Tear

My eyes felt puffy. I cursed Alesha for making me wear mascara. I probably looked like a possessed raccoon.

Alec gently placed me on the couch and flipped on the lights to the living room. My eyes took in the smooth buttery yellow couch he had set me on, the flat screen TV, all the pictures of him and Demetri, and the wide set windows looking out toward the beach.

It wasn’t anything like my house. It was trendy but really comfortable, whereas my house felt sterile and lonely.

I suddenly cried harder, knowing I had to return to an empty house. My mom and dad had most likely gone out. It was date night, after all. The thought of being alone made me want to run back to Evan’s party just so I could crash in one of his guest rooms.

I never did do well with being in the dark by myself.

“Here.” I didn’t even know Alec was in front of me. My eyes fell on a mug of something. I took it and sipped.

Tea. Crap. I had just made out with his brother and he was making me tea, in his house, and telling me it was okay to cry.

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

Alec knelt in front of me. His thumbs wiped the remaining tears from my eyes. “I’m sorry, Nat. He’s drunk. I know that’s no excuse, believe me. But if he was in his right mind he would have never done that. I know he likes you.”

I nodded numbly.

“Want me to beat him up for you?” Alec asked a deadpan look on his face.

“Would you?”

Alec nodded.

The idea did have merit.

“Maybe just a black eye.”

“Done.” He smiled and sat next to me on the couch.

I set the mug on the table and started to get up. “I should go home. I mean, it’s getting late.”

“Fine, but if you go home I’m going with you. Your choices are as follows. Stay with me, while I sleep on the floor guarding your virtue from my brother if he decides to track you down, or I’m crashing at your place. It’s not safe for you to stay by yourself, Nat. Your parents are gone, right?” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, I know it’s Seaside and not L.A. I just don’t feel good with you being there by yourself. You should hang here for a while.”

I nodded. “You don’t have to do that, Alec.”

“Yes. I do.” He swallowed and looked away. “So, what will it be?”

I looked around me. It was so comfortable. How ironic that I would be more comfortable at a stranger’s house than my own. “I guess we could stay here.”

“Good, because I already ordered pizza.”

I laughed. “When did you do that?”

“I have my ways. Apparently, there’s an app for that.”

I shook my head. “Always is.”

He grinned then cleared his throat, his smile suddenly vanishing. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Of course.” My answer was too fast and forced.

Alec’s eyes narrowed.

I looked away. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“Says the raccoon,” Alec muttered.

“Jerk!” I laughed and playfully pushed him away from me. “I knew I shouldn’t have worn mascara.”

“It’s not like you need it anyways.” Alec’s blue eyes scanned me intently. “You have the thickest dark eyelashes I’ve ever seen. It’s like you’re waving every time you blink. Actually I’d like to think it’s a greeting each time, ‘Hey, Alec. How you doin, Alec?’”

I burst out laughing. “Oh my gosh! That’s kinda creepy, Alec, and I’m pretty sure every time I see you I’m going to blink even harder, because I’ll be thinking about it, and then people are going to think I have something in my eye.”

“Oh, I hope so.” He grinned and jumped up from the couch. “That would be entertaining for me.”

“Yes, and it’s all about you,” I joked.

“No.” He turned back to me and offered a warm smile. “It’s about you.”

My heart stopped beating. Awesome. Breathe, Nat, breathe! Finally, my mouth opened and I was able to suck in enough air so I wouldn’t pass out on his couch. Unfortunately, the air was saturated with Alec. Seriously, the way he smelled did things to me. I’d never been the type of girl to fixate on cologne, but wow. It confused me, made me want to jump on him.

Maybe those two sips of rum punch messed with my head.

“So…” Alec politely ignored my second awkward moment that night. “Until the pizza gets here, what do you say we play some cards?”

“Cards? You play cards?”

“Um, yeah? What else do you think there is to do on tour busses?”

“Sing?” I offered.

“I think not.” Alec sauntered to a drawer and pulled out a deck of cards and a pad of paper. “I take a vow of silence while I’m on the bus, saves my voice.”

“A vow of silence?”

He nodded.

“How exactly does that work?”

He smirked and shrugged.

“Oh, very funny.” I narrowed my eyes and ripped the deck of cards out of his hands. “So a vow of silence. So you’re like a monk?”

“Sure.” He smiled. “Just call me Ghandi.”

“Was he a monk?”

“I have no idea. That’s why I’m in school, to learn smart crap like that.”

I laughed and shook my head. I loved this side of Alec. He was so funny and different. I cleared my throat, hoping it would clear my head as well. “So what game are we playing?”