“No, I don’t want to watch that.”
“Come on! I heard it’s really amazing.”
“No, I don’t watch Netflix. I watch the News.”
I snorted. “That’s why you are so boring.”
Alex glared at me. “I am not boring.”
“Then watch it with me.” I smiled, raising my eyebrows, daring him to say no.
Alex groaned, closing his laptop. “Fine but just one episode.”
“Two.” I bargained, grinning and starting the first episode.
“No, one.” Alex argued, groaning as he sat and seized the popcorn bowl from my bowl.
“Hey!” I protested, reaching for my cheese popcorn.
Alex leaned back, his arm with the popcorn bowl stretching behind his back. “I am watching this stupid series for you. So you will let me eat more popcorn.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Should have made caramel popcorn.” I grumbled, knowing how he hated caramel popcorn.
Alex grinned, shrugging his shoulder happily and stuffing an entire fist of popcorn in his mouth.
I stared at him in disgust, twisting my lips. “How mature!”
“I am watching this stupid series. I can do it.” Alex argued.
“It’s not stupid.” I protested, “You are stupid.” I quietly added.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s starting, watch.” I pointed at the huge screen.
Stranger Things started on it.
“Why haven’t you watched it yet?” Alex asked.
I sighed. “I can’t watch incomplete series. I have this weird thing about sad endings, so I need to know how it ends to watch it.”
Alex turned his eyes at me. “Is that even real?”
I nodded. “Yes, I know Titanic has a sad ending so never watched it. Even The fault in our stars. If I know the ending is sad, I can’t watch it.”
“So this ending is happy?”
“It’s not complete yet.”
“So why are we watching it?”
“Because I heard it good and I need to get over this obsession of knowing the ending.”
Alex shrugged a shoulder, eating popcorn. “Suit yourself. Don’t cry here if it’s sad.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, turning my attention back to the screen.
I rested my head slowly and carefully on his shoulder, anxious that he might push me away. But when he didn’t move and let me stay. I smiled slightly, getting comfortable in the embrace I so craved.
After 3 hours we were both gawking and still wanting to see more, unfortunately my phone rang and we had to pause.
“See I told you it was good.” I smiled in victory as I picked up my phone.
Alex didn’t argue. He couldn’t, he was the one who suggested we watch the second and third episode as well.
“Hey Ziv.” I greeted.
“Oh hey Myra.”
I waited for her to continue, but she didn’t reply. “Zivah?”
“Yeah!” she paused. “So I was thinking.”
“Yes?” I prompted.
“Let’s go on a double date!”
I blinked at the paused screen in front of me. “Say what now?”
“Double date.” Zivah repeated. “Me, Seb, you and Alex.”
“Um Zivah.” I started, my voice lowering. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Things are still weird between me and Alex. He hasn’t forgiven me and we aren’t exactly dating right now so it would be awkward.”
“What would be awkward?” I jumped at Alex’s voice, so close to my ears.
My palm pressed against my chest. “You scared me.” I accused, breathing deeply.
Alex narrowed his eyes. “What would be awkward?”
Zivah hearing Alex’s voice, screamed through the phone. “A double date!”
I winced, placing the phone away from my ears. “Gosh, don’t scream.”
Alex grabbed the phone from my hands, pressing it to his ears and walking away.
“Alex!” I hissed, running after him.
“What double date?” he asked on the phone.
I couldn’t hear Zivah’s reply and strained my ears to hear. I stood on my toes, raising my neck so that I could hear her. I was leaning on Alex, my left ear hovering over his shoulder.
Then he suddenly stepped forward and I lost my balance, stumbling and trying to hold on to something, I ended up grabbing the empty air and fell backward on my butt. “Shit!” I hissed.
Alex turned, his eyes narrowed in confusion. “Why are you on the floor?”
I glared at him, gritting my teeth. “I was testing gravity.”
He raised one eyebrow. “You are not that funny.” And then turned and walked away.
“And you are not that smart.” I grumbled, picking myself up from the floor.
I debated on if I should follow Alex and listen to the conversation but I was too embarrassed and with my luck, I would end up falling again, this time on my face.
So I went back and sat on the couch, staring at the paused screen. Maybe I should just start the fourth episode without him that would show him to not ignore me like this.
After 5 minutes, Alex came back. He handed me the phone and I stared at him curiously. I raised my eyebrows in question.
Alex raised his eyebrows back.
“Well?” I urged, motioning him to talk.
“Lake?”
I huffed, leaning back, my mouth agape. “Seriously?”
Alex shrugged. “I thought it was funny.”
“I did not!”
I waited for a few more seconds, blinking at Alex but he didn’t utter a single word. I finally groaned, throwing my hand in the air. “What did you and Zivah talk about?”
Alex grinned, blinking innocently at me. “Why should I tell you?”
My eyes tightened, teeth-gritting against themselves. “Because I asked you to.” I said in a low tone, hoping that he would hear the warning in my voice.
Luckily he got the angry tone and backed away. “Fine, double date tonight at 7.”
My eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“Double date.”
I blinked. “All four of us? You and me? Together?”
Alex smiled grimly. “Is there someone else you want to take?”
I scoffed. “No, whom would I take?”
“I don’t know, maybe your ex Evan?”
I smiled awkwardly, scratching the side of my neck in discomfort. “Well, I am sure he’ll be busy.”
“So if he wasn’t you would take him?” Alex’s voice raised a notch.
I shook my head in disagreement. “That’s not what I meant.”
Alex breathed out heavily. “Fine take him.” And then he turned and walked away.
I ran after him, struggling to stop my smile from spreading across my face. I ran past him and stopped in front of him. “Are you jealous?”
He raised his eyebrows, pointing at himself. “Me? Alex Bianchi, jealous? As if.”
My jaw dropped and I gawked at him. “Did you just say ‘As if’?”
He blinked, his ears slowly turning a light shade of red. “No.” he drew out the ‘o’.
I bit my lower lip, filled with amusement.
He took a step to the left to walk away but I stepped in front of him, stopping him. He narrowed his eyes, taking a step to the right. I mimicked him.
“Myra, move.”
“Alex, nope.”
He moved to the left. I stepped to the left. He stepped to the right. I moved to the right.
Until he got annoyed. “I warned you.” And with that he stopped down, lifting me off my feet and throwing me over his shoulders.
I let out a yelp of surprise, instinctively holding on to his back for support. “What the!”
Alex didn’t seem to stagger because of my weight. He walked into my room, with a shocked and screaming for help girl over his shoulder.
“Let me go, you big fat oaf!” I shouted, slapping his back.
“I warned you.” He repeated, shrugging his shoulders.
“Oww.” I squeaked at the sudden movement under my stomach.
Finally reached the room, he threw me on the bed. His face shining with pride and victory.
I scowled at his arrogant face. “What a showoff!”
“As if!” Alex said, grinning and flicking his imaginary hair.
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at his actions. My eyes danced with glee.
“Get ready. We need to leave soon.” He said and then winked and walked out of the room.
I sighed and pressed my back on the soft mattress, staring at the ceiling. A wave of contentment drowning me in its arms. He still hadn’t forgiven me for lying about the hacking and I was fine with that, I understood him and I wasn’t expecting him to forgive me anytime soon. But he was no longer ignoring me, no longer being a stranger, he was trying to understand me. And that is all I could wish for.
Because when you truly want something, you have to be ready to wait. And he was worth the wait.
I stepped out of the room at 6. 15 pm, dressed in a simple turquoise lace dress. It reached just below my knees and had a boat neckline, I had washed my hair and tied them loosely with a braid.
“I am ready!” I informed as I walked into the kitchen to drink a glass of water.
“Good.” I turned back in surprise, Alex was sitting on the couch, typing something speedily on his laptop.
“You working?” I asked, drinking water and then pouring another glass for him.
“Hm.”
I offered him the glass and he looked up in wonder. I moved the glass closer for him to take it.
He blinked, taking the glass delicately. “Thanks. I don’t remember the last time someone offered me a drink without me ordering them to bring it.”
I smiled softly. “This is why you should have a girlfriend.”
Alex smiled back, drinking the water. “To get you water?”
I shook my head, lightly tapping on his head. “Nope, to take care of you.”
His smile widened just by a little but that was enough to fill up my heart with bliss.
So this is how it feels to truly care about someone.
“Let’s go.” Alex closed his laptop and got up, grabbing his jacket. He was wearing a gray suit and a white shirt underneath that hugged his body like a second skin. It really should be illegal to look this good.
I wore my plain black wedges and followed him.
“So where are we going exactly?” I asked once we got into the car and he started driving.
“Some restaurant. Seb picked it up.” Alex answered.
“So do you talk?” I asked curiously.
“Me and Seb?”
“Yeah.”
“Well.” Alex started, “Not much. Occasionally mostly about work.”
“You were good friends before so why not now?”
“He became obnoxious and a jerk?”
I raised my eyebrows, looking at the side of his face with disbelief. “He became obnoxious and a jerk?”
Alex turned to me. “What’s with that tone?”
I looked ahead immediately, shaking my head. “Nothing.”
“Are you saying that I became obnoxious and a jerk?”
I scoffed, pointing at myself. “Me? I would never say that.” I said, stretching on the never.
Alex didn’t seem to believe me. “Anyway don’t trust him too much. I don’t like him.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “I think he’s the only person you actually trust.”
Alex snorted. “That’s a lie.”
“It happened long ago. The girl who ditched you two probably doesn’t even remember you two now.”
“I was not ditched!” Alex said defensively, his hand on the steering wheel tightening.
I raised my hands in submission. “That’s what all the ditchers say.”
“Don’t you start that.” Alex warned.
“Okay.” I rolled my eyes, boys and their stupid fights and stupid egos. I got out of the car and Alex handed the car keys to the valet.
“Let’s go. It’s a rooftop restaurant.” Alex said, offering his hand to me.
“Rooftop?” I hissed, glaring at him. “I didn’t get my jacket.”
Alex looked down at my bare arms and shrugged. “And what’s your point?”
I scoffed. “I’ll get cold! And you didn’t tell me we were going on a rooftop restaurant.”
“I wore my jacket. You should have got yours.” Alex stated, pulling my arm when I refused to offer mine. He practically dragged me inside the hotel.
I glared at the back of his neck, slightly shivering as the cool wind brushed past my shoulders.
As we waited for the elevator. I lowered my voice, pulling him down so he could clearly hear me. “If I get cold, I will wear your jacket. And you’ll have to give it to me if you don’t want to create a scene up there.”
Alex looked down at me, staring at my stoic face. He could clearly see I wasn’t joking and would definitely create a scene if I didn’t get his jacket. “Then I’ll be cold.”
I smiled faking sweetness and blinked up at him innocently. “And what’s your point?” I mimicked his words. Saying that I let go of his arm and stepped into the open elevator now filling with a crowd.
Alex seemed frozen for a few seconds and then joined us just as the elevator was about to close. He didn’t care to lower his tone when he said the next comment. “I understand you want to do it with me. But please wait, don’t force me.”
My jaw dropped down as the crowd turned their eyes on me. My head instinctively lowered and a deep shade of embarrassment danced through my veins. “Jerk. You are so dead.” I hissed under my breath. My hands forming into fists.
Alex didn’t respond, instead, his hand lightly brushed against mine. His fingers slowly moved against my fist, loosening the hold. Gently each finger of his fit itself in the gaps between my fingers and he pressed the back of my hand with his rough thumb ever so comfortingly.
And just like that every irritation, every thread of anger disappeared and warmth streamed through my hand into my heart. My fingers curled around his hand, I soaked in the rough skin and the feel of veins. And while we stood in that crowded space holding hands even after he had completely embarrassed me, I felt content.
My eyes leisurely went up to look at his face, he continued to look ahead but there was a small smile on his face. I gazed at him, my breath hitching as his thumb brushed against my skin. He knew the effect he had on me and he enjoyed it. I just stood there, looking at his symmetrical face as we held hands.
Because just that small gesture of him holding my hands was enough for me to be happy. Just the feel of his skin on mine was enough to increase my heartbeat. Just him standing beside me, doing nothing, just being there – was enough.
He was enough for me.