Thinking and Findings

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Alex's POV

     "What about this one?" I ask Cora as we lay across the floor of the empty nursery. We're looking online for ways to decorate and plan out the twins room and I figured who's advice would be better than Cora and Jonah's? The kid is currently is school sadly, so it's just me and the little as we try to have everything perfect for when Chloe comes home.

     "That's ugly." She says clearly and without hesitation. "Dark blue is not pretty. Yellow and green, Alex." And I sigh again as she shoots down yet another of my brilliant ideas. We continue to scroll through everything online, but half of my mind is elsewhere. I'm feeling antsy today as I think about the fight that Cody and I had last night.

✨✨✨

      Cody has tears streaming down his face as he rips his arm away from James who tries to hold him back. The usually quiet and shy bean no where to be found as he points a finger in my face and continues to yell at me.

     "Don't you see how broken everything is without him? Why aren't you out there looking for him? You shouldn't be sleeping until he's back here at home where he belongs and you're in here painting a fucking bedroom?" He screams at me, tears sliding down his face in pain as he pokes my chest harder and harder.

      "You're being selfish Cody. He needs time. He needs to heal himself and he can't do that if he's smothered by us and insulted by people constantly." I tell him calmly. Everyone who is upset at Chloe and is trying to force him back are being selfish and blinded by their own hurt.

    They haven't been through what my princess has been through over and over again. They don't have the nightmares and the flashbacks and the panic attacks. As much as all of us have had our shit, they haven't had a lifetime of pain like Chloe has. He's about to bring life into this world and he has to be at his best to do that. So I don't care if our friends yell at me and say I don't love him like I say I do.

    What I'm doing isn't for them, but for my Mate. And as long as he's okay in the end, I'll take whatever heat I have to.

      I barely have time to brace myself before Cody's hands comes up to slap me across the face loudly and as much as my DNA is begging for me to react, I don't. I let Cody use me as an emotional punching bag as he goes through the motions of losing his closest friend and his rock in this world.

     "Don't you ever say something like that to me again." He growls at me and he immediately storms off. James walks up to me with a sleeping Jonah in his arms.

    "I'm sorry, Alex. If I knew he would be like this, I wouldn't have brought him over." He apologizes but I shake my head softly and give him a warm smile.

   "Just make sure he's okay." Is all I say in response and he nods before he's following Cody down the hallway and out the door. As soon as I hear it shut, I feel a wave of exhaustion hit me along with the throbbing sting of my cheek where Cody slapped me.

      'You can't keep taking in everyone's emotions and pain.' Tobias tells me and I snort at him before sighing, throwing myself on the couch, laying Chloe's favorite blanket over my face as I breathe in the scent of him, the smell of him fading after five days of being gone.

      'I will because someone has to have themselves together when Chloe comes and it's looking like it has to be me.'

✨✨✨

"Alex you're not even listening any more!" Cora accuses me as my mind falls away from yesterday and I turn my attention back to the pouting little beside me. I scoff and ruffle her snow white curls making her giggle.

     "Of course I'm listening to you, love." I tell her, feigning offense but by the narrowing of her eyes I can tell she doesn't believe me.

   "What was the last thing I said, then?" She challenges me and I cringe a little at the question before an idea comes in mind.

     "You said it's snack time?" I ask her with an internal smirk and immediately she's closing the computer and scrambling to her feet with her hair flying as she nods her head vigorously.

     "That's exactly what I said." She agrees without hesitation and I shake my head in amusement as I raise myself off the floor and lead the bubbly little out the twins's nursery and down the stairs to the kitchen.  Entering the room, I make sure Cora gets on the stool without a problem and head to the fridge for the makings of a nice healthy snack. Moving throughout the cabinets and fridge I'm able to get everything I need for apple and carrot slices and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

    As soon as her fruit and veggies are on a napkin in front of her and I'm throwing the cut off crust away, there's a knock on the door. "Stay here, I'll be back." I tell Cora and she nods as she dances about happily with her snack. I leave the kitchen and head to the door, opening it to reveal a tired looking Thomas and a blank face Ares. I move to the side to let them in, closing the door behind them before I lead them to the kitchen.

      "Tommy!" Cora yells when she sees her favorite friend. Food comes flying out of her mouth and I think about reprimanding her but decide against it. Luckily Thomas picks up my slack.

     "Hey, sweetheart." He greets going to give her a hug before he closes her mouth with a finger. "No talking with food in your mouth okay?" He asks and she nods solemnly. I turn my head to Ares who's leaning on the counter and go to stand beside him.

     "How's he doing?" I ask quietly as the two play and laugh with each other.

     "His nightmares are coming back. He won't say, but not knowing where everyone is freaks him out now. He's worried the same thing will happen to one of us." He says and I sigh sadly.

      "Are you guys doing okay, though?" I ask him and he just looks at me and I let it go. Thomas and Ares have been through a lot and I understand wanting to keep that part of their relationship to themselves so I don't push. We watch Thomas and Cora for a couple more minutes before he speaks up again, changing the subject.

     "You think you're going to stay in the house until he comes back?" He asks and I tilt my head as I answer him.

     "I had thought about moving into a motel but I changed my mind. I want to be here in case he comes back." I tell him and he hums his understanding and agreement just as Thomas spins around to stare at me wide eyed.

     "What did you just say?" He asks me in a whisper and I frown as I repeat myself.

     "I want to be here in case he comes back?"

      "No, before that." He insists and when I glance at Ares all he does is shrug his shoulder.

     "I thought about going to a motel...."

      Thomas interrupts me as he hops off of the stool and looks between us in wide eyed excitement. "A motel! Holy fuck how did I miss it?" He says talking to himself before he looks at me in triumph. "I know where he is."

    My back immediately straightens as I push myself off the counter and walk closer to him. "You know where Chloe is?" I ask him, searching his eyes for any indication that he's fucking with me but the only thing I see in his eyes is relief and happiness.

     "Yes, come on let's go!" He says excitedly, rushing me as he exits the kitchen. I turn around and grab the keys off the fridge before I see Cora looking at us curiously. Before I can second guess, Ares speaks up as he comes up beside me.

      "I got Cora. Go get Chloe." He tells me and he doesn't have to tell me twice. In an instant, I'm blowing a kiss towards Cora which she catches with a giggle and I'm racing out of the kitchen and down the hall to the front door. I grab a pair of shoes and close the house behind me as I race in socks down the driveway, unlocking my car so Thomas and I can slip in.

    I turn on the car, and back out the driveway listening to Thomas as he gives me directions. "Make a left down Maple street." He tells me and I do.

      "Where are we going?" I ask and he continues to direct me.

      "We're going to a motel about thirty minutes away.  Turn right here."

     I pause at the stop sign and check both ways before I turn on to the next street. "How do you know that he's there?" I ask him nervously. My heart is pounding in nerves and excitement at the thought of finally seeing Chloe after a week of missing him.

       "It's the place I took him after I found him that night. It's the place where we officially met and his life changed for the better for the first time ever. He always told me that when he needs to get away, sometimes he goes there to remind himself of how far he's gotten." He explains to me and my doubt slowly begins clearing away as we get closer and closer to the motel. The mark on my neck is pulsing in time with my heart and I just know he'll be there.

    With my excitement and impatience, it only takes us twenty minutes until we're pulling into the parking lot. I'm about to stop at the lobby where I see a nice looking woman playing in her phone, but Thomas directs me along. "He's in room 239. Right there!" He shouts suddenly pointing at a room and I turn my car before I park in front of the building.

     My hands are shaking as I pull on my shoes and open the car door. I stand beside it's side and stare at the room, knowing everything will fall back into place when I knock on that door but my body is paralyzed in fear. What if I'm wrong and he doesn't want to come back? What if he really wants to get away from me?

     But before I can second guess everything and psych myself out, Thomas is beside me. "If he didn't want you anymore he would have rejected you. Chloe loves you and the life you guys have built so much. He needs to you to be strong right now." He tells me and he's right. I take a deep breath and walk up to the door and without any further stalling, I knock on the door.

    At first there's no response and I begin getting nervous, until I hear the shuffle of someone getting out of bed. There's the patter of feet coming towards the door and my breath catching in my throat as I hear the door unlock and it begins to pull open.

~~~~~~~
Cliff hanger I know I know. But they're finally about to be reunited. This journey has really been a long one and I'm sorry to say that this book will be ending between today or tomorrow.

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