A/N: The two characters I mention here – Nathaniel and Vallery, are a part of my story Hunt Me Down. It's completed and available on Wattpad. The link is given as an External Link.

*****

Tyson POV

I was working at the service-station along with Big Joe and a boy named Raiden, who was a couple of years younger than me. Jimmy would sometimes joke (to my resentment) that if Angel and I were to have a child it would be like Raiden. What he meant by it was that the boy's character was pretty much a mix of that of my best friend's and mine.

Raiden preferred to keep things about himself private just like me, but he wasn't completely shutting people out and was polite to them like Angel; he was a bit short-tempered and yet sometimes he would make the most rational decisions even in his anger; he liked to dance (again like Angel) but was pretty good with cars (again just like me)... So, yeah... The boy was like a cross between us.

Probably why we got on well.

I was just finishing up one of the cars when I got a phone call.

"'Sup, ex-hubby!" Yep, every now and then since the baby project ended I'd be the "ex-hubby".

"Hey, Alex!" I decided to ignore the way she'd addressed me.

"So, about hanging out at Angel's tonight..." She started. His mom was working and the little ones were all going over to someone's house for a sleepover so the two of us were invited to keep him company.

"Alex's not going to cancel is she?"

I hoped that wasn't why the brunette was calling.

"Want me to swing by the station and pick you up?" She continued after what seemed to me like an eternity.

"Pick me up? With what? You don't have a car."

"Oh, I'm using Kev's."

"So your cousin was still in town? I haven't seen him since that day at your place."

"When he interrogated me about us," I added in my mind.

"Nah, he left, but the car stayed. So what do you say? Should I swing by?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be done in about an hour."

"Cool! See you then!"

And she hung up. I put away my phone and felt someone's gaze on me.

Raiden was looking at me with a slight smirk on his face.

"What is it, Raiden?" I asked the younger boy.

"So... Alex."

Oh, no, not him as well! Jimmy and Joe were making more than enough insinuations about us, I didn't need one more person to do so. And it wasn't in the boy's style to joke around like that anyway.

"What about her?" I asked, irritation clear in my voice.

"Why don't you two date?" He asked evenly.

Here we go again! How come every single one of my coworkers thought I should be dating Alexandra?

"Why should we?" I asked aloud, opening the hood to one of the cars I was working on today. It was a bright pink Mitsubishi Eclipse that had been to our service-station before. I knew I'd fixed the problem the last time and had the sneaking suspicion that the car's owner – a teenage blonde dressed solely in a color to match her vehicle, brought it here just so she could flirt with me.

"Are you trying to ignore me, Tyson?" Raiden queried, leaning on the car that was parked next to that of the blonde.

"Why would I do that?" I asked in turn, keeping my eyes on my work.

"Because although you posed a question, I'm not sure you want to know the answer. But I'm going to give it to you anyway: the reason why I think you and Alex should date is that your face lit up the moment you realized it was her that was calling," he explained simply.

"No, it didn't!" I protested stubbornly, although I knew I'd had a smile on my face when I answered that call.

"Tyson, you were smiling," the younger boy protested in a calm tone. "Before I didn't see you do that often and lately you've been doing it a lot. And you're more open to conversations. Your people-skills still suck though," he added playfully.

I straightened up and turned to look at him.

Could what Raiden was saying be true?

Had I really become more conversable lately?

"I haven't changed that much... have I?"

"Look, I don't know you that well but I'm a pretty observant person." I couldn't argue with that; the boy was really vigilant. "And trust me when I say this: you've changed since you met your Alex."

"She's not "my Alex"." I corrected him.

"Do you want her to be?"

"I... I don't know." Why did people keep on asking me this lately? "Raiden, I'm not even sure how she and I are friends. We argue, we fight all the time, we're both head-strong and too proud to admit when the other one is right..."

Interrupted by his merry laughter, I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You remind me of my childhood friend. Have I told you about my bestie and me before?"

Come to think of it, he had mentioned his closest friend a few times. From what I gathered the boy had moved away because of his father's work.

"Yeah... Nathan, right?"

"Nathaniel actually. And no, I meant my other bestie - his twin sister Vallery."

"I don't remember you talking about her."

"Then I probably haven't mentioned her to you, because if I had talked about that girl, you'd remember." He said grinning widely. "Anyway, before they moved, Val and I were pretty much the same as you and Alex: we'd quarrel, we'd tussle, I'd push her into a creek, she'd answer by putting a real living snake in my bed..." I barked a laugh imagining his reaction at that. "After watching a horror movie about snakes of course... Guess who challenged me to do that! But in the end we'd always stick to each other. She and Nat are the only two people I'd actually trust with my life, because despite of the silly pranks and teasing, we really care for one another. You have no idea how much I miss her... well, miss them both. And if this chick Alex makes you even half as happy as we think she does, then she's definitely worth the hustle!"

I stopped to think about all he had told me. He was right: she did make me happy. I wanted to be with her...

And I wanted more than just friendship.

There, I conceded! I'd been thinking that way for a while but I didn't want to admit it even to myself. Why? Because that would mean that I'd have to make a move on her... and I was afraid she didn't feel the same.

I wasn't one to frighten easily but that thought terrified me.

I sighed.

"I suppose if I don't risk it, I'll never find out!"

Then suddenly something Raiden had said registered in my mind.

"What did you mean "as happy as we think she does"?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh! Well..." His hand went to the back of his head and he tousled his red hair slightly; something he always did when he was nervous. "Jimmy and Joe might have mentioned something about the whole thing too..."

"It's no business of any of you!" I shouted indignantly.

"What's none of their business?" A new voice sounded from behind me.

I turned and there she was, swaying fort until she was on her toes then back again so that only her heals touched the floor. She repeated the motion several times, waiting for my response, her hands behind her back.

She looked really good even dressed casually in a black tank top and grey jeans and with a simple hairstyle: she'd just put her brown hair in a high ponytail. No make up was present on her beautiful face, not even eyeliner to enhance her chocolate eyes. She bit her lower lip and tilted her head to the side in expectation, reminding me that I had not given her an answer to what she'd asked me.

"Never mind that, Alex!" I finally replied, turning to hide my smile from her as I thought: my Alex.

*****

A/N: I know this is a rather short chapter, but the story needed a transition between one stage of Alex and Tyson's relationship to another. I promise next chapter will be longer!

Anyways, comment to tell me what you guys think and don't forget to VOTE!

xo

CatMint5