The End of Something Old
and
The Beginning of Something New
"Like I told you before," Alexis said. "I'm saying my goodbyes and then I'm gone, I'm not sticking around here for forever and a day."
"I know," Laura said. "The girls almost sacrificed me when I told them that you were planning on leaving. They thought that I was lying."
"Maybe I should tell them that you were," Alexis said as she opened the door. "Which room?"
"The buffet room," Laura said walking with her.
"Oh wow, I feel honored," Alexis said walking into the room.
Everyone stopped and looked at her and then before she knew it everyone was rushing at her and wanting hugs.
"Slow it down," Alexis said laughing. "I'll get to everyone before I leave."
"How are you feeling?" Amber asked.
"I haven't felt this good in a long time," Alexis said. "I feel alive for once."
"I'm gonna miss you around here," Amber said hugging Alexis.
"I'll miss you too you kooky little carrot," Alexis said laughing. "Where's Alex?"
"Somewhere far, far away if we're lucky," Amber said looking around.
"It's alright, I'll find him later on," Alexis said laughing.
"I can't believe you're leaving," Teagan said hugging her tightly.
"Neither can I," Alexis said hugging her back.
"Where are you going?" Teagan asked as she let a tear fall out of her eye.
Alexis shrugged and laughed. "I have no idea but I'll phone you when I get there."
'You'd better," Teagan said hugging her again.
"Well Alexis, we're had our fair share of squabbles," Christopher Daniels said.
"But good squabbles they were," Alexis said hugging him. "Take care of yourself, I don't want to see anything horrible about you in the news."
"Likewise there buddy," Alexis said smiling.
She turned around to see who tapped her shoulder.
"Hey Sonjay," Alexis said hugging him.
While she was hugging Sonjay she let her gaze drift and she saw the person who she never wanted to see for the rest of her life. His eyes caught hers.
"I have to get going," Alexis said looking at Sonjay. "Hold down the fort in the Himalayas."
Alexis quickly tried to zigzag through the crowd but knew what happened when a hand touched her.
"Let go of me," Alexis said turning around.
"I need to talk to you," AJ said. "Just give me five minutes."
"You don't deserve five seconds," Alexis replied.
"Just hear me out and if you don't like what you hear you can leave and you don't have to see me ever again," AJ said.
Alexis looked around to see everyone watching them.
"Say what you want," Alexis said. "It's not like it's going to affect me."
AJ got down on his knees and looked up at her.
Alexis laughed first of all. "You're a pathetic excuse for a man, you know that?"
"I know that I have no right to even talk to you, never mind ask you to forgive me," AJ said. "But I hold off one minute longer it's going to kill me. I thought that you were holding me down, that I wasn't doing what a young guy was supposed to be doing. But what do I know? Lexi, the night that I left you I threw up all night and I cried the entire night and I've been crying every night since then."
"Why are you doing this!" Alexis yelled. "You dumped me! It wasn't the other way around!"
"Because I'm nothing without you Lexi!" AJ said. "I'll cry for you right here right now in front of all of these people. I don't care about them. I care about you! My love for you is stronger than my pride for myself. I realized how big of a part you are in me. I hurt myself when I hurt you."
Alexis looked around the room again at everyone and then back down at the man who was on his knees begging for her forgiveness and on the verge of tears in front of all of their friends.
There were several things running through her head, most of the thoughts conflicted each other. But eventually she went with her instinct and before she knew it her hand was raised and she slapped him across the face.
He kept his face turned away in the direction of the slap for a few seconds and then looked into her eyes. She covered her mouth and let out a small yelp escaped from her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. AJ left his knees and stood up. When he tried to comfort her she roughly shoved him away. But he didn't give up. He tried to pull her into another embrace and her resistance had weakened so much that she fell against his chest crying. He affectionately wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you so much," he said kissing the side of her head while tears escaped from his own eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"I forgive you," Alexis said hugging him.
He let his arms slide up her until they reached her face. He tilted her chin up and kissed her tenderly.
He ran his fingers through her hair and breathed in her perfume. How he missed her. Everyday felt like an eternity. He even missed her when he slept at night. He missed having no one to hold onto, no one between his arms.
Every minute that he was alone gave him more time to think about the hideous things that he had said to her. None of them were true, they were all lies to get out a situation that he couldn't have loved more.
When their kiss ended AJ let out a sigh of relief but still held her to his chest. He looked around and the room was empty. He didn't care. It could be full of killer bees and he still wouldn't let her go. She was too precious to him and he finally realized it.
"I love you Lexi," AJ said pressing his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry for the pain that I've put you through. I love you so much. I didn't mean for it to go that far. I didn't even mean to make you cry. It kills me to see you cry and I don't know why I keep doing it to you."
"I love you too," Alexis said wiping away the make up that had smudged.
"You wanna go home?" AJ asked.
"Yeah," Alexis said. "But can I ask you something first?"
"You can ask me anything your little heart desires," AJ said.
"How many country songs did you have to listen to to think of that speech?" Alexis asked.
"That was no country song," AJ said. "That was all me."
"Umm…yeah…no," Alexis said smiling.
"It was more country songs than you'll ever know," AJ said laughing.
"Thought so," Alexis said laughing.
"Come on Princess," AJ said scooping her up. "Let's go home."
:The End:
