Chapter Eighteen: The Discussion.
Monday, January 3rd, 2022
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"You'd like to, what? Sorry?" Alice's professor asked, needing to clarify what she'd just said.
"Fire my mentor," Alice replied, adjusting her large text books in her arms as she stood with a neutral expression and her long hair held back by a thick black headband. She was dressed in an oversized white shirt, covered with a large, soft, grey sweater held together with a chunky black leather belt. Over the top, she had a fitted black blazer, and wore thick tights and cushy sneakers for comfort and warmth.
"Fire?" The professor replied and hesitated for a moment as he took off his glasses. Amara and Catherine were waiting by the door of the lecture theatre, watching quietly. "And who's your mentor again?"
"Meredith Thornton," Alice replied, as she analysed her professors expression. "She's actually been more unhelpful than helpful, and has spent the majority of the time turning our every encounter into a competition rather than help me learn, so, I'd like a different mentor."
"Christ," Her professor replied and cleared his throat. "Well, I'll have a look to see who I have available." He continued and Alice smiled, forcing a relieved look to take over her expression.
"Thank you." She smiled, "I know I sound neurotic, but I just want to get the best out of this semester." She then added, "Sorry for being annoying-"
"You're not being annoying, I completely understand." Her professor reassured her with an understanding nod, "I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, sir." She smiled again and excused herself and made her way over to her friends. "Should we go get something to eat? I'm starving," she then said as the three of them left the lecture theatre and walked out into one of the grand hallways of Oxford University.
It was the first day back for the second semester, and the hallways were bustling with students hurrying to get to a class or calmly leaving one. Various languages could be heard being spoken, but it all seemed to blur into background noise as the three girls made their way to their closest campus café. It was a cold, dark and fairly grey day, with thick clouds threatening to release a downpour over the city, although so far it had been dry, since the intense wind carried the weather away as fast as it brought it.
The University's café named The University Club, delivered a range of services from the minute it was open at eight o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock at night. It seemed to offer everything, from full meals to café snacks, then bar drinks in the evening. It had a gym and auditorium, rooms to rent for visiting alumni or guest speakers. Alice had only been there a few times to briefly stop for coffee but wanted to hang out more in the spaces the university provided to really get a feel of where she was, and not feel like so much of an outsider anymore.
The club was bustling with students, although now that it was moving into the early afternoon it was quieter than it usually was since most people were at their classes. "I'll find us a seat," Catherine smiled,
"What do you want to eat?" Alice asked, already producing her card from her purse as they walked up to the bar to order as there were menus provided.
"Anything, I'm not picky and I don't have any allergies." She giggled and walked off to find a nice spot for them to relax. Once Alice had ordered and paid they found Catherine by the tall glass windows that looked out over the private sports field on a table for three. She was watching one of the teams train for rugby, a sport which was very similar to American football, although there was no protective gear worn.
"Won't they get hurt like that?" Alice asked after she'd sat down in the seat directly opposite the window and flicked her hair over her shoulder.
"Oh yeah," Catherine replied enthusiastically, "Sometimes even their ears swell up and become all mangled because they get bitten during a tackle or a, um... I've forgotten the word for it but like a pile up."
Alice and Amara stared at her in silence, "Wow." Amara commented, hearing the distant sound of thuds and grunts and witnessed themselves what Catherine meant when she described a pile up. "I like it," she added and both girls laughed. "Oh look! Isn't that Freddie?"
"Oh my god, yeah!" Alice smiled, seeing the familiar mop of blonde hair detach from a pile of bodies. Catherine knocked on the window, catching the attention of a few others inside but the sound managed, surprisingly, to echo towards Freddie's ears. He looked over and recognised them quickly, and waved happily as the game continued around him.
"I didn't know he played sports," Amara cooed and fixed her hair as Alice smirked. "Yay! Go team!" She called quietly and waved again. Freddie smiled, and seem to visibly turn bashful only moments before he was caught in another tackle. "Oops,"
"He'll be okay," Catherine murmured and winced slightly before looking over as their coffee and lunch was delivered. The waitress smiled warmly at Catherine, and she seemed to blush and murmur a thank you quickly before looking away and clear her throat as the others watched her with small smirks. "What?" She asked softly, fixing her hair and looking down again.
"Nothing," Amara smiled widely, holding the eye contact with Catherine who began to smile a few seconds later.
"I hooked up with her a few times during first year, and I haven't been able to look her in the eye since she got a boyfriend like... a week after our last thing. It's so embarrassing." Catherine explained,
"Did you like her?" Alice asked as she bit into her sandwich.
"I don't know." Catherine shrugged as Amara sipped her coffee. "I think I did, but the in-denial girl isn't really my type."
"Maybe she's bi," Amara suggested but Catherine shook her head as she bit into her sandwich and covered part of her mouth.
"I can tell." She replied with her hand over her mouth and chewed for few seconds before tapping on her temple. Alice and Amara hummed in understanding, and the conversation continued for a while, naturally flowing from topic to topic until their lunches and coffee was finished.
"Does anyone want more coffee?" Alice asked, feeling satisfied but craving the flavour of the drink again. Catherine and Amara agreed, the conversation now having settled and Amara browsed social media on her phone and Catherine watched the practice game of rugby out the window. Alice got up after rummaging in her bag for her purse and headed towards the bar again to order some more drinks. "Yeah, just three cappuccinos again please. One with almond, one with coconut and one with soya, if that's okay."
"Sure," the barrister agreed, and pushed over the card machine for Alice to pay. "Same table?"
"Yes, thank you," she murmured as she swiped her card and put it back in her purse, hearing the receipt printing as she looked back towards her table and out the window. In the faint reflection of the glass she could see herself, and noticed some movement behind her and glanced over her shoulder out of habit and curiosity. As quickly as she looked she turned back around, feeling her heart jump but she calmed herself and took in a quiet breath. She heard his voice next as he came closer, and kept her eyes ahead as if she hoped it would make her invisible... should she walk away? Or would she draw attention to herself? She hesitated, hearing him coming closer as a few other voices laughed at something he said.
Magnus dug into his pocket for his wallet as a few of the book club wandered off to find a table to study at. Oliver stayed, as he'd taken everyone's order and Magnus lingered tactfully... he'd noticed Alice almost immediately, her hair giving her away and also the way she stood. He could pick her out from a crowd a mile off, so her standing at the bar a few metres ahead of him was easy. Magnus licked his lips as he approached, moving to stand next to her and placed his hands on the counter...
Alice saw his hands and didn't say anything as the loud whirring of the coffee machine filled the quietness. "Alice," Oliver suddenly greeted before Magnus could open his mouth to speak, he stood on the other side of her, almost boxing her in without realising. "I didn't see you at the meeting last night," he continued.
Alice glanced over at him and slightly turned her back on Magnus, who furrowed his eyebrows since her body language was slightly stiff. "What meeting?" She asked, her voice quiet.
"The club meeting, you didn't see your invitation?" Oliver asked in a specific tone which meant he knew that she knew there had been one. "It's compulsory all members attend, Alice. Unless you have some previous dire engagement."
"I must've forgotten. Sorry." Alice replied calmly seconds before her phone chimed. She recognised the alert and exhaled a quiet and discreet sigh of relief. "If you'll excuse me... I have to go change my tampon," she then said, causing Oliver to raise his right eyebrow just a little as Alice walked around him and off towards the toilets without looking at Magnus.
"Can your order me a black coffee?" Magnus asked Oliver who waved him off, knowing he was about to go after Alice. She was walking quickly, not enough to draw attention to herself or to make it look urgent, but just enough to increase the distance between her and him in a matter seconds.
She knew the bathrooms were on the first floor, and climbed the steps in the hallway beside the main area of the café, skipping two steps at a time. "Alice," Magnus announced, pushing open the door to the hallway and seeing her disappearing around the corner at the halfway point of the steps. "Alice," he said again, and climbed the stairs quickly and effortlessly to catch up. "Stop," he ordered, catching up to her and grasping her arm before she went into the girls bathroom. "Are you seriously pretending you can't hear me?"
She glanced down at his hand on her bicep and he let go, and stood up properly. "I've been trying to call you." He said in a matter-of-fact way, waiting for Alice to look him in the eye. It took her a second, but eventually she did.
"I know," she replied simply, but her voice was quiet.
"So why haven't you answered?" Magnus asked, "You wanted me to make an effort with you, and you won't even pick up so we can talk about it."
Alice shifted where she stood and folded her arms as some of her hair crept back over her shoulder. She looked away and out towards the window that looked out over the sports field but from a higher angle now. The muffled echoes of grunts and shouts wafted towards their ears as she took a second to reply. "I haven't felt like talking." She said simply again.
Magnus stared at her, feeling his temper spike but that was already because he was feeling the frustration. He'd called her several times over the weekend, and every time it had gone to voicemail. He'd texted her, and there had been no reply. He'd seen her active on social media, being flirtatious with her followers on a live video, and it almost felt like she was taunting him now. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He snapped in a low voice, "You give me that whole speech only to... not want to talk to me now?"
"Magnus-" Alice began with a sigh, feeling her heart beginning to thud just that little bit harder.
"What do you want?" He asked, his frustration showing on his face now as Alice looked back into his eyes. "What do you want me to do?"
"Not this," Alice replied quickly, "This is what I don't want." She continued and her eyes started to water as her own frustration crawled into her throat. "Every time something doesn't go your way you stamp your feet and start throwing a tantrum like a toddler. I'm not your mom or your therapist, I'm not going to tell you how to behave! For gods sake, you're an adult. Figure it out, Magnus! It's not hard!" She gasped quietly, taking a second as the sudden urge to cry rose. "I can't believe you just asked me for suggestions when I literally just-" she stopped as she noticed a figure out the corner of her eye and pressed her lips together, noticing Meredith appearing at the top of the stairs.
She didn't say anything for a second, and instead glanced from Alice to Magnus who looked over his shoulder to see who she was looking at. She then glanced back at Alice again whose face had turned blank. Although, with her glassy eyes she looked more hurt than angry in that moment... but it only lasted for a split second before the expression was gone. "Sorry," Meredith murmured as she was met with a tense silence. She made a face before walking across the space between the stairs and the bathroom and into the girls one, leaving Magnus and Alice in silence again.
The effort to speak left Alice again, and she smacked her lips and looked at Magnus's face. "...Come on," he began, "You can't blame me for that." He said in an almost defeated voice although Alice knew that emotion was something far from what he was feeling. She didn't want to blame him and she knew she couldn't out loud, but she felt tense and defensive knowing Meredith was here with him, maybe coming to check on him to see what they were talking about.
"I'm not," Alice replied eventually and quietly, "... I've got to use the bathroom now. Period stuff." She then said, turning away and walking into the bathroom even though she didn't want to. Magnus was left stood there, and he twisted his lips in annoyance although something else was beginning to creep through now too, seeing her walking away with that look on her face sudden sparked a sensation of urgency. Alice did have to change her tampon, and she wasn't scared of Meredith or avoiding her either, so she went inside to do what she needed to do and planned to leave without saying a word after.
Alice stepped into a cubicle and retrieved a new tampon from the inside of her blazer, unwrapping it and looking up towards the cubicle door as she did the deed, now thinking about if she was imagining the awkward silence. She didn't say anything, or make any suggestion that it was her, but she heard Meredith clear her throat a few seconds in. "I was going to wait to say this another time in maybe a more appropriate place but I might as well say it now," she began, and Alice glanced to her left as if to stare into the void. Her tone wasn't aggressive, it was more sympathetic, apologetic even, but Alice was already reviving it as a direct threat. "That thing you said about not seeing Magnus again at the chalet, I know it was bullshit. I know you guys were sleeping together and that he came to visit you in Switzerland, he told me when we talked things out the other week. I don't know if he mentioned that to you."
Alice remained silent, but she could feel the icy trickling of her void slithering into her blood stream as Meredith continued speaking. She felt offended, vulnerable, and furious very suddenly as a result of hearing that Magnus had been talking about intimate things with Meredith. The emotions came full force in a matter of seconds, so much so that her eyelids faltered and she nearly gasped as her body felt like it was slipping into fight mode. "When we talked things out and it actually wasn't bad at all, he accepted he was responsible for a lot of our problems and that was really nice... he seemed different, really... like mature." She continued, sounding like she was gushing and Alice's lip twitched. "I don't mean to rub this in your face because... well, I can see that you like him. I just thought I'd let you know that it's a wasted effort... going after him, I mean." Meredith carried on as she opened her stall and went to wash her hands. "I think we're going to get back together... it's probably inevitable at this point. That's how it feels to me at least, and... like, woman to woman, I feel like it's probably easier to hear it from me than him."
Alice stared at the bathroom door of her stall for a moment, all masks dropped and a face so cold it almost turned the air around her to ice. It lasted for only a moment before she took a quick breath, but not because she was returning to her usual composure, but because she was furious. Her fists flexed before relaxing and she opened the bathroom stall carefully, hearing white noise in her ears as her lips moved and spoke for her. "I'm glad to hear you think so," she said, her voice silky smooth and calm as she moved towards the sink and washed her hands. "How was Binkie's funeral?" She then asked,
"What?" Meredith asked.
"Binkie's funeral, how was it?" Alice repeated, looking at herself in the mirror. She could almost see it, the void like a ghostly shadow over her shoulder whispering into her ear as it wrapped it's claws around her neck.
"I don't... understand how..." Meredith began but Alice turned her back on her and dried her hands. She was careful not to touch anything with her fingertips.
"I was just asking because... woman to woman, it must've sucked knowing you're directly responsible for her death just like all your friends- sorry, ex friends are saying." Alice replied calmly as she wrapped her right hand in tissue paper. She had barely blinked in a minute, and her calm voice didn't match her expression... she could see Meredith in the reflection of the dispenser, but Meredith couldn't really see her, only a distorted reflection of part of Alice's face.
"What?" Meredith asked, feeling her heart begin to thud harder. It had taken her a moment to process what Alice had said, but when it had sunk in her expression changed and her eyes began to water. "Why would you say that? My friend died! Are you so jealous you would weaponise her-"
Her words cut off as a sharp aching pain suddenly burst from the bridge of her nose, she gasped and snapped her hands to her face, aware that there was tissue already where her nose was now bleeding. She felt dizzy, and a loud ringing echoed in her ears as her whole face felt like it had split and cracked.
Alice watched Meredith stumble back against the wall and slide down it onto the floor, kicking her legs to try and absorb the pain but there would be no change for a few minutes, at least, Alice assumed. She turned away and used some more tissue to turn on the tap and sprinkle some water on the floor, using the tip of her shoe to stretch out some of the puddles to make it look like she'd slipped. After that, she wiped down the handle of the toilet stall just in case. She didn't know how in-depth the club was when it came to violence, so she covered her tracks as much as she could.
It only took her a few seconds to do all this before she turned to Meredith and crouched down in front of her after grabbing more tissue. She tugged her hands away from her face, and after some struggle managed to do so. "Get off me!" Meredith gasped in a hiss, tears streaming down her face as a result of the pain. Blood streamed from her nose too, and there was already a bruise forming where Alice had struck her.
"I'm sorry," Alice replied, using the tissue to wipe away from of them blood. Meredith opened her eyes and looked at Alice, still breathing harshly from her adrenaline spike and racing heart beat. "But you're going to lose." Alice whispered, leaning closer to Meredith's face so she could hear her. They stared into each other's eyes, since Alice's gaze seemed to pin Meredith where she sat. "Maybe if you hadn't thrown that tantrum on the ski trip and got all your friends to call me a slut... I would've had more energy to run and get Binkie's epipen when she started to choke." Alice whispered so quietly as she dabbed Meredith's nose that she almost didn't hear. Meredith struggled suddenly, feeling the stinging sensation of flight begin to win over her adrenaline rush. But Alice caught her wrists and held her hands either side of her face and squeezed. "Look at me." She demanded in a quiet voice, causing Meredith to look back into her eyes again. "I hope she's resting in everything but peace... knowing it's all your fault." Alice said so softly it could've sounded like a comforting word or two.
Meredith remained silent, for there were no words she could find to speak nor did she want to make any noise at all in fear she'd aggravate the situation. She felt like she was staring into the eyes of the devil... not Alice anymore. There seemed to be nothing staring back at her but darkness, and she began to squirm as Alice held the eye contact for an unnaturally long time. "You tripped because of the water on the floor just now, okay?" Alice then asked after what seemed like minutes of nothing but silence.
Meredith managed a brief nod, and Alice let her wrists go and stood. She went to wash her hands again, glancing at herself in the reflection as she blinked a few times and waited for the icy feeling in her veins to subside, but it didn't. Meredith didn't say a word, and watched Alice closely as tears streamed down her cheeks. She thanked her when Alice handed her a tissue to wipe her nose, however. "Tilt your head back," Alice muttered before she made her way to the door to leave.
She was furious still, and it kept creeping through the cracks in her expression as she tried to neutralise it before stepping out into the hallway. Her heart jumped however when she noticed someone in the corner of her eye sitting on the steps leading up to the upper floor, waiting. "You took your time," Magnus muttered, standing up as Alice stayed standing by the bathroom door and looked tense for a split second. She was quiet, with her lips pressed together and he tilted his head slightly, glancing back towards the bathroom door and noticing that Meredith had not left yet. He glanced back at Alice and she was still looking at his face.
"Did you-"
"No." Alice replied, cutting across him. They spoke very quietly, their words just reaching above a whisper before it all went quiet again. "Take me home." Alice then said after a few seconds of staring into Magnus's eyes.
"What?" He asked,
"I want you to drive me home. Take me home." She ordered in a quiet but tense voice and Magnus examined her face as he turned away from the bathroom door, wondering what happened and why his own void had raised its head with interest. He was already digging into his pocket as if to check for his car keys before he had verbally agreed, however.
"Okay." He murmured, and Alice walked off, heading down the stairs without a moments hesitation. He glanced back towards the bathroom door, and it seemed to stare back at him, trying to whisper to him what had happened but it was as if he couldn't quite hear. His curiosity didn't get the better of him this time, and he turned away and walked after Alice, taking his time down the stairs to give her time to meet him outside, since he assumed she didn't want them to be seen leaving together...
... "You're what?" Amara asked as Alice put her car keys on the table and slid them over to Amara. "With- wait what?" She tried to process as Catherine sipped her coffee and glanced between them.
"I just have to go. I'll see you later?" Alice asked and Amara nodded, looking confused as Alice then turned and walked off, slinging her bag up her shoulder. Her eyes immediately glanced over towards where Magnus had calmly and almost too casually walked over to where some of the book club were sitting, explained that he was leaving and turned away just as some of them began to look confused and wanted to ask why.
"Damn," Amara sighed, watching as Magnus left through the same door Alice did. Something had happened, she was sure of it. Since Alice looked furious and Magnus looked too calm, almost smug, as he left to follow her.
"What?" Catherine asked gently, curious herself now. She didn't know much about Alice and Magnus's history, but she was also aware that there must be something juicy going on to get the reaction it did.
"Nothing. It's just... for a second there I really thought she was going to let him go." Amara continued, "It's none of my business, though so I'll shut up." She then said and shrugged, keeping her eyes down... however it was only by accident that she glanced up again a few minutes later, hearing the door to the hallway leading to the bathroom open and close and a brief but quiet commotion.
Both Amara and Catherine looked over, and seemed to widen their eyes as they say Meredith walking back to her table with a slightly bloodied tissue pressed to her nose... the people she was with looked shocked and surprised, as she tearily explained that she'd slipped in the bathroom when they asked what had happened. The dots connected immediately for Amara, and she pressed her lips together and glanced towards the exit as a reflex since that was the last place she'd seen Alice go.
"We need to get you to the hospital." One of the others said, standing up and gathering their things together as the rest of the table watched in a shocked quietness. Meredith waited, still tilting her head back slightly as blood seeped from her nostrils into the tissues although it was slowing down now.
Oliver quietly connected the dots and his face hardened slightly as he glanced towards the door where Magnus had just left. He knew Alice had left with him also, and the timing seemed to coincidental. He hummed to himself, offering to go with them to the hospital so he could ask Meredith himself as he gathered up his things and took one last large sip of coffee...
Amara watched them all leave, careful to avert her eyes at the right moment as Oliver glanced over towards them. She knew Alice had snapped, and fought the proud smirk for a split second before it went away just as Catherine figured it out a few minutes later as she had watched Meredith leave, too... "Oh.." she realised out loud and nodded to herself.
"Um... I'll be back in one second." Amara then said, standing up after she'd grabbed her purse and walking calmly to the bathroom. She had disinfectant wipes in her bag, and quickly wiped down all the handles, the edge of the stall doors and around the sinks and on the taps. She flushed the wipes down the toilet, and stood there for a moment and sighed, smiling to herself as she imagined what could've gone on here and wished she could've seen it. She could feel the energy in the room and listened to the ghosts of the moment wondering what would happen next before she returned downstairs and made a mental note to bring the whole situation up with Alice later...
~
Back at the house Alice shared with Amara and Lucas, Magnus pulled up against the side walk in his low, black sports car and cut the engine. The clouds were low outside, turning the day gloomy and cold, rain could be smelt in the air although it couldn't be seen or felt yet and the scent of decaying leaves and damp earth seemed to be consistent now. Alice got out the car and took a deep breath, subconsciously registering those exact scents as she closed the passenger door behind her and began walking towards the house whilst Magnus got out.
They hadn't spoken on the way back to Alice's house, and as he closed the door to the driver's side he watched Alice bee-line for the front door. She didn't even need her key which he thought was fascinating, she just turned the handle and went inside, leaving the door open for him, or so he assumed. As he neared he noticed the thin strip of UV light inside the door frame and stepped inside, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement from M but there was none.
He could hear Alice's footsteps heading upstairs, so as he glanced over his shoulder to see the front door closing on its own, he decided to follow. He took his time again, since he knew where her room was and didn't need to guess. As he approached her bedroom door, he noticed sprawls of her clothes on the floor, leading to where her wardrobe was. He glanced up gradually, seeing her kick off her shoes as she pulled off her sweater then shirt and throw it to one side.
She seemed annoyed as she changed with her back to him, now stood in front of him in only her underwear, twisting her hair up into a neat bun whilst he came closer into the room... he wanted to soothe her, mainly because as he glanced over body from behind all he could feel was just beginning to warm his veins. He licked his lips gradually, sliding off his shoes before moving closer to her...
She fussed around in her sea of colour coded clothes all hanging upon a rack, not noticing Magnus edge closer until she felt his hands on her hips. She didn't jump, but she turned her head slightly to the right as he lent down and in to kiss the edge of her neck... the edge of her lips twitched with the threat of a smile since he'd read her mind. She wanted to feel him close, and have that comfort and familiarity knowing he was right there. She didn't like when they fought, and even though she hadn't fully forgiven him, at least for right now she could pretend she had.
"You smell so sweet," Magnus murmured against her skin, feeling the pink cloud of lust come down over his eyes as he kissed Alice's neck again and took a deep breath in through his nose. She hummed in response and lent back into him, biting her lip gently as she let the sensations consume her whilst Magnus caressed his palms down over her hips then across her abdomen...
He squeezed her hips then gently turned her around, feeling her snake her arms around his neck as she lent up on her toes. Their lips met and all feelings of tension seemed to immediately slip away, wafting away into the abyss like clouds in strong winds. Magnus tilted his head to the side, opening his mouth more to deepen the kiss as a sensation of lust fuelled urgency flooded his veins. He bent his knees, hooking his palms around the back of Alice's thighs and lifted her, hearing her gasp quietly as her lips parted against his.
He carried her over to her bed, laying her down against the pillows before moving over her and settling between her parted thighs. Hey kissed enthusiastically, with soft moans flowing from both of their lips whilst the temperature in the room carefully increased, or so it felt to them.
Alice's cheeks and throat had flushed and Magnus's had feathered with a light blush, both their hearts thudded with excitement as they kissed for a few minutes, moulding their lips together passionately before their tongues entwined. Their minds had turned off, and their bodies were communicating now, fuelling their behaviour with endorphins and subdued emotional wants...
Magnus lowered his body further into Alice's, showing her what he wanted next as he pressed his hips against hers so she could feel how excited he was already... He then reached down with his free hand and pulled her up against him, causing Alice to moan softly, but she pulled her head back into the pillows, causing Magnus to pull his own head back and look at her, "What?" He asked, his voice low and heavy with lust already.
"I'm on my period," Alice informed him, wondering if he remembered. She sounded a little breathless, which only seemed to turn Magnus on more.
"...Okay," he replied nonchalantly, "and I have condoms," he then added with a small smirk, "Unless you don't want to." He murmured, leaning down to kiss Alice's neck sensually again.
She bit her lip, but was unsure of if it was an okay thing for her to do. She'd thrown her phone on her bed a few minutes earlier, and began to pat around for it as Magnus, breathed in the scent of her skin for a moment before noticing what she was doing. "What are you doing?" He asked as she found her phone and unlocked it.
"Googling it," she murmured and a smile cracked across his lips. He stayed where he was, but watched as she read something on the screen then locked her phone.
"What's the consensus then?" He asked, watching as she smiled then reached up to cup his cheeks and encourage him down for a kiss. Their lips moulded together again and Magnus groaned, feeling the excitement flood back into his veins...
It didn't take them long before the pink cloud had descended once again, enveloping them in its thick mist and fuelling their behaviour... there were a few laughs and smirks to start off with to ease Alice's momentary self consciousness but once preparations were all out the way...
Their bodies entwined together, and moans filled the room as Alice wound her fingers through Magnus's hair and he buried his face in her neck. The room grew hot and their skin turned pink as the pleasure was intense and different to what they had both expected... They felt dizzy with lust, and lost track of time as the sensations consumed them... the sound of their moans and murmurs of encouragement wafting into background noise.
Downstairs, Amara returned with Lucas, having met him at the university club before they both drove back. "M told me we have one unregistered visitor," Lucas said as they hung their coats up by the door, the material slightly damp since it had started raining.
"Yeah, I saw that alert." Amara giggled, "Can you imagine the stress some kids will have sneaking their boyfriends or girlfriends into their parents house,"
"Yeah," Lucas laughed as they walked into the kitchen. "One unregistered visitor, M's going to be ruining late night dick appointments from day one." He smirked, but still felt slightly annoyed that Magnus was here again. Amara had told him what had happened, since he'd asked why they had Alice's car but no Alice. She laughed at his joke as they put on a fresh pot of coffee, and Lucas settled down at the island in the centre of the kitchen to work on an assignment as Amara called her mom to ask about the honeymoon...
At the same time upstairs, Alice and Magnus had just finished. Their hearts were racing and their cheeks were flushed, and Alice exhaled just a little as Magnus eased out of her. "Fuck me, that was good," he sighed as Alice sat up and smiled a little shyly as he lent back and took a deep breath. He watched as she got up and hurried out her room and to the bathroom, all the while looking a little shaky legged which made him smile.
He disposed of the condom and could hear the toilet flushing then the shower running and decided to follow. He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it, hearing voices downstairs and registered that the others were probably back. He made a slight face before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. "Mind if I join you?" He asked as he watched Alice step into the shower. Her bathroom was nice, and bigger than he expected with a walk in shower and a large precisely rectangular bathtub next to it just under the window. Her sink was part of a counter top, and wand decorated with carefully organised items and some plants. He liked the soft white rug on the floor to stop bathers from slipping, but quickly returned his gaze to Alice after inspecting the environment.
"No," she replied lightly, leaving the glass door open for him to follow.
They took turns under the overhead, and Magnus watched as Alice washed her hair and took a deep breath in through his nose to smell the sweet scent of lavender and honey. She'd been using the same brand for years, and he read the label again after picking up the bottle she put down to see that nothing about it had changed either.
Alice was deep in thought, listening to the rushing of the shower water and the droplets pattering against them white tiles below them rapidly. She could hear the rain outside too as the window was open, and sighed heavily. "What?" Magnus asked, he'd been watching her closely as he cleaned himself up.
"Um," Alice hesitated. She wanted to say nothing, but instead could feel the words she wanted to save for another time rising. "I think we should talk." She continued and wiped some water from her eyes. She'd already washed her make up off early on so that he wouldn't see her get panda eyes.
"Oh," Magnus replied quietly and registered he didn't like the sinking feeling in his chest. "You didn't enjoy it?" He asked and Alice looked surprised.
"Of course I did Mags, this isn't about sex." Alice replied and Magnus nodded. He wanted to feel relieved but didn't.
"I was just thinking about everything, especially over the last couple of days and... I had a talk with my therapist last um, yeah it was last night, about it all..." alice began and Magnus flexed his jaw as he pressed his lips together. "And the reason I think I freaked out about Meredith and keep getting this feeling you're lying or hiding something from me is because I haven't been entirely honest with you, either." She continued, wiping her face again as her hair was dripping. Magnus remained quiet. "Okay so, from the beginning, I told a half truth about my school. I can't remember exactly what I said, but I think it had something to do with the retreat. It's not a club the parents are just in, it's a trip organised by Julia and Hans once a year for the members of the twelve to bring their families to an island to basically party."
Magnus said nothing again, and Alice waited for a few seconds to see if he wanted to say anything, which he didn't.
"When I attended the school, Julia asked me to keep an eye out for anyone she thought would be a good member since she only had like three people at the time. I obviously suggested my friend's parents because why not, and it grew from there." Alice continued to explain and paused to clear her throat. "... and um, that's when I met Christopher. Amara introduced us before he was asked to join. He's made all his own money so he technically brings his parents to the retreat instead of the other way around."
Alice paused again, and carefully reached for the soap as Magnus continued to watch her in silence. She wanted him to make some kind of sound to acknowledge what she was saying but he didn't and it was throwing her off slightly. "You asked at the wedding if I had ever slept with him, and.... I lied." Alice admitted as she lathered the soap in her hands and began rubbing her arms. She felt the air turn slightly cold and subconsciously edged closer towards the shower's hot water. She couldn't look at him, so she looked at her hands instead.
"You lied?" Magnus asked and Alice swallowed, she took a deep breath, feeling the nerves. "Put the soap down and look at me." He added in a low voice and Alice bit her lip slightly and put the soap down. She looked up at him as she washed the soap off her arms and swallowed again. Magnus lowered his head slightly as if to show he was listening.
"Christopher and I dated for thirteen and a half months," Alice said as calmly as she could and Magnus's face hardened subtly. "And we broke up just before I came... here." She added and took a breath.
Magnus didn't say anything for a few moments, and watched Alice for a part of it before looking away and standing up properly. He took in a sharp but deep breath and adjusted the way he was standing. "Okay, and what else?" He asked and Alice hesitated for a few seconds.
"That's it." Alice replied quietly.
"Do you have feelings for him?" Magnus asked and Alice parted her lips, but nothing came out. She wanted to say no, but she also wanted to be honest. "Great." He spat almost under his breath. "This is such fucking bullshit. Why did you lie to me?" He demanded in a tough voice as he looked her in the eyes again.
"I was trying to spare your feelings," Alice explained and adjusted the way she was standing. "I didn't want to tell you this whilst you're at my father's wedding surrounded by all of these people you don't know. It wasn't the right time."
Magnus analysed her face, and could see that she expected him to explode, since she looked like she was wincing already. His temper burned, but he pressed his lips together to stop himself from speaking and took a few deep breaths to calm down. He knew she was right, since if he'd known this at the time he would've felt like he'd been dropped into an ice bucket. It stung a little less now that they were alone, and she was with him, instead of elsewhere... until he remembered. "But wait, you were at his New Year's party and still gave me shit about Meredith. Why?" He asked, annoyance in his tone.
"Because Amara invited me, not Christopher. And I didn't go to upset you, I went to spend time with my friends." Alice replied calmly, "And I was upset about Meredith because it felt like you apologised to her and brought her to the party to deliberately upset me," she continued as her mind reminded her of what Meredith had said earlier that day. "Especially since even today she was boasting to my face that you two were inevitably getting back together, which means you were probably very charming and sweet and let her believe that."
Magnus didn't say anything and only pursed his lips before sighing. "You're not even going to deny it?" Alice asked and Magnus reached up to push his wet hair out of his face.
"No I'm not, because that's exactly what I was doing." He replied simply and Alice stared at him. "I have no intention of getting back together with her, but I knew she would jump at the opportunity to tell you, even if she wasn't sure herself. I know you're going to ask me why, so I'll tell you, I want to hurt you. Emotionally," Magnus said and his usual mask flickered to reveal the face underneath for a split second.
"Why?" Alice asked quietly, feeling her eyes already welling up with tears.
"Because I'm fucked off!" He snapped loudly and Alice moved her head back a little. "You asked me last week if you hadn't come here, would we have spoken, the answer is no. We wouldn't have. Because I'm pissed the fuck off." He bluntly explained. "Yes I know we've talked about it, but I spent two fuckin' years being mad at you and I haven't shouted yet. Watching you cosy around with my parents, living the high fuckin' life, flying around in private jets and fancy cars, drove me fucking nuts! That was mine." He nearly shouted, "and yes I also know that I would not have been the one prancing about on fucking TV but just being asked if I wanted to or not, would have been fucking nice!"
Alice's lips pressed shut and she let a few tears escape by accident, but she stayed quiet since it looked like he wasn't done.
"I thought we had each other's backs, I thought it was a two way street, you didn't want the fucking baby, so I went with you to get an abortion. That's fine, it's your body, you do what you want. We get home, and the first thing my parents do is ask you to be a part of a company that they didn't ask me to be a part of, and what do you do? You sit there in fucking silence, not once did you say anything about me to defend me or have my back, with my own family! And we have one fight after three months of great fucking moments, and the first thing you do is run back and do the exact thing I hoped you wouldn't. All you thought about in that moment was yourself, and I know you've apologised but-" Magnus stopped mid-rant and groaned angrily. His voice had raised to the point where he was almost shouting, and Alice was sure that either one of her friends, if not both, probably would've heard by now. "Fuck." Magnus muttered, turning away and little bit and exhaling. He took a second or two before he looked back at her. "Jesus Christ, I hated you for two years and... obviously... I'm not over it. We rushed into this and tried to pick up where we left off and it's not working. It's not fucking working."
"So... what would you like to do?" Alice asked carefully, she felt emotional, exposed and a little too vulnerable for her liking.
"I don't know. I don't want to hurt you... but it's like every time we have a fight I jump right back into my mindset from two years ago." Magnus shrugged, looking down now and Alice registered his posture. He didn't look like Magnus suddenly... and she felt her bottom lip quiver quickly as her eyes welled up. He shifted where he stood and Alice's heart jumped.
"Please don't leave." She whispered, her voice cracking as her mouth moved before she could stop it. Her hand covered her mouth and tears spilled over her cheeks as Magnus looked at her again, a little surprised at her reaction. "Don't leave yet," she whispered, wiping some wet hair out her face.
"Okay," he murmured quietly, looking into her glassy eyes and softening his expression. He didn't say anything, but he reached out to touch her, and carefully pulled her in. She was surprised at his behaviour too, but accepted the gesture and lent her head against his chest, carefully bringing her arms up to her chest to rest against his body, too. He had one hand placed on her back and the other on the back of her neck to offer comfort... and they stayed like that a few minutes.
Downstairs, both Lucas and Amara were quiet now. They'd heard the distant sound of raised voices, but couldn't quite catch what had been said. "Should we go check?" Lucas asked, standing up now.
"No," Amara murmured, "M?" She then asked, "is Alice okay?"
"Vital signs are normal, although her heart rate is a little elevated," M replied and Amara nodded carefully.
"Okay, thank you." Amara replied quietly before glancing towards Lucas who made a slight face of worry. "She's fine."
"Physically, yeah." Lucas mumbled and the kitchen was quiet again. About ten minutes later they heard footsteps, and both glanced towards the kitchen door, and noticed Magnus heading for the front door. He felt eyes on him, and glanced into the kitchen over his shoulder, seeing Amara and Lucas staring back. No one said anything, and Magnus seemed to glance down at the floor briefly before leaving and pulling the front door closed behind him.
Immediately the other two burst into action and headed upstairs, skipping steps at a time to make it Alice's room in a few seconds. Steam was still wafting from the open bathroom door, and they knocked on Alice's before opening, seeing her sitting on the edge of her bed in a towel. "What happened?" Amara asked, seeing Alice's slightly defeated expression. "Are you okay? We heard shouting."
"Yeah," she breathed, "I'm okay, we were just getting some things off our chests," she exhaled and licked her lips. "We've decided to take things slow, and actually get to know each other again."
"Oh... good, okay." Lucas replied and exhaled too. He acknowledged the disappointment again, but reminded himself it wasn't his life, but he wondered if Alice was actually happy.
"Did you have sex?" Amara asked, noticing the ruffled sheets and the fact Alice had showered. Alice stood up and walked over to her wardrobe and didn't say anything, "Girl, aren't you on your period?" She then asked as both her and Lucas walked further into the room and he sat down on the edge of her bed before remembering and stood back up.
"Yeah, but it's okay... we used protection-" Alice began as she turned around with a co-ord lounge set but Amara has already begun to shake her head. "What?"
"Bruja," Amara replied, "You won't get rid of him now... like ever... ever." She continued and Alice furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "My grandma has always said period blood is the purest blood there is, and sex during your bleed will bind a man to you forever. It's like the strongest love potion there is. And also burying a belonging of theirs under your house, too."
"I-" Alice began and Amara giggled, "Oh, you're joking." She smiled and Amara smiled and shook her head. "You're not?" Alice asked and Amara only smirked.
"All this talk of blood is making me light headed," Lucas sighed, "I'm gonna go take a nap." He added before signing. "You're okay though, right?"
"Yes I'm fine," Alice breathed and smiled warmly at him. He nodded, half accepting her response but didn't want to to push it, and excused himself to go lie down. He could hear Alice and Amara continuing to talk, but felt sleepiness taking hold so continued on down the stairs. He went to his room, closing the door behind him and undressed before climbing into bed and reaching for his phone that he'd placed there to charge earlier...
What he saw on the screen caused his heart to jump, and he widened his eyes and tensed all over, seeing the Apple news headline staring right back at him.
"Formula One racer, Christopher Roberts, rumoured to be the next I Am Industries Ambassador as Julia takes steps towards expanding her technological empire. Details to follow..."
Lucas breathed shallow breaths, having momentary flashbacks to a conversation he'd overheard between his father and someone else over the phone discussing this very topic. He hoped it had just been another member of the twelve, but this only confirmed it had not been... unless, whoever he had been speaking to, had been the one to leak the news. However, Lucas's instincts told him different.
His heart raced as he realised what was going on. His father was the leak, probably earning hundreds of thousands to leak information about Julia to the press and god knows who else. It explained why there had been a black car hanging around the house late last year, although he wasn't sure whether it was Julia protecting them or someone watching them. It also explained why the book club alumni knew so much about Alice, and also why whoever had planted that black box he'd found had managed to get onto the property undetected... Lucas's father had been to the Switzerland estate countless times.
He put his phone down and tried to rationalise and make sense of everything. Why would his father do this? Julia had always had problems with the governments of a lot of countries, and she had been sure at one point they were out to get her hence now why she had such intense security following her every move. He remembered her saying she'd been to events where people had been discreetly escorted out for having concealed weapons, although she never liked to bring light to it in fear it would make her seem disliked and to be so widely liked was a big part of her plan.
Why would his father do this? He kept asking his mind, but it continued to come up blank. Maybe he didn't fully believe in Julia's futurist ideals, and was only a part of it to spy.
Lucas felt sick now. He knew the weight of his father's actions, and hoped it wasn't true. What if they thought he was a spy, too? And his mother? Would Julia have them all killed? He'd made good friends, and was enjoying his life, and he felt a surge of rage flood his veins since his father continuously putting the family through hell with his public rants about how tax spending should be on weapons, borders and future wars.
A knock on his door caused him to jump, and he sat up straight and blinked, suddenly feeling the moisture in his eyes and wiped his cheeks. "Yeah?" He asked, pretending to look a little sleepy as he ruffled his hair.
"Sorry, I know you were napping bean, but have you seen the news?" Amara asked, Alice was behind her, now fully dressed in her knitted, cream co-ord lounge set. "Christopher is going to be an ambassador?" She gasped as they walked in and sat on his bed,
"Why wouldn't Julia tell us?" Lucas asked after clearing his throat.
"Maybe she didn't want to..." Amara trailed off and glanced at Alice after noticing something off about Lucas. "Rock the boat?"
"Well she had been trying to call me like two weeks before dad's wedding... maybe that's what she wanted to talk to me about." Alice interjected gently, aware she'd probably handled things poorly because of her nerves about bringing Magnus to the wedding, which had blown up in her face anyway.
"Maybe," Amara replied and the room went slightly quiet. "So what does this mean you guys are gonna be working together now?"
"I'm-" Alice began, but her phone began buzzing in her hand. "Oh, speak of the devil." She mumbled, seeing Christopher's contact I.D appear on her screen with a black and white photo of them together. A surge of butterflies swarmed her stomach and Alice sighed to try and calm them. "'Scuse me,"she murmured before getting up and leaving the room after answering...
"What's wrong?" Amara asked Lucas quietly, wondering why he looked like he had seen a ghost just before they had come in. Lucas hesitated, not wanting to say but he could feel the words rising like vomit in his throat. His vision blurred and Amara's expression softened and she got up and moved closer to him, "What happened?" she asked, feeling a sensation of urgency as Lucas sniffed and wiped under his eyes, feeling stressed and worried.
"Please don't tell Alice," Lucas whispered, hearing her talking outside the room. Amara furrowed her eyebrows even more and licked her lips, trying to guess what he could be about to say but she couldn't think of anything. "I think my dad is the leak."
"What?" Amara replied in a whisper, feeling the anxiety as well now.
"I heard him on the phone, a few days before the wedding. I'm not sure who he was talking to but they were talking about Christopher becoming the next ambassador, and it was all hushed like it was meant to be a secret. I tried to think nothing of it, but Julia hasn't said anything and Christopher didn't mention it, and even Alice didn't know so... that's all I can think about. He's the fucking leak." His voice cracked and he bit his lip, looking visibly distressed.
"Okay, um... fuck." Amara replied, glancing at the door and hearing Alice laugh bashfully but her voice faded away as she probably walked away. "I don't know what to say," she breathed, feeling nervous for Lucas and his parents.
"Exactly," He replied quietly, "I don't know what to do. He'd just deny it if I asked," he continued and Amara watched his face closely, her eyebrows a little furrowed whilst also being raised slightly. She knew how serious it was, and if Julia was to ever find out it would be more than likely something would happen as a result.
"Maybe he isn't... you don't really know for sure, right? So... maybe we just don't say anything." Amara then said and Lucas looked into her eyes, they were both quiet, unsure of what to say next. "I won't say anything to Alice." She clarified, "I get that you don't want her to feel conflicted," she added and Lucas nodded, his eyelids flickering as he glanced at the door again.
At the same moment, Alice wandered downstairs her phone to her ear. "I just saw the headline actually... I guess a congratulations is in order," she said, reaching up to fiddle with her hair until she realised it was up in a bun.
"Thank you," Christopher chuckled, and she could hear the smile in his voice so she smiled too, "Yeah, I wanted to tell you face to face but looks like someone got there before me." He continued and Alice glanced behind her to see if anyone was listening, which they weren't. She made her way into the living room and took a seat on one of the plush couches. "It's actually why I called, I was wondering if you did want to talk about it... face to face."
"Us, working together now?" Alice asked and Christopher agreed. "Will Julia have you prancing about in commercials with me?" she asked, remembering what Magnus said and felt a wave of guilt suddenly.
"Well, I'm not sure about prancing, I'm more of a bounder if I'm honest," Christopher joked and Alice laughed, "but no, I mean I'm going to do a few but it's more of the social media... wearing a sponsored t-shirt type of thing."
"I see," Alice hummed, "She must be pissed she didn't get to break the news herself." she then said and Christopher hummed, "She did say something about a leak a few weeks ago,"
"Yeah,I heard about that..." Christopher replied in a lower voice, his tone slightly more serious. "So, what do you say? I'm heading up your way anyway this weekend, I'm looking at some property for my parents if you'd like to come along."
"Oh, okay, yeah. That would be nice." Alice agreed, feeling her cheeks warm.
"I'll bring the pretty car, I know you like that one." Christopher then said in a teasing tone and Alice's blush worsened.
"Shut up," she laughed, thinking back to the first time she'd seen his white Tesla roadster. She'd described it as pretty, and he'd teased about her use of the adjective to describe a powerful car. She then zoned out, remembering also that car was significant in a more ways than one, since the first time he'd taken her out in it was also the first time they had been intimate. She brushed the memory off, listening to him suggest a day and a time for that weekend and agreed, wondering if they were going to talk about a lot of other things, also...
* * *
Saturday, January 8th, 2022
It was mid-morning as Alice made her way downstairs with a little jog, her sneakers in hand as she preferred to put them on last minute. She could hear Amara and Lucas in the kitchen, and burst in and spread her arms out suddenly. "How do I look?" She asked enthusiastically. She'd done her hair in long, loose waves and left her make up natural looking. She was dressed in a soft cream, cashmere oversized sweater that had a low V that showed off her cleavage subtly paired with a white leather mini skirt. She wore clear tights since it was chilly outside and planned to wear her beige puffer jacket over the top so she wouldn't get cold.
"You look so cute bean," Amara replied, dressed in matching sweats with her hair pinned up whilst Lucas was in a t-shirt and jeans since the house was warm. "Why are you- oh! That's today?" she asked and Alice nodded with a smile. "I hope he's going to come up to the door and come in and say hello, these young lads these days have no manners."
"Stop," Alice laughed softly, "He's just looking at a house for his parents and we're gonna talk about some stuff." she continued, "That's all it is."
"You got condoms in your purse?" Lucas asked with a smirk and Alice gasped and walked over just to hit him gently on his arm with her sleeve. They all jumped when the door bell sounded, and M announced that they had a visitor.
"Let him in," Amara replied, and a tone sounded throughout the kitchen. They heard the front door open a few seconds later and footsteps, "We're in here!" Amara called, and Alice's heart began to thud inside her chest as the footsteps got louder and they all looked towards the kitchen door.
"Your place is nice." Christopher grinned, dressed in a loose fitting button up white linen shirt, partially tucked into light denim jeans, with a deep brown leather pilot's jacket on over the top and his sunglasses holding back part of his hair. "Morning, morning," he then smirked, as Amara waved at him and Lucas smiled and lifted his hand in greeting. "Hey, you look fantastic." he smiled, looking directly at Alice and glancing over her outfit, as she waited quietly although she was smiling. "Ready to go?"
"Yes," she replied softly and Amara couldn't hold back her smile. "I'll see you guys later," she added and waved goodbye to the others before following Christopher back out... she could hear the celebratory silence and pretended she didn't as Christopher held the front door open for her and she walked out first after thanking him. His pretty car was there waiting by the pavement opposite the house, pearlescent white and glistening in the crisp, early January sunlight. It was cold just like she thought, but she didn't bother to put on her jacket since it was only a short walk to the car and Christopher had already walked ahead of her to open the passenger door. She would've commented on him being on his best behaviour although he wasn't, this was something he had always done, so it felt nice that he continued to do it even though they weren't together.
"So, the house is about... maybe forty minutes or so north of Oxford." Christopher explained, putting in the address on the GPS once they were in the car and Alice had settled down. She felt the butterflies, but they were calmer now... he acted as if he wasn't nervous or anxious in anyway, and that seemed to calm her a lot. "We can stop at your favourite place on the way, if you're hungry."
"My favourite place?" Alice asked, tucking some hair behind her ear as he turned the engine on with a button and pulled away from the side walk. The engine purred and she sighed quietly, looking over him as he drove.
"Maccy's." Christopher replied with a handsome grin, "Or has it changed now?" he smiled, glancing over at her before looking back at the road. He was a comfortable driver, and sped up and slowed down with ease as he neared the main road at the end of the residential one Alice lived on.
"I'm craving a cheeseburger right now, oh my god." She replied and he smiled, "I wish you hadn't said that," she giggled as he handed her his phone that had been previously balanced in his lap whilst they settled into the traffic leaving the city.
"How was your week?" He asked as she unlocked it, and felt herself quietly melt that her face was still registered to his phone. She went to his Spotify account to find a playlist as she thought about her response.
"My week was fine," she breathed, thinking that was the simplest answer. "and how was yours?" she asked, smiling at her purposeful polite voice that made him chuckle.
"Not bad," he smirked, "Moms went back home today because of work," he continued, and Alice nodded, putting on Off the Grin by Alina Baraz and Khalid.
"And are they still living in St Kitts?" she asked and Christopher nodded and hummed, "I miss it," she added quietly, "I was thinking about it the other day," she said before she really thought about it. He glanced over at her, glancing over her again and smiling gently. They talked lightly for the majority of the car journey, with their conversation dancing from topic to topic with ease until Christopher pulled into the drive way for the property. It was an old stone manor, with a long drive that led up to the house that had wide green lawns. It looked slightly unkempt, and like it hadn't been lived in for a while.
"Apparently the previous owner died in it." Christopher smiled, and Alice looked over at him suddenly as they parked next to another car. "So for what you get, it's like dirt cheap."
"What?"she asked with surprise, taking off her belt.
"Yeah," He grinned, looking excited and Alice couldn't help but laugh gently at his enthusiasm. They got out together, meeting the realtor who had come out of the house to meet them once they'd seen the car pull up. He spent a few minutes gushing over who Christopher was, and Alice smiled quietly next to him as he promised to keep it quiet that he was looking at the property. Christopher and Alice exchanged brief glances, and she fought the smile and hid it behind her hand before they were shown inside.
It was bigger than it looked, and a little more run down than Alice expected whilst seeing it on the outside. They were shown around together, but she wandered away from them sometimes to see the view outside through the tall windows, and recorded some of it with her phone, posting it to her instagram story. "So, it will be a bit of a project, but you two are young I feel like you'll have lots of time to make this your dream place." The realtor smiled, glancing at Alice who was looking out the window a few metres away and not listening.
Christopher looked over too, glancing over Alice again and licking his lips briefly, he simply smiled as he looked back at the realtor who then suggested as they look at a different room. "Alice," He said, catching her attention and motioning for her to follow by extending his arm out towards her. She smiled and followed, briefly touching his arm as she past so she could leave through the door way first.
When the tour was finally over the realtor left them outside to look at the grounds around the back of the property. They wandered by themselves, checking out the out buildings. "They could have the ducks in here," Alice commented, peering into an old stable whilst remembering the various animals Christopher's parents housed overseas. Christopher lingered behind her, his hands tucked into his pockets as he watched her calmly exploring with the wind attempting to cover her face with her own hair.
"Hey, you don't mind me working with you, do you?" he asked, reaching up to push some of his curls out of his face. Alice turned to look at him as they stood in the courtyard and removed some hair from her face again.
"Of course not," She replied honestly, "Why would you think I would?"
"It's not that I think you would, but aren't you seeing-" he began but Alice glanced down and briefly pressed her lips together before looking back at him. "Oh... I'm sorry." he said quietly.
"No, it's... just complicated. There's a lot of... it doesn't matter." she brushed off, "We are not here to talk about that," she smiled, fixing her hair again and looking up at the clouds bustling overhead. It was still sunny, but there was a wind picking up. Christopher smiled a little sympathetically and stepped closer to her, but only so that he didn't have to speak up.
"Are you okay?" he asked genuinely, tilting his head a little and Alice looked into his eyes as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Do I not look okay?" she asked, and Christopher smiled.
"I'm just wondering, because I know you like him a lot." he replied, shifting where he stood and Alice's expression softened. She read a lot between the lines, and felt herself take a deep breath to prepare herself for what she was about to say.
"You don't have to speak about him with me, but I appreciate that you do... you're very sweet." Alice said gently, moving closer to him. "I wanted to say, um... now that I haven't been drinking and we're alone... I am very sorry for the way that I behaved and how I ended things. It was childish and cowardly and really not fair on you at all, especially after how kind you were to me from start to finish, even now. If you want to cuss me out, that's okay. I can take it." she said and stood up properly. Christopher didn't say anything and instead furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Come on." she encouraged.
"Come on, what?" he asked, "When have I ever sworn at you... for you to think I want to do that, especially now." he continued, "I would like to keep you around, and I don't think cussing you out is going to be an effective way to that." he added, motioning for them to keep moving so they could look at the vegetable garden.
"Ugh," Alice sighed, walking with him and swinging her arms. "Just say what you mean, then."
"I just did," he replied calmly,
"No, what you really mean." Alice prompted and Christopher glanced down at her as she looked ahead, "This is cute," She commented quietly, seeing the old victorian vegetable garden, although most things were dead now and would probably have to be completely replanted.
"Alright," He agreed quietly, "You're figuring what you want, right? and whether that's me or Marcus, or neither of us, all I can do right now is... put on a brave face and go out there and be their leader." He smirked before laughing, causing Alice to laugh herself since she realised he was quoting the Office, which was a show they had binged together. He grinned, pleased with himself that he had made her laugh, as he also noticed that she didn't correct him either.
"You're an ass," She smiled, "I just... all I want to know is that you're not hiding some emotion from me that will come back to bite later on," she clarified as they kept walking.
"I think those were strawberries..." Christopher mumbled, noticing a familiar looking plant before he registered what Alice had said a few seconds later as she peered at what he was looking at, too. He read into what she said, wondering if she mean to suggest something in her tone. "Can I ask you something?" He asked instead of answering and Alice stood up properly after looking at some plants. "Did he hurt you?"
"What?" Alice replied, evidently shocked.
"As in physically," he asked and Alice turned red, causing Christopher's eyes to widen angrily suddenly.
"No! No, he didn't!" she gasped, throwing her hands up as she saw his reaction, "You just caught me by surprise, I'm sorry, I can't control the-" she breathed, patting her cheeks. "Oh god. No, he's not like that with me."
"Okay..." Christopher replied, narrowing his eyes briefly as he watched her closely for a few more seconds as she fanned her cheeks, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I just wanted to make sure."
"It's fine," she whispered and they went quiet for a few moments.
"Alright. Why don't we wrap this up then go get something to eat?" Christopher then said, changing the subject swiftly. Alice nodded, and he waited for her to walk past him before he put his hand on her back as a small sign of encouragement and comfort. She didn't say much out of pure awkwardness as they went back to find the realtor who had been waiting inside. She lingered behind him as he discussed plans for the house and when he'd make his offer before saying goodbye.
She found it interesting to watch him slip into business mode before switching back to the Christopher she was used to, and it made her smile little bit to see him gathering the papers for the house for him to sign. When they left, he'd still opened the passenger door for her and closed it before making his way to the driver's side, feeling a little guilty that he'd put her on the spot before but he needed to know.
They stopped a small pub restaurant for lunch, deciding to eat outside where it was quieter. "Do you want wine or something?" he asked after he'd stood up to head inside to order their food.
"Yes please," she smiled, and he nodded, already knowing which one she wanted. She felt a little chilly so stood up to turn the heater on, feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. Amara had texted her to check in, and smiled as she retook her seat on the round picnic bench and sent her response, telling her that it was going well. She'd calmed down from earlier, and after a few minutes Christopher returned with a glass of chilled white wine for her and a soft drink for himself as he was driving.
They talked lightly as they sat opposite each other, the conversation flowing easily again. He talked about what he wanted to do on his break before his races started again, and they reminisced about past trips of where they'd been together. He'd discreetly extended his legs, since because of his height, the table made it awkward to sit with them too close to his body... Alice sipped her wine, feeling all warm and fuzzy as they talked more and began to lightly flirt. She stretched her legs too, and felt her cheeks warm when she accidentally brushed against his... but he didn't seem to mind.
Over the top of the table, they talked away as if they were the closest of friends, but underneath their legs were delicately entwined. Alice had two more glasses of wine, one of which she shared with Christopher, and yet even with what she'd eaten she still felt a little lightheaded. He made her laugh so easily that even other people looked over and smiled a little, thinking it was sweet.
"You know I just think it's so interesting that you brought the pretty car," Alice said after one topic had finished.
"Really? In what way?" Christopher replied, playing oblivious as he reached for her glass of wine and took a sip.
"You know in what way," Alice replied with a smirk, and laughed softly. "You did it on purpose," she added as he grinned, feeling her nudge him with her ankle under the table. His grin calmed, and he licked his lips briefly as he edged his leg closer to hers in response.
"And if I did?" he asked, knowing very well which moment she was referring to.
"Well." Alice hummed, taking another sip of her wine. She felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside, and for a handful of minutes had forgotten nearly everything in her life that had been causing her stress. "It worked," she mused, glancing up at Christopher through her lashes. He was smiling already, but a different look wafted gently across his expression as he read hers... he licked his lips gradually, looking her over before he smiled more again... "Should we go?" Alice then asked as casually as she could, she sat back and took a deep breath, her wine glass now finished.
"Sure." Christopher replied, carefully getting up. His heart was beating quickly, and he couldn't stop the smile on his face as he followed Alice back to his car...
* * *
"Where is this girl? She said she'd probably be back around three, it's like almost five." Amara muttered, checking the window to see the road. "I've texted her like three times, what if something happened?"
"Okay, now you really sound like somebody's mom," Lucas replied, biting into a sandwich and continuing typing on his laptop. He was still working on his assignment, with part of the screen open on iMessage, showing that he was exchanging messages between himself and a contact named Charlie.
"I know but... I feel like with everything going on behind the scenes I'd like her to let me know if she's good and not in a ditch somewhere." Amara sighed, moving away from the window, but out of the corner of her eye noticed Christopher's car coming up the road. She jumped down from where she was standing on a chair to see over the top of the misted glass, and hurried away from the window to open the fridge, acting nonchalant about what was inside before Alice had even opened the front door. It took a few minutes, but in the quietness they could hear Alice close a car door then another quietness before the sound of the front door opened.
Both Lucas and Amara looked towards the kitchen door immediately, and Alice carefully opened it, wanting to see if they were inside but when she saw them she looked spooked. But she came inside anyway, and went to put her purse down carefully on the counter... They were all quiet, but immediately Amara and Lucas noticed Alice's hair was a little bit too ruffled. "Maybe I should've taken those-"she began, but stopped as Amara screamed and Alice burst out laughing.
Alice covered her face as she turned red again and laughed into her hands as Amara ran around the kitchen, smacking different items with her hands out of excitement. "How was it?!" She asked excitedly as Lucas sat there with wide eyes and looked between them, laughing gently too.
"So good," Alice whispered, "Just... I don't wanna talk about it," she giggled, fanning her cheeks again. "it's not- we just... got caught up, and fuck we didn't even talk about the company." she tried to explain as Amara jumped up and down. "Nevermind, I can call him. But I need to go shower,"
"Yeah, you go wash that off, you nasty." Amara smirked, smacking Alice's behind as she turned away. "Go be great with your lavender, okay?" she called after her as Alice laughed and hurried up the stairs. "Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for her." Amara grinned, clapping her hands.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Lucas smirked, "They fucked in a car, how promising could it be." he mused and Amara threw a cloth at his head.
"Christopher is a race car driver, that man's whole life is about cars. My point has been made, thank you. Case closed." Amara replied and Lucas laughed as saw the smug look on Amara's face...
At the same moment, across the park and down another residential road, Magnus was idly watching TV on the couch as Otto brought in some popcorn and handed him a bowl. They had been watching something on Netflix, but it had finished and so now they browsed actual broadcasting channels to see what was on. "I added butter, I don't know if that makes a difference." Otto muttered as he took in a handful. Magnus hummed, about to zone out as he ate a few pieces of popcorn but suddenly a newsreel of some small gossip channel popped up.
Magnus immediately recognised Christopher, since they used one of three photos of him smiling in either in his racing overalls, or at a press event. "Can you turn that up?" he asked, and Otto pressed the button on the remote as Magnus sat up properly to listen. The presenter explained that there had been a rumour about Christopher joining I AM Industries as another ambassador, and people seemed to be forming their own conclusions since both him and Alice had been seen out together that very day. Magnus's face turned blank almost immediately, and Otto glanced over at him as a few slightly blurry pictures of Alice and Christopher sitting together eating came onto the screen.
Otto didn't know what Magnus knew, but he could tell something was probably up from the way Magnus had visibly tensed. He was staring at the screen in silence, feeling the need to take a deep breath but he didn't, instead he let his lungs burn as a sudden competitive anger took over. His lip twitched and he flexed his hands before Otto decided to quietly suggest a different channel...
A part of him had assumed that Alice would be at his door by now, since the last conversation they'd had was discussing how they needed to be more careful and take things slower with each other, however even then he knew she was acting strangely. She couldn't look at him after she'd asked him not to leave, and she'd retreated into herself even when he'd offered her comfort after pouring out everything dark and negative he was feeling about her onto her. He wasn't sure what he expected her to say, and although they had exchanged a few messages since then and passed each other in the library and exchanged words, things felt different.
But the real fire of competition had been lit now, and before it seemed petty, with Jae and what he assumed had been going on with Lucas, but this time it seemed Christopher had snuck past him and was miles ahead and still picking up speed. He could feel the anger crawling back, and his void pointing its clawed finger towards his mother once again, assuming that this was yet another way to bring him down, yet in reality... it was much different.
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A U T H O R' S N O T E:
AJSDSDKALSDKAJSDASLKDASKDA OMG. OKAY. THIS CHAPTER WAS CHAOS IN MY HEAD I HOPE I MANAGED TO GET IT OUT CLEARLY. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CLEARED UP, AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT TO MYSTERY...!
REGARDLESS OF THAT, I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THE CHAPTER, AND LET'S MOVE ONTO QUESTIONS.... EVERYONE GOT A GLASS? FAB *POURS WINE / JUICE FOR EVERYONE*
1) WHAT DID WE THINK OF THE OPENING SCENE AT THE UNIVERSITY CLUB?
2) ALICE VS MEREDITH?
3) MAGNUS'S BEHAVIOUR THROUGHOUT?
4) ALICE'S BEHAVIOUR THROUGHOUT?
5) THE **** SCENE?
6) THE DISCUSSION MALICE HAD IN THE SHOWER?..... ? WHAT Y'ALL THINK?
6) CHRISTOPHER AND ALICE? WERE MISTAKES MADE OR NOT?
8) WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
9) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HAPPEN NEXT?
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING YOU GUYS, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER, I LOOK FORWARD TO READING ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS <3
I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, STAY SAFE, EAT WELL, DRINK YOUR WATER, DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU GUYS IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF SOMETHING ABOUT Alice Murphy,
LOTS OF LOVE, SIENNA XOXO
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C O N T E X T:
Alice's outfit inspo in the beginning of the chapter
Alice's outfit inspo for her outing with Christopher:
Christopher's car:
And just once again....... Christopher 🥰: