9:00 PM

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Alex shut and locked the door behind him before turning and surveying the scene. The message on the mirror was written in bright pink lipstick, a vivid message of Rachel's betrayal. The perpetrator herself stood against the sink with her hands clasped and head down in a sign of defeat. Alex scowled.

"You think you're pretty cute, don't you?" he scolded. "What the hell were you thinking?"

She didn't answer. He began striding to her, desperate for answers with a hand outstretched for her arm, when she squeaked and ducked away, taking cover in a corner.

Alex went for her there, and when she tried to dart from him again, he threw out a hand and clenched her neck, slamming her against the wall headfirst.

He lowered his faces to inches from hers and hissed into her ear. "I expect an answer, Rachel."

She moaned and pulled at his hand, trying to open her airways. He let up some, just enough for her to speak. When she didn't, he moved closer and wrapped his legs around her ankles, pressing her even more against the papered wall behind her.

"Do you hate me that much?" he snarled. "I've never wanted to hurt you but you keep doing this. You keep provoking me. I'm so sick of your inconsistency, Rachel. Make up your fucking mind."

"I can't!" she spat finally. "That's the problem! I want to love you, Alex, but its when you do shit like this that I want to get away! How easy do you think this is for me?"

He paused, breathing heavily at her admittance. "Well, pause for a moment, Rachel, and think about what I'm going through. The girl I happen to be in love with was also a pawn in an assassination plot and my hostage. And then I find out that I already loved her once a year ago but I didn't realize it because my best friend wiped my memory clean to prevent pain and promote productiveness. Think about that for a minute."

Her face softened some, and although Alex felt guilty about laying his problems on her on top of her admittedly difficult ones, it was necessary. Rachel needed to realize the true magnification of the situation before she could accustom to it.

"I…" she swallowed, and Alex could feel the movement in his palms. "I'm sorry. I just….I want my family back. I don't want to feel threatened anymore, and I'm sick of feeling like a hostage."

"Then lighten up," he whispered. "Be the girlfriend I know you want to be instead of the helpless little prisoner that you're playing. Stop aggravating me and admit what you're feeling. You don't constantly need to hide anything. It just makes things more difficult for both of us."

She nodded. "I'll try. But I need you to promise something."

"What's that?"

"That you won't hurt me. And that you won't leave me again."

He smirked at her, satisfied. I would never leave you. "I wouldn't leave you for the world, Rachel. And I won't hurt you. Unless you try something like this again. Which you won't need to, because I promise you, I'll give you whatever you need."

"I want to see my family again, though," she murmured. "Don't expect me to be apart from them for the rest of my life."

"I don't," he admitted simply. "When things calm down, maybe in a few months at the earliest, I'll let you call them. With the given that they can't run to the police and you can't stay with them, we can possibly arrange a regular meeting. I don't want to sacrifice you or your sanity, but I'm not going to get arrested."

"Granted."

He smiled at her and picked up the towel from the floor, beginning to scrub at the writing. Rachel moved to the sink to wet another towel and help him, but on her way over, she stopped in her tracks and turned contemplatively to him.

"Alex?"

He didn't look up. "Yeah?"

Her voice was then so quiet that he almost didn't hear what she said. If it had been anything else, he knew he wouldn't have picked it up. But, with the magnitude of a mouse crossing the floor, she whispered, "I love you."

Alex dropped the towel then and turned, taking a step closer to her. She stepped forward as well, and he placed an arm on her shoulder. She didn't flinch or back away.

"I love you, too," he nearly broke his promise but paused, "May I kiss you?"

The words had barely escaped her lips before he cut her short, fulfilling his request and soaring at her reply.

She loved him.