I got through Heathrow airport without a problem, but as soon as I made my way out of LAX I was bombarded with a mass of paparazzi and fans. I don’t know how they go word of my whereabouts and it really pissed me off. I just wanted to get home and see my mom. Questions were flown at me left and right asking me why I was back in LA, if Harry and I had split again, and why I wasn’t spending the upcoming holidays with him.

The only thing that was keeping me from freaking out on everyone was the fact that none of them had asked about the baby, and then I remembered that we had not yet made an announcement. Finally at one point security guards, who worked for the airport, got me to a cab safely. An hour’s drive (thanks to the wonderful LA traffic) and the cab driver was pulling into my mom’s secluded driveway.

She immediately came outside, dressed in one of her many silk robes and her hair up in a bun. My mom paid the cab driver and pulled me into a hug when he drove way. As soon as her arms wrapped around me I began sobbing. All of the tears that I had tried hard to hold by during my flight poured out and soaked my mom’s robe.

We stood there for a few minutes in silence, the only sound was my crying. My mother ran her hands up and down my back. “Let’s go inside, okay?”

I shook my head yes before pulling away and wiping my cheeks. My mom grabbed my suitcase and train case while I took my carry-on bag and my purse, and we made our way into the house.

Once I dropped my things off in my bedroom I met my mom in the kitchen. She had a cup of hot tea waiting for me. My first choice would have been a glass of wine, but since I was pregnant, tea would have to suffice.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” My mom asked me before taking a sip of her own tea.

“I think Harry and I are over, for good.” I sniffled.


“You think?” She raised a perfect brow at me.


“I know.”


“Why?” She asked while placing her cup on the granite counter top of her expansive island. I never lived in this house with my mom; she only bought it a few months after I moved out into my own apartment. It was nice to see that all of my mom’s hard work (putting herself through college and achieving her dream of being a dentist) had paid off.


“He lied to me, mom. He told me that the baby was his when it isn’t.” I could feel the tears start to invade my eyes again.


“He only did it because he loves you.” She said with a sigh.


“How can you sit here and defend him!” I shouted. I didn’t like shouting or fighting with my mom, but how could she have the nerve to defend what he did, whether he did it because he loves me or not.


My harsh tone didn’t faze her. She kept her tone as soft and even as before. “I’m not defending him. I’m just thinking about it from his point of view.”


“Well it sounds like it.” My voice was barely above a whisper, a drastic change from where it just was.


“Just think about it Alex. He’s an international pop star, he could have anyone he wants, if the baby truly isn’t his then he could have just left you high and dry. But he didn’t. He committed himself to you. He told his family and friends that the baby is his because he wants to be with you. You need to stop being selfish, it’s not just you anymore. You have another life to think about. And I’m not going to let you throw away this relationship for one little insignificant piece of information. The way that he looks at you is the way that your dad looked at me, and I would give anything in the world to see his face one more time.” Her voice started out strong, but cracked by the end.


My mom rarely ever talked about my dad. It was a subject that hurt her so deeply that I tried not to bring it up.

“Wait, how do you know we told his family and friends? I haven’t talked to you since that night. Well except for yesterday.”


“Harry called me when he got news of you being in Heathrow. He just wanted to make sure you were coming here and not going to see Max.”


“Why in the hell would I go see Max?” I spit.


“He is the father, isn’t he?”


“Well yeah, but I’d never tell him that.” I don’t think. Maybe he isn’t. There’s this little piece of my heart that truly wishes that there was some kind of mistake. Like Dr. Croft read something wrong. I’d need to call her, but she’s on vacation and I don’t want to worry her with my problems.


“So are you going to talk to him?”


Her voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Who?” I asked, shaking my thoughts away.


“Harry. Are you going to call him?”


“Not right now. I need to think.”


“That’s your problem Alex, you’re always over thinking.”


“Can we go get some breakfast? “ I asked. I’m completely done with talking about this, at least for today.


“Sure, where do you want to go?”


“Denny’s?”


My mom smiled and nodded in agreement.


After I took a shower and changed, I felt absolutely disgusting from my long flight, we were on our way to Denny’s. Even though I wasn’t gone very long, I didn’t realize just how much I missed California. It was the middle of December but still warm outside. Today was the first day in almost two months that I didn’t have to wear a jacket, scarf, or gloves. It felt nice, freeing almost.

After we were finished my mom suggested that we go shopping at The Grove. I agreed because I really needed to get some pants that fit, as much as I love dresses and skirts, I was getting tired of wearing them every day.

After a pretty successful shopping trip we headed back to my mom’s. I was in “my” room putting my stuff away when my mom knocked on my door.


“Alex, sweety?”


“Come in.”


“Here, somehow this box of your things ended up here after you moved, I figured you’d like to look through it.” She said, setting the box down on the bed.


“Thanks mom.” I smiled at her as she turned to leave while closing the door behind her.


I don’t remember packing this box up, so I can only imagine what long lost treasures it holds. I took the lid off and immediately all the memories came flooding back. The box held everything that Max had ever given to me over the two years we were together. The pictures from our cliché first date from a photo booth in a movie theater lobby, the teddy bear he won for me on our third date, and every photo we had ever taken together stashed away in photo albums. Even the diamond necklace he gave me the first Christmas we were together. I’ll admit that when we first got together things between Max and I were great. I really thought I loved him, but his insecurities got the best of him and our relationship went south. He was an aspiring model/actor/singer, just like everyone else in LA. He tried really hard and he was constantly getting shot down and when he got mad it was easy for him to just take his anger out on me, and I let it happen. I never put my foot down. If every day had been like the beginning then I would without a doubt be with him right now, raising this baby.


I took out one of the photo albums and started flipping through it. This particular one was when he took me with him to take pictures to show different agencies. That was one of the better days. We actually had a good time taking those pictures, and we actually looked like a happy couple in love.




























But then when he turned them into different agencies a week later; he blamed me for not getting signed. He never really hit me, but man did he yell. He used to yell at me for everything that was wrong in his life and I just took it. The night he didn’t get any call backs he yelled at me for hours and then finally left, but he returned to my apartment reeking of alcohol. That was the first time he forced himself on me, and the next day he apologized and promised that it would never happen again. I believed him and took him back. Things were good between us again, until a few months later when he had an audition for a movie and he didn’t get it. He yelled at me for hours on end again, and that night he slapped me, it was the first and last time he ever hit me. Once again he apologized and promised it wouldn’t happen again. Things were good again but anytime he had an audition I braced myself for his wrath that was soon to follow. Besides the constant yelling I enjoyed my time with him. When he wasn’t yelling he was a fairly decent boyfriend, definitely nothing compared to Harry, but decent for him. The final straw was when he broke his first promise to me and forced himself on me once again after a night of drinking. I moved to London shortly after that and met the love of my life, or so I thought.

I continued flipping through the album and smiled at how happy Max and I were at one point. I wish he was the person that I needed him to be because I never thought I’d end up being a woman who wasn’t with her child’s father. Maybe I should call Max? Maybe he’s changed? He didn’t call or threaten me once since I left, so that a show a bit of growth doesn’t it?

Before I could over think anything I grabbed my phone and called Max.

“Alex?” He answered, confusion clear in his voice.

What am I doing? Shit. “Alex? Are you there?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m here. Sorry.” I whispered.

“Don’t be sorry. Is something wrong?” He sounded so compassionate. That was a side of Max that I haven’t seen since the very beginning.

“Can I see you?” I asked, getting straight to the point of why I called.

“Yeah of course. When?”

“Now?” Please say yes, I don’t think I’ll get the nerve again.

“Uh… yeah, now’s good. Where?”

“In the park? Near that food truck we like?”

“Cool, I’ll see you there.”


Once I hung up with Max I changed my outfit. I wanted to look good enough to see what he gave up but I also wanted to look like I was happy despite the ache that overwhelmed my entire body.

My mom let me borrow her car without question and I made my way to the park. I was standing near the food truck when I saw Max walking towards me. He looked really good. A lot more put together than what I remembered.

“Wow Alex, you look… you look amazing.” Max said, while his scanned over my body. I think I should have felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but I didn’t. There was something so familiar about him that it was almost comforting to hear him say that.

“Thanks.” I mumbled into his shoulder, since he pulled me into a hug.
He pushed me back at an arm’s length away. “I’m serious. London has done you well.”

I flushed. “You too. I mean, you look really good. Grown up even.”

He smirked back at me. “Hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat.”

We got some food from our favorite food truck and walked around the park.

“So, how’s the new job going?” He asked before taking a bite out of his burrito.

I chewed quickly and swallowed while shaking my head, but before answering. “Good, really good. It’s a dream. How about you? What are you doing?”

“That’s good. I uh… actually just got signed, to a uh.. a record label.”

“That’s awesome Max! Wow, I’m so happy for you.” I pulled him into another hug. I couldn’t believe it, he finally got something that he was after and he looked so happy. Despite everything that happened between us he deserved it, he’s crazy talented. “Which one?”

He chuckled at my reaction. “Thanks.” he smiled. “RCA Records.”

“Wow, that’s a big deal. Congratulations.” I beamed.

“Alex,” He said, as he stopped walking. “I’m sorry. For everything, I treated you horribly and I’m disgusted with myself every day. There’s no excuse for my behavior and if you don’t ever forgive me I don’t blame you.” He apologized, his eyes never leaving mine.

This was a big step for Max, he never apologized for anything in the two years that we were together, whether he was wrong or not. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“No, thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me. Really. Thank you.”

He shook his head once before asking me to keep walking with him. We walked the entire perimeter of the park while laughing and joking around like nothing had ever happened between us.

“Why did you call me today?” Max asked as we reached my mom’s car.

“Uh. I um got the box of stuff that you gave my mom.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For forgiving me. You didn’t have too.”

I looked down while nodding my head. “I know.” I looked back up at Max.

He stared back down at me before putting his hand on the back of my head and bending slightly to put his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes at the familiarity. This time with Max today was the closure I needed. I could officially close this chapter of my life and move on. Whether that be with Harry or by myself I’m not quite sure yet.

“Goodbye Alex.” He whispered against my forehead.

I wrapped my arms around him for the last time before speaking. “Goodbye Max.”

Notes

*Okay, as you may have noticed, I changed the character of Max from Matt Lanter (from 90210) to Justin Timberlake. That's because I needed pictures of Max and Alex together and there were absolutely none of Mila and Matt, so I hope that's okay with you all!*


So tell me what you thought of this chapter! How do you feel about Max and Alex meeting up? Do you think Max has really changed? And do you think their "goodbye" is permanent?


PS. This is what Alex and Max looked like at the park.




Random Fact!

I have an iPhone 5 and I love it! My mom has a galaxy s3 and she swears her phone is better than mine. I call bullshit, so you tell me... Are you team iPhone or team Android?


xx

-L