hesitated for a moment, but nodded anyway. They walked back to Starbucks in comfortable silence. Once they were seated at a table and Pexy had ordered two mugs of hot chocolate, Alex began talking again.
"Do you remember anything?" he questioned suddenly.
"Hm?"
"About earlier today. When we first met...before you left."
"Uhm.." She hesitated for a brief moment before nodding her head. She took a long sip of her hot chocolate before continuing. "Yeah." She looked up at him, watching him expectantly.
"Was everything okay? Do you remember anything that happened afterwards?"
"No, I don't."
"Alright," he responded. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before asking another question. "Why aren't you answering any of my questions?"
She frowned at him.
"Because it doesn't matter."
He stared at her silently, seeming slightly confused. Suddenly, he let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine."
She continued to stare at him without blinking, waiting for him to continue his train of thought. He cleared his throat and finally spoke again.
"Where were you during all of those years that I wasn't there for you?"
"You mean before I ran away?" She narrowed her eyes, almost daring him to disagree. "I spent most of those years working at the hotel where you used to live. My father and my stepmother kept me company."
She lowered her gaze, avoiding his gaze. After a few moments, she continued.
"After that I moved into an orphanage."
She paused for a brief second and glanced up at Alex. His facial expression was unreadable.
"When I was seven, they took me away and placed me into a foster home. It was kind of hard at the beginning because I couldn't understand how people around me could be treated that way."
She lowered her gaze once again as she spoke, a feeling of sadness washing over her once she remembered how those children had acted. The memory of the child who had tried to attack her flashed past her mind. She swallowed hard before speaking again. She didn't want to talk about the past.
"In the end though, I managed to survive there. Eventually I became friends with a girl named Amber who lived next door to my building, and we became best friends. We would spend hours talking about our daily lives."
Alex watched her quietly, listening intently to every word she said.
"The last time that we saw each other, she was taken away too. So I stayed there and tried to adapt to the new life I was living there. But I couldn't. I was so miserable."
She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe I'm actually talking to you. How is this possible?"
"How is what happening possible? Why are you so surprised? I haven't changed much since I was a kid. I still try to make things fun whenever I can. And I do what I can to help others. If it's the reason why you've run away, then please let me know. I promise I won't be mad."
Pexy furrowed her brow. This definitely wasn't how he expected things to go down between them. But at least he wasn't angry, which was all she could hope for. She wasn't completely convinced yet, but she trusted his intentions. She wanted to give him a chance to prove himself, but she wouldn't allow him to manipulate her like he used to. She was going to play the game to win, and no one was going to stand in her way. No one was going to mess with her.
"Thank you," she simply replied.
"Anytime."
They sat there for a little while longer, staring off into space. Neither of them said a single word, but neither of them had to. Their silence was enough. As long as he wasn't pushing her, it didn't matter to her what he thought of her now. Although her decision to stay away was partly due to selfish reasons, Alex did a great job at convincing her that he genuinely cared. In that instant, she knew that he was a different person now, someone that wasn't as cold and distant as he used to be.
As time passed by, their conversation gradually faded and they lost sight of each other. The afternoon sun shone overhead, making its warm rays shine onto the busy streets of New York City. A faint aroma filled the air from nearby shops, making Pexy gulp. The smell was heavenly. Her stomach growled loudly, causing her cheeks to redden slightly in embarrassment.
Alex chuckled at that.
"Are you hungry?"
"Mhmm. Very."
"What do you want to eat?"
"Anything."
"Then it's settled. Let's go to the closest store and find something delicious."
Pexy smiled up at him.
"Okay."
They got off their seats and started walking aimlessly across the crowded streets, stopping occasionally at restaurants and cafes. Occasionally, they also encountered a passerby, greeting and chatting amiably with them. However, the only thing that came out of Pexy's mouth were incoherent mumbles and a few simple replies while Alex merely smiled politely at the strangers.
Soon enough, the sun started to dip below the horizon. They eventually found themselves in front of a quaint cafe, where Alex suggested they have dinner together rather than getting food delivered. It would certainly be more interesting that way. After a short debate, they decided to order their food from a separate menu so that it would last a while longer in case they didn't manage to decide what they wanted to eat immediately. Just as they were finishing their food, they heard a familiar voice calling out to them. They turned around to see none other than Daniel standing just outside the window of the café. He waved as he spotted Alex and Pexy sitting outside. He made his way over to them and joined them at their table.
"Hey guys! Fancy meeting you here!"
Pexy smiled at him and greeted him back. They chatted happily about random topics and laughed throughout the whole duration of their meal. By the time they finished, it was already nearing seven. Alex gave them both a quick hug before leaving.
Daniel was still smiling brightly as he asked Pexy if she was planning on doing anything else while Alex had his trip planned out.
"Well," she trailed off, glancing up and down Daniel's body. "There is a certain someone that I would like to see right now..."
Daniel chuckled as he leaned forward on the table.
"Amber, huh? Where did that come from?"
Pexy