Standing in the back of the dojo, Louis nervously tapped his foot. "What could he possibly be doing? Come on. Pick up."
***
Tom Sawyer kicked his feet up on Alex's coffee table. He enjoyed house sitting for Alex and Debbie while they galavanted around Paris. Gary had been well-behaved. SCOT was a godsend, and Alex's place was much nicer than his own.
Tom cracked open a cold beer and took a sip. "Ah, it's like living in the lap of luxury."
When his phone rang, he used his brand-new smartwatch to answer it. "Hello, this is Tom Sawyer."
He recognized the voice on the other end. "Tom, it's Louis."
Tom sprawled out on the couch. "Louis! Dude, you should come over here. I'm staying at Alex's. This place is the ultimate bachelor pad."
Tom could hear a slight hitch in Louis's breath.
"Yeah, man. Sorry, I've been so busy lately with Ken and the documentary," Louis explained. "Have you heard from Alex recently?"
While trying to remember, Tom scratched his head. "Uh, he texted me a few days ago to make sure I haven't burnt the house down, which I haven't!"
Louis chuckled softly. "Good for you. He hasn't responded to me, and I have something kind of important to tell him."
Tom took a swig of his drink. "You finally meet someone?"
Louis shook his head. "Nah, man. Let's just say, I feel like there are a lot of changes happening in Baltimore, and I think Alex has the right to know. If you get a hold of him, tell him to call me."
Tom raised an eyebrow. "Changes, Louis? What kind of changes?"
Louis drew in a deep breath, hesitating before he spoke. "Do you remember Riley?"
Tom rubbed the scar on the back of his head. "The guy who created the super soldiers that tried to kill me? Of course I know Riley."
Louis lowered his voice. "I think he may be a good guy now."
Tom leaned forward. A look of alarm flashed in his eyes. "I think my fractured skull would disagree. Louis, why do you think he's a good guy?"
Louis let out a desperate sigh. "He reached out to me, and he told me he wants to make things right."
Tom narrow his gaze. "Don't tell me you're actually entertaining this."
Louis's voice possessed an irritated tone. "I think people can change, Tom. I also think people deserve second chances. What about me?"
Tom shook his head. "That's different. You didn't try to murder half of the universe."
Louis felt his blood rise in a wave of heat throughout his body. "I'd be nothing if Stefan and Alex didn't give me a second chance. Forgive me for wanting to do the same for someone else."
Tom's lips flattened into a thin line. "I understand, but don't do anything without discussing it with Alex first."
Louis fell silent for a moment. Then, he took another deep breath. "That's why I'm trying to call him. Alright?"
Although Tom didn't love the idea of Louis fraternizing with Riley, he knew that Louis was a grown man that could make his own decisions. Tom rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine."
Louis spoke through a clenched jaw. "Like I said, if Alex calls, tell him I need to get a hold of him."
Tom nodded. "Yeah, bro. Of course. Listen, you take it easy, man."
As Louis said goodbye, a huge burp escaped from Tom's lips.
He hung up the phone. "Well, this looks like it's going to be a disaster."
He grabbed his beer and finished it off. "Might as well drink my worries away." He glanced around the room. "I don't think Alex realizes how lucky he is. If I lived like this, I have zero problems. Even if my arch nemesis was constantly trying to kill me."
He threw his phone across the couch, then put his arms behind his head. "Ah, this is the good life."
An alarm on his smartwatch went off. Tom shot up. "Never a moment of rest." He checked the watch. It was time to feed Gary.
***
When Debbie ran away from Alex at the Eiffel Tower, he wasn't sure what to do.
He stood in the middle of the crowd, looking around as if he were a kid who lost his mother.
A passerby elbowed Alex.
Alex whipped his head around to see a man around his age. "Can I help you?"
The guy chuckled. "Nah, bro. I just wanted to say you absolutely blew it. That chick was hot, but hey, it happens to the best of us."
And with that, the man kept walking.
Alex stared off in disbelief. "What just happened?"
But he knew exactly what happened. He did the very thing he vowed he wouldn't do. He went too far.
How did I screw it up so badly? He thought. She looked at me as if I was a monster. Hell, maybe I am a monster.
Alex looked down, seeing a tiny rock at his feet. He kicked the stone away. She did make it very clear. She told me that she wanted to keep it professional, but how could I? He thought. Seeing her here brought me back to life. She had that sparkle in her eyes, the one that made me fall in love with her in the first place. She was glowing, exuding passion and excitement. She's always been beautiful, but seeing her explore something new, I realized how truly gorgeous she is.
He began to walk forward through the crowd of people. I should have waited. She's worth the wait. I shouldn't have pushed her. But now what do I do? She publicly declared that she wants me to leave her alone."
Then, he received a call on his phone. His heart skipped a beat, as he hoped Debbie was reaching out. But it wasn't Debbie, it was Yvonne.
Alex raised a curious eyebrow. "Yvonne? Is everything okay?"
Yvonne sounded calm and collected on the other end. "Yeah, it is. I'm shocked you picked up. Word on the street is that you've been incredibly hard to reach since you've been traveling to foreign lands."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'm a little busy."
Yvonne didn't let him finish his sentence. "I know why you're busy, and that's the reason I'm calling. I'm meddling in your relationship."
Alex paused, realizing that Yvonne must have heard what happened. "What?"
Yvonne sighed. "I talked to Debbie. She called me really upset, and she told me that she's alone at the hotel."
Alex looked up at the Eiffel Tower. "She made it back to the hotel."
Yvonne nodded. "Yup. Listen, I know she's upset with you, but if I were you, I'd just go back and apologize. Tell her you didn't mean to alarm her. Then, for the love of all that is holy, back off her. Give her some space. That's all she wants."
Alex groaned. "If she wants space, why should I go back?"
Yvonne pursed her lips. "Alex, she's the most beautiful woman in the world, and right now she's all alone in a foreign country where she doesn't speak the language. I'm worried about her safety. You need to go back to protect her."
Alex kicked up the dirt on the ground. "You're totally right."
Yvonne let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay. I have to get going, but go back to her. Oh, and also, call Louis. He told me needed to get a hold of you, but he wouldn't tell me for what."
Alex shrugged. "Okay, sure, whatever. I'll talk to you later."
He hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket. Call Louis? Yeah, that's the last thing on my radar right now. Whatever Louis needs to talk about can wait. I have more important things to deal with, he thought. I need to go make sure the woman I love is okay.
A look of determination flashed in Alex's eyes as he hailed a taxi. Debbie, here I come.
***
Back in Paris, Debbie sulked in her room. Her call with Yvonne raised her spirits a bit, but she was still conflicted.
"There has never been someone that's driven me crazier than Alex has," she said wistfully. "Why do I still have such strong feelings for him? Why is my heart so conflicted?"
Having only the sounds of the busy street outside the hotel to keep her company, Debbie felt as if she were losing her mind.
Restlessly, she tossed and turned on the bed. "Let's see. Yvonne thinks no matter what I decide, I'll be fine. So, that's good, right?" She groaned. "Wrong. That doesn't make me feel any better."
[SFX: Parisian Fire Truck]
The sound of a fire truck racing down the street startled Debbie. She grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest. "I can't get what Yvonne said about Christopher out of my head, how she mentioned that he makes her feel so important. When I first met Alex, I felt the same way. No one ever treated me like he did before. He made me feel like I mattered, and that was incredibly special."
Debbie bit her lip. "But, when he told me he slept with Kylie, all of that disappeared. How could I matter to him? I thought he would never make me feel that way again."
She drew a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it. "But, he did manage to make me feel that way again. Here."
She sat up. "Was it just the magic of Paris? Either way, we had such a good time together. Actually, he made me feel so alive, and seeing him here, it was starting to change my perspective.
Tears pricked her eyes. "Why did he have to ruin it? Why couldn't he just wait? It was too soon."
Using the pillow to wipe her tears, Debbie squeezed her eyes shut. "He's such a passionate, driven man, but his passion and drive are what scares me at times. He could be so intense that it becomes overwhelming."
She threw the pillow to the side. "And who am I? I'm just Debbie."
[SFX: Knocking]
Debbie jumped up when she heard someone banging on the door. She dropped her head in her hands. She was in no shape to have company.
She threw her legs off the bed. "Just a minute!"
Before she answered the door, she looked at her face in the mirror. Her eyes were a little red from crying. After she ran her fingers through her hair, she stood up straight and put on a forced smile. "Well, it's not getting any better than this."
She shuffled toward the door and quickly opened it.
Her fake smile disappeared when she saw who stood on the other side. "Alex, what are you doing here?"