a week," he said. "You'll get a new passport, a new driver's license, and new official documents and such. I'll hand you some cash and get you a plane ticket as soon as possible. Any particular state or country you're interested in?"
Val appeared thoughtful then frowned. "Not really."
"Good because I told him Arizona."
Val and Alex exchanged glances. Val stared. "Arizona?" She asked, incredulous.
"That's... far," Alex said, shifting uncomfortably and sounding uneasy.
Nick shrugged. "It's far enough from New York which is all that's important right now. I'll set up some other things, to maybe make it look like you died... you know, to keep him from looking for you. I'm not sure but I'll figure it out, okay? I already have a friend in Arizona that will take you in."
Val gave a slow nod but her mind was clearly in a different place.
"I'll meet you back here in a week?" Nick asked, standing up from his stool. He reached into his pocket and placed some cash on the bar.
Gabe took it and nodded at him. "Thanks, man." He shuffled away just as soon as he had come.
Nick nodded back and then returned his attention to his little sister. "Val?"
"Right, sure," she said, standing up as well. "I'll see you in a week."
"Meeting here isn't ideal... it'd be better if it were private," he explained. "Where are you staying?"
Val looked to Alex, who swallowed before saying, "She's staying at 27 Holloway Road."
Val pointed to Alex. "There."
Nick's eyes widened a fraction as his green gaze flickered between his sister and her boss. "Oh," he uttered. "Oh. I see. Alright then. I'll pick you up from there and take you to the airport in a week. Sound good?"
"I wouldn't say good," Val said. "But necessary. Yeah, I'll see you then. Thanks."
"No worries, little sis. Just looking out for you," he said before ruffling her hair. He turned to Alex and gave a slight bow. "Nice seeing you again, Alex."
Alex was unsmiling. "Likewise," she said flatly, watching him with her merciless blue eyes, like a hawk watches a mouse.
Val watched him leave and then turned to Alex. "Mind if I use your office to change?"
Alex shook her head. "Not at all. We should get going soon anyway, I told Brian we'd be back early."
Val hesitated, watched Alex curiously, and then forced a smile. "Okay come get me in ten minutes."
Alex watched Val walk off and got back to work.
***
Ten minutes passed and Alex said a quick goodbye to everyone. Ann looked less than happy about the 'commander' leaving so early but knew Alex had to listen to Brian and so did not complain. Darby too whined slightly when Alex gave her the rest of her orders for that night, and Cyn didn't say anything at all. In fact she purposefully turned and walked off when Alex was making her way over. Was she still mad? Alex didn't have time for Cyn's attitude problems and after waving at Gabe, headed for her office.
She opened the door and paused, blinking.
Val was sitting on her desk yet again, one leg crossed over the other, and a fashion magazine in her hand. Those green eyes lifted to meet Alex's from over the rim of the magazine. "I didn't know you read this stuff," Val teased. She dropped the magazine to the desk and stood up. "You really are into fashion, huh?"
Alex stared, swallowed, and took a step into the office before slowly closing the door behind her. She didn't say anything at first, and instead took her time in looking Val up and down. "Why..." she started, her brow furrowing as if she couldn't quite understand was happening in front of her.
Val arched a brow, having never seen Alex's mind short-circuit before. "What?" She spun, the short skirt twirling around her. "You've never seen a school uniform before?"
Alex met Val's gaze and whatever Val saw in Alex's blue made her own widen in slight surprise.
"Alex?" Val asked, uncertain.
No wonder Val's teacher couldn't keep her hands off of her own students. With a uniform like that...
Alex stopped her thoughts before they went into places they didn't belong.
But wow did Val look good in that open black blazer, the loose tie, the form-fitting button-up, the short skirt, and the boots. Alex was certain the black knee-high boots Val was wearing were not apart of the official uniform but it gave the already rebellious version of the school uniform a very Val flair and Alex liked it. She liked it a lot.
Alex's trembling hands slid into the pockets of her long, black trench coat. Val noticed.
"You used to go to school like that?" Alex asked, finally remembering how to form coherent sentences.
Val let out a breath of relief. "Man Alex I thought I had lost you there for a second." She looked down at her outfit then back up and shrugged, leaning backwards onto Alex's desk. "Yeah, private school sooo uniforms." She straightened her skirt and gestured to Alex's bag, which was on the ground leaning against the desk. "Grab your stuff and let's go, I need you to drop me off at school real quick."
"So demanding," The blonde purred. Alex closed the gap between them so fast Val had barely finished her sentence. The boss towered over her employee again, and she lowered her hands to Val's tie and tightened it. "You're supposed to wear it like this. Christ, you were a slacker weren't you?"
Val smiled up at her. "There was no point in trying hard in a class where you're sleeping with the teacher," she pointed out.
Alex scowled, stepped away from her and grabbed her bag. She swung it over her shoulder and looked back to Val. She had to pause again, the sight before her was something she still had to get used to.
Val combed her fingers through her wavy, dark brown hair and looked up at Alex with a frown on her face. "If you keep looking at me like that we're going to have to take you to the hospital instead."
The blonde finally reeled in her libido and cleared her throat before gesturing to the door. "Shall we?" She asked.
Val nodded and led the way to the parking lot. "We shall."
***
"You need to make this quick," Alex warned as they turned into the schools nearly empty parking lot. It was late and the only people that would be on campus would be teachers staying late or the janitors. "I told Brian I'd be back early."
"I know what you told Brian," Val murmured. "This should only take a second, I just need to grab something from my locker."
"You don't think they've cleared your locker out yet?" Alex asked. She pulled into a spot near the entrance and glanced over uneasily at Val. "I'm sure they checked there for clues as to where you may have run off too."
Val shrugged. "Maybe but I need to check anyway." She moved to get out of the car but Alex tugged her back into her seat. The teenager met Alex's eyes. "What is it?"
"When are we going to talk about Nick? Really talk about him and what's going on?" Alex asked, her eyes narrowing.
Val let out a sigh. "Well when are we going to talk about how many Alex's Girls' there have been?"
At that Alex sat back in her chair, her eyes widening a fraction. "You can't be serious. You're letting that get to you?" A wry smile appeared on her lips. "Come on."
Now Val's eyes narrowed, and her clear green took on a venomous tint. "Don't act so condescending," she snapped. "I have been hearing that since I started working for you and no one has explained what it means. Now I know that Cyn and you had a thing and she was the former 'Alex's Girl.' Tell me what that means and... and if I'm any different than the others." Val was staring so intensely at Alex now that the blonde, for the first time in a long time, felt intimidated.
"Val..." she began, her hands reaching over to grab Val's.
The apologetic tone was all Val needed to hear. She averted her gaze from Alex's and moved her hands away the second she felt the other woman's on them. "Okay, I get it."
Alex smiled weakly at her. "I haven't even said anything yet."
"You don't have to," Val muttered, staring out the window now. "I already know what you're going to say. I was drunk. It was a mistake. You're too young. I have a fiancé. That last one I'm particularly fond of, considering you didn't mention him until he showed up unannounced."
Alex returned her hands to the steering wheel, despite the car being in park, and tightened her grip, her knuckles turning white. "I know... I should have told you sooner."
"How many?" Val asked, finally gaining the courage to look Alex in the eyes again. She peered deeply into them, daring Alex to lie to her. "How many of your employees have you... been with?"
Alex sighed and ran her hand through her long blonde hair. She stared straight ahead now, her expression becoming thoughtful. Finally she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I have no idea anymore," she admitted quietly. She turned her head and looked at Val. "But it was just sex." Most of the time, anyway.
"Oh so that's what this is," Val said, looking hurt. "Sex."
Alex looked angry now, but the controlled kind of anger that Val had seen before. Her eyes narrowed and her lips twitched slightly as she fought to keep the emotion from her face. She suddenly leaned over, grabbed Val's face between her hands, and kissed her roughly on the mouth.
Val blinked and didn't even have time to kiss Alex back, because the woman had already exited the car, slamming the door shut behind her. Val sat for a few seconds before quickly turning and exiting too. She turned and peered at Alex from across the roof of the car. "What was that?"
"This isn't about sex," Alex growled, her blue eyes flashing dangerously in the dimly lit parking lot. The street lamp above her seemed to flicker in response to the angry aura rolling off her in waves. "We haven't even had sex," Alex pointed out. Her gaze softened and she looked a lot less intimidating then. "I like you," she said, almost desperately. "You know I do." And the anger melted away and turned into hopelessness, a need for Val to understand her.
Val offered her a weak smile. "But you're not going to be with me," she stated. It wasn't a question.
Alex shook her head slowly. "I can't." Her eyes were full of regret and she refused to look anywhere but at Val.
Val took a moment to admire Alex then, her fair skin, fierce sapphire eyes, full lips, long blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze and falling down her face and over her black jacket, making everything about her look even brighter. Val had really liked kissing her.
The teenager was silent for a few moments before giving a slow nod. "Well even if you refuse to be mine," Val said, "I won't let you be his either." And with that she turned on her heel and began walking towards the school's entrance, two large wooden doors. "I'll be back in a second. Wait here."
Alex quickly trotted after her. "I'm not letting you wander your school alone, what if someone sees you and recognizes you?" She caught up and they walked side by side. She would give the younger a sidelong glance and see that Val was steadily focused right ahead. "Won't the doors be locked now?" Alex asked. "It's after hours."
Val chuckled and shot Alex a look full of mischief. "Do you know who I am?"
"A miscreant?" Alex offered. She blinked as Val moved around to the side of the entrance and then jumped onto a water fountain jutting out of the building. Alex watched her, her frown deepening the more she saw. "What are you doing?"
Val slid a window open and glanced down at Alex from over her shoulder. "Were you really straight edge in school?"
"No..." Alex mumbled.
Val snickered. "Yeah right. Guess I'm not that surprised, being a Sterling and all..." she trailed off and pulled her self up and through the window. She disappeared on the other side, and Alex didn't hear any loud thump she had been expecting.
"What do you mean?" Alex called. "Hey!" She yelled when Val didn't respond. She stared up at the window Val had just disappeared through, wondering if she was supposed to follow. Instead, a familiar voice called from her side.
"Hey," Val called, poking her head from around the corner where the entrance was. "I got the door open."
Alex blinked and then stalked after her. "You know," she mumbled as they wandered into the dark building. "It's not so hard to believe your father is a crime lord anymore."
Val rolled her eyes. "Hey I didn't learn any of that stuff from him."
"Then who'd you learn it from?" Alex asked. She paused and then added, "From your boyfriends?" She smirked when she saw Val roll her eyes.
Val sighed and they came to a stop in front of a locker. "You're never going to let that go, are you? No I taught myself. If you can't really think of a reason why I would want to sneak into school after hours then you're not as smart as you look." And Alex looked very smart. Val began to undo the lock on her locker. "And will you lower your voice? Just because there doesn't seem to be anyone here doesn't mean there isn't anyone here. You've got the stealth skills of R2-D2."
"Sorry but not all of us have elite ninja training." It took Alex a second as she thought about why Val would be sneaking into school after hours, but finally her eyes widened and she said, "No way. On school grounds? Isn't that a bit... risky?"
"The entire thing was risky," Val muttered. Her locker popped open. "That was half the fun."
Both watched as a pile of papers fell from the locker and onto the floor. They both kneeled down and began gathering them, and when Alex's fingers brushed against Val's they both looked up and held each other's gaze for far too long.
Alex cleared her throat and stood up first. Val followed after and began flipping through the papers in her hand.
Alex followed suit, and arched a brow. "Party invitation, party invitation, party invitation, love letter, party invitation, party invitation..." Alex fanned the papers and held them up. "You're popular." The corner of her mouth curved, forming a sexy half-smile.
If the hallway weren't dark, Alex was sure she'd be able to see Val's cheeks turn pink. Instead the girl swiped the papers from her hands and sifted through them herself. "Mmm," she hummed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, kind of cute—" she had paused on the love letter in the pink envelope—"and stupid."
"What was in your pile?" Alex asked. She then paused and added, "And who was the love letter from?"
Val shrugged. "Beats me."
"You're not even going to look?"
"Why?" Val asked, looking up. "What difference would it make?"
Alex grew silent and leaned against the locker next to Val's, her arms folding across her chest and her ankles crossing in front of her. She turned her head and continued watching Val. "What are you looking for anyway?"
"Not sure, honestly. I wanted to just make sure I didn't leave anything incriminating here."
"Did you really need to dress in a school uniform for this?"
"If anyone saw me they'd be less likely to walk over and ask what I was doing here. People forget stuff and come back for them all the time. Why, are you complaining?"
"No no, of course not. Definitely not complaining. You never told me what was in your pile."
Val handed Alex the other pile and muttered, "You never told me you were this nosy."
Alex chuckled and then looked through the papers Val had picked up. Her eyes narrowed and her expression darkened. She turned to look at Val, who was looking at a photograph in her hands. Alex turned so now her shoulder was leaning into the locker and she waited for Val to meet her gaze.
Val stuffed the photograph into her bag and turned her face sideways, knowing what she'd see on Alex's face. "What now?" She asked, defeated.
Alex held up the papers. "Death threats? Anonymous letters from people calling you a slut and a whore?"
Val forced a smile. "Yeah, it's funny you picked up all the good stuff and I picked up all the bad."
Alex thought maybe there was some symbolism in that. "You're not what these people are calling you, Val," Alex said seriously, stepping closer and gently cupping Val's chin. She gently turned the girl's head so their eyes met. "They're stupid kids who don't understand the situation you're in. Why would people send these things to you, leave them in your locker?"
Val tugged her face away and stepped away from Alex. She closed her locker and then stretched her arms before meeting Alex's searching eyes with her indignant ones. "Like I said, people only 'loved' me because they feared me. I wouldn't be surprised if the same people that sent those party invitations also sent the ones describing how I should be murdered. I don't blame them," she said, her tone growing quiet, "My family—"
"You are not your family," Alex told her. "You never hurt anyone, your father did. You have no control over that, Val."
"I benefited from it and did nothing to stop it. That makes me just as guilty."
"It's not so black and white," Alex explained. "You did try and stop it and look where you ended up. It's not a game. It's not as easy as they think, leaving your family behind." She reached for Val's face again but the girl turned her head away and then turned her back on the blonde.
"I have one more stop to make. Wait here." She began walking down the hall again.
"I'm not leaving you, it's too risky," Alex said as she caught up in two wide strides. "And what was that photograph you tucked into your bag?"
"A picture of Angela," Val admitted, quietly. Alex didn't say anything in response and so Val added, "Just to make sure she doesn't get in trouble when they do decide to search my locker."
"I see," was all Alex said.
They made their way further down the dark hallway, their footsteps on the tile the only thing making a sound. Finally Val stopped just outside a classroom. She stared at the light coming from between the cracks in the door. Someone was inside. She reached for the handle.
"You're going in?" Alex asked, trying to keep her voice from giving anything away. She already knew who was inside.
"Just for a second," Val promised as she opened the door. "You can come in if you want, I'm just going to talk to her briefly... if I have to leave in a week I don't know when I'll see her next and I promised I'd talk to her after I spoke with Nico. I mean Nick."
Alex hesitated before following after Val. Like hell she was going to leave them alone in a room together. She remembered walking in on them about to get busy in the parking lot. No thanks.
The classroom was full of empty tables and seats, save for Professor Angela Danvers sitting at her desk in the front of the room, papers sprawled out in front of her and the end of her red pen tapping against her chin as her eyes scanned a page. She was startled by the sound of the door opening and closing, and turned her head to the right to watch as her former student and her former student's boss walked into her classroom.
"Val," she exclaimed, her copper brown eyes widening as she turned her chair to face the newcomers. "What are you doing here?"
Val stood and watched her teacher in silence for a few moments, before stalking over to her. As if anticipating this, Angela stood from her seat and opened her arms. Val immediately fell into them, wrapping her arms around the other woman and tucking her head under her chin.
Angela looked over at where Alex stood by the doorway, unwavering and emotionless. The blonde folded her arms over her chest and she leaned her shoulder on the wall, her icy gaze intensely focused on Angela's warm one. "Alex," Angela greeted quietly with a nod of her head. "Good to see you again."
Alex returned the curt nod. "Likewise."
Val untangled herself from Angela and held the woman at arms length. "I just wanted to stop by and tell you what happened with Nico."
Angela nodded and then gestured for her to pull up a chair. Val smirked and hopped right up onto the desk instead, something she had done many times before. Angela swallowed hard, and wondered how obvious it was to Alex that that desk was sacred ground.
Alex now wanted to leave, but realized that she wanted to hear Val's thoughts on her meeting with Nick too. It bothered her that she was so willing to talk to Angela about it when Alex had asked not too long ago for some clarification on the entire situation. Then again, Angela and Val had known each other much longer. And they had loved each other once. Did they still?
And why did Val have to sit there? Looking like that? Alex mentally grumbled to herself but outwardly looked as unperturbed as usual.
Val still sat atop her teacher's desk, her legs swinging slightly and her fingers clutching the edge. Angela peered up at her, a searching look in her eye, like she was trying to memorize the image of Val sitting in front of her, like she was afraid she'd never see it again.
"So what happened?" Angela asked, crossing one slender leg over the other. She then gestured to Alex. "Feel free to pull up a chair."
Compared to Alex's business casual attire, Angela was dressed in a mid-length skirt, revealing her dark and smooth legs. She was wearing red again, but this time her top was modest and fitting for a classroom. Her hair wasn't flowing down around her as it had been back at the bar but now was tied in a low, loose bun that rested at the base of her neck. She wasn't dressed like the vixen Alex remembered at the bar but she was almost had the sexy librarian thing going on—except she was missing the glasses. And the books. And the being in a library.
Alex shook her head and managed a polite smile. "I don't want to get too comfortable. We have to leave soon."
"Is that so...?" Angela murmured, turning her attention back to her former student. She leaned back in her chair and got comfortable. "Nico?"
"Well he goes by Nick in the real world, apparently." Val made a face. "And he keeps calling me his little sister, it's weird."
"You are his little sister," Angela pointed out. She reached back and undid her bun, shaking out her long, dark hair. Alex watched Val's face and rolled her eyes when she saw a familiar look in those green eyes, like Val was hypnotized.
"Hardly," Val muttered. "He's not really a true Greco and I barely knew him growing up. He was more like an estranged uncle that my dad considered a nuisance than a brother."
Alex chimed in here. "Don't you think it's a little strange that you hate being a Greco yet are the first to denounce anyone for claiming to be a 'true' Greco?"
Val ran her hand through her hair and sighed before meekly meeting Alex's gaze, a sheepish smile on her lips. "That's the most eloquent way anyone has ever called me a hypocrite."
"She has a point," Angela agreed, which got her a glare from Val. Angela simply smiled in response though, and that alone seemed to gain Val's forgiveness. "So what did he tell you about helping you out?"
"He is paying someone to create a new identity for me... and he hopes to ship me off to Arizona in about a week, once the paperwork and fake documentation is done."
Angela's expression completely changed, going from warm and inviting to cold and unhappy. "Is that so?" She murmured, and she began to tap the tip of her red pen against her chin again. "I don't like the sound of that but I suppose it's your best option right now."
Val gave a solemn nod. She discreetly glanced over at Alex and admitted, "I don't really want to leave though."
Angela was pulled from her thoughts by these words and lifted her eyes to Val, expecting to see Val looking at her. Instead, she followed Val's gaze to where Alex stood like a statute beside the exit. If Alex knew what Val's look meant, she didn't show it. "Ah," Angela uttered, her tone full of disappointment. "And are you sure that your reason for staying is worth it?"
"I never said I was staying," Val said, frowning at her teacher. "Just that I wanted to. I don't think I realized it before but everything here is so comfortable. The thought of just picking up and starting fresh in some new place, all alone..." She buried her face in her hands. "It sounds exhausting."
Angela and Alex exchanged glances. They both knew Val was full of determination and confidence but the girl was spoiled and, for the most part, sheltered. When you were used to everything you wanted being given to you you didn't know how to get things when you really needed them. She wouldn't last a day in Arizona without someone there to guide her. It was a miracle she even wandered into Alex's bar when she did. Nick had mentioned he had someone there waiting for her though, right? Alex would have to ask for more details on this mysterious person.
"It will be rough," Angela admitted, her tone quiet. She reached forward and gently played with Val's hair, causing the younger girl to look up at her. The playful tug turned into her running her hands through the entire length, marveling at how long it took for her to reach the end. "Val, I don't want you to leave either."
Val once again seemed hypnotized by Angela's eyes, or maybe they were both hypnotized by each other.
Alex frowned. "But she has to... Nick also said that it's not just the Greco's looking for Val but the Costas family. And if the Greco's are now on really bad terms with the Costas family..." Alex sighed and rubbed at the back of her neck. "I don't want to imagine what they'd do to Val if they found her first."
Val straightened and was now watching Alex now. Alex offered her a soothing smile, wishing she could tell what the girl was thinking.
The teacher's expression was laced with concern. Her eyes flickered between Alex and Val before she said, "I hadn't even thought of that... but now that you mention it, the Costas family might even be more eager to find you than your father... and your father might be looking for you now simply to keep you out of their hands rather than to harm you. If the Costas were to find you first... yes that might end even worse for you and your father."
"What are... the possible punishments of you going home, Val? If your father has calmed down and doesn't want to kill the only heir to his crime empire, what do you think he would do to you?"
"I don't know," Val admitted. "Lock me up and home school me until he wants me to take over the family business?" All things considered, that seemed a lot preferable to death. But there would be... methods of keeping her obedient. And those methods would likely be painful for Val herself or the people around her—like Angela or Alex. Val was glad her father had no idea who Alex was. Yet.
Angela tilted her head to the side. "Does he want you to take over one day?"
Val laughed and then blinked when she realized both Angela and Alex were now staring at her intently, expecting an answer. "Is that a joke? Why would he want that?"
"Isn't that how these things are run? Through the family?" Alex asked, both her brows lifting.
"Well yeah..."
"This is why I was asking before... I don't think he'd kill you, his only daughter. Especially if Nick doesn't count as a 'true' Greco. You're his only heir."
Angela interjected with, "But even if he doesn't want to kill Val, she still lost him plenty of money, soldiers, territory, and caused him lots of grief and humiliation. His punishment will be severe, even if it's not death, to set an example. And I don't know about you but I don't think we can send her back to that either. I won't let him hurt her."
"Neither will I, and I wasn't saying we should send her back home," Alex said, her ice now piercing into Angela's fire. The two women stared daggers at each other, and Val looked between them uneasily. "I was saying that the lesser of the two evils are the Greco's right now."
Val cleared her throat, causing the two other women in the room to look at her. She smiled weakly and then said, "Nick says he has someone in Arizona waiting for me... I guess I'd be safe there."
Alex and Angela were still looking at each other, but now they exchanged looks that meant they both had had the same thought. Alex gave Angela a nod, and so Angela turned to face Val and asked, "Val, how close are you with Nico?"
"Not that close... I really only got to know him when I hit high school... before that he was as far as possible and dad was a lot easier to be around. Nico always makes him uncomfortable and when he moved back in... well, Nico wasn't treated right at all."
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"Nico was treated like an outsider. And he is, really, but dad even treated the lowest ranked Greco soldier as if he were worth more than Nico, his own son. Nico put up with it though, he always was smiling and he had my back when dad found out about..." Val met Angela's eyes and stopped talking.
Angela frowned but nodded. "Can we trust him? How do you know he really says what he means?"
Alex stopped leaning against the wall and straightened and stretched, causing Val's eyes to flicker to her instead. "She has a point, Val. It doesn't sound like Nick really gets much out of helping you. You say you're not close and yet he's willing to help you escape town? To the other side of the country? Why?"
Val chewed on her lower lip as she thought it over, her hands folding over her chest and her eyes staring intently at the ground, as if the answer would appear there. Finally she looked up and shrugged. "I guess I don't know, really, but if he was the enemy, why would he even pretend to help me? He already knows where I am, so why doesn't he just tell dad instead of telling Angela? It doesn't seem like something he'd do, really. I may not be close to him but I do know him and he's such a wimp... let's everyone shove him around his entire life. I think he's just trying to be a good guy. He knew about me and Angela and didn't tell anyone, he was the only one who expressed sympathy when dad found out about it, and he was the only one I could talk to about how much we both hated our dad."
"It's not like he gains much from Val being gone either," Angela pointed out, again the red pen tapped at her chin and her eyes were seeing something the other women couldn't. "So really, he has nothing to gain from either giving her in or helping her out. Unless he thinks handing her over to their father would win him some brownie points..."
"But if that's what he wanted he would've done it the second he knew where she was," Alex finished for Angela, and they exchanged small smiles that they understood each other's thought process.
Val now shifted uncomfortably on her former teacher's desk. Her hands looked as though she weren't sure what to do with them, and the more she looked between Angela and Alex the more her brow furrowed, as if she couldn't figure something out.
"We should go, right?" Val asked, sliding off the desk and looking at Alex.
The blonde gave a curt nod. "Right."
Val returned her attention to Angela. "So now you're all caught up." She smiled, and Angela reached out to gently cup her face. Val seemed slightly surprised at first, but made no movement to get away.
Alex cleared her throat—loudly—but the other women ignored her.
Angela's warm hand was hard to resist leaning into, but Val managed.
"I want to see you... before you leave for... Arizona," Angela said the last word like it was something disgusting. But really, it was too far.
Val reached up and placed a hand over the one on her cheek. "I'd like that," Val admitted, her tone soft. "I'll call you when I hear from Nick again, alright?"
Angela nodded, her eyes filling with longing and sadness. They caught Val and kept here where she was.
"Val," Alex called by the door. "Let's go."
This snapped Val out of it and she hurried after Alex, who was already stalking down the hallway.
"That was touching," Alex muttered, staring straight ahead.
Val had to practically skip to keep up with her. "Will you slow down? I don't have long legs!"
"Then move your short ones faster," Alex replied as she shoved her shoulder into the heavy doors of the school's front entrance and then searched her jacket pocket for her car keys. "If we're late Brian will be pissed."
"Sorry," Val said sincerely, sliding into the passenger seat. She had forgotten about that.
"Don't worry about it," Alex said, and Val looked over and noticed Alex was yet again gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
And she wondered why Alex always did that, always clutched and grabbed and held onto things so tightly, like the edge of her desk, like the empty glasses at the bar, like Val's body.
And when she wasn't touching anything, why did her hands shake like they did? Slightly, barely noticeable to anyone that wasn't as observant as Val was when it came to the other woman.
The car pulled out of it's space and they headed home.
***
When they pulled into Alex's driveway, Val took a moment to wonder why Alex lived in such a small house if Brian was so rich? Or did he have his own mega mansion somewhere and only stayed with Alex whenever he got home from his various business trips. Perhaps he only needed a small house because he was home so infrequently.
Brian opened the front door and waved at them from the doorway, a wide smile on his face. But something was off about it. Val eyed him uneasily from the passenger seat and then glanced to her left, where Alex too was just sitting and staring at her future husband, her expression not giving anything away.
But Val could sense fear.
Alex turned her blue eyes so quickly on Val that the younger was startled.
"Do not," Alex said quietly, "Try and provoke him, alright?" She gave the teenager a pointed look.
Val formed a playful smile, but it was forced and lacked the usual luster. "You're no fun."
"I'm serious, Val, you don't know him and I wouldn't..." Alex's hands tightened on the steering wheel again and she looked away, back to where Brian stood, waiting. "I wouldn't know what I'd do if I got you hurt."
Val's eyes narrowed. "Is he really that violent, Alex?"
"The look he's giving me right now," Alex whispered, as if she were afraid someone would hear them. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his. "Is the same he gave me when he found out about Cyn and me..."
Val swallowed. "Come on, he'll get suspicious if we just sit in here." And so they both exited the vehicle and headed towards the house. Val made a mental note to ask about Cyn later.
Brian pulled Alex into a hug and then a kiss. Alex kissed him back, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Val stood and watched, before mumbling, "Hi Brian," and heading into the house. She knew she shouldn't be upset, most of Alex's interaction with Brian was based on survival. Or so she liked to think, although sometimes the way Alex acted... it was like she was so good at acting in love with him that Val wondered if she still was, at least partly.
And even Brian himself had said so.
Val sat on the couch and waited for them to come inside. What are they doing out there? She wondered, her inner monologue sounding just as grumpy and impatient as she felt. She tried not to think about it, but her mind was reminding her of Brian padding down the stairs, topless, and him looking her straight in the eye as he zipped his pants back up. The thought was infuriating.
She remembered she was still wearing her school uniform—and though Brian already knew who she really was she felt she should change into something else. She pulled on a pair of checkered boxers and an old T-shirt that was too big.
"We have neighbors," Val heard Alex whisper in between giggles. "Get inside."
Brian chuckled and they both came into view, the front door closing behind them. Brian glanced over at where Val was peering over at them from behind the couch. "Hello Val." His lips spread into a smug smile.
Val gave an unenthusiastic wave. "Hi."
Alex looked between the two and then finally settled on Brian. "Sorry for being late," she said, smiling. "What do you want for dinner?"
"Hmm," he said, wrapping an arm around Alex's side and pulling her to him. She smiled, but Val could see the muscles in her face tense. "How about something simple, since I know you're tired from work? And I'm hungry too, so waiting doesn't sound fun."
"You travel around the world and can't make yourself dinner?" Val asked, genuinely curious.
"Can you?" Brian asked, his beady gray eyes watching her expectantly.
She pouted slightly. "I guess not."
Alex laughed and gestured to Val to join her in the kitchen. "Well I'll teach you now. Come with me." And she disappeared into the kitchen.
Brian smiled at Val as she slowly walked over, her eyes never leaving his. She stopped just beside him, her hand ready to push back the swinging door that led from the living room into the kitchen.
But he grabbed her wrist, holding her in place, and twisted it slightly. Val bit back the yelp and turned her head to meet his eyes. His lips formed a cruel grin and he whispered, "We're going to have a talk later, Miss Greco. A little bird told me about you and my fiancé's doings behind my back. I will not be humiliated in my own home any longer. Do you understand?"
Val didn't say anything at first, and so he twisted her wrist harder. "Yes," she gasped, and he released her wrist. She clutched it to her chest and glared at him. "Where and when?" She growled.
"I'll wake you up," he promised, before winking at her and slinking towards the living room where he sat on the couch and turned on the TV like he hadn't just physically assaulted a teenager.
Val continued watching him from over her shoulder, decided he was a psychopath, and then headed into the kitchen. She was still shaken up, but she wasn't going to let Alex see that if she could help it. Her head was already filling with ideas now. How could she get rid of Brian in a week, before her trip to Arizona?
Alex was pulling pots and pans out of cabinets and then gliding over to the stove and doing whatever it was people that knew how to cook did. Val was so content to watch her that she temporarily forgot her stinging wrist.
The blonde turned and smiled at her, but the smile quickly dropped as Alex looked down and saw Val cradling her hand. She stalked over and gingerly touched Val's wrist. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Val told her, making a show of spreading out her arm and moving her hand this way and that. It hurt like a bitch, but you would never be able to tell by the carefree smile on Val's face. "I must've hurt it earlier doing the dishes or something." Alex narrowed her eyes and gave Val another one of those searching stares.
"Are you lying to me?" She asked seriously, her voice low and lethal.
"No, Alex," Val said, beaming at her. "You're always so worried. You need to relax."
Alex sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Which won't be so easy with you in a kitchen. Do you know what a microwave is?"
"It's the box that beeps when my food is ready, right?" Val replied, grinning roguishly at her boss.
"That's... a start," Alex muttered, striding over to a counter and pulling out a sharp knife. She spun and held it up at Val. "Do you think you can manage cutting vegetables?" She lifted both her brows at the teenager in question.
Val frowned. "I'm not that helpless, you know."
Alex chuckled and placed the knife back down on the counter. "We'll see." She then took in Val's attire. "You changed... good thinking."
"Thanks," Val agreed. She tilted her head slightly when Alex seemed distracted. After a few more moments of silence Val said, "So I guess we now know you have a school uniform fetish and a girls-in-boxers fetish."
"As long as you don't wear those during your everyday—"
"You already know what I wear under my clothes," Val whispered, smirking when Alex's cheeks flushed pink. "I only wear boxers to sleep in, they're comfortable."
Alex tied her hair up in a ponytail and then walked over to Val and tied her hair up too. "You know one day you're going to have to do this by yourself."
"But I like it when you do it," Val admitted, her eyes closing briefly as Alex's slender fingers moved through her hair. Why did even the slightest touch set her skin on fire? Send shivers up and down her spine?
"Is that so..." Alex murmured, her hands trembling as they moved down Val's shoulders and her sides. She knew she shouldn't... it was unfair. She already told Val they couldn't be together, not to mention her fiancé was in the next room.
"Why do your hands always shake?" Val asked quietly, catching the ones on her hips with her own and holding them in place. She felt Alex's presence behind her and breathed in the crisp smell of wind, basked in the warmth of her glow.
Alex gave in and stepped closer, her front molding to Val's back. She twisted her hands and locked her fingers with Val's, closing her eyes briefly and burying her nose into Val's hair. "Because," she whispered, "I'm trying to keep myself from touching you."
"And when you grip something so tight your knuckles turn white?" Val asked, shifting her hands so her fingers laced with Alex's.
"Same reason," Alex replied, her voice sending small vibrations through Val's skull. "Same reason..." she repeated, this time her voice softer. Her eyes fluttered closed and she took a deep breath. This couldn't continue.
She released Val then, and turned back to her cabinets. She pretended to find some boxes of random food things very interesting.
Val turned and frowned after her fleeing warmth. "Why on Earth would I want you to not touch me?"
"It isn't about what you want, or what I want," Alex replied, not bothering to look over her shoulder at Val. "It's about what's best for you."
Val asked, "How would you know what's better for me than I would? Because I can tell you now I never feel my best when I'm not around you." The last of that phrase was meant to sound confident, clear, and loud... like a declaration. But instead it was said quietly, as if Val was embarrassed to be so candid with her feelings.
Alex placed her hands flat on the counter and lowered her head, her face being covered by a curtain of yellow hair. She let out a slow exhale. "I'm sorry," she said, her tone soft. "Trust me, you don't make this easy."
"Neither do you," Val replied, reaching for the knife Alex had shown her earlier. "Nothing ever worth it is easy. So, where are these vegetables?"
Alex glanced at Val from over her shoulder. "Suddenly have an urge to release your frustrations on the poor vegetables, huh?"
Val offered her an impish smirk. "There are more fun ways to release frustration, you know."
Alex swallowed at the look of desire swirling in those green depths. She then absentmindedly pointed to the fridge, her mind filling with flashbacks to earlier that night, on her desk, Val writhing beneath her. She swallowed again. "They're in there."
"Thanks."
And the cooking commenced.
***
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