After LIAB…Paige and Alex are apart, but somehow can't get over what they had. Six years later…
Chap. 1
POV- Alex N.
It's 2am and I can't sleep. After hours of tossing and turning, I just settle for lying awake on the futon in my "cozy" studio apartment. It's been six years since the dramatic breakup with Paige. I haven't seen any of them since that day.
After I'd overstayed my welcome with Paige in the university house, I told her I was going to live with a relative in Ajax. Of course, I had no one to go to in Ajax, but I didn't want to worry Paige. She had enough going on with that stupid job.
I remember walking down the steps of the university house with my duffle bag strap over my shoulder. I had no place to go. I didn't even have my mom. She was my only family and I'd lost her to Chad. I went to the only place I could go…the shelter. I stayed there for over a year and a half, working two jobs and saving up until I could afford this little place. With the help of Ms. Hatzilakos and Ms. Sauve, I was even able to scrape up enough money between savings and scholarships to get into Toronto U and get my Bachelors'.
I wonder how everyone else is doing. Where are they, now? Is Ellie still writing? How are Marco and Dylan? Did Paige stick with that fashion stuff?
I feel my heart break a little as I remember those beautiful blonde curls and sky-colored eyes. Her eyes had this unique ability of changing from blue to grey to green, in seconds. I think back to the first time I REALLY looked into her eyes.
I sprinted out of the apartment and down the steps into the night. Where am I even going? I thought. Hell if I knew. All I knew was that I had to leave.
I put one foot in front of the other, starting on my walk through what would be considered the "wrong side of the tracks". You know… Graffiti on the walls, random sneakers thrown up on the phone lines, beer cans and used cigarettes decorating the streets, and those "faint ambient sounds" of sirens and gunshots…
A cool breeze caught the skin left exposed by my tank-top. I remember how chilly it was that night. It almost felt like winter. In an effort to keep warm, I shoved my hands down in my pockets. Then, I found myself thinking about what happened back home. I almost laughed as I realized I referred to the place as home. The apartment complex was many things: Old? Yes. Rat Infested? Yes. But, a "home"? Not quite. Even after all those years.
How could it have been?
Every night, Chad would wake up screaming and smashing after being in his "drunken coma" for most of the day. I don't know about you, but I drink when I want to be happy and have a good time. I guess Chad never got that memo. Mom wasn't much better. She drank just as much as Chad. The only difference was that apparently she could hold her liquor a lot better than he could, because she'd just keep doing whatever she was doing when he passed out.
All the fights would start the same. Being that Chad strongly resembled the rats on the staircase, it was only natural that he would be insecure. When he drank, all his doubts and insecurities were, like, amplified. He'd say something characteristically stupid or accuse mom of being a "gold-digging whore". She would try to reason with him, afraid of using the wrong tone when she disputed what he was saying. She'd tell him she was working and that she was being faithful. But he wasn't having that. His mind would be made up. After about 20 minutes of Chad's swearing and mom's useless attempts to calm him, he'd get fed up and smack her across the face.
Sometimes, worse.
Those were the times I'd walk away sporting a fat lip or a nice shiner. My mom and I weren't really close, at this time. We rarely talked at all. But I'd be damned if I was going to sit there and let anyone hurt her, physically, or otherwise.
Just as I began to drift deeper into my thoughts, a jeep pulled up beside me.
"Alex!" She called out. I could barely hear her over the blaring pop music. At first, I didn't know who it was so I got a grip on the blade in my pocket. Then I turned and saw her. Paige Michalchuk.
Meeri must've kept her late that night because she still had on her uniform. I suddenly became very worried for her. What was she doing on this side of town? This late? Then, I scanned the area and realized I wasn't in my neighborhood anymore.
We talked for a bit. I really didn't want to get in the car because I knew she'd want to take me home. I know I didn't want her to drive off though so I dragged out the conversation as long as I could. I loved being around her. Making her laugh. Making her smile.
One minute, I was joking with her, next minute she was adopting that "Queen Bee" voice telling me to get in. I was actually somewhat amused that she cared enough to yell at me. Strange, eh?
I exhaled, settling back into the passenger's seat as she started to drive again. It felt so good to be off my feet and out of the cold. Apparently, I'd walked all the way to this side of town and hadn't even realized it. I guess I was too caught up in La-la-Land to notice where I was…
Paige did this cute little shiver-type thing. I GUESS it was a shiver, because she cut the heat on.
For a while, I just sat there, with my eyes closed. I sat there taking in the heat, Paige's perfume mixed with the smell of popcorn, and the faint sound of pop music on her radio.
I was brought back to reality by the sound of Paige's voice. "So, did you get in a fight?"
"Yeah", I responded with a shrug. Monosyllabic responses were good. After a while, the questioner would surely lose interest. She didn't need to know what kind of fight it was. She didn't need to know that it wasn't even my fight. All she asked was if I was in one. I turned and look at her. Her brows were furrowed and her mouth was twisted as if she was debating on saying something.
"Do you want me to take you home?" She looked at me for a fleeting second, keeping her attention mostly on the road.
I zoned out again, wondering if the apartment was safer than when I ran out. Have mom and Chad already dealt their blows for the night? Have they already had their sloppy, drunk make-up-sex? Maybe they've passed out…
"Alex?" Paige brought me back to reality, once again, but didn't say anything further. After a few moments of silence, I heard her give a sigh of relief and we pulled into a driveway. It was her house. She cut the car off and turned to face me with challenging eyes. I could feel her eyes burning two holes into the side of my head. I found myself looking at everything but her face.
"Alex, look…" Her voice was so soft as she spoke to me. It caught me off guard, especially coming from her. She continued, carefully, "It's none of my business, why you were walking, or why you have a busted lip and bruises down your arm. It's none of my business that you are ALWAYS bruised." I crossed my arms defensively, before turning to look back into those beautiful sympathetic eyes. A moment passed between us. Anytime I looked into those eyes, I'd get lost. I knew she could sense my walls crumbling under her stare.
She continued, "You can stay the night, or you can go home. I'm sensing that you don't care much for the latter though." With that, she got out and started towards the front door.
I followed suit, smiling gratefully.
That was the night I began to fall for Paige Michalchuk
