Take a Chance on Me

Eight

With the good there was inevitably some bad. The worst part was that it happened all at once. Our problems weren't spread out here and there. Our final month was all downhill. It's like when you go on a rollercoaster, down the biggest drop, waiting for it to let up so that your stomach stops dropping and you can breathe again, but it never stopped. We kept falling until we crashed.

Back to the Past

My hand is intertwined with Alex's as we walk up the steps to the front door. Alex rings the doorbell and in a matter of seconds Ryan is welcoming us into his home.

"Finally, only an hour late. We have all been waiting for you guys."

"Sorry man, I was working on a new board and didn't want to stop when I was on a roll," Alex says, handing a bottle of scotch to Ryan. "Does this make up for it?"

"This is why you're my best friend." He gladly accepts and pats Alex on the back.

We make our way to the backyard and find Alex's friends setting the table and drinking before dinner.

"You guys finally made it," Chase says, giving both of us hugs.

"Took long enough, we are starving," a girl I've never met remarks, winking at Alex. She starts to walk towards us. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?"

"Oh yeah uh of course. Leah, this is Jen. Jen, this is Leah."

"It's so nice to meet you, Leah. Alex has told me so much about you."

I get the idea that she's not actually happy to meet me, that it's all for show. I don't know if it's in my head, but I can't help but think that she was actually flirting with him, right in front of my face. But I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. I don't know her. I've never heard of her and I know nothing about her. Maybe she just has a flirty personality. Maybe this is a childhood friend that he forgot to mention. Nonetheless, I'm not about to make a scene at dinner.

-

After dinner I run to the bathroom. As I walk out and look for Alex in the backyard, I find him talking to Jen. She's really close to him, uncomfortably close, playing with her hair, occasionally allowing her hand to find a place on his arm.

I head to the table and find a wine glass, filling it to the rim. As I take a gulp, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Easy there."

I turn around to find Chase. "Oh hey. Just uh. Um, I was really looking forward to this wine. I saw someone bring it in and it's my favorite."

He grabs the bottle from my hand. "Oh yeah? What's it called?"

"Uh, it's um, Merlot."

"Leah, this is white. Merlot is red. Talk to me. What's up?"

I take another sip and stare at Jen flirting with Alex.

"Jen? We have been friends with her since high school. Don't worry about her, she's just a flirt. Alex loves you," Chase says, trying to comfort me.

"But look at her. Tall, blonde hair, perfect body. For all I know she models for Victoria's Secret or something. And she clearly captured his attention."

"Leah, trust me, Alex is crazy about you."

I take one more look and see them leaning against the fence, her hand stroking his.

-

"Ugh my head hurts. I think I had one too many glasses of wine," I say as I get comfortable under the covers.

"Yeah, I saw you constantly filling your glass. You don't normally drink that much," Alex says as he lays down next to me.

I can't keep my insecure feelings in. I need him to know how I'm feeling before it festers into something it doesn't need to be. "Well, to be honest, I was sort of uncomfortable seeing how much Jen was flirting with you."

"Jen? Flirting with me? You have it all wrong. We have been good friends for a long time. That's it."

"Okay. Well from the outside it looked like something more. I just want to let you know how I am feeling."

Alex turns towards me and positions himself up on his arm. "So now you're going to tell me who I can and can't be friends with? You can't control my life, Leah."

I didn't expect him to get so defensive. "I just wanted to tell you how it made me feel. I'm not trying to control you. I'm sorry, Alex."

"That's great. End of discussion."

I stayed up for hours, trying to think of a way to fix things in the morning.