Secret Valentine

"I’ll be there in like five minutes, Alex." I sighed heavily. "Give me a break."

"I’m sorry." He got defensive. "Just, this is hard okay?"

"I told you so." I mumbled into the phone. "I have to go. Bye."

"Bye, Aly." I ended the phone call.

I hated listening to him call me Aly. It was a pet name that he gave me once apon a time. I picked up my body spray, quickly making myself smell like a bakery. I ran a hand through my blonde and brown hair. I quickly made my way toward Alex’s house. I arrived shortly after, and I knocked twice before he answered. Alex let me come inside.

"Why the sudden phone call?" I asked as he closed the door. I didn’t give him time to answer. "Never mind. Where is Lexi?"

"In there." Alex pointed toward his living room.

His steps followed in sync with mine as we headed right toward his living room. I heart laughter first. One I easily noticed as Lexi’s, and the other two was hard to place. I stopped dead in my tracks when we reached the living room. I saw his friend Zack, and his lady friends Mandy playing with Lexi on the couch as the t.v played Hannah Montana.

"Breathe." He whispered softly in my ear, leaving goose bumps up and down my arms. I mentally slapped myself.

"Looks like a party." I stated, making all of three of them look at me. I obviously scared them.

"Mommy!" Lexi got up, and ran over to me. I picked up the energetic two-year old. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too." I kissed her cheek. I looked over at Alex, searching his eyes for an answer. "I knew it." I shook my head.

"I can explain." Alex put up his hands, but I knew what would come.

"Let me guess." I sighed, letting Lexi down to was t.v again. She was easy to distract. "You went out of town shopping, and you ran into Zack and Mandy. They saw Lexi, and you couldn’t deny anything because she said d-,"

"Daddy!" She grabbed the attention.

"That, and she looked too much like you." I added before Alex turned his attention toward her.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Where is my sippy cup?" She asked him.

"Right there on the table." Alex replied, before she was lost in the new show again. "How did you know?"

"Alex, I know you better than your own mom does." I simply replied. "Speaking of her, have you failed to mention Lexi....again?"

I saw him squirm.

"Not exactly."

"That’s what I thought." I huffed. Zack stood up, and walked over to us with Mandy in tow.

"Hey, you must be Alyson." Zack embraced me. It really shocked me, but I hugged back. Then Mandy stepped up. She was the only person from my school besides Alex who had even smiled at me.

"That’s me,"

"Hey, Alyson."

"Hi, Mandy." I smiled back.

Zack looked at me.

"If you don’t mind me asking, how in the world did you read Alex so well?"

"He isn’t hard to read." I shrugged.

"Are you serious?" Zack laughed. "Jack can barely almost do that."

"Hmm.... I wonder why." I looked back at Alex, who had his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Feeling guilty?"

"Aly..." Alex shook his head. "You know it’s hard to tell my friends. You don’t know what it’s like."

That stung. I knew that he didn’t mean to, but he did.

"You’re right, Alex. I don’t know what it’s like." I replied. "But I do know what it is like to tell my family."

"That is different." He argued.

"You’re right again, but un-like my parents, your parents are sweet people. They won’t kick you out like mine did."

"Alyson..." He begged. Alex rarely ever called me by my full name. It was usually Aly. "I just need time."

I shrugged.

"It’s been three years, Alex. Be a fucking man already."

Alex was about to retort when Lexi started pulling at my pants leg. I picked her up, and she yawned. I turned toward the stairs, taking her to his bed. She was asleep seconds after. I already felt my eyes watering up. I knew I was going to cry. I walked back down to a quiet room.

"I think I’m going to leave now." I felt a silent tear roll down my cheek. Alex ready had me wrapped in his arms. I rarely cry in front of people. This is only the second time he actually saw my tears.

"I’m sorry." Alex whispered. His head laid on my shoulder. "I’m an idiot. You know that."

I choked on a small laughed. I had pulled away from him.

"You’re just oblivious." I stated.

"And stupid." Alex added.

"No, forgetful."

"I’m obviously stuck up."

I shook my head.

"Just head strong."

"I’m shallow."

I thought for a minute.

"That one I can not disagree." I stated. I try to see the best in people.

"You see him so differently." Mandy told us. "Everything he said really does describe him, yet you argued."

I shook my head.

"That’s not him at school." Alex looked the other way. "He’s a different person than what most people know him for."

"So, I have to ask, how exactly did all of his happen?"

"I fell in lust with a moron and a asshole."

"I believe it was most than lust." Alex crossed his arms. "I did love you."

"Let’s be real here, Alex. We were 15. We didn’t know what love was." I told him. I refused to believe that I had ever loved him. "Anyway. It started in eighth grade. Even then people refused to talk to me. But oddly enough, Alex did.

"I thought that you were mysterious." Alex added. "I couldn’t figure you out. Hell, I still can’t!"

"So you’ve kept this secret for almost four years?" Mandy asked. "I would have dumped his ass." She encouraged me.

"I did," I stated. "If it wasn’t for Lexi, I probably would not be on speaking terms with Alex at all."

"Ouch." Alex stated. "That hurt."

"And three years of endless torture did not hurt? Because of us, we’ve got a child, that almost none of your friends or family knows exist."

"All in due time." He replied, hugging my waist. I enjoyed these sort of bittersweet moments. Our noses where almost touching, and we were acting like some romantic couple. "How about you stay the night?"

"All in due time." I replied as I pushed out of his grip playfully. Mandy and Zack laughed.