by Emma Vikes
“Nothing. The notes seem harmless enough. And the ones I found at the victims place are probably harmless too.”
“Case closed for Nancy Drew?”
I glared at him playfully and watched as he crossed the distance between us and sat next to me. “Yes. But not for Alexa Stone, best friend of that heartbroken mess on my bed. She’s been through a lot of crap because of a lot of boys and maybe this might be the one that can mend her broken pieces.”
I could feel his gaze on me and I swallowed, trying my best to act completely unfazed. “You’re a good friend, Alexa.”
I’m not a fan of dating co-workers either. But then there was the…
I’ll take good care of her.
“Say, if I was in Liv’s position and decided to trash myself with alcohol to tame a broken heart, would you do the same thing for me? Even if I vomited all over you?”
Everett rolled his eyes but he had that small smile on his face. “If I did it for your friend, why wouldn’t I do it for you? I mean, we’re friends too, right?”
Friends. Right.
We were just friends.
Get a grip, Alexa!
I nodded my head, trying to make sure that the overwhelming disappointment didn’t show on my face. “Are you heading home now?”
Everett looked thoughtful for a moment, and I expected him to nod and tell me that he should, that it was getting late and he needed to get up early to head to the department. But he surprised me by shaking his head and bumping my shoulder with his. “Would you be like her too? Drown yourself with alcohol to tame a broken heart?”
I looked at Everett and I could see the curiosity in his eyes, and for some reason I found it adorable. “I don’t think I have the time to get my heart broken.”
Everett chuckled, nudging me with his shoulder. “Good. Because I don’t think I’d want to see you drowning yourself in booze for a guy. You’re better than that.”
6
Everett
I revved the engine of Julian’s motorcycle with a frown. If it was up to me, I would’ve walked all the way to the only open supermarket in Irving to get the things that Julian had listed down. In the last minute, he decided that he wanted to make a dessert that he had just learned from YouTube University. The one time that my famous brother comes home, after months of not seeing each other, he decides to make me run errands for him. If he did it himself, then he wouldn’t make it out on time for Thanksgiving dinner. Then he would certainly be skinned alive by Eleanor, her mother Imogen and our own mother, for being late.
But then again, running errands for the ingredients that they didn’t have in the kitchen was better than being forced to cook. I was a man of many things as long as it involved science; but when it came to the art of cooking, my brain would suddenly stop functioning. I could guarantee that there was a possibility that I could burn down the building, and my brothers knew that too well from experience. I almost set our house on fire when I was fourteen while trying to make a gourmet meal. Let’s just say my brothers have never let me lend a hand in the kitchen since 2010. Since then I have sort of just become the errand boy every holiday season.
“Everett!” Julian called out from the lobby, running out hurriedly. He had the hood of his sweater on to stop paparazzi from spotting him. Ah, the life of a famous artist. “Here. I decided to change the dessert but you can still get everything I listed on the other paper. Make sure you come back early, ‘kay?”
Rolling my eyes, I stuffed the paper inside the leather jacket I was wearing. I put on the helmet that Julian had handed me earlier. Revving the engine again, I sped off to the supermarket that was merely a mile away. I had a feeling that there would be a lot of people there doing last minute grocery shopping, or also on their way to grab ingredients that they lacked for the Thanksgiving dinner they were preparing.
Taking off the helmet and trying to fix my always dishevelled hair, I pulled out the notes that Julian had handed me earlier. There weren’t too many things to be bought. But then I saw the long line of people waiting to check out their items, and sighed.
“You know of all the things that I’ve seen you do, mounting off a motorbike is the last thing I thought I’d be seeing you doing.”
I turned around to see Alexa standing in front of me, her red hair hidden behind an oversized beige beanie. She was wearing a dark brown trench coat with all the buttons open, inside which she was wearing denim jeans and a loose white blouse and a pair of black Doc Martens. “What are you doing here? Last minute grocery shopping?”
Alexa stuffed her hands inside her coat and shrugged. “You could say that. I thought that I was all geared up for my own Thanksgiving dinner and realized that I literally have nothing in my fridge. The worst part is that I just woke up and I’m already insanely hungry.”
My eyebrows rose in surprise, not at the latter part of her statement. One Saturday I had asked Alexa if she could help me with something at the research institute I worked at, and I ended up having to wake her up and wait for her to get ready. She was definitely not a morning person. “You’re having Thanksgiving alone? You’re not heading to South Carolina for Thanksgiving?”
“If I was, wouldn’t I have filed for at least a couple of days off?” Alexa countered, chuckling and shaking her head. “I’m going home for Christmas and New Year. Papa said that it might not be a good idea to go home for Thanksgiving too. Plane tickets are expensive.”
I nodded in agreement and the two of us began to make our way to the supermarket. Alexa visibly paled at the sight of the long line and I couldn’t help but chuckle beside her. “Richardson’s the only supermarket open in Irving for Thanksgiving and everyone in the city knows it. It’s kind of fun though. Coming here’s always been a part of my Thanksgiving tradition.”
“Your Mom tends to forget a couple of ingredients?” Alexa asked as I grabbed a basket and offered her one, but she declined. “I think I might just buy Ramen in a cup. Ingenious chefs like me shouldn’t ourselves tire out when it’s only one stomach that needs to be fed.”
The corner of my lips twitched into a smile. “You can’t cook either?”
Alexa pursed her lips and tried to hide her smile as she shrugged, bee-lining for the section she was looking for. I followed. She raised the ramen cup she was holding and smiled. “Not for the life of me.”
I laughed. “The reason I became an errand boy on holidays is because I tried to cook a meal for our family when I was fourteen and almost burned our house down while doing so. My brothers have never let me live it down.”
A forlorn expression crossed her face as she tossed the cup into my basket and tried to keep up the smile she had on her face, “Your entire family’s here for Thanksgiving dinner?”
I shook my head. “No. My oldest brother Milo, his wife and kids are back in Chicago. They couldn’t make it because Milo has an early meeting tomorrow and they really didn’t want to stress baby Atlas out with the sudden travel.”
“So, your parents are going to be there?”
“Just my Mom. Dad died when I was in middle school.”
Alexa bit her lip. “Sorry. I didn’t-,”
“I know. It’s okay,” I reassured her with a smile and then the two of us walked along the supermarket, finding the things that Julian needed for the dessert that he wanted to make. “What about you? Since you couldn’t fly over to South Carolina for Thanksgiving, I take it that your parents can’t fly here to spend it with you either?”
It took a moment until Alexa answered my question and she turned to look at me with a small smile but I could tell that she was forcing it. “Like I said, plane tickets are expensive. My family’s very…frugal.”
I’d like to believe that I know a lot of things about Alexa, but to be honest most of our conversations surrounded conspiracy theories and serial killer documentaries that we had both watched. Sometimes we’d talk about my research and there were times where she asked about my family and I’d tell her stories about me from when I w
as younger. But we had never really gotten around to talking about her life back in South Carolina; and it was as if she purposely chose to share very little detail about her personal life to me; and to anyone for that matter.
We strolled around the supermarket, continuing to search for the last things that Julian needed for the dessert. When we passed by the section where Alexa had gotten her noodles, I sighed and searched for the cup from my basket and pulled it out.
“What are you doing?”
To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing or what was fuelling me to do what I was thinking. “Thanksgiving- and every other holiday- shouldn’t be spent alone. That’s just sad. You’re having Thanksgiving with me.”
“But your entire family’s going to be there!”
I paused and shook my head. “Not all of them.”
I made my way to the line and Alexa rushed after me. “Everett, thank you for the invitation but I’m fine on my own. There are moments in life where we have to be alone and it’s not such a bad thing.”
She looked at me with sadness flickering briefly in her eyes and I shook my head. “And sometimes, you have someone to spend a moment with. Don’t turn it down. And I didn’t invite you, Lexi, you’re crashing my Thanksgiving. There’s a difference.”
Alexa glared at me but then her gaze softened. “So, getting to go with you is what I’m meant to be thankful for today?”
“No. You’re going to be thankful that our paths crossed again. No one in Irving is as nice as me.” I flashed her a smile and Alexa blinked, just as the cashier started to punch the items that I had bought. I had my items bagged and Alexa was standing behind me, still dumbfounded at the sudden change in her plans. I couldn’t help but laugh. I grabbed her hand and dragged her outside.
It was only when we reached Julian’s motorcycle that I realized I was holding her hand, because when I stopped she was staring at our interlaced hands. I dropped it immediately but a slight pang filled my chest as I did, the warmth that her hand brought to mine instantly gone. “Everett, come on, your family’s not going to be thrilled that you came back with a stranger.”
“But you’re not a stranger, Lexi. You’re my colleague. My family might be whack sometimes and my brothers have the tendency to annoy me to no end, but I swear to you that my mom’s really nice and welcoming and so is my brother’s fiancé,” I opened the seat of Julian’s motorbike to get the second helmet that I knew he stashed in there, and then gently tugged at Alexa’s beanie, replacing it with the helmet. I placed my hands on her shoulders after, “It’s going to be fine.”
I hadn’t really thought things through.
When I told Alexa that she was going to have dinner with me and my family, and assured her that things were going to be fine, I hadn’t really considered the fact that my brothers wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. The moment we stepped into the penthouse, we immediately came face to face with Leo and he wouldn’t stop staring at Alexa when I introduced them.
“So, you two just work together?” Leo asked, eyeing the two of us. I made my way to the kitchen and handed Julian the things that he needed for the dessert. Eleanor, Mom and Imogen were there too.
Alexa was standing close to me and I introduced her to everyone. Eleanor immediately took her under her wing and dragged her to the dining area to set things up, leaving us guys alone in the kitchen. Julian began to make the dessert he so wanted to. “How come you never told us that you had a smoking hot colleague?”
I glared at Julian as I watched him pour butter, graham crackers and sugar into one bowl and then move the mixture into a pan. “Because the people I work with are none of your business.”
Leo whistled lowly and chuckled, bumping his shoulder with mine, as we watched Julian make a no-bake cheesecake for us as dessert. “Uh-oh, do I smell something more than just a work relationship between the two of you, Everett?”
This was what I hadn’t anticipated. It never occurred to me that my brothers would tease me and ask questions. It wasn’t that it was a bad thing for them to do so, but I was scared if they said something then it would make things awkward during dinner. The last thing I wanted was to have a tense and awkward Thanksgiving dinner for Alexa, given how I had insisted that she come with me.
“Guys, please,” I said, exasperation evident in my tone, “Alexa’s my colleague and she didn’t have her family with her for Thanksgiving. She was intending to spend it eating ramen and probably watching Netflix. Could we focus on the fact that we have a guest?”
Julian was smirking as he finished making the cheesecake and looked at me, a mysterious glint in his eyes. “Could we focus on the fact that your guest is insanely hot? I’ve had my share of red heads and let me just say they are wild in bed. You mind if I tap that?”
My fists clenched in annoyance, and I closed my eyes tight, willing myself to calm down as I could begin to feel anger from the pit of my stomach. I wasn’t even sure why I was feeling this way.
Because I wanted to be with Alexa.
Leo chuckled and then flashed a thumbs up at Julian. “I saw the way she looked at you earlier. I think if Ellie didn’t whisk her away, she would’ve flirted with you. I can spot a fangirl’s heart eyes anywhere and I could see it glinting in those hazel eyes of hers.”
I pursed my lips, remaining quiet while my brothers continued on with the conversation. “But she kind of looks familiar. Have we seen her before? Maybe I’ve already tapped her you know, pre-Ellie…”
“She’s the girl from the club. The one we had gone to before heading for Chicago,” I said quietly, glancing at the dining room. The last thing I needed was for Alexa to overhear the conversation I was having with Leo and Julian. I didn’t want her to think that my brothers were assholes- I mean, sure I described them as such in a brotherly manner but I didn’t want her to think that it was really true- and that they were the kind to simply objectify women.
Leo and Julian both looked at me and their grins became really big. My heart started beating erratically in my chest in fear of what my brothers were going to say. Julian leaned closer to me and then flicked me on the forehead, making me wince. “How come you never told us that you actually pursued the girl in the club?”
I rubbed my forehead and glared at Julian, but before I could answer Leo butted in. “Or maybe he didn’t! Didn’t he tell us over and over again that he would never date someone from the department? Said that it would ruin the office vibes for him.”
Julian chuckled and high-fived Leo. “Damn. If only the club had better lights and I had a good look at her, I wouldn’t have let Leo spill her drink on her for you, Everett.”
Leo snorted. “Dude, you were the one who said that she would be Everett’s type! But lo and behold, the universe conspired against our initial attack and decided to put an end to whatever could’ve happened between them.”
“Can you guys please stop?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper. I nervously glanced at the hallway that led to dining area and then turned back to my brothers. “She might hear you!”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Everett. What’s the big deal if she does? Wouldn’t she feel honoured to know that Julian Hudson has dibs on her?”
My fists clenched again. “Please stop.”
Julian whistled lowly. “Why? Is there something wrong with trying to hook up with her?”
“Is there a problem?”
The two of them sounded like the pelicans in Finding Nemo repeating the word ‘mine’ over and over again. I couldn’t take it anymore, the frustration taking over. I slammed my hand on the counter and glared at my brothers.
“Because we’re dating!” I shouted, glaring at the two of them, my chest rising and falling with every hard breath that I took. “She’s my girlfriend!”
Behind me, I heard something drop to the ground followed by a very familiar voice saying, “Oh no.”
Because we’re dating. She’s my girlfriend.
Oh no.
I turned around
and saw Alexa, standing in the hallway and staring back at me with wide yes.
Oh no was definitely right.
7
Alexa
The moment that Everett introduced me to everyone in the house, I was immediately whisked away by a pretty brunette. She brought me to the dining area and the other older ladies followed us there. She looked so pretty that I just wanted to melt at the sight of her. Golden eyes and brown hair hanging loose on her shoulders, her long sleeved red dress still hugging her curves but falling just a shy above her knees, with her long legs clad in high heels. She looked sophisticated and elegant and the kind of woman that would fit in with the Upper East Siders on Gossip Girl.
“I’m Eleanor,” she said as she moved around the dining area. Everett had introduced her earlier but I had been too star-struck with Julian Hudson, “But you can call me Elle. My son, Max, is upstairs but you can meet him later. He’s been playing with Julio, Julian’s dog, since we got here this morning.”
I blinked. “You have a son? I mean, you don’t look like a mother. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude.”
But Eleanor only smiled at me. “I had him when Leo and I were in college, before he dropped out. We have a complicated history, but Leo is his father. Biologically.”
I felt a hand on the small of my back and I jumped back in surprise when I met soft and alluring blue eyes. She was older, probably in her sixties, and she had the kindest smile that somehow reminded me of Everett’s. “Out of all my boys, Everett has never brought a girl home.”
She touched my face lightly, her touch so fleeting that I almost missed it, but I felt it and my heart warmed at the feeling. A mother’s gentle touch, something that I had been missing for a while now, since I’d packed my bags and left South Carolina. “I see how much Everett looks like you, Mrs. Hudson.”
Everett’s mother smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sides. “Him and Milo both, I suppose, from what everyone tells me. And please, it’s Carole. Just call me Carole.”