“What are you gonna do?” Alex chuckles darkly, almost playfully before fishing out his phone. He extends his hand towards her.
“What?” She stares at him with confusion.
“Phone. Your phone. Open it.”
As the girl hands her phone to Alex, he searches for a few numbers and begins calling up a few.
“I’m not liking this, Alex.”
“Yeah, yeah. Do you know why I have a dual sim phone in the first place?”
“For what?” The phone was ringing as he makes the call.
“To surprise people, sweetheart. To fuck with them when I get bored.”
The person lifts the call.
“Hello? Who’s this?”
“Aw~ you’re gonna forget all about your brother-in-law, James Lee? I feel betrayed.”
“What the fuck do you want?” Ravine chuckles behind her hand.
“I want you to convince your parents to send Ravine on the school trip with you.”
“Hell to the no. I don’t want that hoe to tag along with me.”.
“What who you’re talking to, James? How about this?” Alex turns around, leaning against the railing as Ravine watches him in interest and anticipation.
“I tell your nobility parents that their beloved son is dating a commoner.” Ravine widens her eyes.
“Alex, you’re going too far. He might break up with Pete-”
“What makes you think I will let you talk to them? They are out of reach, Alex. If you wanna do anything, why don’t you ask your elder brother about it? I’m sure he’ll lend a better hand.” Alex twists his jaw in jealousy. He could see his siblings below, exiting the lift and fighting playfully with each other. Louis was such a dependable person, but others often found him a luxury to be his relative than respect him as a person. Alex does not stand for it.
“I have to make it clear here, James. Louis is our eldest brother. Sure, he’s powerful. But don’t you fucking forget who let your family rise to fame in the first place? I know you and your parents have been using my name for the past two years, even if I said I wasn’t dating your sister.” Alex states angrily. Ravine bites down on her lip, looking away. She felt sorrowful at their conversation, the past resurfacing in her head.
“So, do me a favor in return. Tell your parents-”
“Go to hell, fucker.” James cuts the phone.
“Hey,” Alex turns to Ravine.
“Hey, I’m sorry that you had to hear that.” He says, regretting putting the phone on speaker.
“He’s a bad person.” Ravine softly mutters under her breath.
“He is. And he’s going to regret being cocky.” Alex says, hugging the tall girl to his shoulder.
“Also…” he suddenly remembers. Ravine watches anger flare up in his eyes like the rebirth of a Phoenix. He shakily takes a breath before facing her, “Didn’t he try to threaten you with your tapes in the past?”
Ravine widens her eyes, and Alex begins walking to the lift.
“Alex, no no no wait! I don’t want my parents to know about that! Please!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t speak a word about it,” Alex says to the girl who was begging him not to raise the topic.
She felt guilty, and regrettable that she opened up to the feisty Johnson siblings and shared everything about her past on their prom.
Ravine was hanging on the thin thread of hope, that he won’t talk to her parents about it.
She didn’t know how, but a few clicks later, Alex found the exact location of her parents.
“They’re… here? I thought-” She furrows her eyebrows in thought. She clearly remembers them mentioning going abroad.
“You thought they went to Canada, sweetie?”
“Yeah…”
“Apparently, they send their body doubles there as shown. They are very much in New York, regrettably at The Body Shop.” [It’s fictional, thank you]
“T-The Body Shop? What the fuck are they doing there?” Ravine yanks the phone to herself from his hold, to see the location stopping at the most lustrous place in New York.
Lustrous with drugs and women, even men sometimes.
“I- I don’t feel good about this, Alex. He’s my father.” Says Ravine.
“And it’s the perfect opportunity for you to know who he had become under my name. Don’t worry babe, I’ll be here for you.” Alex holds her hand over the jockey.
The BMW roars with life as he changes the clutch and gear with her hand, stepping on the acceleration as they zoom through the empty streets.
Reaching the location, Ravine felt sick to the stomach.
“Alex, I don’t feel good…” she repeats.
Suddenly, the young man pulls her by her neck towards himself. He crashes his lips onto her.
“You can lean on me from now, Ravine. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. I fucking promise.” He whispers against her lips.
Ravine knows, that she found her true blue in him. The girl slowly rests her forehead on his, a rare type of smile taking over her lips. It was as if she was smiling in years and years of pressure being released from her shoulders. It was a smile of rest.
And she, though in tears, feels the need to express her undeniable gratitude towards him. It was a feeling that told her, “Take some rest love, let me take the wheel now.”
She allows her boyfriend to take the wheel. And the wheel which felt too heavy for her, felt way too feathery for Alex. He was the perfect man for taking her pain away and replacing it with unconditional love. She realizes his intent and proceeds to say the words genuinely to him for the first time in her life.
“Thank you, Alex.
I love you.”
The young man chuckles,
“I love you too, Ravine. Feel thankful after I complete this mission.” The girl chuckles at his words. She nods, pecking him and taking him by surprise.
“Sir, I need your ID-”
“Shut up! G-good evening sir. Table for two?”
“Actually, I’d like to go to the underground shop.” Alex smiles at the ‘kind’ bouncer.
“But sir, I don’t think-”
“I think you’re forgetting this.
I am Alex Johnson.”