Destined To Explode

It’s just getting dark when Alex pulls my car into his drive, having let me sleep some more for the last stint of our drive even though it had worked out to be the longest.

“Rian is staying with Cass, I think.” Alex yawns as he stretches in the seat, smiling as I arch my back off of the reclined seat, glancing at the dark house. “Bet you’re ready for a comfortable bed.”

I smile. “I think I need a car with seats that aren’t battered.”

“I’m pretty sure that I pissed in that foot well too.” He laughs hysterically as I screw my face up in disgust at the amount of abuse that this car has been through. “I hope that you cleaned this car after Rian gave it to you.”

“I did, eventually.” I sniff. “Oh God, it must have been months before I actually cleaned it properly.”

Alex is still laughing as he clambers out of the car, kicking his legs out in front of him, probably to ward of cramps and I’m still in the midst of waking myself up when the passenger door is opened and Alex is tugging me out by the hand.

“I’m not waiting around out here for you to stretch out like some sort of cat; it’s freezing.” He smirks as I shiver. “Follow me, kid.”

“Is that your new nickname for me or something?” I enquire, having to stride to catch up to his side on the front porch. “I’m only a year younger, you know.”

“Makes all the difference.” He winks. “Plus right now, you’re sort of helpless and vulnerable like a baby, so it’s fitting.”

“You used to call me ‘baby’ anyway.” My eyes widen at my word vomit and I cough into the mildly tense silence, scurrying inside as Alex finally opens the front door. “Yeah, I’m tired.”

“I used to call you beautiful as well, that also still rings true…”

* * * *

“You still remember where everything is, right?” Alex smirks as I let my eyes look over the house that I had stayed in a few times over the years. “The only thing that has changed is my room isn’t in the bedroom anymore, so don’t be wandering down there if you can’t find me as you’ll trip and die on all of the equipment.”

“No more basement bedroom? You’ve finally matured, Alex. Well done.” I laugh, swinging the arm carrying my case back and forth as I once again follow him around, smiling as he opens the door to what I guess is now the guest room, flicking the light on for me.

“You’ve got the en-suite to yourself while Rian’s gone, so take advantage. Clean sheets and shit are in the cupboard next door just so you know because I won’t be changing them for you, this ain’t no hotel.”

I chuckle and shake my head, throwing my suitcase down on the floor and smiling at the warm looking room. “Where are Baz and Peyton?”

Alex face immediately brightens at the mention of his dogs. “Mom and Dad still have them from Thanksgiving, but I’ll probably go round and pick them up tomorrow.”

I nod. “And what are you going to do about Lisa?”

I know that it’s a sensitive subject for him but in order for my brain to stop panicking about Rick, I needed to focus on someone else’s problems.

“I’ll call her tonight, I think… a little later on.”

“How about I go and see Jack tomorrow then you can invite her here, talk to her in person, maybe?”

He nods this time biting his lip. “Yeah, that’s probably a better idea.” He continues to stand awkwardly in the middle of my temporary room. “Are you going to tell Jack about…?”

Alex gestures to his face, referring to my still swollen one and the dread seeps back into my system and I’m back to scratching away at my arm again. “It’s not like I can cover all of this up, Lex. Makeup is only so helpful.”

“He is going to go mental.” Alex shakes his head. “I would rather be there when you told him or something.”

“But I’m not going to intrude with you and Lisa and the longer you leave that, the worse it’s going to get, the same with telling Jack. We have both got to suck it up and grow some balls.”

“You have such a way with words, Poppy. So lady-like and eloquent.”

“It’s all part of my charm.” I wink playfully, rolling my eyes as he winks back. “Can you fuck off now? I’m so shattered and that bed looks really comfortable.”

“Yeah, definitely charming.”

* * * *

I know that it must be going on four am when I’m still tossing and turning in the bed, my mind refusing to let me settle but I’m determined not to get up and try to find something to do because if I’m being honest, there is nothing. Alex’s house is still pretty clean seeing as though he only left it three days ago and Rian was here to keep up the standard, so cleaning was out of the question. I didn’t have my many laptops set up either or any sketchbooks or paper at hand so drawing new ideas for the spring line was impossible too.

“For fuck’s sake.” I mutter, flipping over onto my back again to stare at the ceiling and the wall and back again, repeating the same pattern until I’m restless all over again. “This is such a joke.”

My door opens slowly and I can only make out the hand going to switch my light on because of the glow in the dark bracelet that’s adorning it. “The fuck are you talking to?”

My heart rate starts to decelerate again because not only was it racing from the shock of someone suddenly being in the room but because my brain immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was Rick.

“I can’t sleep, Lex.” I mumble, huffing as I flip back onto my stomach, burying my face into the pillow. “What are you even doing awake?”

“I went for a piss and then I heard you talking to yourself, apparently.”

“Yeah well, your house must repel sleep or some shit because I’m normally dribbling away by now.”

“What a lovely image.” He shakes his head, abandoning his place leaning against the doorframe, slipping into the room properly and shutting the door. “Do you remember that night when we all went out and got slaughtered?”

“Which time?” I laugh, frowning playfully at his random question. “That’s a regular occurrence.”

“The time when you gave me that surprise hickey.” He chuckles, easing himself down onto the low bed. “I ended up passed out in your bed?”

“Yeah…” I narrow my eyes. “Why is that relevant? Are you sexually frustrated or something because coming to me probably isn’t the best thing to do right now…”

“You’re still as dirty minded as ever then.” He rolls his eyes. “No, I was going to mention the fact that I slept really well that night and I haven’t been able to since.”

“That could be down to the fact that you were intoxicated.”

“Oh shut up, you know what I’m getting at. So, either scoot over or get up and come and sleep in my bed.”

“But why?” I groan, moving over to one side of the bed anyway because there was no way that I was getting out now when I was so lovely and warm. “You’re just going to get pissy at me for not keeping still.”

“Oh, shut up and just close your eyes, Pops.” He flings his arm out of the covers and puts it over my waist. “You owe me twenty dollars if you manage to sleep through till noon.”

* * * *

“Someone owes me money.” Alex’s voice wakes me the next morning, or afternoon judging by his choice of words. “I told you that I would help you sleep.”

“You’re the one who started humming. Even your Dad couldn’t help but fall asleep if you were humming lullabies in his ear.”

“Just admit that my Godly presence calms you, Poppy.

“Your constant chatter is enough to bore me to death, actually.” I shuffle in the bed, tired of not being able to see him only to feel his laughter vibrating through his chest and into my back. “Thank you though, I suppose. Bags under my eyes wouldn’t have helped my appearance.”

“What time are you meant to be going to Jack’s?”

“About three.” I shrug. “I better get up and start getting ready though, gives me enough time to smother my face in enough crap to at least mask the bruises.”

“Yeah, Lisa said that she would be around for four, so fuck knows what time she’ll leave.”

“What are you gonna say?”

It’s his turn to shrug, his eyes meeting mine as I scan over his face. “What I told you, I think. That I don’t like the fact that I change when she’s around and that maybe we should go on a break while I’m away to see if that helps anything.”

“Are you really okay with that though, Lex?” I ask gently, cocking my head to the side as I lean up on my elbows. “You and Lisa have been together since High School.”

He raises his eyebrows. “We’ve been on breaks before and I’ve seen other people; I was perfectly happy then.”

I know that he’s hinting towards our little fling, and the fact that we had shared a bed the night before and nothing seems to be weird, un-nerves me a little. “Yet, you always end up back in each other’s arms. I think that’s fate.”

“Familiarity, more like.”

Notes