Sorry it took me so long! I had a lot of this story already written so I just edited and added before posting, but I finally hit the point where I'm having to write things as I go so my updates may be just a tad slower...I apologize in advance!
Thank you so much to the amazing reviewers! xxxlil-miss-mercerxxx, Violet201, sweetist of sin, Mrz Letty Ortiz-Toretto, Sassy Ava, and lover of many things804! Your reviews make my day and definitely help me feel better after a long day of studying! Thank you! :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Mickey and Alex
Diamond in the Rough
Chapter 18: Just Happy
By: LoveInk
Alex fought the urge to smile as she entered the dance studio. It was during the off time when no classes were scheduled, so she new Michaela wouldn't be busy. She skipped into the office where Michaela looked up at her in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be in Paris?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.
"I didn't go," she stated, shrugging a shoulder. She dropped into the chair in front of the desk, kicking her feet up onto it. "I decided spending a few months with Eddie would be absolute hell."
"I could've told you that." Michaela's eyes studied Alex briefly. She was wearing a simple black tank over a neon green bikini top and a pair of cut off shorts. Her dark hair was wet and pulled up into a messy bun, probably because she went surfing that morning. Michaela's eyes widened when she saw the small cut and dark bruise on her cheek. "What the hell happened to your face?"
"Ron and I were messing around and he got a little too into it," she lied easily.
"He punched you in the face?" Michaela asked, traces of doubt in her voice.
Alex shrugged a shoulder. "It was an accident. Do you need me?"
"Um no, your sub is here. You want me to tell her to go home?"
"Nah, it's all right. I think I'm gonna go hang out with Mia at the shop for a little. You know, take a breather?"
"Okay," Michaela drew out the word, looking at her friend like she had three heads. She hadn't seen this bubbly, happy Alex in weeks. She could think of only one reason for it; drugs. "Are you on something?"
Alex shook her head exaggeratedly. "Nope," she said with a grin. "Just happy. Is there something wrong with that?"
"No it's just…you've been all mopey for like a month and now all of a sudden you're skipping around. It's kind of weirding me out a little."
"Just a change of heart, that's all," she said, shrugging a shoulder. "You want me to grab lunch for you at the store?"
Michaela shook her head. "Nah, I'll meet you there after class. I'll tell Lee too. He'll be stoked you're staying."
"Sounds good. I'll see you later then!" Alex chirped in response as she took her mirrored aviator sunglasses off her head and put them on.
"Okay, weirdo," she replied, waving at her friend. Once she was gone, Mickey looked back down at the desk. "Cocaine is one hell of a drug," she murmured to herself.
Mia was surprised to see Alex's green Jeep pull into the parking lot, especially since she parked it just a few spaces away from Vince's blue Maxima. She'd talked to Alex earlier that day and had heard all about her decision to stay in town, though it all seemed shady to her. "Hey Mia," Alex greeted sitting down on a stool. "Hows it going?"
"What happened to your face?" Mia asked, a small gasp leaving her lips when she saw the extent of the bruise.
"Ronnie. We were rough housing. He got too rough," Alex explained easily. "Are you excited for your date tonight?"
Mia grinned and nodded. "Yes. Brian's a really nice guy. You'd like him, he surfs."
"Really? Cool," Alex commented, before saying a quick thank you to Mia when she set a turkey sandwich and an orange soda in front of her.
It was then that Vince walked in, carrying a huge box of sodas. Mia watched as Alex briefly glanced at him before becoming very interested in her sandwich at the same time as Vince set down the box, making sure to keep his head down as he shelved the soft drinks inside of it. "When are you going to getting back into the dating world, Lex? It's about time," Mia asked. She'd asked that specific question on purpose, hoping to the question would wake Vince up a little; make him see he'd made the wrong decision and perhaps even make him apologize for being such an idiot before.
"Who says I haven't already?" Alex questioned, the corners of her mouth pulling up into a secretive grin. She quickly locked eyes with Vince who gave her a discreet wink behind Mia's back.
"That's impossible. You were all dark and broody last time I saw you. There's no way any guy would be attracted to you while you're like that, no offense."
Alex shrugged off her comment. "None taken."
"Don't tell me its Eddie," Mia said, laughing when Alex wrinkled her nose in disgust while shaking her head no. "Well then, who?"
"No one," she answered as she opened her can of soda. "Mind your own business."
"Oh come on, Lex, we are so past this!" Mia shouted in frustration. She turned to look back at Vince who was smiling before looking back at Alex. Then it clicked. Vince was smiling. "No. Way."
Alex fought the grin that was threatening to spread on her face. She knew Mia had made the connection, but she wasn't going to give it to her that easily. "What?"
"You," she said pointing at Alex before turning and pointing at Vince. "And you? Again? Really? Oh, I hope you made him beg."
"She didn't make it easy, that's for sure," Vince muttered under his breath, giving Alex the go ahead to discuss their relationship.
"Holy crap! I can't believe it!" Mia exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. "Finally someone listens to me!"
Alex raised an eyebrow; she hadn't heard about Mia's involvement before. Vince gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged a shoulder. "She may have suggested it."
"Thanks Mi," Alex said softly.
Mia waved her off with a roll of her eyes. "Oh my gosh, Mickey and Leon are going to freak."
"No, they're not," Vince said quickly. "Because we're not telling anyone else. The only reason I'm tellin' you is because I know you'll find out anyway, and I'd rather just tell you than have you gossiping with Let and my sister about it."
"Smart move, Mr. Catella," Mia joked. "So does this mean you're going to Race Wars?"
Alex furrowed her brow in confusion. "What's that?"
Mia ignored her and turned to Vince. "Oh she has to come, Vince! Please! It'll be so much fun! Lex, it's a huge party in the desert. Tons of dancing and craziness. You'd love it."
Alex looked at Vince as if asking for permission and he shrugged. "You can come if you want, Tiny," Vince offered. He'd love to have her there. Not only to have her close, but also because he knew it piss Dom off. "It's up to you."
Mia stepped around the corner and slung an arm around Alex's shoulders. "You should. If only to keep an eye on him because Race Wars are just like the races but times ten. If you saw the amount of trash Vince and Leon used to pick up…" she shuddered while shaking her head. "It was disgusting."
"Trash, huh?" Alex repeated a curious gleam in her green eyes as she looked at Vince. "You are such a manwhore."
"Was, I was a manwhore. Past tense," he corrected with a smirk.
"So he admits it! And it's settled that you're going to Race Wars with me," Mia exclaimed, a triumphant smile on her face. "I want to hear how you two got back together. Every single detail. Go."
Vince stopped shelving things and walked as quickly as he could do the back as if to pick up more boxes, leaving Alex alone to tell the story. She groaned, setting her forehead down on the table counter. "It's really not that big of a deal, Mi," she mumbled, trying to get out of it.
"Again, are you really going to play the privacy card, Lex? C'mon. I know you want to tell me."
"Fine," she muttered on a sigh. "He rushed all the way over here from somewhere…"
Mia's eyes widened. "That's why he left our barbeque! For you! Not because of Brian!"
"Sure," Alex commented, giving Mia a confused look.
"Go on," the other girl prompted. She hated when Alex was like this, sometimes talking to her was like pulling teeth.
"And Ronnie answered the door…" A loud engine interrupted her thought and minutes later, Leon's yellow Skyline pulled into the parking lot. "Oh no, Leon's here. Guess I can't tell my story. Bummer," Alex said, feigning disappointment.
Mia narrowed her eyes at her. "We are so not done."
Alex laughed, slipping her aviators on to cover the bruise on her cheek. She knew telling Leon that Ronnie was the one who accidentally hit her would not fly. He would either get pissed at Ronnie or call her on her lie. He walked in lazily, a toothpick hanging out of the corner of his mouth. "Look who it is," he said, a grin on his face. "A little birdy told me you were staying."
"Yes sir," she said with a smile.
He pressed a brotherly peck to her cheek. "Good," he said before ruffling her hair lovingly. "Nice sunglasses."
"Thanks."
"You wear them inside often?"
Alex shrugged a shoulder. "I do what I want."
"Let me see them," he said reaching out to grab them. He got them off before she could stop him. "Uh-huh. Thought so. A ver." He grabbed her chin again, turning her face so he could see it in the light. (Let's see.)
"Déjame, Lee. I'm fine," she said, pushing his hand away with a scowl. (Leave me alone).
"Jesse me dijo. Tienes que tener cuidado, petisa. Ellos te matarían sin pensarlo dos veces." (Jesse told me. You have to be careful, shorty. They'll kill you without thinking twice.)
Mia let out an annoyed sigh as they continued speaking in rapid Spanish. She could handle it when Vince and Michaela talked in Italian because that she understood, but Spanish was a whole different language. That was Dom and Letty's arena. She knew the basics, but they were talking much too fast for her to pick it up. She glanced back at Vince who had reappeared after Leon had come in. He looked just as irritated as Mia. "I hate it when they do that," he murmured so only Mia could hear. "It's fuckin' annoying."
Mia nodded in agreement before slapping a hand down on the counter to catch their attention. "Excuse me! We were talking in English here!"
After giving Leon a dirty look, Alex turned back to Mia. "Sorry, what were we talking about again?"
"How's Brian doing at the shop?" Mia asked curiously.
"He's decent. Knows his way around a garage," he said, taking a seat next to Alex as Mia set a plate in front of him. A red truck pulled into the parking lot. Leon raised an eyebrow. "Speak of the devil."
Alex watched as the blonde guy from the night before stepped out of the bright red truck, a huge smile on his face. His eyes stayed on Mia until he was at the counter. "How's it going, Mia?"
Mia played it cool, giving him just a hint at a smile. "Good. Tuna?"
"Yeah, please," he said, taking the seat on the other side of Alex. He was surprised to see the girl from the night before at the shop. He was even more surprised when Leon muttered something in Spanish which she replied to with a soft slap to his face and a long string of words Brian was pretty sure were Spanish swear words.
"Stop it already! No one can understand you!" Mia shouted, stopping Leon before he could even reply.
Leon smirked. "You know that's the point, right Mia?"
Alex giggled at Mia's furious glare. Her phone rang and she glimpsed at it before grimacing. "I have to take this. I'll talk to you guys later," she sang catching Vince's eye in a meaningful glance before heading off towards her car.
"Who was that?" Brian asked, wondering if the casual question would earn him her full name.
Before Mia could respond, Vince's voice interrupted her in a low growl. "None of your damn business, buster."
So? What'd you think? :) Let me know in a review!
~Love Ink