She didn't show, Eileen. I don't want to break up over the phone, be patient for me. - Alex

I didn't reply to the text message I'd been reading for an hour. I understood his reasoning. Break ups should never occur over the phone and in reality I had no idea how serious their relationship was prior to me showing up.

I couldn't help feeling sad, though. I hated feeling like I was losing him.

I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me to a place where everything was okay. It had been a couple of weeks since I dreamed with Angie, and I craved hearing her voice. The things you take for granted in life are the ones you miss the most when they are no longer there.

My phone ringing woke me from the sleep I was still trying to find.

"Hello?" I mumbled, still drowsy.

"Eileen... Are you sleeping?" Alex sounded worried.

"Yeah.. I fell asleep. Everything okay?"

He sighed, and I could just picture him running his hands through his hair like he usually did when he was frustrated. "You didn't text me back. I thought you were angry."

"I'm not angry, Moretti."

"Are you sure?"

I sat up, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"I'm sure. I just wish you could have talked to her."

"Me too. That's not the only issue I have right now, though."

"What is it?"

"Addie. And, well, you know. Angela's birthday is coming up."

I had been trying not to think about it. She would have been seven.

The "would have's" or "could have's" were the ones the hurt the most. I would have taken her out more if I had known she was going to be taken from me so early. I would have worked less. I would have watched her cartoon's all day, every day just to see the joy in her face.

I sniffled, realizing that a tear had fallen.

"Don't cry," Alex soothed. "I'm sorry, I just, I though you might want go see her."

"I do," I said quietly. "I don't want to go alone, though."

"Of course you won't go alone, Eileen. Luke will probably go with us too. You don't ever have to do anything alone anymore."

His statement brought a smile to my face. He'd always made sure that I wasn't alone.

"Can I go pick you up, Eileen?"

My eyes widened. It was past midnight and I didn't think it would be appropriate, but I wanted to see him. I wanted to be with him, so I agreed.

"Shh, we're going to wake Luke up," I said giggling as we stumbled inside his house.

We'd had too much fun, walking around the city. Without drinking, we'd managed to have the time of our lives. It turned out that pretending that it's your birthday will give you free desserts in several restaurants. We'd danced, we'd joked. We had learned things about each other that we didn't even know.

He had spent two years in Italy, for example. He learned that I used to write songs. I learned that he enjoyed listening to older music because he believed that music now sucked, yet he also had a thing for Eminem. I told him that I wanted to major in Psychology.

I was getting to know the man I loved a little bit better, and I was falling deeper and deeper in love. The way he looked at me ,with such devotion said the same.

I tripped over some shoes on the floor, falling to the ground, bringing him down with me. We laughed, laying on the floor. This was what life should be like.

"This was fun," I said, when our laughter ceased.

"It was," he said, taking my hand in his. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it. I closed my eyes, letting the feel of his soft lips linger on my skin.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mmhm."

I felt his hand on my face, tracing my jawline, then my lips.

"Would you think it's disrespectful if I kiss you?" My eyes opened at the question, only to see his gaze already on my lips.

"Not to me," I whispered. "But I don't think that would be the problem."

"What is it?" He asked, pulling me up and over him so that I straddled him. I looked at him from above as his hands settled on my waist.

"I don't think we would stop at a kiss," I replied.

I placed my hands on his chest, feeling his wild heartbeat. His eyes closed as my hands rested there. As if by some magical power, I felt his heart steady. It still beat strongly, but no longer erratically.

There's something about knowing what someone feels about you. The power that you hold over that person is overwhelming. I never realized how vulnerable love can make you until I had my daughter, and then when I met Alex. Surprisingly, with that vulnerability also comes strength. It didn't matter that he hadn't broken up with her, I could see it written all over his face that he soon would.

"The things you do to me, Moretti," I whispered.

His lips tilted up.

"The things I want to do to you," he retorted.

The moment was interrupted when the door opened. A stunned Addie looked at us. I quickly tried to stand up but Alex stopped me, holding me firm in place.

"Are you kidding me?" Addie questioned. "You tell me to leave only to bring her?"

"Not now, Adeleine."

I felt awkward. There had obviously had some sort of fall out between the two of them, and it seemed as if I was stuck in the middle. Alex and I both stood up after a moment while Addie only kept her gaze fixated on me.

"Did you break up with Julia already?"

"No, she didn't show today. I'm doing it as soon as I see her," Alex said.

"You have some nerve, leaving Alex, then coming back without taking into consideration that he may have started a new life without you."

I raised an eyebrow. This was far different from the Addie that I had met before.

"I'm sorry, but whatever happens between Alex and I is none of your concern," I said, keeping my anger in check.

"Of course it is! Who do you think had to come back and deal with the mess that he was after you left? Who do you think had to watch him grieve and be drunk on his own when the child that you brought into his life died."

Breathe in, breathe out.

"I'm sorry, I'm under the impression that you are older than me. Act like it," I said, grinding my teeth together. "I didn't know that Alex had been depressed, and either way, my relationship was with him, not with you. Stay the fuck out of it. Until you have a child you have no idea the pain someone feels so yes, I had to leave, for my sake and for your brothers. I did the best I could under the circumstances and I will not apologize for that."

Adeleine glared at me for the longest time. Alex didn't say anything, only gave a disappointed look at his sister. I couldn't tell if he was angry at me, but it didn't matter. I walked upstairs on my own, not wanting to hear the argument that they were more than likely going to have.

I wasn't aware that Alex had been drinking so much after I left, he never mentioned it. Part of me felt guilty. I questioned whether or not I should have left or not. Alex needed my support, I was aware of that, but I wasn't in the position of offering it at the time.

I wondered if the pain was ever going to leave. Some days it seemed tolerable, others it hurt so much I could barely get through the day.

Alex walked into the bedroom, being careful when he closed the door. He thought I was asleep. I let him think that, I didn't want to hear that the argument between his sister and him was my fault.

After a few moments I felt the bed dip and a strong arm durrounding me.

"I know you're not asleep," he murmured.

"I am," I replied.

"I'm sorry about Addie. She's having a hard time, Julia is her friend. And she thinks that you left me alone."

"I did though, I left you even when you needed me."

"I did need you, I do need you, but I understand why you left. I don't blame you for it. Addie is just impulsive; she'll come around."

I closed my eyes, letting his words soothe me. He moved my hair to the side and kissed my neck softly.

"She's not a bad person, Eileen. She's just a bit naive when it comes to all this, she has no idea what we've been through."

"You don't resent me?" I asked. I was terrified of what he'd say.

"For what?"

"I've brought nothing but problems since I met you, Moretti."

"We really have to work on your self esteem, bella."

A giddy feeling ran through my body, but I pushed it back. I wouldn't allow my hopes up until he broke up with her.

"I'm talking to Julia as soon as I see her, I promise."

"I believe you."

I closed my eyes. Alex held me all night, just like we used to. Every time I would stir his hold would tighten, as if afraid that I would somehow disappear.

Sometimes I'd wake up because I felt him kissing me, or his fingers tracing my face. He couldn't believe we were together either.

"You should sleep," I said.

"I can't." Alex buried his face in my neck.

"You're worried."

He hummed, placing his hand over my belly. He caressed it with such tenderness my heart clenched.

"I want a family with you, Eileen. I want us to start fresh, in every sense of the word."

With that last confession we both let sleep pull us under for a couple of hours.

I woke up to the feeling of someone watching me. I rubbed my eyes, and when they opened I sat up, waking Alex up.

Julia was sitting on the sofa across the room. She saw Alex and I sleeping together.

"Good morning," she said with a smile that looked like a grimace. "I hope you two slept well."

Alex covered me with the blanket. Though I wasn't naked I was only in a shirt of his and underwear. Nothing happened between us but we both knew she wouldn't believe us.

"Julia," Alex said, putting some sweatpants on. "We need to talk."

A/N: What will happen now?

Addie dislikes Eileen because she feels like she bailed on her brother.

And Alex and Eileen, things seem to be looking up for them😍😍😍

Comment your thoughts and vote!

-Luz❤