AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Here's the next installment! As always please review and tell me your thoughts and if you've got any ideas, feel free to share! Thanks!

CHAPTER NINE

Alexandria's POV

My father and I had talked about his diplomacy trip. Spending time with him lately had been difficult. I knew that if I didn't control my thoughts, I would betray Gideon and mine's secret. As a telepath myself, I knew full well the dangers of letting your thoughts wander. I also knew how place mental blocks.

I still had to control my thoughts, lest my father break through those blocks.

I had no desire to go on the trip. Two weeks of almost constant company with my father was very daunting. Could I keep my control steadfast that long?

It was one thing to control them for an hour or so but two weeks was an entirely different matter.

Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair. I used to wear it up all the time. Gideon had commented on how pretty it was down, so I left it down more often. To my surprise, I found I liked it better that way.

I was walking down the hallway towards my room when I bumped into an excited Alicia.

"Alex! Why didn't you tell me? Come on—"She began dragging me towards our room at top speed.

I panicked. Did she know? She couldn't know! Then I calmed myself down. She doesn't know. If she did, she would be upset and angry, not excited.

We arrived at the room, and with a flourish, she threw the door open.

What I saw made me gasp in surprise.

The room was covered in vases of orchids. My favorite flower.

I stepped inside with a small smile on my face.

"There's a note on your bed. I didn't read it." Alicia said.

Walking over, I glanced around the room. The vases covered every inch of available table space, shelf space and then any space left over. Petals were sprinkled over the floor and the beds…basically everywhere.

The paper was a heavy, formal type. I ran my fingers over it before opening it. In beautiful calligraphy the note read:

Dearest Alexandria,

Here's an orchid for every moment I think of you.

Hope you enjoy these, I know they're your favorite.

Sincerely,

Gideon.

I had to admit, I was impressed. One-he'd taken the time to plan and arrange this for me. And Two-He'd signed the card.

I lifted an orchid out of one of the vases on my nightstand and inhaled. My mother had always smelled of orchids. She adored them and wore a perfume that smelled of them. It was one of the reasons I loved orchids. They reminded me of my mother.

"You did not tell me you were seeing someone. I'm a little miffed." Alicia said from the doorway.

"What?" I asked, being pulled suddenly from my thoughts. "Oh—well, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Well—Your Romeo clearly doesn't feel the same way."

I was struck at what she'd called Gideon. Romeo.

We were having a Romeo and Juliet romance. Every girl dreams of having one.

Too bad the romance between them killed a 4 people and finished off both Romeo and Juliet as well.

I was hoping that wouldn't happen with Gideon and I.

I turned to place the flower back into its vase when Professor Storm walked by, then backed up to our door. "What's going on in here?" she asked with a smile.

Alicia piped up "Alex has a very romantic boyfriend apparently."

Storm looked at me. I shrugged.

I really didn't want a twenty questions session about who I was dating.

There was a beat of silence before Storm nodded, smiled again, and continued on her way.

I exhaled a sigh of relief.

I looked around the room again, smiling. Gideon had put some thought into this. Placing the flowers in here without being seen or caught, and knowing which kind of flower to choose.

Alicia sighed. "You always meet the most interesting people Alex."

I laughed.

"Ok I'd like to stay and wonder about this mysterious guy of yours, but alas, I am unable because I came in here for…" She started searching under the petals and vases. "My chem book."

Alicia was into science and took as many science classes as she could. Chemistry was her favorite.

She soon found it, and left.

I sat down on my bed and picked up a few of the petals. A shrill ring sounded out. Startled, I looked around. It was coming from under my pillow?

Reaching under, I drew out a simple black cell phone. Hitting the answer button, I raised it to my ear.

"Gideon?"

"Very good." He said with a chuckle.

"You put these flowers in my room." I said smiling as I looked around once more.

"Yep. Do you like it?"

"Like it? It's the nicest thing a guy's ever done for me."

"Well I can't take all the credit. I got the idea from a romantic comedy."

"I just can't figure out how you did it. How did you do it?"

"You know, sometimes you don't need to have all the answers."

"OK…But what's with the phone?"

"I was worried that if your dad sensed something he would check your phone records. It's really easy to do. So I slipped you one he wouldn't know about so I could talk to you."

"Oh. I see."

I felt like mentally kicking myself. I hadn't even considered phone records. I'd called Gideon a few weeks ago but he hadn't picked up. Oops.

"Speaking of talking to you, are you busy tonight?"

"I am actually free."

"Good. Meet me at the Northhaven Bridge. I have a surprise for you."

"Ok…"

He chuckled and hung up.

I hit the End Call button and sat thinking. I wasn't used to not being in control. As Professor Xavier's daughter I was given a measure of respect everywhere, but here especially. Being nineteen, I was expected to handle most of my own things, which was something I did well. I was used to being in control and deciding things. Even my few romantic relationships, I'd made the plans and such.

Having someone else hold the reigns was surprising unsettling. But kinda liked it too.