A Twist of Fate (23 page)

“Just try and
get to know him Lexi, I know he can be impossible but he really
does have a great heart. I’ve known him a really long time and he’s
James’ best friend. Underneath all the attitude and arrogance he’s
a good guy.” She smiled gently, rubbing my arm.

“I’ll try,” I
sighed and smiled back not wanting to hurt Hannah’s feelings by
revealing that any chance of Alex and I being friends was well and
truly in the past.

My pledge to
“try” seemed to appease Hannah as she smiled, turning her attention
to grabbing a six pack from the fridge as my thoughts rattled
around in my mind restlessly. Could Alex and I really ever be
friends? It seemed that we both had a problem with our impulse
control when we were around each other. Pushing aside our magnetic
physical attraction, I knew my feelings had grown beyond that of a
casual dalliance and yet I couldn’t give him what he wanted. He
hated me; I saw it in his eyes. No, we would not be friends, not
now.

We walked back
into the room; James embraced his wife and gave her a peck on the
cheek before reaching for the six pack. “Want one?” he asked as he
handed me a beer.

“No thanks, I
don’t drink beer,” I responded before settling down on one of the
leather couches that encircled the table. A new game was in
progress and Dan and Troy were playing.

“Sorry Lex,
figured after that ass whoppin’ you gave me we were done,” Troy
apologized. I got the feeling he felt bad that they had moved on
without allowing our game to properly end.

“It’s fine.” I
winked, “You can get a rematch later if you like.” I was not the
slightest bit interested in finishing the game.

“You’re on!”
Troy smiled, seeming to relax at my response.

Hannah had
decided to order pizza so had disappeared back into the kitchen
while James engaged Alex in a deep conversation over the other side
of the room. I couldn’t hear what was being said but both men wore
serious faces and Alex nodded a couple of times before looking over
at me. I quickly averted my eyes so he wouldn’t catch me watching
their intimate exchange. James reached up and patted Alex gently on
the back before turning his attention back to the game. Alex’s
mouth was drawn into a tight line as he walked over to where I was
sitting. I struggled to keep my breathing level as he sat down
beside me. I refused to make eye contact, instead allowing my
attention to be absorbed in the comical game in front of me.

“Dude, you need
to have a foot on the floor at all times” argued Troy as Dan
sprawled himself animatedly across the table.

“Who made up
that fucking rule? As long as I get it in who cares how I do it?”
Dan argued back as he lined up the cue ball.

“Funny, that’s
what I told your sister last night.” Troy laughed as he watched Dan
miss his shot. I couldn’t help but laugh as Dan sulked, having no
come back.

Alex shifted
closer to me on the couch, his knee brushed against mine sending a
charge of electricity up my leg. I shifted away slightly,
uncomfortable with his proximity. I felt him watching me, studying
my every move and expression. I wanted to resist glancing into
those eyes, I knew they would be my undoing but my willpower just
wasn’t strong enough. I turned my head slightly and met his gaze,
the anger had dissipated yet the hurt remained. He leaned forward
so that his mouth rested just above my ear, his breath sending
shivers up my spine as he whispered

“I was rude to
you before, I will attempt to not do that that anymore.” His voice
was calm and level. Huh? Was that an apology? Or perhaps a
truce?

“It’s fine
Alex.” I smiled back, not really being fine with any of it,
especially being so close to him and not being able to touch
him.

“Lexi...” he
moved his head even closer as his lips skimmed the top of my ear.
Involuntarily I shivered as my body reacted to his touch, the knot
in my stomach tightened as I felt a dull ache in my groin. Damn it!
Why did he have to be so god damn sexy!? For a second I lost track
of where I was and what I was doing, I wanted him! I wanted to
throw him down on the couch right now and take him and I didn’t
care who was watching. I was quickly brought back to the present by
the loud trilling of his phone, I was literally saved by the
bell.

He rolled his
eyes as he pulled the phone from his front pocket. It’s loud
obnoxious ring tone becoming louder as he held it in front of him.
I glanced down to the screen and saw the name MARCY blazed across
it. Clearly he’d moved on. He watched me intently as my eyes
flicked away from the screen back to the game in front of me, his
hand hovering over it as he hesitated answering.

“You going to
answer that brother?” Jason wandered over to glance down at the
illuminated, unrelenting screen. “Marcy, is that the chick from
yesterday?” he asked.

“She’s hot”
qualified Dan, “And has an amazing rack.” He added animatedly,
curving his hands in front of his chest, unable to suppress his
beaming smile.

“You should
answer it, you wouldn’t want to be rude,” I remarked as I lifted
myself from my seat and walked away.

I heard his
distant voice mumble a greeting as I walked out of the room and
down the hall in search of Hannah. I felt foolish. Why did I care
who called him? I had made it clear I wasn’t interested in him,
what was he supposed to do? My heart raced and my anger grew as my
inner monologue rattled around in my head, “This is why you didn’t
want a boyfriend; the jealousy, the drama. This is why you walked
away. You can have any one you want. You don’t need him. You don’t
need this bullshit. Just go find someone else. Forget him.”
Uggghhhhh I bet Marcy was blonde! I found Hannah still in the
kitchen on the phone as I pushed all thoughts of Alex and his
big-breasted bimbo (he certainly seemed to have a type!) out of my
mind.

“Hey Lexi,”
greeted Hannah, her smiling face happy to see me. She moved the
receiver from her ear and covered the mouth piece. “Mike’s on the
phone, he called to see if you’d made it ok.”

“Tell Mike I
said Hi.” I smiled, from all reports he was recovering so well,
exceeding all expectations. I looked forward to seeing him walking
about and putting the accident behind him.

“He wants to
say Hi,” Hannah indicated, holding out the receiver for me. I
willingly took it, hoping that talking to him would cure my sour
mood and get my mind off of Alex.

“Hey, Mike!” I
did my best to sound cheery, even though I wasn’t feeling it.

“Hey Lex! So
how are you enjoying New York? As soon as I’m all good, I’m going
to take you on a tour,” his excited voice burst through the
phone.

“I love it
here, it’s a beautiful city,” I answered. “Though I’m freezing my
ass off already.” We both laughed at my lack of tolerance for the
cold weather. We chatted easily as I told him about my trip and
about my flashy new apartment. He laughed again when I told him
about my new neighbours whom I originally thought were swingers. He
told me about his rehab, how he’d moved back in with his folks
until he was fully recovered and how his mum was driving him
completely insane. He expressed his desire to go back to Melbourne
when he was better and actually see it this time; he was going to
stay with Jackson whom he spoke to almost every day.

Talking to Mike
brought me back to that night on the road, watching his lifeless
body lying in front of me. He knew he’d been given a second chance;
he was doing his best to embrace it and it warmed my heart to hear
of his plans for the future. He seemed at peace, relaxed and very
happy and at that moment I envied him. I hoped someday I might find
that inner peace too. We said our extended goodbyes and I promised
him that I would come visit him soon and I handed the phone back to
Hannah who also said goodbye before placing it on its rechargeable
base.

“He’s a
sweetheart.” I smiled at Hannah.

“He sure is, he
reminds me a lot of James at that age,” she agreed.

“You’re very
lucky Han. James is obviously head over heels for you and you have
been together forever. It’s amazing what you have, really
inspiring.” My eyes misted slightly as she thanked me for my kind
words. “I might head home, I’m kind of tired.” I yawned, not really
wanting to go back and spend more of my evening either agitated or
moody.

“No, don’t go
yet!” Hannah exclaimed, “Pizza is on its way.” I didn’t want to
hurt Hannah’s feelings but I doubted I’d be great company. I made
some excuses about struggling with the time zones and being jet
lagged and while I could tell she was still disappointed, she
agreed I probably should get some rest. I walked back out to the
games room to say my goodbyes while Hannah grabbed another round of
beers for the guys.

“You’re
leaving?” asked Troy as I entered, gathering my coat.

“Yeah, I’m
wiped,” I smiled.

“What happened
to my rematch?” he pouted.

“We’ll rain
check it. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities in the
future for me to beat the pants off you.” I winked.

“We’ll see
about that.” He smiled giving me a hug.

“If you want
Troy’s pants off all you have to do is ask, he is always willing to
drop them,” scoffed Jason as he took his turn in giving me a
farewell hug.

“It gets hot
behind the kit, Douche. It’s a comfort thing,” he explained. I
loved how comfortable they had become in my presence. Watching them
interact, these men I had once idolized, I felt like I had to
constantly pinch myself. I tried not to stare as Alex sauntered
over and lightly touched my arm.

“Don’t leave,”
his eyes pierced mine “I’ve barely got to speak with you.” His lips
twisted into a delicious crooked half smile.

“I’m tired
Alex. Some other time,” I reasoned, not wanting to seem like I was
running away when realistically that’s exactly what I was
doing.

“Ok then, let
me give you a ride,” he offered, his posture relaxed as he leaned
up against the pool table, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“Fine,” I
accepted. Once again, it was anything BUT fine with me. What was it
with me and him in a car? The confined space? Every cell in my body
screamed this was a bad idea, yet there was nothing I could do to
stop it. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to either. I alternated
hugs with Dan, Hannah and finally James, who shot Alex a pointed
glare before releasing me. I was piecing together that their
earlier “conference” had probably been about me and Alex’s
admission of being rude had probably been solicited. James really
was adorable. I could see why women all over the world worshipped
him - apart from being drop dead gorgeous, his kind hearted nature
only served to expand his appeal.

Alex led me out
to the drive way where his “ride” was parked. My mouth twitched
into a wide grin as I gazed over the car that Alex casually opened
the door to. No wonder he thought my car was a piece of shit, this
car was breathtaking. I ran my fingers along the lines of his
silver Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale, tracing its sexy yet
sleek curves. The car’s obscenely dark windows reflected Alex’s
curious yet entertained gaze as I moved to the front of the car,
letting my fingers run across its shiny chrome trident logo which
was in prime position over the equally shinny yet menacing grill.
I’d never really felt an “attraction” to a car before, but this one
was playing with my inner chemistry. It was, like Alex, SEX.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm

“Are you done
molesting my car?” Alex grinned as he continued to hold the door
open for me. I hadn’t noticed I’d actually been ogling his car, my
appreciation of the sexy allure of the machine translating to my
face as I circled the car with lustful eyes. A wicked grin crossed
my mouth as I playfully slid my tongue out and carefully yet
seductively licked the hood. I watched his smile fade and his eyes
darken as I walked back toward the open car door.

“Now I’m done.”
I smirked as I slid in to the luxurious seat. He slowly closed the
door before walking to the driver’s side of the car and
effortlessly slid into his own seat. He turned to watch me as I
expertly clasped my five point harness together, his eyes followed
down the lines of my body which were now firmly secured before he
did the same, the air between us barely breathable. He shook his
head as if discounting a thought and pressed the ignition. The roar
of the V8 exploded to life as he revved the engine, gripping the
large, leather embossed steering wheel. We peeled away from the
house as we travelled down the long driveway, before stopping at
the main road. He looked at me and smiled as he pressed his foot
down hard on the accelerator, the force pushing us both back into
our seats. I laughed as I watched him handle the car effortlessly,
shifting through the gears seamlessly, his excitement growing to
match the rising speedometer. I marvelled at his driving prowess,
he drove exceptionally fast yet controlled, at no time did I feel
fear. It was exhilarating; my smile felt like it was going to crack
my face. I wanted to drive this car.

As the bright
lights of Manhattan came into view, he slowed to a more
conservative pace. “Would you let me drive your car?” I asked,
flashing him a sideways glance.

“No.” He smiled
defiantly, not even entertaining the idea. Jerk!

“Not even if I
say please?” I smiled sweetly. He glanced over at me as I gave him
my best sweet, innocent, butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth smile. He
laughed and shook his head.

“The answer is
still no Lexi.” I pouted as I interlocked my arms across my
chest.

The Maserati
protested as we slowed further, easing into traffic. This car was
designed for highway not for the stop/start of city driving. I felt
a strange affinity with the car as I sighed loudly empathetically.
Alex turned to me with a raised eyebrow and questioning gaze. I
felt the tension return as we sat in silence.