by Locklyn Marx
She was trying to muster up the energy to get out of bed when there was a knock on the door. “Room service,” a voice said.
Alexis frowned. Why would Reid have ordered room service when he just went to get pancakes? Although he’d obviously ordered coffee this morning, so maybe there’d been some kind of mistake.
She pulled on a t-shirt and went to the door.
But when she opened it, it wasn’t room service. It was Leo.
Chapter Twelve
He looked the same as he always did. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. He was wearing the black t-shirt that she’d bought him for his birthday and his favorite pair of jeans.
“Alexis,” he breathed, and her heart clenched. He didn’t look scary. He just looked sad. And kind of pathetic.
“What are you doing here?” Her heartbeat accelerated and a surge of adrenaline pumped through her body. She gripped the doorframe, thinking about shutting the door in his face. But she wasn’t sure if that would anger him even more.
“What do you think I’m doing here?” he said. “I came to see you.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“Your cell phone.”
“My cell….” Alexis hadn’t used her cell phone since she’d left, opting to turn it off so she wouldn’t have to deal with the texts and voicemails she was sure Leo would be leaving.
“Yeah.” Leo grinned sheepishly and looked down at the ground. “I looked up your bill and then signed up for a tracking service. You know, the kind people use in case they lose their phone.”
She took in a deep breath and shook her head. “Leo,” she said, “you shouldn’t have come here.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” he said. “You were in New York, then you were in Florida, and now you’re back here.” He smelled like alcohol, and she wondered how much he’d been drinking. She wanted to step into the hallway, to get out of the room so that at least if he tried to do something he wouldn’t have her trapped. But when she tried to move past him, he just stood there, his legs planted firmly on the ground.
“Leo,” she said. “I don’t think you should be here.”
“Why not? Let me come in.” He took a step toward her, and she tried to step back into the room and close the door.
But he put his hand out, blocking it. “Alexis,” he said. “I need to know what the hell is going on.”
She licked her lips. “I’m leaving.” Saying the words out loud made her feel strong.
Leo frowned. “Where are you going?” He seemed confused.
“I don’t want to tell you that,” she said. “It’s over, Leo. I’m sorry, but it’s over.”
The truth was, she wasn’t sorry. There was nothing left. No sadness. No heartache.
Nothing but anger and resentment for the fact that she’d wasted so much of her life on him. Time when she could have been building a life for herself, a life where she could have had friends and happiness and a career that she loved.
“What do you mean it’s over?” The confusion on Leo’s face was turning to anger.
“I don’t want to be together anymore.” Alexis forced herself to look him in the eye. It felt good, like something that had to be done. “I’m going to be over to get my things later.”
He shook his head. “You can’t leave. You have nowhere to go.”
“It’s really none of your business if I have somewhere to go or not.” She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to do her best to make her voice sound strong. But she heard the crack in it.
“I think it is.” Leo took a step toward her, and so Alexis stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind her. The last thing she wanted was to end up in her room with him, alone.
But with the door shut behind her, she had nowhere to go.
Leo grabbed her arms and pushed her back against the door, his nails digging into her flesh. “You’re nothing without me,” he said.
“Leo,” she gasped. “Please, let go of me. You’re hurting me.”
“Alexis? What’s going on?” Reid was back. He was holding a paper bag and walking toward them down the hall. His eyes moved from Alexis to Leo and back again.
“Who the hell are you?” Leo asked. His grip on Alexis loosened just a little.
“I’m a friend of Alexis’s,” Reid said.
“A friend of Alexis’s?” Understanding dawned on Leo’s face as he looked back and forth from Alexis to Leo. “You little slut,” he spat, pushing her back up against the wall.
“Take your hands off her,” Reid said.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Leo said. “This is a private matter between me and my girlfriend.”
Reid didn’t waste time. He grabbed Leo by the shoulders and pulled him away from Alexis roughly.
This made Leo irate. He pulled his arm back and punched Reid in the face.
“Oh, my God!” Alexis screamed. “Leo, stop it!” But she didn’t need to worry.
Apparently Reid could take care of himself. He took a step back and touched his jaw gently, checking to see if there was any damage.
“You really shouldn’t have done that, man,” Reid said, shaking his head regretfully.
“Oh, yeah?” Leo sneered. “You’re nothing, man. She’s going to be done with you just like she was done with me.”
“I’m nothing like you,” Reid said. “So you’re wrong about that. But you are right that Alexis is done with you.”
Leo charged at him, but this time, Reid was ready. He pushed Leo to the ground and jumped on top of him. The two men began wrestling, tumbling around on the floor.
After just a few moments, Reid got the better of the situation, sitting on top of Leo and pinning him to the ground. Leo kicked and struggled as he tried to break free from Reid’s grasp. “Stop, man!” Reid said. “Seriously, stop it.”
Before Alexis could even process what was happening, there was a security guard pulling Reid off of Leo.
A crowd had started to form in the hallway -- other hotel guests had started to come out of their rooms to see what all the commotion was about.
“It’s okay, man,” Reid said angrily, shrugging off the guard. “It’s okay, I’m fine.
I’m not going to touch him.”
Leo skulked over to corner of the hallway.
“Nobody move,” the security guard said. “The police are on their way.”
Reid ran over to Alexis, and took her hands in his. “You okay?” he asked. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“Your hands are shaking.” He took them in his own hands and rubbed them.
“And you’re cold as ice.”
“I was just scared,” she said. “I didn’t… I wasn’t sure what he was going to do.”
Reid pulled her close, and she rested her head against his shoulder. What the hell had just happened? It was insane, Leo showing up here and getting into a fight with Reid. Alexis took deep breaths and tried to calm her beating heart.
When the police came, they took a statement from the three of them, along with some hotel guests who had seen the whole thing. They corroborated Reid’s story that Leo had come after him.
Alexis filed charges.
“I’m planning on getting a restraining order against him tomorrow,” she told the officer, shocked to hear herself say the words out loud.
“Good,” the cop said. He pulled off a copy of the report and handed it to her.
“Show this to the judge, and you shouldn’t have any trouble getting one.”
Alex nodded, her hand clutched around the paper.
“Listen,” the policeman said to Reid. “Leo is going to be taken down and arrested for assault, but if he posts bail, he’ll be right back out.” Alexis shuddered. “You should wait to get your things until you can coordinate it with the police department. Leo will be informed of the restraining order, but if he comes back, call the police immediately, okay? Don’t try to handle it yourself.”
“Okay.” R
eid nodded, his jaw set. He seemed convincing enough, but Alexis knew that if Reid saw Leo again, he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself from getting involved. The thought was comforting – obviously she didn’t want Reid getting hurt or getting into a fight, but the fact that he wasn’t scared of Leo, not in the least, made her feel better.
When the cops were done, Reid led Alexis back into their hotel room. He looked her over. “Are you sure you’re okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“I’m fine.”
He turned her wrist over gently in his hand. “You have a bruise on your wrist.”
She looked down, rubbed her finger over it. “Probably from when he grabbed me.”
Reid took in a big breath and then let it out. “I should have knocked that asshole out when I had the chance.”
“It’s okay,” Alexis said. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”
He shook his head. “Then you’re a better person than I am.”
“Yeah, well,” she said, grinning, “I thought we’d already established that.”
He smiled. “So what should we do today?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Something fun,” she said. “Something to get my mind off all of this.”
Reid grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
***
They spent the day not talking about Leo, or what Alexis’s next steps were going to be, or how Reid had quit his job. Instead, they walked around Philadelphia, doing all sorts of touristy things. They went to the Philadelphia Zoo, where they saw lions and tigers and elephants. They watched a planetarium show at the Franklin Institute. And then they strolled up and down the city streets, window shopping and drinking frozen lemonades they’d bought from street vendor.
When it was time for dinner, they ordered cheese steaks at Geno’s.
“This is amazing,” Reid said as they ate, sitting on a bench outside the restaurant.
“I told you,” Alexis said. “Best steaks in the city.” She was proud that she was able to show him all Philadelphia had to offer. But it was bittersweet. She’d lived here so long, and she hadn’t even really experienced it beyond what she’d shown Reid today.
“What are you thinking about?” Reid asked.
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Alexis---”
“Fine,” she said. “I was just thinking how sad it is that I’ve lived here for years, and yet today is one of the first days I’ve ever taken to really just explore the city and have fun.” She shook her head and looked down at the sidewalk. “It’s just really sad.”
Reid nodded, appearing to be lost in thought. And then he reached over and took her hand. “What would be sad,” he said, “is if you hadn’t realized that, and if you hadn’t decided that you were going to make a change.” He squeezed her hand. “That’s what would be sad.”
Alexis took in a deep breath and shrugged. “I guess,” she said. “But if you’re a coward and then you make a change, it doesn’t change the fact that you were a coward.”
He looked at her, his eyes blazing. “You are not a coward,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t even say that.”
She looked down at the street, and felt her eyes brimming with tears. The air was cooling down now, the streets starting to become populated with well-dressed people on their way home from work. The day was ending. And as fun as it had been, she was going to have to get back to reality soon.
“So should we head back to the hotel?” she asked, standing up. “I know it’s only six, but I’m exhausted.”
They walked back to the hotel, taking their time, talking and laughing and poking into shops as they went. When they got back to the room, they ordered Chinese food and watched dumb reality shows on Bravo.
And when Alexis fell asleep that night, Reid was holding her close.
***
The next morning, Reid was awake at five am. He set up his laptop on the desk and got to work brainstorming ideas for his own company.
When Alexis woke up at seven, he’d already put together an impressive list of clients he could pitch. Clients that he’d been dying to work with, but had been too small or too trendy for his father’s agency. He’d get on the phone as soon as he got back to New York and start setting up lunch meetings.
He also began putting out a few feelers to employees at other agencies, mostly people he’d worked with in the past who he knew would be a great fit for his agency.
He’d finally be able to construct his own team, on his own terms. The thought excited him.
“Hey,” Alexis said, sitting up and stretching. He watched as she lifted her arms over her head. The bottom of her shirt rode up just a little bit, exposing the bottom of her stomach. God, she was beautiful.
He slipped back into bed and pulled her close. She smelled like sleep and shampoo, and he kissed her softly on the lips.
“Good morning,” he said. “How’d you sleep?”
“Surprisingly well.” She snuggled against his chest, and he stroked her hair. She felt perfect against him, and the overwhelming urge to protect her surged through him.
God, he was turning into some kind of romantic mess. Reid kissed her again, this time sliding his hands up under her shirt.
“We should stop,” he breathed a few minutes later. “The courthouse opens at eight, and we should get there as early as possible.”
She burrowed into his chest again, and he stroked her hair. There would be plenty of time to have his way with her later.
***
The process of filing the restraining order was relatively painless – the judge granted the temporary order, effective immediately. Alexis would have to return to court for a hearing in a couple of weeks to get a permanent one, but until then, she was done with the whole mess.
Alexis was quiet on the way out of the courthouse, and Reid picked up on her mood immediately.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing.” She shook her head. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” He opened the passenger side of the car he’d rented, and she slid in. Reid walked around and climbed into the driver’s seat. “You’re coming back to New York with me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think – ”
“You don’t think what? That it’s a good idea? Why not? You’re my roommate, right?’ He grinned at her, trying to lighten the mood. But the thought of her being away from him was too much to bear. The feeling shocked him. He’d never felt this way about a woman before.
“I don’t know.” Alexis shook her head. “I mean, I don’t have a job in New York.”
“You’re going to have to find a job wherever you go,” he told her. “New York isn’t going to be any different. You have a place to stay in New York. I can lend you some money for whatever you need. Don’t worry about getting your things right now –
we can get them when we come back for the hearing in a couple of weeks.”
Alexis looked out the window and twisted her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath and Reid was sure she was going to ask him what it meant, the two of them living together. If she did, he decided, he’d tell her how he felt.
“Okay,” she said, taking in a deep breath. “But only until I get back on my feet.”
***
Alexis was relieved that she would be staying with Reid. She told herself it was because she didn’t have anywhere else to go, and so of course the fact that she was being offered a place to stay was making her happy.
But she knew that wasn’t the only reason. It was confusing – even though Alexis knew it was just sex, she wasn’t ready for her time with Reid to end.
They drove back to New York City in the rental car, and were lucky enough to find a spot less than half a block away from Reid’s apartment.
“I’ll bring you upstairs,” he said, “and then I’ll go return the car.” He cut the engine and looked at her. “Unless you want to go with me.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “Yes. You’re not going to be able to be with me every second. I’m going to have to try being on my own sometime.”
They got out of the car and walked into the building. When Reid opened the door to his apartment, there was a man sitting on the couch. He had shaggy gray hair and he was reading the New York Times.
“Dad,” Reid said, sounding surprised. He dropped his keys on the table by the door and his posture stiffened. “What are you doing here?”
“Reid,” his father said, standing up. He tossed the newspaper onto the couch. “Do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Chapter Thirteen
“How did you get in here?” Reid asked.
His father held up a key. “Jack gave me the key.”
“Of course he did.” Fucking Jack. What the hell was wrong with his brother?
He knew just as well as Reid did that their parents were completely nuts. So why would he give his father a key to Reid’s apartment?
“So what the hell is going on, Reid?” his father said. There was a finger of Scotch sitting in front of him on the table. Apparently not only did his father think he could barge into Reid’s apartment, he thought he could drink Reid’s alcohol as well.
“Thomas said you quit.”
Reid nodded. “I did.”
“Why?” For the first time, his father’s eyes flicked to Alexis, who was standing in the doorway looking uncomfortable. Reid moved toward her. “I’m sorry about this,”
he whispered. “I’m going to get rid of him, okay?”
She nodded.
“You want to go wait in the bedroom?” Now was not the time to introduce her to his father. Reid had a feeling it would only make things worse.
Alexis nodded again and then moved past him and down the hall.
“Dad,” Reid said. “I should have called you, I know. But – ”
“But nothing.” His father shook his head. “You need to call Thomas back and apologize.”
“No.” Reid shook his head. “I’m not doing that.”