Free Falling

Chapter 16 | Have Her Home By Eleven!

~
"You were unsure which pain was worse-
the shock of what happened
or the ache of what never will."
~

"Hey Em." Alex says, taking a seat next to me the next Friday night at the football game.

"Hey!" I say, smiling at him.

The past week has been really weird. Alex has been distant, much like he was when we were leaving the lake house. He seems like he's hiding something, but I don't want to assume anything.

"How was your day gorgeous?" He asks, wrapping an arm around me.

"Good! I made a ninety-eight on our math test!" I tell him.

"Lucky. I made a seventy." He says, rolling his eyes. "Maybe I need you to tutor me."

"And maybe I will." I say, winking at him.

"So, I was thinking..." Alex starts, grinning as our school once again touches down. "If you'd let me take you out on another date?"

"Hm...I don't know, I recently have a new student I need to tutor." I say, turning to face him as I tease him with a smile.

"Damn can't you take a rain check?" He asks, playing along as he leans towards me.

"I don't know Alex, he got a seventy on our last test." I manage to get out before he closes the distance.

He kisses me softly and I frown when he pulls away too soon.

"He'll be just fine." He says rolling his eyes. I laugh before pulling him in for another kiss. We makeout slowly as the game continues, not really paying attention anymore.

We all knew the guys we're probably winning anyways.

When we finally break apart, Alex nods towards the parking lot.

"Wanna get out of here?" He asks lowly.

"You're taking me on our date now!?" I ask incredulously.

He chuckles at the panicked look on my face and I hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"No not right now. But let's go have some fun. It's not like we don't know how this game is gonna end."

He has a point.

"Fine, let's go." I say smiling as he takes my hand and we slip through the people on the stands.

Alex and I are joking around and laughing, until Mason's figure emerges from around the corner and I stop completely as my stomach drops. 

I try not to panic but my grip on Alex's hand tightens significantly as I think about what happened the last time we were in this parking lot. 

"You were alone then and you're alone now." 

"You're never going to be stronger than me." 

Alex stops as well, going stiff when he sees Mason and his little crew come near us. 

Mason obviously sees us and a dangerous smirk appears on his face. His signals for his friends to go on without him as he walks towards us.

"Don't y'all just make such a cute couple?" Mason says sarcastically, glaring down at our interlocked hands.

Fear starts to build in me at this familiar scene. I still remember how he...

I force myself not to think about the incident at the parking lot.

But the images of him beating me resurface and I start to shake.

"We both know the real battle is between you and I."