Page 43 of Tell Me Everything
“See those pretty Greek statues?” Alex asked, staring at me.
“Yes?”
I silently questioned his sister, not sure of what he was getting at. She didn't understand either.
“Well, you don't look like them at all.”
Okay, not only had he left me hanging, but now he was insulting me.Great. Could this get even better?Breathe, Lena.Hitting a person who’s high would be unfair.“He’s really asking for me to kill him.”
“You've got a much better ass. And you’re sweeter, too.” Alex laughed at his own joke.
I decided to ignore his comment about my butt for now. He was digging his own grave just fine.
“Are you icing?” Alex continued. “Because I want to put you on top and lick every part of you.”
I should have known better than to listen to words drenched in alcohol, but that didn't stop Alex's words from piquing my curiosity or making me blush. His sister coughed.
“I think he's trying to give you a compliment.”
“At least he's nice when he's drunk.”
I grabbed one of his old T-shirts before heading for thebathroom. Now that I was alone, I allowed myself to breathe. This day had turned into total chaos, and I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. I hurried to wash my face and put on Alex's T-shirt. It was large and arrived just below my butt. I decided to check on Alex one last time, no matter how angry I still was with him, and tiptoed into his room. Alex seemed to be asleep, but turned his head towards me when I approached. He still had that little smile on his face. I sat down beside him.
“How are you feeling?”
“So far, so good. You?”
“I could be better,” I admitted, biting my thumbnail. “Alex?” I hated the way my voice trembled.
“Hmmm?”
“Why did you leave?”
“I needed to be away from you.”
That hurt. So I'd been right; he'd run away from me. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you were perfect as always,” he replied, his gaze on the ceiling.
Was that a compliment or a reproach? I took advantage of the situation. When Alex was sober, he avoided my questions, but when he was drunk, he seemed open to sharing his feelings. Deep down I knew it was wrong of me to take advantage of him when he wasn't really aware of his actions. That was a problem for another time. He wouldn't answer me if I asked him a few hours later.
“So why?”
“I had to check something.”
“Check what?”
“You’re asking a lot of questions.”
Hopefully he doesn’t notice...
“Please. I won't be able to feel better if you don't tell me what's going on.”
A sigh left his lips, and a heavy silence settled between us. Was he going to answer? The only sign that he hadn't fallen asleep was his fingers tapping on his stomach. “I realized I'm in love with you. I freaked out.”
All the air in my lungs escaped, leaving me panting. “Is that why you ran away?”
Alex nodded. I had to bite my lip to keep from bursting into tears. Was it so wrong to love me? It seemed that no matter what he said, I was going to cry anyway.
