Chapter 26

Four Months Later …

Alex's POV

"I'm just saying you should take the job Al. You're practically doing it already," Marcus fussed as we entered the coffee shop. We just finished rehearsal for the summer recital with the younger kids. Right now, I really needed a coffee and a Tylenol. However, Marcus was focused on convincing me to sign on the dotted line with Miss Vivie.

"I'm not sure I want to stay in this area Marcus. There's a lot of world out there and now that I am officially an adult and had the time to save up a little something I was thinking I may move back home … or just somewhere else," I muttered the last part. I'd been lucky so far I hadn't seen him anywhere but I lived too close to be lucky but for so long. Mia said it was the age gap we didn't frequent the same places so I was pretty much safe.

"Is this about that creepo you were dating? I still think that was really weird of him by the way. He just should have just appreciated you as a pretty face and realized his ass was too old for you and kept it moving," Marcus blurted out. He was a good friend but he was really too opinionated for his own good.

"I told you I don't like talking about this Marcus," I said dryly before sipping on my caramel iced coffee. He nodded and took one of my hands and started toying with my fingers.

"Well, why don't you give me something else to talk about," he said in his seductive voice. I was getting quite familiar with it because he hit on me at least twice a day. Since I worked with him so frequently I was actually becoming numb to it.

"I don't know we could talk about your fascination with my fingers," I teased and pulled my hand away. We both chuckled. Just as we did the man I had been avoiding burst the front door. I'd never been so thankful to be sitting in the back. I tried to look away but I couldn't. He had on sunglasses a black polo and dark denim. His hair was balled up the way I loved it. From what I could tell he seemed to be frowning. He took his place in line and I finally was able to look back at Marcus. Marcus, however took it upon himself to follow my line of vision.

"Well speak of the old creepo himself," Marcus griped and I just hunched my shoulders. "We should wave him down and see if he says hello."

"No, we shouldn't do that! Actually, your next class is about to start in like ten minutes," I reminded him as I looked at my phone. My new phone that Mia was nice enough to get me so I wouldn't keep getting unwanted messages.

"I still don't get why you don't want to confront him. Most women would've wanted to cuss the bastard out!" I smirked the one thing I liked about Marcus was that he did call me a woman he never once saw me as a little girl.

"I'm not most women. I just think we … made a mistake. I don't think he is a monster, just misguided," I said slowly.

"Sure whatever," Marcus said dryly. He rose and came over and kissed the top of my head. "Be good." He strolled out of the coffee shop and after he was gone I surveyed the area to see if Jose' had left. I noticed that he sat on the opposite side of the shop and seemed engrossed with something on his phone. I had conflicted feelings a part of me, a rather big part of me wanted to check on him and see how he was doing. I was supposed to wait here for Mia so I couldn't do what the other part of me wanted which was bail with a quickness. I sighed as I picked up my coffee and other belongings and headed towards him the man who possessed so many of my first. My first love. My first kiss. My first heartbreak. They all belonged to him and I wasn't sure he even wanted to see me.

Jose's POV

I was having the worst day of my life. Business had been a tad dry and I felt the reason we didn't have many prospective buyers was that Gloria wasn't doing her job as well. I had a meeting planned for us tomorrow to review her productivity for the past couple of months. I was actually considering making deals on prices from some of my art. However, I worried that buyers would take it as a sign that I wasn't doing so well and they would be right. Luckily, the classes and "rookie" artists were helping fill the void where my pieces were suffering. I was reviewing one of the deals I was considering taking from a hotel when I saw him. Marcus. He was leaving thank God but I did notice where he was coming from. She was with him. It didn't take her long to get over me. She seemed well she didn't seem like she was dying inside like I was. However, I deserved to suffer and she didn't. It looked like she was about to take her leave but instead of heading towards the door. She strode in my direction. I attempted to play it cool and continue to stare at my phone. She stood at the empty chair in front of me and took a deep breath.

"Hey," she muttered. I looked up and tried my best to show a normal emotion but I was sure what I truly feeling.

"Hey," I repeated and swallowed hard as I looked up at her. I took in her outfit. She must've been coming from the studio she was wearing her black tights, black shorts, and pink hoodie.

"Can I sit?" She motioned toward the chair and I nodded. She seemed a little lost almost as if she were looking for something to say.

"How are things?" I asked alternated between looking through my emails and glancing at her. I didn't want to stare at her. She might feel uncomfortable and leave.

"Good. Better. Classes are going really well. I'm considering taking on a more permanent job at the dance studio. I don't know if I'm going to take it though," she mused and seemed seriously conflicted. I bet that Marcus guy would love if she were there more frequently. "What about you? How is work?"

"Work has been a struggle. Things are not selling as well as they used to be. People are trying to negotiate and I used to be against it but now I'm considering caving. I'm just scared what that means for my career." Alex looked at me with concerned eyes I wanted to reach out to her and find comfort in her. I knew it was unacceptable but it didn't stop me from wanting it.

"Well, have you taken any pictures lately?" I thought about it I haven't really went on any trips or sought out any new places to since … things ended. I shook my head to answer her question.

"You should probably reunite with your creative side. You're too busy thinking about the numbers and financial gain. You need to find the beauty in things and capture it," she suggested softly yet firmly.

"Create some magic?" I suggested and she chuckled.

"Yeah, go out and freeze some memories," she teased she raised her fingers to her mouth and I noticed she had artificial nails, short and French tips. So she could bit on the nail and it wouldn't break.

"I like …uh, your nails look good," I stammered and she looked down at them.

"Mia took me to get them done. I think she agreed with you about the nail biting thing. These things are helpful and amazing to type with," she confessed with a little smile and I did the same. Our conversation was coming to a still. I didn't want the awkward silence to drive her away but I couldn't think of anything else platonic to say to her. I could only think of the two words that blaring in my head. The two I needed to say to absolve my soul and make my heart hurt a little less.

"I'm sorry," I murmured softly into my coffee. We made eye contact for a second and she quickly looked away.

"Don't be. We were a mistake from the start Jose'. We were in two different places and completely … we … I don't know. We were just wrong." She shook her head and tears formed in her eyes for a second. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. I disagreed with her but I wasn't going to push my luck by arguing with her. We had made mistakes but I don't think we were wrong to try. If I had it to do again. I would try again, the only thing I would do differently is I would try harder and trust her more.

"I just feel it needed to be said. Even if we were wrong Al, whatever happened should've never occurred. I still to this day don't remember any of that night," I confessed and she looked down and wiped a tear.

"Stop talking about it okay," she murmured as she attempted the keep the sob out of her voice. I nodded and I felt I could get emotional as well.

"Okay," I muttered quietly. She reached in her bag and pulled out a ticket and slid it across the table. I looked at it in confusion.

"It's a peace offering Jose', it's a ticket to Miss Vivie's summer recital. I have three dances in it two groups, one solo. Oh and my little missies have two dances too!" She beamed as she talked about those little girls and some of the stories of them messing up. She seemed really touched by them. I was wrapped up in her stories and then her eyes got wide.

"I have an idea! How about I ask Miss Vivie if she wants some pictures of her dancers for around the studio? I mean we have some but nothing to your caliber and her studio can most definitely afford you. Do you want me to ask her?" I shifted my coffee cup around a bit.

"Sure, just let me know if and what she's interested in and will draw up some figures," I muttered. I didn't want to do business with Al. I wanted … something I couldn't have.

"So how are other things?" I asked hoping to pry a little into her personal life. As soon as she went to answer someone knocked on the window of the coffee shop. Gloria, she must've had some kind of radar on me that was used to only make my life miserable. Alex sighed and sat back in her seat. Gloria strode into the building she was really happy almost giddy about something.

"Oh my God Jo Honey, you're not going to believe the news I got today! You know I went to the doctor this afternoon because I've been out of it, kind of sluggish, and off center. So you won't believe what she told me!" Gloria practically squealed.

"Let me guess, you're pregnant," Alex said bluntly and Gloria glared at her. "That's it isn't it? Jose' is the father and you couldn't wait to tell him right in front of me?" Alex said darkly as she rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"I would have told him whether you were here or not. Your presence is irrelevant it doesn't change my condition," Gloria snapped and Alex scoffed. I almost choked on my coffee.

"You're not seriously pregnant are you?" I whined with dread coloring my voice. I held my head in my hands and I heard as Alex scooted her seat back. She got up and offered her chair to Gloria.

"It was good seeing you Jose', but I've got to go. Plus, it seems you two have loads to talk about," Alex said solemnly. I looked up at her but she wouldn't offer me her eyes. She just gathered her stuff and left. I refocused on the woman in front of me who was exactly where is wanted to be, in Alex's seat.