Once I made it back to the hotel and up to the room I was sharing with Caitlyn and Kara, I lay down in my bed and curled up underneath the blankets, not even bothering to change. I couldn’t help but replay the events that took place not too long ago, and it bothered me that Addie had somehow known Alex and I were together before I even said anything; she probably saw us walk out together holding hands, but it still bothered me. I don’t even know why she had it out to get me still, she’s done enough as it is and she still hates me.
I lay in silence for an hour before I heard I light knock on the door. Unsure of who it was since Caitlyn and Kara already have keys, I got up and opened the door to see Alex standing there. “Hey, can I come in?” he asked softly and I nodded before walking back to the bed and laying down on top of the covers and patted the spot beside me for Alex to sit. He walked into the room and shut the door behind him before sitting beside me.
“What happened back there, Kaylie?” Alex asked after several minutes of silence between us.
“Her name is Addie Bonnell; she was once my best friend, at least that’s what I thought she was. She really fucked my life up when I lived here, she’s the reason I moved to Maryland,” I explained quietly.
“What did she do, Kay?” Alex asked and I could hear the uncertainty in his voice; the last time he asked at the New Year’s party, I didn’t answer him and I could tell he didn’t think I’d actually tell him this time. But I was done hiding and avoiding my past.
“When I moved to New York, nobody would talk to me, and I don’t blame them, I wouldn’t have talked to the new girl either. I was different; I had come from sunny California, which is obviously completely different from New York. I was only fourteen and I wanted someone to talk to – anyone, and Addie was there for me. She welcomed me in to her group, and I didn’t think much of it at that time because I only wanted friends but I now regret that decision. It turns out Addie and her friends were the school’s ‘troublemakers’ and being friends with them meant I was dragged into it as well. They liked to graffiti and vandalize buildings and sometimes even stole things and they had me help them; we got caught several times but my parents made sure I didn’t get into any serious trouble because they didn’t want the companies they worked for to know they had a daughter that got into trouble a lot. Addie and her friends also loved to drink, and I had my first drink of alcohol when I was only fourteen. One time Addie and I got into serious trouble for trying to buy beer when we were only fifteen, but my parents blew it off again,” I explained and Alex looked surprised because of what I was telling him, I guess he never expected me be like that. He looked me over before his eyes widened as they settled onto my right side where my shirt had ridden up to reveal a long white scar.
“Addie did that to me; the day after my sixteenth birthday, Addie was driving me around downtown Manhattan, and I’ll admit, we were both drunk and I was stupid enough to let her drive even though she was a lot more drunk than I was. We got into a wreck, I’m not even sure what we actually hit, but a shard of glass from the windshield got lodged into my side and I had to go into surgery to get it removed. I didn’t actually get into much trouble by the police – my parents only had to pay a fine – but my parents were extremely angry with me because the whole thing almost got me killed. They said I wasn’t responsible enough to have my own car, which is why I didn’t have one when I first came here,” I explained, pulling my sweatshirt back down to cover the mark before continuing my story.
“I had a boyfriend before I moved to Maryland. We weren’t serious whatsoever, but he was still my boyfriend. You see, Addie has a reputation for getting guys in relationships to sleep with her and then go tell the guy’s girlfriend that he forced her into it. Well I guess she got bored with me because ever since the accident, I didn’t do everything she wanted me to do, so she got my boyfriend to sleep with her. The next morning she came to my house crying and saying he got her to sleep with him and she didn’t want to and then went on to tell me how terrible she felt about it. But I knew Addie enough to know she was lying and that she did it on purpose. I broke up with my boyfriend that day, and Addie and I were done being friends that day. The next day at school, she treated me like shit and started rumors about me. When I confronted her about it three days later, she tried to start a fight with me but I refused to stoop down to her level and punch her back, but we both got expelled from school for two weeks even though I didn’t actually do anything but the principal knew how I used to be and didn’t believe me. That was the last straw for my parents, and we moved to Maryland the next week and that’s when I met you guys,” I finished my story and looked over at the shocked Alex sitting beside me. I didn’t know how he was going to react to everything I told him, but I just couldn’t hide my past from him forever.
“Please say something, Lex,” I practically begged him when he still didn’t answer.
“I, uh, wow,” he stuttered, unsure what he was trying to say and I could feel tears prickle at my eyes. I was beyond terrified he wouldn’t want anything to do with me now that he knew about the past two years of my life.
“I’m not like that anymore, Alex, I swear I’ve changed completely,” I explained quickly and he looked at me and nodded.
“I know, sweetheart. It’s just a surprise to hear all of that. Please don’t cry, Kaylie,” Alex said wiping a tear that fell onto my cheek away and pulling me into his chest.
“I’m sorry for crying; I was just scared you wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore,” I admitted quietly and he pulled away to look me in the eyes.
“I wouldn’t leave you over something like that, Kaylie; everyone makes mistakes, and yours was that you got into the wrong crowd. I’m here for you, all of us are,” Alex told me and I smiled slightly before he softly kissed me. “But why were fighting with her back at the venue?”
“She told me that she was going to try to sleep with you even though she saw us together.”
“Kaylie, I would never have sex with a whore like her,” he told me seriously and I smiled at him before letting out a small laugh.
“Oh wow, today was definitely eventful,” I said before laughing again and Alex joined in, agreeing with me completely.