It takes Alexander a full month and a half to completely heal. He was injured badly. It was also hard for him to heal properly because he didn't want to rest and he constantly wanted to do something.

And now it's mid-February and I'm selfishly thinking that one month from now, I'm going to be back to France and one month is all I have left with Alexander.

I'm not ready to leave. Alexander and I became so close, we understand each other more now. We can communicate without words. We always know what we're thinking by just giving each other a look.

I spent a lot of time with him when he was supposed to be resting. And with Amelia, of course.

Alexander is like a completely different person. He's a changed guy. He loves to play with his sister and she loves his attention.

They're slowly, but surely, building up a relationship of a brother and sister they should have had before I even came here.

But my time is up now. Amelia is going to go to kindergarten in the autumn, so I won't be needed anymore.

Rosalyn and I talked about it. She said I could stay here for how long I want. But as grateful as I was, I still had to go back home. This isn't my home and I wouldn't be comfortable staying here on their expense.

Funny how I haven't been thinking about France being my home for a long time now.

But I'm a stronger person and I need to go deal with my own life I tried to escape from. I can't be running my whole life. This is not a life to live.

Alexander and I talked about me leaving, too. Once only. Because after he couldn't persuade me to stay, he locked himself in the bathroom for three hours, refusing to talk to me.

And when he came out, he was still sulking. It's hard for me, too, but he has to understand that it was never in my plan to stay here forever. I mean, this is a family that I came to know very well but it's a family that doesn't owe me anything.

If anything, I owe them for changing my life, letting me grow stronger.

Sam was devastated when I told her I only have one month until I go back home. We were both crying about it. We formed a deep friendship here and I'm going to miss her as much as I'm going to miss Alexander and everyone else.

Alexander and I never brought up the subject of me going away again. But each day that's nearing my departure, he gets more and more closed-off.

And I'm trying really hard to be with him as much as I can and make him know that I feel the same as him.

We still haven't said the words to each other. I also realised Alexander and I have birthdays just three days apart. I have it on February 21st and he's got his on February 24th. And I'm planning something special for him.

I already called Sam and made arrangements with her. She's helping me out with this one.

So, we both said we won't celebrate Valentine's day and buy each other anything, but we both broke the rules.

Alexander got me a small teddy bear that's holding a heart with Alexander written on it. "So that if I won't be able to sleep next to you, at least this teddy bear will have the privilege," Alexander grunted out sulkily.

He earned a cheek-splitting grin from me and a deep kiss that made him stop sulking about it.

And I got him a glittering pink sticker that says Little One in a girly font. I told him that I originally thought he could put this on his shiny black motorcycle, but I don't think I'd be able to ever sleep again, knowing he's driving again.

Alexander was amused by the gift, but, strangely, he hasn't said that he wouldn't stick it on his motorcycle. He added that he might put it on his car then. And he was even excited about it.

So, a few days before Alexander's birthday, I visit Sam in the tattoo studio she's working in. It's the first time I've come here and it's also the first time I've ever been to a place like this one.

I thought it was going to be filled with heavy-tattooed people with crazy hairstyles and dressing styles, but they were all pretty much normal. Even the place looked beautiful.

"Funny thing, Alexander was here just yesterday." Sam winks at me.

"Did he get another tattoo?" I ask.

Sam only grins. "You'll have to ask him."

I asked him about it the second I came home. He gave me a serious look. "Do you girls have nothing better to talk about?"

Later, he admitted that he wanted it to be a surprise and Sam ruined it. And then he added that now, he's not going to show it to me.

Me, a know-it-all, told him that I'm going to see it anyway because I don't think he can hide it from me since we're sleeping next to each other every night and he's always only in his boxers.

Alexander gave me a wolfish grin. "What if I put it on my dick? Are you going to look there, too?"

And just like that, he made me blush, which he said it's his favourite job to do because I blush so easily and it's so 'fucking cute'.

"I guess I really won't get to see it, then," I replied smugly, even though my cheeks were burning.

Alexander only grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

But he showed it to me on my birthday. At first, I was confused at to what I was looking at. It was III.XVI.MMXVI written on his chest, close to his heart. I didn't know what it meant at first.

"It's the day you came here," Alexander then explained to me. And, oh, God, did he make me cry with that. It was such a grand romantic gesture, I would have never expected it from him. But he told me that he's got two gifts for me. The other was Little One written in beautiful cursive on his hip.

After crying like a baby for at least half an hour, I decided to give him his gift a bit earlier. I sat on top of him and put my shirt over my head. Alexander gave me a cheeky smile. "Ooo. I already like where this is going." I rolled my eyes at him and pointed under my hip bone.

His smile disappeared then and something else flashed in his eyes - possessiveness mixed with lust. I tattooed SIN there with big, bold letters, adding a small full heart next to it.

Alexander placed his fingertips right there, outlining the tattoo. "You really did that," Alexander said. "You really marked your skin with my name."

I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a tiny smile. "Technically not your name, but ... why do they call you that, anyway? Is there any specific reason for that name?"

It might've been stupid to ask him that, after all this time and after I've already tattooed it on me. But it's more of a reminder to me, a reminder of the good things that happened once in my life.

Alexander shook his head. "Not really. People just started calling me that because of my ... bad behaviour and, well ... it stuck."

I lean down, over his head, letting my hair fall down. "What a badass I have for a boyfriend," I said, scrunching my nose up and pinching his cheeks.

Alexander removed my hands away from his cheeks and gave me a playful glare that doesn't do shit for me anymore, except turn me on. I think his intimidating side will always get to me. In a good way.

He made drastic progress in his behaviour since I first came here. But I guess we all changed, we all grew in some way and became stronger.

"Oh, yeah. You might remind the guys who come too close to you that," he said with raised eyebrows.

I made a big deal of rolling my eyes at him. "Yeah. Because sooo many guys come close to me," I let out sarcastically.

Alexander scowled. "You literally have no idea about it. That's why you're even more in danger."

I giggled. "Don't be ridiculous!"

Alexander threw me off him down on the bed and rolled onto me. And no words have been spoken between us for some long, long time.

•••

I'm laying with my head on Alexander's chest, making patterns over his skin while trying really hard not to fall asleep.

"Tell me something in French," he says.

My mouth perks up and I look at his amazingly good looking face. "Je ne peux pas m'arrêter de te regarder."

Alexander looks at me. "What does it mean?"

"That I can't stop looking at you," I tell him and he rewards me with a grin.

"Same goes for me, but unfortunately, my French is not good enough to tell you in it," he gives me an apologetic smile. "Say something else."

"Je ne t'oublierai jamais," I tell him. Then I stop tracing patterns over his skin and fall serious. "Ne m'oublie jamais."

"You'll never ... what?" Alexander's forehead creases.

"I said I'll never forget you," I tell him.

Alexander's face falls sombre as he nods. "And the second part."

I lower my eyes. "It was a plea. Don't ever forget me," I tell him with a lump in my throat.

"Baby," Alexander whispers. "You don't even have to say it. It'd be impossible to forget you."

I nod against him, hiding the tears from him. "Tu seras toujours dans mon coeur."

"It sounds so hot when you speak French, but it irritates the fuck out of me when I don't know what you're saying," he admits to me.

I place my palms on his chest and rest my chin on them, grinning up at him. "I could be cursing you out as far as you know."

"Nah. You're too good for that," he says, wraps his arm around me and squeezes me to him so he can place a kiss on top of my head. "So, you're gonna tell me what you said?"

"Perhaps one day," I say secretively.

Alexander sighs and he stands up then, switching off the lights before climbing back to bed and wrapping me in his arms, my favourite place to be in the whole wide world.

I reach up and kiss him. And then I fall asleep with a smile on my face like all these past weeks.

•••

I wake up when I hear a thud. "Fuck!"

I immediately sit up on the bed, reaching for Alexander, but he's not there beside me. "Alexander?" I ask with a small, confused voice.

There's a silence for a moment. "Shit. Sorry for waking you, go back to sleep." He comes to the bed and kisses the top of my head. When I place my hand on his arm, I feel his leather jacket beneath my fingers and my heart picks up its pace.

"Where are you going?" I ask with a sleepy voice.

"You should go back to sleep, babe, it's late and we'll talk tomorrow." He's avoiding my question. And I get a feeling inside of me that tells me where he's planning on going.

"Where are you going?" I repeat the question, more sternly now.

I hear Alexander sigh. "To Islington. I'll be back soon, promise," he rushes put when he senses my withdrawal that his words caused.

I stand up from the bed. "Are you serious? You actually wanted to sneak out?" I ask ridiculously. I don't know whether to be more hurt that he wants to go back there again after just healing properly from his accident or that he wants to go there and wanted to hide it from me.

"Gabrielle, baby -"

"Don't even try with this shit!" I let out in rage. I laugh bitterly. "You actually wanted to sneak out in the middle of the night so you wouldn't have to tell me about it ... wow."

"Gabrielle," Alexander tries again. "I'll come back soon. I didn't want to make you worried."

I cross my arms in front of my chest, even though he can't see me in the dark. I go switch the light on and I see he's back in his full attire, wearing his black clothes and boots. "You're racing, aren't you?" I ask him quietly, calmly.

Alexanders eyes flash in panic and I know I hit the target.

I nod and look down on the floor. I turn on my heels and get out of his room without any further words, slamming the door behind me, not even caring it's the middle of the night and someone might wake up.

Alexander comes after me. "Gabrielle, wait. Don't be mad, please, you can come with me if you want?" he asks hopefully.

I sharply turn around to give him a glare. "Come with you? Are you kidding me right now? I can't even believe you'd have the guts to say that to me!"

Alexander really doesn't know what to do. Good. I'm pissed at him. And hurt. And that doesn't go well together.

I continue walking to my room, stepping in it. Alexander grabs my arm before I can shut the door. "Little one ..." he tries once more. "I'll be careful. I won't let it happen again."

I huff. "Yes, like you didn't let it happen the last time. Like it's even in your power to prevent anything happening to you!"

"You knew I was going to go back ... it's who I am, Gabrielle," he tells me softly.

Tears well up in my eyes. Doesn't he see how messed up this is? How hard he's making it for me? "Well, have fun, then! And if this is really you, Alexander, it'll have to be you without me. Because the last time you were racing there, you almost died. I almost lost you. And I'm not going through that again! You're making it perfectly clear that you're choosing your priority, and it's certainly not me or even your own life." I laugh bitterly with tears falling down my face now. "Don't worry, your decision will be easier in a few weeks when I leave for good anyway!"

I slam the door in his face and lock it. And then I lean my forehead on it, letting out a small sob.