I parked the car and turned off the engine, purposely moving in slow motion. My past decided to come back and haunt me. That doesn't mean I have to rush off to meet it. It's been 20 years since I last saw Alexander and I never thought I'd see him again. I sighed and pushed the car door open.
"Bella, are you okay?" Evelyn asked, concerned.
"No," I grumbled, stepping out of the car and slamming the door shut.
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad," she said, attempting to cheer me up.
"Yes it can. The last time I saw him, he proposed to me in front of the entire coven and I refused...barely," I reminded her. She groaned and followed me into the forest.
Whenever I am around Alex, I don't think clearly. He understands me better than I do myself and makes me feel completely lost. He has twice the effect on me that Edward does. That's the reason why Evelyn had nicknamed him 'The Italian Stallion.' Also because he never failed to make every girl swoon at the sight of him and has never been in a serious relationship. The house came into view and I halted. No, I can't do this. I turned and tried to go back to my car, but Evelyn grabbed my arm and turned me around.
"Bella, where do you think you're going?" she asked.
"Anywhere but here," I replied and attempted to make my escape again. She tightened her grip and stood her ground; I couldn't move an inch.
"Bella, you can't run from your problems," she said, dragging me back towards the house.
"Yes I can. If you would just let me go, I'll show you!" I protested. She ignored me and stepped up to the door. It swung open on cue and she dragged me in.
"Isabella," my father's voice rang. I instantly straightened and looked at the stairs where his voice came from. He stood there with his hand on the railing and Alexander beside him. I groaned at the sight.
Alexander looked like a true Greek god. His messy brown curls surrounded his golden eyes with a tiny bits of red in it, and a perfect compliment to his tall, muscular frame. I struggled to keep my thoughts together but they scattered the moment I saw him. I watched with apprehension as he smiled and walked over to me. He leaned down and kissed both my cheeks gently, lingering a moment too long before pulling away. I always felt like he was just in this for the chase and nothing more. That was probably the only reason I had for refusing him.
"Bella, it's nice to see you again. You look stunning as always," he greeted, his Italian accent obvious in his speech. I smiled weakly and concentrated on not looking directly at him.
"It's nice to see you too, Alexander," I uttered. He laughed musically and wrapped his arms around my waist. He was careful to keep his hold just short of intimate.
"Alexander? When did we become so unfamiliar? What happened to Alex?"
He was too close. I couldn't form coherent thoughts anymore. All I could do was nod once to show I actually heard him. My father cleared his throat and Alex released me and stepped back. I shot my father an appreciative look and he just shook his head at me in disbelief that I was still this hopeless.
"Alexander will be staying here until after your birthday," Father announced. My jaw dropped to the ground. Please don't let history repeat itself. I don't know if I can refuse this time. "He will be staying in his old room." I bit my tongue to refrain from screaming. His old room is next to mine! Fate had to be toying with me.
"Bella, why don't you two get caught up while I go...do some party planning," Evelyn said running up the stairs. Some friend she is.
"I will make sure she doesn't go overboard," my father added as he followed Evelyn.
"Bella, would you join me for a walk?" Alex asked, suddenly behind me and whispering in my ear. I gulped and nodded. "Ladies first," he said gesturing at the door. I smiled weakly and walked out the door. He followed me and closed the door.
I didn't know where he wanted to go so I slowed my pace and allowed him to catch up. He led me around the mansion to the back garden. I'm supposed to meet Edward back here later. Why did they pick the exact same place? The garden was full of greenery and my father always made sure it was well tended to. In the center, a large tree towered over everything, casting shadows over a large white swing. I used to sit there and read all the time, I remembered.
Alexander grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the swing. I shrieked in surprise and lost balance. He moved quickly and caught me before I could hit the ground. As I hung in his arms I couldn't help thinking that he'd made me fall on purpose. He always seemed to have everything planned out and everyone is just his pawns.
"Are you okay?" He said his arms still holding me in mid air and his face a centimeter from mine. I squeaked and he laughed. "Bella, you haven't changed a bit." He carefully placed me back on my feet, but didn't fully release me. "Come on, get on the swing and I'll push you." He took my hand again and led me to the swing.
He stood me in front of the swing with my body facing him and pushed me down until I was sitting on the swing. This swing wasn't meant to really move, I thought. It was the sort of swing that could seat a couple of people while they talked or something. Alex walked around the swing and gently pushed it forward and, though it protested the movement, the swing started to move.
After a moment, I found that I was enjoying myself. The wind rushed through my hair and swept it back every time I swung into the air. I giggled in joy and it encouraged him to push harder. When the swing reached its maximum, all my worries came rushing back.
"Alex! If you don't stop soon, you'll break the swing," I screamed when the swing creaked with irritation.
He laughed and gripped the back of the swing, halting its movement. I jerked forward and Alex placed a hand on my shoulder to steady me. I didn't dare look back to face him because I was afraid of what I might see. There was a sigh and I heard footsteps as he made his way around the swing.
Suddenly, he stood in front of me. He placed a finger underneath my chin and lifted my head up to face him. He didn't say anything, he just looked at me with his honey colored eyes and a smile playing on his lips. I felt like I was drowning in an ocean of liquid gold and scarlet and couldn't reach the surface no matter how hard I struggled. After a minute, he let go and bent down to my ear.
"Bella, I haven't given up yet. I just want you to know that," he whispered. He pecked me on the cheek and turned away, slowly following the trail back into the house.
Why does this always happen to me? Do I even want him to give up? I groaned and laid my head back, closing my eyes. I should be used to this by now. Every since I met Alex, he always knew exactly what to do and what to say. And that just added to his appeal.
Author's Note: Any questions? You have no idea how easy it was to make a scene like this with a character like Alex. It scares me. I have started school and it is a pain in the behind, so forgive me if I do not update as fast. Review or you'll never get the next chapter.