Chapter 123: Chapter Twenty-six

Demetri

“Dude, where you going?” I asked as Alec breezed past me and ran upstairs.

I was just getting ready to follow him when I heard Alyssa curse, bless her heart.

“Demetri!” she yelled louder. I turned around. She was holding Nat and rocking her back and forth. Holy shit. I'd have killed him with my bare hands.

I ran outside and pulled Nat into my arms. I looked over her head and mouthed to Alyssa, “What happened?”

Her eyes were filled with helpless tears. She shrugged and kept shaking her head over and over again.

I jerked my head toward the doorway for Alyssa to give us some time. I mean, I knew Alyssa and Nat were close, but I felt like I was Nat's brother. I needed to fix this. I had to do something.

“What happened?” I used my thumbs to wipe the tears from her eyes as she choked on a sob. “Nat, what happened? Are you hurt? Are you okay?”

“My heart h-hurts.” She cried harder.

I couldn't just leave her. Alec was damn lucky that she was clinging to me, otherwise I would be bloodying my knuckles for the second time that night. What the hell was wrong with everyone?

“As in you're having a heart attack, Nat? Or metaphorically? Help me out, girl, because I don't know whether to strangle my brother or take you to the ER.”

Nat began to hyperventilate. Shit.

I was getting ready to say something helpful when Alyssa interrupted me. “I know you're hurting right now, Nat. I know you're upset, but this isn't good. Do you understand? This isn't healthy.

“You can stop breathing, and if you stop breathing…” She trailed off and held Nat's face in her hands. “Do you get what I'm saying? You can't just think about yourself right now, okay?”

“A little harsh, Lyss.”

Ignoring me, she placed the bag into Nat's hands and slowly showed her how to breathe in and out. “That's it, you're doing great. Just keep breathing, okay?

Nat nodded.

Feeling a little unneeded, and weirded out about why my girlfriend would be the one out of all of us to give tough love during a panic attack, I got up and walked back inside.

Angelica was staring at the floor. Not moving. Just staring.

Right.

I went in search of Jaymeson, but he was nowhere to be found.

Finally, I took the steps two at a time in search of Alec.

Jaymeson was in Alec's room. With the rest of the camera crew.

“You slept with my mother!” Jaymeson punched Alec across the jaw. Alec was a big dude, no lie. I was already trying to grow balls enough to attack him, let alone pick a fight.

Jaymeson wasn't small, but he was British. I didn't mean that in a bad way. It's just… well, he was a bit more wiry than Alec. Built differently.

“Sorry,” Alec said, his face already starting to swell. “But before you go blaming me for everything, you should talk to your mom, Jaymeson. You've got a pretty screwed-up family.”

“You think I don't know that?” Jaymeson yelled, pushing Alec away from him. “I hate them! I hate them both and you've just made it worse.” His voice cracked.

I walked in the room, hands up. I wanted no more punches thrown. I just wanted the truth.

And then I saw the suitcase.

Oh, hell no. “What are you doing?” I pointed at the suitcase in utter disbelief. “Are we all going somewhere?

I looked at Ruben, but he refused to make eye contact.

“I'm leaving.” Alec pushed Jaymeson out of the way and grabbed some more shirts, tossing them into the suitcase.

“Do I have to go too?” I asked, still confused. Why the hell would he leave?

“Nope.” The sound of Alec zipping up the suitcase may as well have been fingernails on a chalkboard.

“What the hell is going on?”

Alec turned to me. A look of pure desperation mixed with guilt clouded his features. “I can't do it anymore. It's not fair to her. It's not fair to you. I was using—” He licked his lips.

“It doesn't matter. Congrats, Demetri, you finally won. You should be proud.”

“Proud?” I spat. “My best friend and brother is leaving me to rot in this hellhole. Not to mention he just broke one of my best friend's hearts, and you want me to be proud?

“Get in line,” Jaymeson said from behind me.

“Do it. Maybe I'll feel better.” Alec stood in front of me. “Or you could move.”

“Why would I do that?” I met his gaze.

“Because I need this.” His voice cracked, and his nostrils flared and there it was. The same desperation I had seen in the mirror for the better part of two years. “I need this so damn bad.

“When will you be back?”

He walked past me and paused in the doorway. “I don't know.”

“She may not ever forgive you, Alec. Don't walk away from her. Battle your demons with her.”

“They'll consume us both,” he whispered. “I can't… I just can't.”

“Then you're a coward,” I whispered under my breath, hoping he wouldn't hear me.

In an instant Alec was in front of me. He lifted me and pushed me against the wall, holding onto my favorite shirt like it was a noose around my neck. “Don't you dare say I'm a coward!

“Do you know how damn hard it is to walk away? You don't. Because you've always faced things head on, and wonder-of-all-wonders, it all worked out for you.

“Not everyone is like you, Demetri. Not everyone is willing to jump off that cliff and have faith that everything's going to be okay.”

He released his hold and cursed. “A coward would stay, man. A coward would crawl into his shell and pretend that the damn sun was still shining.

“A coward would use every excuse in the book to lie to himself, to lie to the person he loved while he slowly destroyed the light in her eyes. I'm not a coward.

“I'm walking away before I hurt her more. I'm walking away before I destroy the most important person in my existence.”

“And what about you?” I called after him as he grabbed his large suitcase. “What will you do?”

“Be the man she deserves without using her to block away my past.”

I let him go.

I walked slowly out of the room with the camera crew. I knew I wasn't the only one sweating after that little exchange. Jaymeson muttered a curse next to me and ran down the stairs.

Alec slammed the door behind him.

The SUV started.

And I have to admit I waited for him to get over it and come back. I waited for two hours before I finally gave up and went into my room for some sleep.

Alyssa was quietly sitting on my bed, her hands folded in her lap.

Crap, something was up.

“Spill.” I lay down next to her and patted the spot beside me. She lay down next to me and sighed.

“I swore I wouldn't say anything.”

“Well, now you have to tell me.” I yawned. “But please let it be soon because I've had probably the worst night of my life.”

“Even worse than that time you dreamt seagulls broke through your window and were swarming your room?” she joked.

“Hilarious. And yes, even worse than that. Though, no lie, that possibility still creeps me out.”

“We have a problem.”

“We? What's this we business?” I pulled her over me so she was straddling me, her hair cascaded over me like a waterfall, tickling my jaw.

Taking a deep breath she blurted, “Nat's pregnant.”

Shit.