A/N: So sorry it took so long to update! But I hope you enjoy this chapter. And I don't anything from john Feinstein's books.
"Alex, are you sure you don't want to come?" Harper asked her best friend gently. She knew Alex was upset, but didn't think staying holed up in the hotel was the answer.
"I'm sure, guys," Alex replied quietly. She was wrapped up tightly in a plain blanket as she watched her friends and brothers get ready to go out to dinner. She just wanted some alone time, but clearly, her friends didn't think she could handle being anymore alone.
"Alright, well if you need anything at all, just call us, okay?" Bailey ordered more than asked. She sounded just like Mrs. Russo, saying the exact same thing she would have. Alex nodded her consent as she bit back her tears.
"Alex, do you want us to bring anything back for you?" Justin asked his sister, feeling that it was his duty to take care of her until she felt better and they could back to almost normal.
"Yeah, I mean they have everything here, Alex!" Max added loudly.
"Actually, if they have an Olive Garden and a sub shop around here, some chicken and gnocchi soup and a 'Meet Me In little Italy' sandwich doesn't sound too bad. And maybe a chocolate milkshake?" Alex asked, looking up at her older brother with wide eyes. Justin gave Alex a small smile.
He remembered when she used to need him for everything and it felt like that again.
"You got it," he told her before turning to follow the others out of the apartment. As he stepped out the door, Justin turned back on an impulse and walked back over to Alex before sitting next to her.
"Alex, I promise you that everything will work out okay in the end and I'll always be here for you. I know you get on my nerves a lot, but I love you. And just remember that mom and dad will always be here, too," Justin said softly, hugging her as she leaned on his shoulder.
"I know. Thank you, Justin. Thank you so much," Alex said before looking up at him. Tears were threatening to spill over her eyelids, but there was a smile on her face. That was all Justin needed to see.
"See you later," he said before getting up and leaving for real this time as Alex waved.
Half an hour later, after ordering a brownie a la mode, her comfort food, from room service, Alex was sitting on her bed, reading. She was halfway through "Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery", which was by John Feinstein. After that whole escapade with future Harper, Alex realized that reading wasn't so bad if she liked the book.
Anyway, just as Stevie and Susan Carol were being shocked by the fact that Chip Graber told the guard they were his cousins and let them into his apartment, there was a knock on the door. Alex groaned before book-marking her page. She knew it couldn't be her friends because they had only been gone half an hour, and if Justin was really bringing her food, they would be gone at least an hour.
She stood up, wrapping the blanket even tighter around her as she walked toward the door. She pulled it open after a moment of hesitation and revealed a woman who looked to be in her early forties with brown eyes, a warm smile, and brownish red hair.
"Can I help you?" Alex asked.
"Hi, sweetie. I'm Karen Knight. I live next door. I'm sure Mr. Bitters mentioned my son and his three friends. Probably called them hockey-heads or something like that," Mrs. Knight said.
"Oh, yeah he did. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Knight. I'm Alex. Do you want to come in?" Alex asked, stepping aside a little.
"Oh, no thank you, dear. I'm just over here to introduce myself. But, didn't I see you all come in a larger group?" Mrs. Knight asked.
"Yes, my brothers Justin and Max and my best friends Harper and Bailey are here as well. Bailey's the one who came here to get famous, but she brought us because…" Alex trailed off.
"Oh, don't worry about it dear. Yes, I thought there were more of you," Mrs. Knight responded as if she knew why Alex had trailed off.
"They went out to eat, but I didn't feel like going out, so here I am in my lonely little apartment," Alex put a small smile on her face as she gestured to the apartment with one hand.
"Well, you don't seem like you want to be alone. Tell you what, the guys and my daughter are just sitting down for dinner, so why don't you come over for a little while? It'll be nice to meet a new, normal face around here. Don't get me wrong, some of the people here are normal. My son doesn't think I know what goes on, but let's just keep the fact that I do between us," Mrs. Knight winked at Alex. Alex's smile grew a bit wider.
"Um…"Alex though for a moment before deciding it might be good for her to spend some time with other people. "Sure, but just let me get changed. Come on in, I won't be that long," Alex added as she unwrapped the blanket to show Mrs. Knight her pajamas.
"Alright, Alex," Mrs. Knight laughed as she stepped inside before Alex closed the door and hurried off through the still not unpacked apartment to her own unpacked room.
"Hm, what should I wear?" Alex asked herself. There were going to be four guys, apparently, and she wanted to make a good impression. What girl wouldn't?
Alex began digging through all the unpacked boxes and suitcases in her room and finally pulled out an outfit she thought would suffice. After all, they probably knew her story if Mrs. Knight did and she wasn't really sure if she wanted to go over in the first place. She put on a pair of black jeans and a deep purple V-neck shirt along with a pair of her many Converse and pulled her hair back in a slick ponytail before grabbing her cell phone and book and walking back out to the living room.
She found Mrs. Knight in the kitchen and did a double-take.
"Whoa!" she gasped. Mrs. Knight turned around. The entire kitchen was unpacked and stocked with the groceries they had bought.
"Sorry, I figured you'd be a little longer, knowing us girls and decided to help unpack, considering there are no adults to get it done for you. Oh, and Logan loves that author!" Mrs. Knight told Alex, the last statement referring to her book.
'It's fine, just…thank you. You didn't have to," Alex said.
"No problem. Now let's go," Alex followed Mrs. Knight next door.
Alex followed Mrs. Knight into the apartment and stopped dead when she saw the blond-haired boy who had smiled at her before.
"Alex, this is my daughter, Katie, my son, Kendall, and his friends, James Diamond, Carlos Garcia, and Logan Mitchell. Boys and Katie, this is Alex Russo. She and her friends and brothers are living next door now," Mrs. Knight introduced everyone.
Alex quickly took in everyone's appearance. Kendall, aside from his blond hair, had piercing green eyes. James had brunette hair and brown eyes and was giving her a once over. Alex giggled as Katie, who had brown hair and blue eyes, smacked him in the head. Carlos was a Latino with dark hair and eyes, but he was smiling. Logan, she noticed, who had black hair, had his blue eyes focused on the book she was holding. Mrs. Knight was right. But what Alex noticed the most was that Kendall couldn't take his eyes off of her. The only seat open was between him and Katie, and she blushed as she sat down. It was going to be an interesting night.
A/N: I hope this made up for the long drought without updates. SO you saw Alex and Justin's sibling relationship and Mrs. Knight's caring side, which I love writing. Please review.