RestlessCHAPTER TWELVEAlexa"Hello, Nick.""Hi babe.""Do not babe me when you're thirty minutes late. Where are you?""Uh. . .about that babe. . ""You better not cancel when we both agreed you would show up today. For God's sake Nick. This is the fourth time. 1,2,3,4 times.""It's just that I'm so busy. . .""Too busy to give me a damn hour of your time? Am I not that important to you?""Of course not." "Then why is it that you keep calling off our dates? Do you want us to break up because if that's it. . .""No, no, no. Don't even think about it. I never want to. I still love you."I sighed with relief, my anger leaving as I heard those words from him. "Then please stop letting me down, will you?""It won't happen again. I promise I'll make it all up to you." "I love you Nick.""Bye babe."I frowned at the phone as Nick hang up. He hadn't said the words back.*****I played around with the food on my plate as I recalled the conversation I had earlier had with Nick. Honestly, I
Mischief overloadCHAPTER THIRTEENDevonIt's been a few silent days between Alexa and I, but that wasn't going to be that way anymore. Not for long anyway.I let her have her fun, but it was my turn now. I had been watching her lately and even though she seemed calm and collected, laughing with her friends and having fun, she never failed to look back over her shoulder.Smart girl.I might have not retaliated at her moves and pranks, but that doesn't mean I wasn't brewing something.Currently, I was sitting in a Spanish class, listening to a Mr. Louis Hoz- something droning on and on about how it was important to differentiate his/her nouns.Alexa wasn't in this class, but she was in the next. Chemistry. The best part is, we are partners.After fifteen minutes of torturous waiting, the bell finally rang, signaling the end of Spanish. Phew. I was smirking with glee and excitement. I just couldn't wait to see the look on Alexa's face. The fact that she didn't know exactly when I was
BetrayalCHAPTER FOURTEENAlexaNumbness.That’s all I felt. Or maybe I just didn’t want to feel anymore.I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t feel or do anything, my mind playing over and over the scene I had witnessed.Voices buzzed around me, but I couldn’t register what was being said. Someone touched me, causing me to look up. I met Devon’s gaze head on. “Alexa, let’s go. I don’t think we need to be here.”I could hear his voice, but none of his words registered in my head. I turned away from him, my gaze on my now ex-boyfriend and of course my ex-best friend. “Why?”I didn’t realize I had asked the question, but then it was already out there. Neither Demi nor Nick met my eyes. I didn’t expect them to say anything, but wasn’t this evening just full of surprises?“It’s not what it looks like.” Nick said, trying to take a step closer to me. I took a step back, warning him to stay back. Nick stayed where he was, taking the hint. “Alexa, please . . . “Nick tried again, but I wasn’t havin
Aftermaths of a breakupCHAPTER FIFTEENAlexaI groaned, turning away from the sudden assault of light to my sensitive eyes. I pulled the covers up, ready to completely wrap myself up in them, but I didn’t get the chance to complete the task because they were suddenly being tugged away.“Oh no you don’t young lady.” My mom’s voice was angry as she completely rid me of my covers, exposing me to the light chill in the room. It was no longer dim as she had completely opened both my windows, tugging aside the silvery curtains to let light in. Since my eyes were swollen, it kinda hurt looking through the blinding brightness. I winced, feeling a slight pounding coming on from crying the whole night. A headache was already coming on, and this was just beginning. F**king Great.I didn’t get the chance to roll back to the comforts of my bed before I felt my mother’s looming shadow over me. I opened one bleary eye, squinting it from the still sensitive light in the room. Sitting up and slightl
StaceyCHAPTER SIXTEENAlexaI was currently slouched in my favorite loveseat, half-heartedly doing my homework. Mom had only left an hour ago, after receiving a zillion calls from dad, demanding her presence at work.My pen making contact with paper was the only sound that filled the room. Doing homework was the only thing that was keeping me from my self-destructing thoughts. I had a pile of it, and the distraction it offered was welcome. For the first time (or the second time, is it?), I was grateful that Devon had dropped my homework for me. However, I didn’t want to owe so much to him. First, him taking the blame for our suspension (It was his fault) and then bringing my homework home? Plus how did he get his hands on it? We were both suspended, and knowing Devon, he had no close friends yet.The sound of my doorbell ringing tagged me out of my thoughts. With a sigh, I rose from the loveseat, wondering who it could be. Perhaps it was the mailman, but then we had a mailbox, and
Disastrous summer balls and club nights- pt.1CHAPTER SEVENTEENAlexaThis Year’s summer ball sucked. For very many reasons.I had a very horrible dress. I had bought it last minute, no care, feeling or thought put into it. I had only bought the dress because Stacey had thought it looked good on me. Personally, I didn’t care about it. Besides, I couldn’t bring myself to wear that beautiful lush dark red velvet dress that was now tucked away in my closet. I had meant to wear it for that bastard, but oh well, he had to go and ruin it.Whoever had decided to decorate this year’s summer ball theme surely lacked a lot of skill. Everything was cheap ass basic, like every material from the balloons to the fucking disco lights was bought from Shein. We could have used some standard please.Third and WORST OF ALL, I was practically third wheeling. THIRDWHEELING. Never in my life did I think myself to do such a thing, but here I was, practically letting my friend drag me along with her and her
Disastrous summer balls and club nights- pt.2CHAPTER EIGHTEENAlexaIt was one thing to tell yourself the truth, but it was entirely a whole other thing to believe it. I once heard a quote that said, ‘there are five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance’. At this point, I had no idea what I was feeling.I swayed gently to the music in the club, a plastic cup of beer in hand. Perhaps I was already half drunk, but I didn’t care. I wanted to forget the hurt and pain that still coursed through my blood stream. The club smelled of sweat and alcohol, bodies pressing together as we all wiggled our bodies to the rhythm of the music.As soon as I had left the summer ball, I had sent a message to Stacey, telling her I had left and she needn’t worry. Encouraging her to have fun with her date, I switched off my phone, effectively shutting out and blocking anything that would disturb my peace.I had gone home, changed out of ‘the’ dress and then got myself into a s
Frenemy to the Rescue Devon’s Pov CHAPTER NINETEEN It was 3 o’clock in the morning by the time I arrived at the club. Sending a nod of acknowledgement to Mike, my brother’s best bodyguard and head of security, I was granted access, avoiding the long line of people that were still waiting to get in. I saw a few of the people send glares and jealous glances my way, but I paid no attention to them. I made it inside, and immediately, I was assaulted by the sound of loud music, sweat and laughter. I made my way to the bar, grinning as I found my favorite bartender, Gordon working the tables. “Boy, aren’t I glad it’s you I found working this place tonight.” “I am the best. Ain’t I?” Gordon returned as we made our signature handshake. “Don’t get over yourself.” I returned, smirking at him as I took a seat on one of the barstools. I grabbed my phone from my jacket, wanting to text Harry to let him know that I was here, but as if summoned, he turned up at the counter all by himself. I
Studying for FinalsCHAPTER FORTY-TWOAlexa’s POVMy head was starting to ache.Not the kind of ache you get from too much noise or not enough sleep, but the deep, buzzing kind that settled behind your eyes when you stared at too many notes for too long. My fingers were cramped from writing, my highlighters were bleeding dry, and I’d re-read the same sentence in my history book five times without absorbing a thing.“I need a break,” I groaned, tossing my pen onto the notebook and flopping backward onto the rug. “Like... an actual break. Not just scrolling through notes and pretending it counts.”If I couldn't get one, I actually believe I would go batshit crazy any minute from now. Devon didn’t even look up. “We had a break thirty minutes ago.”I inwardly groaned. Although he was my boyfriend, times like this had me wanting to actually beat the shit out of him. Devon was smart, and he barely had trouble studying. But sometimes, he was just too intense, like right now. “That wasn’t a
DemieCHAPTER FORTY-ONEAlexa’s POVThe party was loud in the way all good high school parties were—music thumping through the floors, lights flashing in sync with bass drops, laughter spilling from every corner. I wasn’t even sure whose house it was anymore. Someone said it was Jayden’s cousin’s friend. Didn't matter. Everyone we knew was here.Since our finals were drawing closer, someone had suggested throwing a party as a way to have fun before anything got serious. After our very successful weekend get away by the way, my boyfriend, my best friend and my boyfriend's best friend as well had each returned and resumed our normal lives. Kai being homeschooled, hang out with us a lot. After all, Stacey and him had resolved their grudge from ages ago and seemed to have a relationship of sorts between them. It was still awkward, but the intensity and tension about them had ceased, which in my case, was a win-win. I’d lost track of Stacey a while ago, probably off grabbing drinks, but
Making AmendsCHAPTER FORTYStacey's POVSilence completely enveloped the house, and somehow, that only increased my awareness of him. I regretted agreeing to Alexa's plan, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn't avoid him forever. I had to use this chance to face himhim, and bring an end to all this. Deciding that hiding in my room was not helping, I marched down stairs, heading for the kitchen. Maybe if I snacked, my nerves would cool down somewhat. I made myself a plate of cookies with a glass of milk. As soon as I was done eating, the sound of descending footsteps echoed in my ears. He was headed this way. A feeling of nausea came over me. I-I couldn't do it. I thought to myself, chickening out. It was however,too late. He already was standing in the entrance of the kitchen. Our gazes met, and we both froze in place. I recovered faster, making a quick dash to leave, but his voice stopped me in my tracks. "Stacey."The way he said my name, so sincere and vulnerable, I c
The first Official Date: Falling Fast CHAPTER THIRTY NINE Devon’s POV "Man, you look like a rack of nerves. Are you sure you don't want my help? " I glanced back at Kai, who was lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone. Earlier before I had even started to get ready, he had already asked if I wanted help. Of course I had turned him down, but now I was regretting doing so. I don’t think I’ve ever spent this much time planning anything in my life. Tonight was going to be my first official date with Alexa as my girlfriend this time, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I wasn't really even sure why I was being so nervous—Alexa and I had been hanging out for months. We talked every day, stayed till late texting, sharing secrets, laughing until neither of us could keep our eyes open. I had seen her in just sweatpants and messy buns, and she had seen me in full panic mode the day before a physics or math test. We knew each other. Really understood one other. Tonight thoug
Our First Official date; Yours for the Evening CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE Alexa’s POV "I can't believe this is what you thought was the best solution. Plan a road trip and then ditch me here within enemy territory as you and the love of your life go do God knows what, and be lovey dovey with each other. " Stacey grumbled for probably the fifth time since I broke the news to her that Devon and I were going on a date. I leaned back as she continuously waved around that pencil, being wary of my eye since she was working on it. "Stacey, if you feel you can't deal with it, Devon and I can always reschedule. I don't want to be the only one that's happy on this road trip. That's why I suggested it so you and Kai could get some time alone and you know...fix things. " She took a deep sigh, and then looked at me with renewed determination. "I can't do that to you. I know how much you and Devon have been looking forward to this. So, enough worrying about me. Let me finish your makeup. "
The Night TripCHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHTAlexa"Please work. Don't say no. Don't say no. "With fingers crossed, I whispered the words as I hoped that the odds would work in my favor. I tiptoed around the house, then took a peek inside of the room where I had a feeling my suspect would be. And of course I was right. There she was, inside the laundry room. "Hi mom. " I greeted, putting on my best smile. I slipped right next to her, and began folding the laundry as well. The fresh, flowery scent of the clean clothes filled my nose as we continued to fold. She looked up, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "What is it, sweetie?""Nothing, " I shrugged, putting on a show of nonchalance. "Just thought I should probably help. You know, use this as mother and daughter bonding time. "I shrugged once again, playing it cool. "Awww, that's so sweet of you. " She softly pinched my cheek, before letting go. However, she narrowed my eyes at me. "What do you want sweetie? You hate doing any type of lau
Stacey's DilemmaCHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN- PT. 2StaceyI could hardly keep with today's class, and while I was well aware of the teacher's rumbling, I couldn't keep up with the things he was saying. My mind was too preoccupied to really pay him any attention. Kai's words were still ringing loud in my head from last night. I had barely gotten any sleep, thinking about what my next course of action would be. Was I still mad? Not really, but I was still hurt. And yes, I had most definitely not yet forgiven him. I still was extremely reluctant to talk to him, but I again, I kept on remembering how sincere he sounded last night. And now, I was deeply conflicted. I kept on wondering if I should listen to him, just for closure. Besides, the look he had in his eyes... Even though I had tried to forget and put it aside and treat it as my own hallucinations, I couldn't ignore the sincerity in that stormy gaze of his. His eyes had always been intense and I knew that whenever I looked into them,
Stacey's Dilemma CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN Stacey The last person I expected to see tonight was Kai. Two years. That’s how long it had been since everything fell apart, since he betrayed me in a way I still couldn’t bring myself to fully think about. Since I had walked away and told myself I would never let him back in. But now, here he was, standing across from me in the dimly lit parking lot outside the racing venue, looking at me like he wasn’t sure if I would run or if I would fight. I wasn’t sure either. He had changed. He was taller now, leaner but stronger, his ink-black hair falling into his eyes the way it always did. His jaw was sharper, his features older, more defined. But his eyes—the same piercing grey ones that used to see right through me—held something I wasn’t ready to face. Regret. “Stacey.” His voice was lower than I remembered, but I hated that it still had the same effect on me. That it still made something inside me waver, just for a second. I crossed my ar
Kai & Stacey: Where it all Stopped CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX Kai's POV Finally, after a long wait, the race was here. This wasn’t just any race; it was THE RACE. This was the junior championships that most of us had waited for, because this was where all the scouting of all young and promising racers began. The big shots were here, and everyone always brought out their best stunts and all, hoping to land a contract. The locker room was buzzing with pre-race excitement, conversations about what was going on, what bigshot had been spotted and how much everyone looked forward to winning echoed all around me, but my mind was somewhere else. With her. Just days before, she had bubbled up and down, her eyes sparkling with excitement and her joyful smile contagious as she talked about her plans for the race. Since the racing day was here, I had only gotten glimpses of her. I had seen Stacey earlier, stretching by the track, completely in her element. She had her game face on, that razo