Chapter Twenty-Four: yesterday's storm and tomorrow's hurricane
Alex watched as the waves broke over the shore, rolling out yesterday's sand and sliding it back into the ocean. She had always loved living on the coast. It was the only reason she had moved to Newport; although it couldn't be counted as the reason she had stayed. She was addicted to these grey beach mornings. Sitting in her beach chair, hot coffee nestled between her hands, she was waiting out the calm before the storm. She knew most people found comfort in it, found peace, but it just drove her crazy. How could anyone be calm waiting for their world to be yanked out from under them?
So she was downing the french vanilla coffee that Marissa was addicted to and waiting for the younger girl to miss her prescence in their bed. And to smell the delicious coffee. Marissa had some sort of radar that went off every time coffee was made-even more so when it was french vanilla. And Alex needed her to wake up so she could stop thinking about hard stuff and just focus on Marissa-who was anything but hard. She didn't want to wonder about all the messes she was supposed to clean up; she didn't want to deal with Aaron, who was coming back and was going to be majorly pissed that she had burned down his club; and she sure as hell didn't want to think about another round of police questioning. It all generally sucked.
Alex sighed and sipped her coffee again. She was about three seconds from getting up and crawling back in bed with Marissa when she felt slender arms wrap around her shoulders.
"Hey you." Warm words were whispered in her ear and a soft kiss placed beside her ear. Alex smiled softly and looked up to see Marissa leaning over her.
"Hey." She answered, quietly. It felt wrong to break the sunrise silence. Marissa, sliding her arms from Alex's shoulders, walked around the chair and sat don on Alex's lap. Alex wrapped her own arms around Marissa's waist and wasn't surprised to see a steaming cup of french vanilla coffee in her girlfriend's hands. Marissa took and sip and then smiled.
"Thanks for the coffee." She said. Alex was already getting lost in her, no urging needed. She smiled foolishly and leaned up to kiss the other girl. She could taste the coffee in Marissa's mouth, but it was sweeter there, and warmer. Alex decided she liked the way it tasted in Marissa's mouth more than anywhere else. She pulled back, licking her lips.
"You're wel-" She was cut off by Marissa's lips on her own again, this time more forceful than the languid kiss they had just shared. Alex returned it, meeting Marissa's mouth with the same lingering desire. It was always there, always floating below the surface, and it was intoxicating. It could take over her actions in seconds. But this morning, maybe slowed and calmed by the dolldrums stretching out in the ocean, they both pulled away. Catching her slightly winded breath, Alex looked up at Marissa. She was illuminated by the rising golden light and more gorgeous than anyone Alex could think of. Than anyone Alex had ever set eyes on. But then again, Alex was pretty much incapable of thinking of anyone else when she was with Marissa. Maybe that was the essence of love. That perfection attributed to your love, just because of your simple inability to consider anyone else in comparison.
Marissa met Alex's eyes and smiled softly, their gaze conveying pure and intimate feelings. She had never felt closer to anyone then she did in this moment. Like Alex wasn't another person to hold at arm's length, another person to watch carefully, to hide dutifully from. She didn't have to guard her eyes and watch the other girl to make sure she was saying the right thing-smiling the right way. Alex felt like a part of Marissa. Like she was an extension of herself and she could trust her with everything, because she already knew it all. She could sit back and give it all to the blonde. The feeling rushed over her, this feeling of intense dependancy-resulting in utter release of control and Marissa realized her heart was racing. She realized her smile was steadily growing.
So this was falling in love.
She leaned down, eyes flicking between Alex's eyes and her mouth, because both were just as inviting. And she kissed Alex as softly as she could, as promising as her mouth could convey. She pulled back just a little, placing her coffee and the sand and taking Alex's from her as well. Turning completely and straddling Alex, Mariss didn't say a word. She could feel the words inside her and she wanted to show them. She wanted to show Alex everything, with every single touch. Every new revelation; she wasn't scared of them, she was eager to feel every inch.
Marissa leaned down again and kissed Alex, each touch growing more and more urgent. Both hands on her face, then one in her hair, one trailing to her waist. Alex reacted similarily, hands everywhere, mouth tasting again and again; and Marissa felt herself falling deeper.
Because she could feel Alex's words.
And they echoed her own.
IOIO
Sitting in the waiting room of the police headquaters, Marissa had taken over her spot from the previous night, picked up the exact same magazine, and sat back. She was content with waiting, because she felt like Alex was safer when she was within sprinting distance. And because she felt more secure when Alex was near, even if it was in jail. Because that's where she was, in a flipping jail, and for some illogical reason she felt safer there than at home by herself. Sitting there, she was quickly swept away by her thoughts.
She was new to this whole love thing and wasn't sure how to react. She and Ryan, as close as they had been, had never felt like this. Well, maybe Ryan had, but Marissa hadn't returned the sentiment. She remembered comfortably close conversations and soft kisses that made her feel warm, but nothing like what Marissa felt all the time now. She knew, because she had been trying to compare them. As unfair as it should have been, she was comparing Ryan to Alex and Alex was coming out on top. Almost embarrassingly so.
She wasn't sure if she should tell Alex that she loved her. Truthfully, she wanted to. She wanted to tell everyone, but mainly Alex. Because it felt like something that needed to be shared, like an exciting secret she had learned. It felt like when she had found out that the Kooks were coming for a concert last year and no one else had any idea and she got to tell everyone. Like she had this fantastic secret that needed to be shared-with wide grins and quick words. It made her high.
She had a definite afterglow after this morning, one that flushed her cheeks and still lingered on her skin. She knew a few people had noticed, because it was blatantly obvious. Those people included the receptionist at the desk across the room who had smiled knowingly when Marissa walked in. But Marissa was too afterglow-y to care. She barely even noticed.
Instead, she crossed her legs and read People, waiting for Alex to come out. Waiting and worrying and smiling to herself.
IOIO
"Tyler Reed. Last night. In my apartment with my girlfriend. No, I have a good paying job." Alex said flatly. A new officer-the third of the day- had walked in and before he could even open his mouth, Alex had answered all his questions. He smiled a little, amused, but Alex was still annoyed.
"You forgot 'When was the last time you were-"
"The afternoon before." Alex cut him off. She raised an eyebrow. "Can I go now?" The officer nodded absentmindedly.
"Yes. But you need to be here tomrrow at eleven to help with tracking down..." He glanced over the sheet lying before him"...Tyler Reed." Alex nodded, already standing up to leave.
"I know, I'll be here." She said. She pushed through the steel door without another word. Making her way through the halls that she knew would soon become familair, she was focused on finding Marissa. They needed to go to the Bait Shop, clean up, meet Aaron at the airport at four, and then-Alex paused. She had walked into the waiting room to see a group of people huddled in the far corner. A group of people who had quickly become familiar sights.
Seth, cheek pressed up against the semi-clear window, was half-asleep. Marissa had her head on his shoulder and was totally out. Summer, arm around her best friend, had her head leaning back against the wall. Ryan and Lindsay were wrapped around each other, half-alseep as well. The whole group of them had been cleaning up at the Bait Shop all last night and should have been at home sleeping. They were here instead. Alex smiled to herself.
She made her way over to them. When she reached Marissa she leaned down and pushed the falling hair out of her face.
"Morning." She pressed a kiss against the younger girl's forehead and watched as she stirred sleepily.
"Where's Alex?" Marissa muttered, eyes fluttering open. Her blurred gaze focused on the blonde before her and she smiled, just as blurred. "Hey." She muttered, taking Alex's chin in her fingers and pulling the girl in for a warm kiss. "How were the interviews?" Alex rolled her eyes.
"Fantastic. I swear I get smarter every time someone asks me if I burned down the Bait Shop." Alex said dryly. She pulled back a little, as Seth and Summer stirred beside Marissa. The brunette smiled and leaned forward as well, pushing herself up off the seat.
"You wanna get someting to eat?" Marissa asked, the People magazine sliding unceremoniously off her lap. She yawned and leaned forward, resting her forhead on Alex's shoulder. She was about to fall over, she was so exhausted.
"Right now, getting some sleep sounds a lot better." Alex said. Her early moning coffee was wearing off, which wasn't surprising considering it was almost three in the afternoon, and exhaustion was nipping at her conciousness. She wrapped her arm around Marissa and nuzzled her nose into the girl's hair, reveling in this simple intimacy.
"Ok." Marissa agreed, her arm around Alex's waist. She turned to her friends, who were gazing up at them sleepily. Leaning over and releasing Alex, she hugged Summer quickly. "Thanks." She whispered in the brunette's ear and then pulled back, ruffling Seth's hair affectionately. After waving her goodbye to Lindsay and Ryan who were just rousing, she wrapped an arm back around Alex. Her eyes were brighter now, revealing the burst of energy her nap had given her. She decided to use it to her full advantage, knowing it would fade quickly.
"Home?" Alex asked, yawning as she extracted her keys from her pocket, fumbling with the many pieces of metal that glittered in the sunny afternoon. Marissa, taking the keys from Alex's fingers with ease, guided the half-asleep girl into the passenger seat. She smiled gently as Alex practically fell into the Jeep's passenger seat.
"Yeah, I'll bring you home. But then I'm gonna go get lunch." Marissa thought back longingly to the hot french vanilla coffe she had practically inhaled earlier that morning. It was her drug, no doubt. Alex waved a hand.
"Just go now. I'll sleep in the car." She said, eyes already fluttering shut. Marissa, unable to cotrol the sudden rush of affection, leaned forward and kissed the girl on the cheek. A blush grew on her own, but she only smirked at the contented smile that slipped onto the blonde's face. Then, Alex's breath evened out and Marissa knew she had drifted off. Quietly, she closed the passenger door. Smiling to herself, she walked back to the driver's side.
IOIOIO
Marissa stood at the counter of the diner, waiting on her takeout. Tapping her fingers against the black and white formica, she watched the bit of the kitchen that she could see. Cooks bustled around, tossing food to each other and generally looking surpringly happy and energized. Marissa's eyes were starting to droop shut though and the workers' constant movement was making her tired. She stifled a yawn with her hand and turned her attention to the people surrounding her.
Her gaze flicked outside breifly, checking on Alex's car where she knew the other girl was sleeping. Alex still sat there, eyes shut, slumped against the seat. So Marissa shifted her gaze inside, only to see someone she hadn't thought about in much too long. A smile growing on her face, she pushed off the counter and started across the room. There, sitting by herself at a table, was Theresa, Ryan's ex.
"Theresa!" Marissa called, happiness evident in her voice. No matter how much bad stuff had gone down with her and Ryan, Marissa wouldn't forget the other girl who had helped her when she needed it. Theresa glanced up, surprised, then grinned.
"Hey Marissa!" She answered, standing up to wrap the younger girl in a hug. Marissa hugged her back fiercely.
"What are doing back in Newport?" Marissa asked, pulling away to study the older girl. Theresa opened her mouth to answer, but a voice across the room interrupted her.
"Theresa." Alex said the name dryly, venom dripping from every syllable. Theresa glanced over Marissa's shoulder, then frowned.
"Alex." She said, her tone matching the blonde's. Marissa was beyond confused. Her eyes darted between the two girls, trying to make some sense out of the situation. She opened her mouth.
"Huh?"