Page 29 of Tell Me Everything
Alex shrugged. “I like to improvise.”
Elena didn't flinch. She waited for Alex to say what he had to say, then for him to leave. He saw it on her face. She had no desire to be in the same room as him. It hurt, but Alex carriedon. He couldn't afford to screw up now if he wanted to reclaim his place in her heart.
“I brought you a present.”
Without giving her time to reply, he handed her the unicorn with its large, glittering eyes.
Elena took the plushie with a wary grimace. “Is there a bomb inside?”
Alex rolled his eyes. She was as dramatic as usual, which was a good sign. At least, he hoped it was.
“Thanks, I guess.”
Alex took two tickets out of his pocket and handed them to her.
Elena hesitated for a moment. “What is it?”
“Two tickets for theNutcrackerballet at Bozar.”
She stared at the tickets without answering. She wanted to take the tickets, but resisted the temptation. Elena finally shook her head. “That's kind, but I can't accept a gift like that.”
Not from youwas what she meant. He decided to change tactics. Maybe trying to convince wouldn't work.
“The show is this Friday, and starts at six. Be ready at five. I'll pick you up.”
Without waiting for her reply, he left the room and returned to his car. Once settled in the Polo, he let his head fall back with a sigh. The whole forgiveness thing was a lot harder than he'd anticipated, but Alex wasn't going to give up. He wasn't going to let her go, not if there was still a chance she could forgive him. Alex clung to that small hope.
***
Against all the odds, Elena was ready when he came to pick her up. Surrounded by soft makeup, her blue eyes were even more intense. She waited for him on the porch of her house.All the way there, she remained silent. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex could see her playing nervously with her fingers. She was still afraid of him. He wanted to take her hands and tell her everything would be all right, that she'd never have to see that part of him again, but Alex couldn't make such a promise. He'd started spiralling too soon; he didn't know how to be normal anymore. Alex tried to talk about anything and everything, but just like a few days ago, he was facing a wall.
During the show, her eyes sparkled. She watched each dance move with great attention. When the show was over, Elena finally turned to him. She still wasn’t looking him in the eye, but it was a start. And it was everything he'd hoped for.
“Thank you for tonight. It was lovely.”
Elena smiled at him for the first time in days. Even if her smile was merely polite, Alex considered it a victory. He just had to persevere.
“Are you hungry? We can grab a bite.”
“I'm not hungry.” As she spoke, her stomach rumbled. Elena rolled her eyes. It was almost convincing.
Alex chuckled.
“Well, obviously I'm hungry. But I'll eat when I get home.”
She really wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. She continued to be stubborn, so Alex decided to take the bull by the horns. It seemed to work best. He grabbed her hand and headed for the shopping street. At least she wasn't protesting. Maybe Alex was being too insistent, but he had to talk to her. He had to apologize. If, after that, she still didn't want him back, he'd accept her choice. Only then.
“Do you like fast food?”
“It's all right.”
They entered a Burger King. Waiting for their order to arrive, they sat down in a corner of the restaurant. Alex tried to lighten the mood.
“I'm sorry, but I can't afford to take you to a five-star restaurant.”
Unlike what he expected, she smiled, and this time, it was genuine. “You should have told me. I could have paid for the food.”
“The whole purpose of this day was to make amends. Letting you pay for anything is out of the question.”
