A Twist of Fate (29 page)

“Lexi, I have a
car waiting. I will brief you on the way.” She ushered me through
the crowd toward the doors.

“Chris, what
are you doing here? I would have assumed you were sending a
driver?” I was now worried about what her personal appearance
meant.

“I figured I’d
use the time constructively and ride over to the house with you. We
are all concerned about Alex. He is refusing to speak with anyone.
I’m hoping you might be able to get through to him. He’s asked only
for you.”

I swallowed
hard as the impact of Chris’ word hit me. Alex was a strong man, I
couldn’t imagine him the way Chris was describing him, defeated and
overwhelmed.

As we entered
the borough of The Bronx, I was taken aback by how beautiful it was
out here. Only a couple of miles out from Manhattan but it was like
entering another world. It was almost tranquil; I imagined it would
be a nice place to raise a family. Alex had spent most of his life
in Yonkers, it wasn’t until the band signed their record deal that
he relocated to “The City”. We stopped in front of a beautiful
double story brick home, an American flag flapped gently in the
breeze. The driveway was congested with various cars. I noticed
Alex’s Maserati parked in prime position.

Bear was at the
door to greet us; he gave Chris a polite nod as we walked past.
Chris directed me through to the main living area. The band sat
perched on various chairs, their faces serious and solemn.

“Lexi!” James
immediately embraced me in his trademark hug.

“Hey, where is
he?” I asked, looking around the room.

“He’s up stairs
with his mom and brother, Christian” Hannah smiled weakly as she
took her turn to hug me, her small bump noticeably rounder now. She
looked pale and tired, as did James. I assumed they had been the
first ones here. Troy, Dan and Jason all took their turns in
greeting me, their sombre expressions resembling James’ and
Hannah’s.

“He won’t talk
to anyone Lex, he’s been up there for hours.” Troy added, “I’ve
never seen him like this.”

“I’m going to
go try and talk to him, ok?” I rubbed Troy’s arm, not entirely sure
what I was going to say.

“Like Hell you
are!” hissed Marcy who emerged from the kitchen.

“Excuse me?” I
snapped back as I met her steely gaze.

“You need to go
and handle the press so they don’t harass Alex. That is the extent
of your job. If anyone is going to be comforting him, it will be
ME.” She straightened, placing her hands on her hips. I couldn’t
help but laugh, I knew it was an inappropriate response but I was
unable to smother the sound escaping my lips.

“Oh Honey, if
you think a bimbo with a bad boob job is going to stop me from
walking up those stairs and speaking to Alex then you are dumber
than I first thought. Let me be clear, your job is to fuck him and
he doesn’t seem to require that now, so step aside bitch and try
not to embarrass yourself any further.” I was unable to hide my
smile as I watched horror fill her eyes.

“You can’t talk
to me like that! Don’t you know who I am?” She childishly stamped
her feet. “How dare you!” Her body blocked the doorway. I took a
step toward her and she flinched slightly.

“I said, STEP
ASIDE. I don’t give a fuck who you are. You clearly don’t know who
I am if you think ANYTHING is going to stop me right now.” My false
smile faded as I narrowed my eyes.

“Marcy, I think
you should leave. I’m sure Alex will call you later” Hannah softly
volunteered; I could see she was trying to diffuse the situation
attempting to play the peacemaker - she hated confrontation. Marcy
turned her irritation to Hannah.

“You’re taking
HER side?” she seethed, “After you heard the way she spoke to
me?”

“I’m not taking
anyone’s side Marcy, I just think it should be about what Alex
needs right now and I don’t think a fight in his mother’s living
room is going to do anyone any good,” Hannah qualified.

“I’d enjoy it,”
smiled Jason shooting me a wink. One thing we had in common was our
dislike for Marcy. I took another step toward the door, Marcy
cowered like I might hit her. I glared at her as I passed, hearing
her sob as I walked up the stairs.

A tall, thin
younger version of Alex was sitting at the top of the stairs. His
hair was slightly longer than Alex’s and he wasn’t as muscular but
there was no denying that this was his brother. He brushed his hair
out of his beautiful blue eyes and stood.

“Hey, you must
be Lexi. I’m Christian.” He held out his hand politely; it amazed
me how much he even sounded like Alex.

“Yeah, I’m
Lexi. I hope it’s ok me being here?” While I didn’t care what Marcy
thought, the last thing I wanted to do was overstep my boundaries
with a grieving family.

“Yeah, of
course.” A small smile crept over his lips. “Alex has told me a lot
about you.” He gestured to a closed door.

“My mom is
kinda passed out at the moment; they gave her something to settle
her. Alex is in his old room though, I’m sure he’d love to see
you.” He took my hand and led me to another room at the end of the
hall. The door was shut but he knocked lightly before leaving me
and disappearing again.

“Who is it?”
Alex’s voice was barely a whisper.

“It’s Lexi,” I
whispered back, not exactly sure if he would open the door. I heard
footsteps and a slight hesitation before it opened. The light from
the hallway permeated the dark room. The curtains were drawn and
Alex winced when the brightness hit his eyes.

He looked like
hell; his usually clear eyes were blood shot and clouded, his hair
tousled and messy, and his face pale. He didn’t speak to me as I
entered the room; he closed the door quietly behind me, leaning
into it before letting out a long audible breath. Almost
instinctively I put my arms around him, hugging him tightly in
silence. I had worried about what I was going to say to him but
realised that right now there was no need for words, I could say
everything I needed to say without opening my mouth. He turned into
me, his arms encasing my body, as he sighed slowly. He led me to
his bed without releasing me and we lay facing each other. Neither
of us spoke, we just held each other for what seemed like an
eternity.

Alex was the
first to break the silence. “I heard you downstairs,” he whispered.
My mind flashed back to my tense showdown with Marcy.

“I’m sorry
Alex, you know how I am. My mouth has a mind of its own.” I bit my
lip, knowing I needed to learn to filter a little better.

“Yes, I’m
familiar with your mouth.” He gave me a weak half grin. “So Marcy’s
job is to fuck me? I wonder if she added that to her resume?” I
shook my head. Yep, filter, Lexi!

“Alex... I’m
sorry....”

“Shhhhh...” he
put his finger to my lips. “I broke up with Marcy last night,
before all of this. I told her our relationship wasn’t working out
for me anymore, but in true Marcy style she has refused to accept
it. I guess she thought given the circumstances that I’d need her,
relent on my decision.”

What?! My brain
went into overload, they’d broken up? “Why?” I blurted out, not
meaning to say it aloud. He hugged me tighter.

“Because I was
done playing stupid games, Lexi, and I was tired of being her
man-purse. Neither of us had feelings for each other. I was using
her to get over you and she was using me for exposure. It’s not
what I wanted.” I shifted uncomfortably in his arms
. Just tell
him Lexi, tell him you want him back! Tell him that you have been
miserable without him. TELL HIM.

There was a
gentle knock at the door, “Alex, Mom’s awake. She’s asking for
you.” Christian mumbled through the door.

“I’ll be right
there” answered Alex as he reluctantly released me and stood up. He
held out his hand and helped me up. “Come, I want you to meet my
mother” I froze, panic spread through me.

“Alex, I don’t
think this is an appropriate time. You need to be with your family,
I don’t think this is a good idea.” He refused to let my hand
go.

“She is an
exceptional woman Lexi, like you. I want you to meet her.” I
hesitated slightly before following him out the door. I was sure he
could hear my pounding heart as he led me to the master bedroom and
opened the door, giving me a slight smile as he stepped inside.

A beautiful
blue eyed woman sat gracefully in a chair. Despite her age she was
strikingly attractive. There was no doubt where Alex had gotten his
exceptional good looks from. Like him, she was breath-taking.

“Alexander.”
Her accent was apparent as she gestured, her delicate hand waved
for him to come closer. He moved quickly, kneeling at her side. “Go
home Alexander, there is nothing you can do here. You need to rest,
my son.” She stroked his face lovingly.

“It’s fine Mom,
I can crash here tonight. I don’t need to be anywhere.” He took her
hand and kissed it gently.

“Alexander, I
know how much you loved your father and he knew it too. You are not
dishonoring him by going home.” She paused to take a shaky breath.
“He was so proud of you, Alexander... Go home my boy; Christian
will stay with me tonight. Tomorrow we have a big day. I will need
you with me then.” She kissed both sides of his face. My eyes
misted from watching this poignant exchange between a mother and
her son.

Alex turned to
me, his eyes brimming with tears. “Mom, there is someone I’d like
you to meet. This is Lexi.” He took my hand and led me to her
chair. I knelt down beside her and held out my hand.

“I am so very
sorry for your loss Mrs Stone. If there is anything I can do please
let me know.”

She nodded
politely. “Please call me Helnä. Thank you for your kind words,
Alexander has spoken fondly about you. Please see that he gets home
tonight, I worry about those vultures who camp outside his door
trying to get pictures.”

She looked
lovingly at Alex then back to me. It seemed Alex had spoken about
me with most of his family members; I wasn’t sure when this had
taken place. Was it when we were together or perhaps when I had
broken his heart? I wondered how much they knew of our
relationship. Neither his mother nor brother seemed to harbour any
animosity toward me.

“Of course,” I
smiled as I rose to my feet. Alex kissed his mother goodbye after I
leaned in to give her a gentle hug. She was so thin I thought she
could crumble in my arms. Christian gave his big brother a hug and
told him that he would stay with their mother. Alex seemed resigned
that he needed to leave and opened the door. I followed closely
behind him.

Everyone was
still waiting downstairs when we emerged. James’ face was
noticeably relieved when he saw Alex standing beside me. He gave
him a hug and told him that everyone was here for him, Alex nodded
in silence, his eyes cast downward. It was almost as if he had lost
his ability to speak, or that just opening his mouth would release
a flood gate of tears.

I could tell he
was touched by the assembling of his friends, offering their
support. I was relieved at Marcy’s noticeable absence, glad to see
either common sense had prevailed and she left of her own accord or
Jason had tossed her dramatic ass out the door. As much as I would
relish another showdown, this was not about me. I stepped in front
of Alex, feeling he needed someone to take control.

“I’m going to
take Alex home. I can draft a statement to appease the press and
ask for privacy for the family during this time. Bear, can you stay
here and make sure there aren’t any lurkers hanging around?” Chris
nodded as she agreed with my assessment.

Everyone said
their goodbyes and offered their condolences as Alex remained
silent. Chris checked if there were any paparazzi hiding out front
before I led Alex outside.

“Keys” I held
out my hand and demanded.

“Lexi, no one
drives my car” he shook his head in protest.

“You are in no
condition to drive and I promise I will be careful. Either way, I
am driving you home. I promised your mother and I am not about to
break that promise. So hand them over.” I pushed my hand further
toward him. He begrudgingly handed over the keys, muttering under
his breath what a pain in the ass I was as I opened the doors.

I wondered if
this was the first time he had sat in his own car’s passenger seat.
He look uncomfortable and awkward as he sat down. “I promise I’ll
be careful Alex, I won’t speed ok?” I reassured him as I sat behind
the beautifully engineered steering wheel.

“I like to be
the one driving,” he pouted.

I nodded in
sympathy, “Me too...guess that’s why it didn’t work out for us” I
hit the ignition awaking the beastly V8 engine. He shot me a pained
sideways glance, as if by me finally acknowledging our past it made
it real, and nodded slowly in agreement.

True to my word
I obeyed all the speed limits and was positively boring while
handling the amazing agility of the Maserati. I had been tempted to
floor it off the lights but I didn’t dare break my promise to Alex,
feeling like I was driving a Volvo rather than a sport car. I
guided the car into the garage of his apartment complex, parking
his prized possession in its usual spot. He sighed loudly as he
opened his door and exited the car. I handed back his key
immediately.

“See! I told
you I’d be good!” I smiled; I was proud of myself, it had been no
easy feat.

“Yes, thank
you. I’m sure it was difficult for you.” Despite his words there
was no double meaning, there was no anger or malice in his voice. I
walked with him to the elevator as he keyed in his floor, the door
closing behind us. He took my hand and held it as we rode in
silence. Despite the circumstances it didn’t feel awkward or
strange. It was as if we both were receiving comfort from the
touch.