Redefine Me, Redesign Me

Ellie groaned at the sound of her phone as her alarm sounded, it was Monday.

“No,” Alex groaned from underneath her, “It’s too early,” he complained.

Ellie nodded her head against his chest, “We have got to stop sleeping on the couch,” she sighed. Her back was going to kill her all day.

“Says the lazy one that refused to climb the stairs to get into bed last night,” Alex teased.

“Don’t you have dogs that miss you?” Ellie asked in mock annoyance.

Alex had slept over the past two nights and Ellie really couldn’t say that she minded. They had spent the last two days talking about anything and everything. She’d pretty much told him everything he wanted to know minus talking about her Grams and telling him when her birthday was. If she didn’t celebrate it then why should he know when it was?

“I went home yesterday,” he defended himself shifting slightly under her.

Ellie sighed not having the energy to fight with him over something so meaningless. She pushed herself up and crawled over Alex so she could go get ready for work.

Alex pushed his hair out of his eyes and watched her make her way across the room and up the stairs. He really wished that she didn’t have to work, because it meant that he had less time with her. He was leaving for a month long tour near the end of this month and he hadn’t even found a way to bring it up yet. They had only just started really getting to know one another. He only hoped that he’d be around for her birthday, he didn’t really care if she celebrated it or not because he certainly was going to.

Ellie cursed the weather as she looked over the clothes in her closet. It was getting too cold for her skirts and dresses and they were the easiest to throw on. She threw on a stupid pantsuit and pulled her hair into a sophisticated bun deciding that was good enough for today before going back down stairs to grab her coffee.

As she walked through the living room to the kitchen Alex was still lying on the couch messing with his phone.

“So,” Alex began, “let’s say that I was going to order a birthday present online. Should I get it express shipped or would a ten to fifteen days delivery period work?” he asked curiously.

Ellie rolled her eyes. If there was one thing that Alex really wanted to know about her it was her stupid birthday. “No, no gifts,” she insisted cringing at the thought.

Alex scoffed from his place on the couch.

“I was serious when I said I don’t celebrate it,” she insisted, “I probably won’t even let you come over or I’ll find some place to hide out.”

“Express delivery just in case,” Alex noted before looking to meet Ellie’s glare. “What reason could you possibly have for not celebrating your birthday?”

Ellie sighed preparing herself for his questions.

“Are you a Jehovah’s Witness?” he tried.

She shook her head.

“You’re only turning 23 Ellie it really isn’t that bad,” he joked.

Ellie chose to ignore him as she went about her normal morning business.

“Let me guess it’s your dark day,” Alex teased watching her ignore him.

She hadn’t ever really defined her birthday as a dark day, but now that Alex mentioned it she supposed it could be just that. She didn’t answer her phone. She didn’t talk to her friends. She refused to see anyone. She barricaded herself in her room with a bottle of liquor of her choice and waited the whole day out.

Alex must have read all of this on her face. “No shit?” he mused, “What do you have a dark day for?”
She glanced over at him shaking her head once letting him know that she really wasn’t talking about this one and he sighed in defeat.

“You know eventually I’m going to learn the things you don’t want me to know, right?” he asked as she grabbed a breakfast bar from her pantry.

“Alex, you probably won’t stick around very long if you do,” she said sounding very tired as she stuffed her feet into her shoes.

Alex jumped up from the couch and made his way over to her quickly. “I made a promise, miss,” he reminded her leaning down and kissing her cheek before gripping her in a hug.

A blush colored Ellie’s cheeks at his words. She still couldn’t believe that she had asked him something so silly. It was embarrassing really. She hated how vulnerable it had made her seem.

“I have to go,” she stated taking a step back from him, giving a small wave and grabbing her purse.

“I’m going to the grocery store today, any ideas?” he asked following close behind Ellie.

Ellie rolled her eyes so that he couldn’t see. Of course, he was going to buy groceries and act like he lived there. He had only stayed over two nights and it was already going to his head.

“Food,” she suggested sarcastically.

“I’ll take that into consideration,” he joked leaning against the door frame as she continued out the door.

“Go take care of your dogs,” she called back over her shoulder before ducking into her car.

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Ellie opened her front door after work only to be greeted by Payton and Sebastian wagging their tails and begging for her attention. Alex peeked out of the kitchen door way leading to the dining room and whistled calling the dogs off.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she sat her things down before going into the kitchen.

“Making food,” he answered in a tone that said she should have been able to guess as much.

Ellie hummed in response and opened the refrigerator to find it fully stocked with an array of foods. She looked over her shoulder shaking her head at how silly this whole situation was. She closed the refrigerator and hoisted herself up on the counter top to watch Alex work.

“How do you feel about tacos?” he asked glancing over to her.

“Heaven,” she replied too focused on the bottles of liquor that were sitting next to her to elaborate.

“Are you planning on getting me drunk?” she asked picking up the bottle of fireball whiskey.

Alex laughed and shook his head, “Not tonight,” he qualified. “By the way,” Alex continued without letting her respond, “You left your phone here today. Mallory and someone named Casey called.”

Ellie knew that Mallory would call but she was surprised to hear that Casey had. Since she had moved she had been communicating with Casey through mostly emails and text messages.

“What did Casey want?” Ellie asked.

Alex chuckled, “I didn’t answer because I didn’t know who she was and figured it was safest not to,” he replied.

Ellie figured that was a good thing considering she hadn’t exactly gotten around to telling anyone other than Mallory about him. “And what did Mallory need?” she asked putting a pinch of grated cheese in her mouth.

“Just to chat with you so I subbed in,” he shrugged, “You’ll be happy to know that even she wouldn’t tell me when your birthday is.”

Ellie nodded smiling approvingly, “Yeah that does make me pretty happy,” she commented offhandedly as she watched him cook.

“It doesn’t really matter because I ordered your birthday present today,” he replied smiling smugly back at her.

“Yeah I think I hate you,” she mumbled sourly.

“It’s a shame that you already gave me that key, because now I’m here to stay,” he teased reaching over and smacking my leg playfully.

“I knew that was a mistake,” Ellie groaned jokingly and leaning her head back on the cabinets. She couldn’t have really been upset with him; she’d find a way to get out of the gift. Alex was growing on her and she knew she wouldn’t be the one getting rid of him.

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“Why don’t we ever do anything outside?” Alex asked looking out the glass paned doors that lead to Ellie’s backyard.

“We walk your dogs outside,” Ellie replied trying to convince him that was enough, she didn’t do well outdoors.

“We should go to the park or something this weekend,” he insisted choosing to ignore her attempts at reason.

“It’s Friday, Alex,” she pointed out, “it is the weekend.” Sebastian was sitting in her lap while she played with his ears.

“Good point,” he said, “let’s go to the park now.”

“Noooo,” Ellie whined throwing her head back against the couch. She really just wanted to do was be a little lazy, especially after Alex had insisted that they finally put together the guest room. It was not complete with both beds including their mattresses and bedding. Alex had tried convincing her to go out and buy decorations for the walls, but Ellie really wanted to stay in today.

“You’re right, I should probably give the dogs baths before I take them out anywhere, they’re really starting to stink,” he complained wrinkling his nose.

Ellie sighed, while she really didn’t want to help wash his dogs, she’d much rather do that than go out today.

Alex somehow magically produced a bottle of dog shampoo and headed outside with the dogs hot on his heels. Ellie had never seen dogs get excited about bathing but then again Alex’s dogs were pretty weird to her anyway. Ellie grabbed the leashes just in case and followed after the three of them.

By the time she had made it out side Alex was already standing there with the water hose in hand as both the dogs took turns running under it. Ellie shook her head, really what kind of dog enjoys this.

It wasn’t long before both Ellie and Alex were soaked and Payton and Sebastian were running through the yard attempting to dry themselves by shaking their bodies every few minutes or so.

“I should change,” Ellie decided after looking down at her dripping wet t-shirt and shorts.
Alex nodded, “I probably should have brought anther change of clothes.”

“You still have clothes here from staying over,” Ellie reminded him before going inside and up to her room to change.

Payton and Sebastian had managed to get loose grass all over their legs and bellies, so he kept them on the front porch as he attempted to get as much off of them as possible. He was going to have to brush them once they were completely dry to really get it though, so he walked them back inside to get some towels.

He tossed his shirt and pants into the dryer and grabbed a pair of sweatpants that he’d left there before. He pulled the sweatpants up his legs before going to the bathroom and taking out a couple of towels and starting in on the dogs.

He didn’t get very far before the doorbell rang. As far as he knew Ellie wasn’t planning on having anyone over. Lisa was working out of town this weekend. “Elle, are you expecting anyone?” he called up the stairs. There was no reply and Alex figured that she must have decided to take a shower which Alex was beginning to think wasn’t a bad idea. He shrugged his shoulders and went to answer the door.

Alex swung the door open and greeted the blond haired stranger, “Hey, can I help you?” Where had Ellie ever had time to meet this guy? He had Justin Bieber’s new haircut and he was wearing a fucking pea coat for crying out loud. It wasn’t even cold enough for a pea coat, he just bathed his dogs outside.

“I’m looking for Ellie?” His words came out as a question as he cocked and eyebrow and gave Alex a once over. He was judging Alex just as thoroughly. Why the hell would Ellie be hanging out with this punk ass wanna-be? Was it really that hard to make friends in a city as populated as Baltimore? And where was his fucking shirt?

“Yeah Elle didn’t mention anyone coming over today,” Alex replied coolly deciding that he was definitely over this guy.

“Who’s at the door?” Ellie asked from the stairs.

Alex moved aside so that she could see just as a blond girl who looked to be the same age as the guy walked up.

Ellie’s eyes bulged as she whispered, “Oh shit,” under her breath. What the fuck were they doing here?

“Wait you guys are the twins!” Alex exclaimed as it all clicked. He was relieved to know that they guy wasn’t some ex-boyfriend or something.

“And we have no idea who you are,” the girl, Casey, said giving Ellie a pointed look, “Unless, of course, you’re Alex.”

“You said you didn’t tell anyone about me,” Alex said giving Ellie a questioning look.

Ellie’s head was spinning. She hadn’t meant for Alex to meet Casey and Brady… or at least not now, not before she had figured out what he was to her, not before she had even gotten the chance to tell them about him. Not only did this look like a terrible friend, but Casey somehow knew his name.
And again the only thing that came out of her mouth was a whispered hopeless, “Oh shit.”