A/N: Thank you all for your amazing support! I am loving this story...and we are just getting to the good stuff!
Seven months earlier...
The rain fell on Alex's cold wet body in sheets. She was sitting on a bench just down from the entrance, unaware of how long she'd been there, looking down at her soaked outfit she figured long enough. Hearing her name being called, she turned her head to see Olivia and Amanda under an umbrella, Olivia calling out, "Alex!"
"What are you doing?" Amanda asked in confusion as she looked over her cousin. The blonde was drenched, her hair stuck to her face and makeup running, clothes soaked through and sticking to her skin.
"She left." Was all she could manage to say. She looked broken and lost, like a fractured piece of fine china waiting to crumble. "I want to go home."
"What about," Amanda began but quickly stopped when her wife gave her a look that said 'shut up.'
"Okay, Alex, I will drive you," Liv soothed.
"I will just go take care of the guests. Don't worry, I've got this covered," Amanda assured, before turning and running back inside.
Helping Alex up, Olivia led her to her car. Helping her inside, she quickly rounded the vehicle, climbing in and starting the car. Once they were out of sight from the venue, Alex crumbled against the door as she burst into wracking sobs.
Olivia's heart broke watching her best friend fall apart. The blonde couldn't even hold herself up, she just cried in a heap against the door. The brunette didn't need an explanation, she knew Alex all too well, she knew her heart was breaking.
Reaching home, she helped the still crying blonde up to her room, before walking Max. As she walked the stairs to check on Alex once more before leaving for her own home, Olivia cursed the fates. Alex had finally found love, it just didn't seem fair for her to lose it now.
Opening the door to the now darkened bedroom, Liv called out softly, "Alex?"
Everything remained quiet for a bit, before the blonde hoarsely called out, "Max, come." Without hesitation, gentle giant walked to the bed and climbed in with his owner. "Thank you, Olivia," she rasped, "Sorry for ruining the night."
"Do you want me to stay?"
"No, I am just going to sleep. Thank you again." Alex choked as a new stream of tears broke.
"Would you like me to take your outfit to hang in the laundry room?" The brunette questioned.
"I threw it out...I love you, but please go...Tell Amanda I am sorry," she said between sobs.
"Okay, we are just a phone call away if you need us..." As Olivia walked from the doorway and down the hall, she couldn't help but cry herself at the sound of her best friend crying. She wanted to take all the pain away for her. The last person that ever deserved to feel that way was Alex.
Lying in bed, Alex couldn't help but remember the look of hurt on Casey's face. She knew the redhead thought she'd used her and it killed her inside. The look of hurt in her eyes reminded her so much of Elle that day in the car, it had taken her off guard. She hadn't been prepared for that.
She needed Casey to let her explain. When everything happened all those years ago, she hadn't had the narrative to explain to Elle, but now she did. Casey wasn't a revenge plot, she was something more. Alex just had to figure out how to make her listen.
Rolling over and draping an arm around her big dog, Alex let Max's gentle snores help ease her to sleep. However, as she drifted into her dream world she dreamt of those years before...of a time when she and Elle were still friends of a time before she ruined everything.
"Elle! Alex is here!" Laura Novak called up the stairs.
"Coming! Just a minute!" The brunette called down.
Smiling at her daughter's friend, Laura patted the girl on the shoulder, "You two have a nice run."
"Thank you, Mrs. Novak," she replied to Laura, before catching sight of the youngest Novak laughing in the living room with her friends. Her red hair catching the light from the window just right causing it to shimmer. Biting her lip, Alex couldn't quite piece together what she was feeling.
"Hey!" Elle's voice cut through her thoughts.
"You ready?"
"Yeah," the brunette beamed, "But, guess what first!"
Alex smiled brightly, "What?"
"Marcus asked me out! He's my boyfriend!" She exclaimed ecstatic by the news. However, Alex couldn't help but feel her stomach twist with the information.
Her dreams shifted from that day to months later, a feeling of despair overtaking her...
Laying in bed under the covers, Alex tried desperately to block out the morning sun and noise from outside the windows. Two weeks into summer vacation and all she'd done so far was sleep and cry. She was over life, she didn't want to hang out with those girls ever again, she missed Elle.
She didn't understand, she didn't know what had gotten into her, and why she'd been so intent on hurting Elle like she did. She hated herself for everything she'd done. She didn't know why she'd slept with Marcus that night, but after confessing to Elle what she'd done and Elle rejecting her, she'd felt out of control. She just wanted her friend to understand, but she didn't even know why she'd done what she did.
The pain that grew inside of her from losing the one person that knew her best, the one person who made her feel human, the one person that made her not feel like a freak was more painful than she ever could have imagined. From that pain, she'd done awful things...she'd dated Marcus, she'd taken their friends, and then allowed those friends to treat Elle terribly. However, the last day of school she'd had enough.
Their friends...now Alex's friends...had stolen Elle's clothes while she was showering in the gym after running. She'd been walking to her car, when she noticed the brunettes car in the lot still and those girls waiting nearby. She'd screamed at them, asking them what the hell they thought they were doing, and why couldn't they just leave her alone. She was furious when they wouldn't tell her where Elle's clothes were and had taken her spare dance clothes to the sobbing brunette.
Again she'd tried to apologize, but Elle didn't want to speak to her. She looked at Alex with eyes full of pain, and at that moment Alex knew that Elle felt the same pain she did, an excruciating endless pain. As the brunette began to walk away, Alex softly spoke, "For what it's worth, I am sorry. I will never hurt you again..."
She knew her friend had heard her words, by the way she paused in the doorway. Her heart felt as if it stopped beating as she waited in silence to see if she might be forgiven. Instead it broke again, as she watched Elle shake her head and walk on...
Hearing a knock at her bedroom door, Alex shook herself from her thoughts and mumbled a weak, "Come in."
"Hey Peanut, get up and get dressed. I have a surprise for you..." Her father's words filtered through the blankets.
Unable to tell her father, 'No,' she climbed from the bed and got ready. She walked silently down the stairs, as he explained he thought she needed something special and he'd found the perfect thing. She didn't feel like she deserved a grain of sand, so it was hard to get excited about anything...however, he seemed so proud of himself, so she humored him.
Walking out into the warm May sunlight, smell of salt in the breeze, Alex's breath caught in her throat as she saw the old worn sailboat...her dream to repair an old boat stood before her. She couldn't help but fall into her father's arms and cry, finally letting the pain overtake her...
Again her dream shifted to the month of July...
She and her father painting the final touches on the now restored boat. She wore a genuine smile on her face, laughing with the man she closely resembled. Her father was an amazing man for sure. He loved everyone and loved to make sure people felt like they were worth something...he was everything she aspired to be in this world. A good person, an extraordinary person...
"So, what are you going to name your boat?" Finn's words cut through his daughters train of thought.
"I don't know," Alex laughed.
"Well, she is a beautiful boat, Alexandra, she deserves a beautiful name..." He smiled.
"Yeah..." Alex smiled thinking back over the last few months. Her father had helped her open up and come clean about all her wrong doings while restoring this boat. The boat seemed symbolic of her life so far, once old and ugly, but now beautiful and new, Alex hoped she could transform just as fully as the boat.
Her father had helped her realize her problems, and the things she'd never been able to understand with this boat. With his help, she was able to process her feelings and discover who she really was..."Dad, I think I am in love..."
"I know, Alexandra." He said with a smile. "We set sail in four days, are you going to make it right before we go?"
She bit her lip, and shook her head yes. "Yeah, I am. I have to fix things if I can ever make things better..." She paused as a big smile fell upon her face, "I know what I am going to name her!"
"Yeah?" Finn smiled at his beautiful daughter. She was the best thing he'd ever created. "Well, before you tell me, I want you to know that I am very proud of you, and no matter what, your mother and I will always love you."
"I love you too..."
Opening her eyes, Alex felt the big dog shift under her arms. She felt stronger and sad all at the same time as the memory of her father's voice faded. She could feel tears still on her cheeks, clearly fresh. Taking a shaky breath, she climbed from the bed and walked into her bathroom. Turning on the light and looking in the mirror, Alex frowned.
She looked like a mess, puffy, red eyes and running makeup. Turning on the tap, she climbed under the cold spray. She didn't have time to wait for it to warm up. She had to fix things.
Quickly showering, and dressing in a old pair of jeans and sweater, she towel dried her hair and threw on a pair of sandals. Running from the bedroom, leaving Max asleep in the bed, she made her way to the garage. The only thought running through her mind as she backed out of the drive way was getting to Casey.
The drive passed in no time at all. Few people were ever out at three in the morning. As she arrived at the redheads condo, she felt a rush of adrenaline...this was the moment that would make or break her. The walk up the stairs to her door was surreal, she didn't even remember knocking, just the look on the redheads face as she realized Alex was in front of her.
Blue eyes locked with green, Alex took a breath, "Please, please give me the chance to explain. It will be the last time I ever ask you too. Just give me a chance, Casey..."