Upon entering the living room, Emily was met with an ambiance that left her scarcely recognizing the space. While the furniture remained in its place, an eerie sense of emptiness pervaded the room. Subtle changes had occurred since she was last here, but it was these subtle nuances that held the most poignant significance for Emily. The most visible was the now vacant grey wall to her left, once filled with cherished family photographs.

Her gaze shifted to the right, to the grand black leather sofa and the black armchair, adorned with a white blanket featuring delicate blue bird motifs. It was the very same armchair in which Emily and Lucy had often nestled beneath the cozy throw, watching their favourite movies and indulging in Mrs Garnett's delectable chocolate chip cookies. Emily grasped the blanket in her trembling hands, a poignant swell of sadness coursing through her being. Despite the abundance of joyful memories the room once held, they now seemed tainted, their splendour overshadowed by an undercurrent of melancholy.

Moments later, Alex entered the room and an almost palpable change of atmosphere coursed through the air. The room seemed to hum with pent-up tension, as if long-guarded secrets lurked in its dim corners, eager to surface. Emily, her face etched with anger, turned to face him.

"I'm listening," she declared, her voice resolute.

Alex hesitated, squinting at her with a furrowed brow, attempting to decipher the extent of her knowledge and the source of her information. His face was contorted with a mix of confusion and concern.

"Well?" Emily's impatience seeped into her voice.

"How did you find out that my name is Maxwell?" he finally asked.

"Are you for real? You don't get to be the one to ask questions!"

Emily began yelling, her words sharp and accusatory. Alex acted swiftly, using one hand to gently squeeze her hand and the other to cover her mouth. He signalled for silence with a subtle finger to his lips.

"Please, Marnie's in the other room," he pleaded in hushed tones. "I can't put her through any more of this."

Emily, her initial anger abating, reluctantly agreed with a nod. She shut the living room door quietly and confronted him once more.

"Go on then, I'm all ears." She crossed her arms and fixed him with a resolute and angry gaze, ready for the truth.

"What do you want to know?"

"Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. Why did you change your name?"

Alex, his gaze fixed on a distant point, was hesitant. "I can't tell you the exact reason. Some dangerous people are after me. That's all you need to know."

"And what did you do that led these so-called dangerous people to come after you?"

"I can't tell you that either, I'm sorry."

"Oh, wow, thanks for such enlightening answers. I understand everything now." She rolled her eyes in frustration, her irritation growing.

Alex's response was a subtle smirk, further fuelling Emily's anger.

"Wipe that smirk off your face and give me some real answers for a change."

Alex, still reticent, met her gaze in silence. Emily, undeterred, continued her questioning. "Is Nancy involved in this?

"In some ways, yes."

"What are those ways?"

"Nancy knows what happened and is trying to help us."

"Mhm, and how do you know Lucy?"

"I didn't really know her that well, but my dad was her godfather. Our fathers had been inseparable friends since their college days, along with Nancy and Annie, as you may have already guessed," he explained.

"Did you know who I was? That day at the farmer's market? Did you recognize me?"

"At that moment, no. Not yet. Tho it was years since I last saw you. At Lucy's"

"Funeral, yeah. I know."

"I'm sorry about that. I know you two were very close."

"The closest."

Sadness was starting to bubble inside of her and tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away, a desperate attempt to shield her vulnerability from Alex. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, took a deep breath and snapped the hairband on her wrist turning to face him once more.

"When did you find out then?"

"Nancy told me who you were only after our date at the café. That's when I remembered you. She tried to explain to me why I shouldn't get involved with you, but I didn't really listen at first."

"What is so horribly wrong with me that she constantly insists on keeping you away from me? Why does she hate me so much? I just don't get it and it's getting really annoying."

Alex sighed, "No, Em. It's not like that. It's actually the complete opposite of that. Ugh, you're just not going to give up, are you?" He walked to a nearby liquor cabinet, his fingers selecting a bottle of whiskey. Pouring two glasses, he extended one toward Emily.

"I'm not thirsty," she stated, her gaze unwavering.

Alex chuckled lightly. "More for me then," he quipped, downing the drink before he continued, "Sit down."

Emily hesitated, an unspoken challenge passing between their locked eyes. 

"Why? I'm fine standing right here."

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

Her features softened as she nodded, her initial defiance giving way to curiosity. She finally took her seat. Seated across from Emily, Alex drained the remaining glass of whiskey. 

"I can't tell you everything, but you need to trust me when I say it's only because I want to protect you, okay?"

"I don't need your protection, thanks. I've gone through most of my life fighting by myself, so I don't need anyone trying to protect me."

"I'm not asking for your permission. I'm just stating the facts. I want to protect you, and I will try to, whether you like it or not."

"Whatever, enough with the speeches, just tell me the story already."

"Hold your horses," Alex said, pouring himself another drink. "Pun intended," he added and Emily rolled her eyes once again.

"Honestly, I'm trying to decide how much to reveal," he stated.

"How about everything?"

"Not likely." He downed another drink and continued, "Alright then, I've already shared parts of my childhood with you, how my father passed away and my mother's struggles with addiction."

With a measured nod, Emily shifted her gaze to the empty glass in his hand and then back to him. He realised her unspoken request and quickly set the glass aside, stowing the bottle away. He sat back down and continued the story.

"Something else happened," Alex confessed, "and now I'm in hiding. I didn't know where to go. We had no money, so I called the only people I knew would be there for me, Lucy's parents. Despite the growing distance between David and my dad in their later years, and despite the fact that I was sometimes a total asshole to them, to everyone for that matter, but the Garnetts never overlooked my birthday. There was always a present waiting for me with a heartfelt letter attached to it. I know it sounds silly, but it was really important to me back then. It felt like there was someone that cared. And after my dad passed away, David was the only one to check on me every few days. That's why I felt like he was the only person I could reach out to that would genuinely try to help me. Anyways, it was David who suggested I change my name and come live here. He said he could never return to this place; it held too many painful memories. So, I followed his advice, changed my name to Alex so that Marnie could still call me 'Axy' without confusion. He also contacted Nancy and Annie, explaining what had occurred, so if they were to see me, they'd know not to call me Maxwell. Both Nancy and Annie have been kind to us ever since, taking care of Marnie and me. I can't begin to express how grateful I am for their support. That's as much as I can reveal. Please, don't press me for further details about what happened, as I don't want to involve anyone else in this matter, especially not you."

"Okay, I won't question you about the past," she conceded, deciding to temporarily honour his wishes, grateful for the morsel of truth she had received. "But what about Mrs Kargle? What's her issue with me? Why can't she stand me?"

"Would you believe me if I told you she actually likes you?"

"Umm, no. Have you ever seen the two of us talking? If you ever witnessed our conversations, you'd quickly realize that's quite unlikely."

Alex paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "Well, I actually know about some of your conversations. And I also know about your arrangement."

"What arrangement?"

"Your job, the debts..."

"She told you that?" Emily sighed. "Well, then you must understand why I could never believe she liked me one bit."

Alex, in a bid to shed light on the situation, suggested, "Let me try and explain."

"Please do."

"First, you need to know that Mr Kargle is quite an unpleasant man," Alex began. "I don't know if you've had the chance to meet him, but I'm sure you've heard the stories."

Emily nodded in agreement. "Yeah, everyone's heard the stories."

"Well," Alex continued, "the stories are true, and they're even worse than the rumours. I'm telling you this to help you grasp Nancy's predicament better. I, like you, was not a fan of her at the beginning, but then David told me her story."

"Which is...?"

"She never loved Mr Kargle and never wanted to marry him. It was essentially an arranged marriage. Her parents, who aren't very pleasant people themselves, forced her into this marriage because they saw the monetary gain in it. While I don't know the entire story, I do know they focused solely on the money that Mr Kargle had without taking her feelings into consideration. Don't get me wrong, people say Mr Kargle loves Nancy, but if he had to choose between love and money, he'd always opt for the latter."

"I know that part already. She never loved Mr Kargle, he loves his money and she loves Reese, blah blah. I've heard that story a thousand times, but what does it have to do with me?"

"What are you on about?"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked confused.

"Nancy is in love with my dad? Where did you get that from?" Alex's confusion was palpable.

"Oh, that. I thought it was public knowledge by now."

"I'm evidently not part of that particular 'public'. So, umm, how do you..., umm, what?"

"As you said, Nancy was very close to Lucy's dad." Emily suddenly laughed and shook her head. "Sorry, it's just weird calling her Nancy. Anyway, Mrs Kargle and Annie often came here so Lucy heard a whole bunch of stories. Apparently, Mrs Kargle loved your dad since their college days, but her parents didn't approve. Eventually they both married other people, but she never truly got over him. She used to talk about him all the time, much to Lucy's annoyance. To think I only recently realized that Reese is your father. Lucy would find that development quite amusing."

"Umm, alright. Some of her comments make a bit more sense now, but-"

Emily interrupted him. "Glad to be of help. Now, what does any of this have to do with me?"

Alex's face continued to betray astonishment, as though he was trying to wrap his head around the information. Emily, impatient to continue, intervened, snapping her fingers.

"Hey!" she said, attempting to pull him from his daze. "I'm more than willing to address your questions. But first, we need to address mine. Deal?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Em."

She raised her eyebrow and he relented, "Fine, we have a deal."

"Great. And? What does any of Mrs Kargle's love life has to do with me?"

"I'm sure the story's more complicated than what I'm about to tell you, but I can only tell you what I know. It all started when your mom approached them about money for your father's treatment..."