Into the Darkness

“Not one hundred percent sure but in the meantime I wanted to get some practical experience alongside my dad at the hospital, plus Samantha got a job at the gallery not too far from here, so yeah, I guess it keeps everyone happy,” he explained, sounding a little unsure of himself.

“I better head back to bed,” I told him. “Adriana is making us go prom dress shopping tomorrow morning. What are the chances of her battery being tampered with so the car won’t start?” I jokingly asked.

“That’s right, I forgot you weren’t related to Donatella Versace like my sister claims she is.” He laughed in return.

It was so true. I pulled myself off the stool, careful not to knock into him again. I walked back to the stairway, turning around to look at him before I went back upstairs.

“It was nice seeing you again, Alex.”

I started walking up the stairs before turning around one more time.

“And congratulations on your wedding; Adriana told me it was amazing.”

This time I headed back up the stairs realizing I hadn’t gotten as drink as I was so desperate for. Oh well, it was too late now. I tossed and turned, tryi

ng to dissect what had happened downstairs. I felt awkward around him yet comfortable at the same time. It didn’t make sense…and why was I laying here obsessing about it?

After what felt like only minutes, I was rudely awoken by Adriana screaming through the hallway. “MOM!” she yelled angrily.

I was exhausted. I pulled the blanket over my head, trying to ignore the family domestic issues that were going on outside.

“MOM, HOW COULD YOU LET HIM TAKE IT?!”

This time her voice was even louder than before. I could hear more muffled voices followed by loud footsteps. The door to the bedroom slammed, her ballet distinction certificate frame falling off the wall.

“I mean seriously, out of all days he comes up with bullshit like this?” she muttered to herself.

I pulled my head above the blanket, opening my eyes.

“Adriana, what the hell? It’s like seven in the morning. What could you possibly be upset about this early?” She better have a damn good reason.

“My brother apparently took my car claiming that it sounded like something was wrong with the battery. He left me a note saying he has taken it down to Al’s Mechanic’s to get it checked out. I am so annoyed, the car is fine! If something was wrong with it the battery light would have come on. I asked Mom if I could borrow her car but she has to help a friend of hers move house. I could strangle him right now!”

She continued, more calmly, “Sorry, I don’t mean to take it out on you. It’s just I was really looking forward to prom dress shopping and now it looks like we are stuck here for the day.” She sat at her desk and opened a Vogue magazine, roughly flicking the pages.

“Oh, dang,” I answered sarcastically. I pulled the blanket over my head, smiling as I fell back asleep.

Chapter 4

Lex

April 2005

I opened up my textbook in an attempt to drown out her incessant nagging. This is what it had been like lately, always wanting more. She had changed, no longer the carefree college girl I fell in love with. Samantha Benson was the girl on campus every guy wanted, and she chose me. She was hot, knew how to give extremely good head and was studying art. She wasn’t my usual type but she was no airhead. My family loved her, her family loved me and so it made sense, put a ring on that finger and one less worry in life.

I wasn’t into the whole wedding shit so I let all the women plan it. It was a nice day as far as weddings go but here we were six months later and the cracks were starting to show. It wasn’t enough that she wanted a fancy house and car, now she was nagging me to start a family? I wasn’t ready for this shit. I was fucking twenty-three. I still had friends who woke up naked next to strange chicks and kegs every night. I told her I would think about it if we moved back to Carmel. I missed my family and I hoped they would convince her we were too young to have kids, especially Dad. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and there was no way I could do that with a baby around.

“Alex, are you listening to me?” she said, irritation evident in her voice.

“Sammy, what do you want me to say? We just moved here. The house still has dust on it, our furniture hasn’t arrived and I technically don’t have a paying job yet. Please explain how a baby would fit into this? We can barely support ourselves.”

I was fucking annoyed. Yeah, babies were cute and stuff but there was still so much more I wanted to do in life. Start my internship, travel to Europe, the list went on and on. This all started when her sister had a baby and now that’s all she talked about.

“You said when we move to Carmel we could—”

I cut her off. In typical Sam fashion she’d twisted my words. “I never said when we moved to Carmel we could start trying. What I said, in case you ever want to listen to me properly, was let’s settle back in Carmel and talk about this once we have found a house and have proper paying jobs.”

“Well, Alex, we found a house and I have a proper paying job. You on the other hand seem to be undecided on your career. It doesn’t help that you are supposed to be the breadwinner, not me,” she shot back.