Come Back to Me

As Alex and I sit in the cab on our way to my house I wonder what may happen between Mel and Tom tonight.

"So I guess Tom wanted to be alone with Mel?" I finally ask. Alex looks like he has been distracted from a thought, looking over at me suddenly remembering I'm sitting beside him.

"Are you ok? You were gone for a minute." I ask.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something. Uh, yeah Tom asked to be alone With Mel."

"So he likes her?" I ask, hunting for more info.

"Yep, he told me so."

"Can I ask what you were thinking?" Alex smiles and looks out the window.

"Nothing important." He mumbles. The rest of cab ride home is quiet and I feel a little uncomfortable at Alex's sudden silence. I begin to wonder if he is still thinking of his torture ordeal, and if there's more to it. Our cab reaches my house and Alex pays for the cab and as we slowly walk to my front door I feel his hand touching my back, leading me to the door.

"Do you want a beer?" I ask as I drop my purse and coat on the chair.

"No thanks, I'm pretty tired." Alex takes off his jacket and sits it next to mine. He still looks distracted, and I just have to ask what's wrong.

"Alex are you ok? You know you can talk to me, right?" I slowly walk over to him, folding my arms and biting my bottom lip, not knowing if he'll even want to talk. He slides his hands in his jeans pockets and sighs.

"Amy you've had a lot to deal with, the last thing you need is to listen to my problems.."

"But you helped me, you saved me.. And you helped me see some sense. Why can't you talk to me?"

He looks down to the floor and smiles, lifting his eyes to face mine.

"I've never been more terrified..I've been through a few traumatic things during being a detective but not this bad. Yesterday was.. It's enough to make me wanna leave."

"Leave your job?" I ask. Since knowing Alex I've never seen this side of him. Then I realise that I've not known him for long.

"I guess. Just focus on my photography.. Or, go back to being a cop. I don't know."

"Is it this bad in California?" I ask.

"Not this bad, no. I guess whenever I work in New York something always happens."

His brown eyes look sad, and it's definitely a side of Alex that I've never seen. He has always come across as being brave, manly, not afraid.

"And I also had to witness my best friend get shot in the arm, and you almost getting killed by the two people you thought cared about you the most. And the most ridiculous thing of all is that I aimed and shot her in the head.. Whilst she was holding a gun at yours. It was careless of me, I could have easily misjudged it and got you instead."

I reach out and grab Alex's shoulders and look up at him.

"Hey, you didn't get me. That's all that matters."

"But.."

"No buts!" I interrupt. "You saved me, end of story. If you weren't there I don't know what might have happened to me."

"I left you in that house.." He whispers.

"Alex you left the house because tom almost got killed. Luckily he only got hit in the arm.. But you had to help him."

He sighs, looks down and closes his eyes. I kiss his cheek and go on my tip toes to give him a hug. His arms wrap round my waist and his face buries in at my neck.

I didn't realise he had so much on his mind.

"Why don't you take some time to think while you're off work?" I ask, releasing myself from his grip but i keep my hand on the back of his neck.

"I guess." He whispers. "Are you ok?" He asks. I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know. I feel numb. Tom wants to head back to LA as soon as possible. He wants to tell them about me.."

I drop my hand from his neck and fold my arms.

"You're not ready, are you?" He asks.

"I don't know.."