William

Jacob and I got into it... again. Maybe I'm asking too much of him. Perhaps I should end it now before one of us gets seriously hurt. The instant I thought about it, my chest ached. Why can't he understand? Alex just buried that bastard. Who knows what memories it caused him to relive? I know it's plagued my mind. I couldn't see how Alex would be any different.

To spring on Alex that I'm in a new relationship felt wrong. Yet, hiding Jacob from him felt wrong, too. I wish... oh, who cares what I wish? Now is not the time, and Jacob is going to have to get over it.

Cat, however, never misses a beat.

"Everything okay?"

I refuse to talk about it. "Yeah, fine."

She chose not to press and I'm grateful.

"Alex called. He should be home in about 30 minutes. I'll start the stir-fry."

I followed Cat into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter. "So, how is he doing, really?"

"He's holding up." Cat bustled around the kitchen gathering her ingredients and washing up the vegetables before she diced them. I'd offer to help but I'm useless in a kitchen. I waited for her to continue and when she didn't, I knew something was up.

"Did something happen while you were there?"

Her shoulders slumped. "Yes, no. Not really. This week has been a whirl wind, so much has happened yet at the same time nothing has changed. It feels... weird. Like we're standing in the eye of a storm, waiting for it to get us and at the same time praying it will pass us by."

"You've lost me."

She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out. She simply shrugged and got back to cooking. The less she said the more concerned I became. Perhaps, this was something I'll need to take up with Alex, instead.

Delicious smells were wafting through the house. There is a knock on the door and Cat sprinted across the room to answer it. I half expected them to fall down the stairs together when Cat tackles Alex the moment the door opens. Instead, I get to watch them make out in the hall.

"Seriously, Cat? Get a room, you two. Please, before I lose my appetite."

Alex picked up his bag and Cat's suitcase and moved them inside the apartment. He had to toss them aside in order to catch her. "Nice to see you, too," he told me with a grin.

I couldn't help rolling my eyes. It feels strange being the third wheel. "Thanks for noticing."

Alex's eyes grow wide as he enters the apartment. He looks at Cat and then back at me. "It was all her, idea," I said pointing to Cat.

All too soon they are back to smooching again. Ugh. I feel jealous watching them. The fact that I've been worried sick about him, spent my entire afternoon here, landing myself in a fight with Jacob, means nothing, of course.

"Hey, I helped too! Where's the love?"

Alex pulls away and waves for me to join their hug. Even though I know I'm intruding I couldn't care less. We all stood there hugging for several seconds until Alex broke free.

"Thank you! I can't believe you did this for me."

Cat's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Looks like she made the right decision to bring his stuff back.

"I remembered your face when we first walked in here yesterday. You looked so... misplaced. The same way you looked when I packed your stuff away when I moved my stuff in. I couldn't bear it. So, I called William to help me get your stuff out of the storage unit. Since he still had the key, it made it super easy."

"Well not that easy," I interjected. Leave it to Cat to downplay everyone's efforts. "But with the help of Cat's sorority and my drama club we managed." However, our efforts did not go in vain as Alex looked truly moved by the gesture. 

"Do you have any idea how much this means to me? It feels so good to be home. Now I just have to get out of this damn suit."

It was then that I noticed what Alex was wearing. It wasn't just any suit. The cut was high-end. A designer suit made to accentuate all of his best features. "You are looking mighty fine though." I want to laugh both at Alex's blush and Cat's perturbed look at my flirty comment.

Cat pushes him towards the bedroom. "Go take a shower and get dressed. By the time you are done, dinner should be ready."

Alex disappears and Cat gets back to work. The moment she hears the shower stop, she turns off the pilot and left her post over the wok to enter the bedroom. The two of them are worse than newlyweds, not that I would know but it can be safely assumed.

They were gone for quite some time and I wondered if they had forgotten about me completely. I thought about saying something when I heard the click of the bedroom door and it opened slightly. Cat's tone is almost husky when she said, "I'll be waiting for you."

To which Alex responded with "I may need a minute."

"See you soon," Cat slipped through the door. I stretched my neck to see around her but she blocked my view. 

"Is he coming?" I complained.

"In a minute," Cat replied.

"Puhleeze, if he's as turned on as you look right now, tell him not to wait on my behalf. It's nothing I haven't seen before."

I heard Alex's laugh, right before Cat shuts the door between us. I help Cat bring the food to the table. Finally, Alex resurfaced and joined us. The food was amazing, Jacob would have loved it.

"You know you need to show me how to cook." 

Cat's eyes nearly bug out of her head and Alex began choking on his rice.

"What?"

"You? Cook?" Alex asked me, flabbergasted.

Cat's grin grows wide. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain someone, would it?"

I can't believe she would bring Jacob up this way. "No!"

Alex surprised me by asking, "What's his name?"

"Name? There is no one. No need for names." I gave Cat a hard stare.

"What? It was just a question. I'll show you whatever you would like to learn, for whatever reason you'd like to learn it. How's that?"

Betrayal... that's how this felt. Alex appeared unmoved by Cat's hints, too busy shoveling food into his mouth like he hasn't eaten in days.

"There is no new guy."

Alex gave me his famous one-raised-eyebrow look. A look he shared with his brother whenever either of them called me out on something.

"Really!"

Alex shrugged. "It's a shame. If there was a new guy. I'd really like to meet him."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"I am."

"Why? I think it would be great if you found someone. Someone you enjoyed spending time with. Someone you could grow to..."

I had to cut him off right there. "NO one can replace your brother! How can you even suggest...?!"

"All I'm saying is if you're concerned about how I would feel. You needn't be. I know you love my brother. I know you will always love my brother." Alex's eyes locked on mine. "But my brother is gone, and if you have a chance to be happy. I know he'd want you to take it."

His words give me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Nothing is going on. End of story."

"Fine then. Did I tell you I have a sister?"

He says this after I take a forkful of rice. My gasp caused me to suck it into the back of my throat and start a coughing fit. Once it ebbed, I asked, "Sister? Who had the affair? Your mother or your father? It was your father, wasn't it? You can't spend that much time away from home and not expect things to happen. Who is she?"

Alex smiled when he said, "Tina, but neither of my parents had an affair. They adopted her."

Cat jumped in with " Dun, dun, duuuun!" to add to the dramatic moment.

Alex laughs but I fail to see what's so funny. "You're both serious?"

"Yeah, I think my Dad may have thought because he was ill and needed someone to care for my mom that Tina was a good fit since she was caring for them both anyway."

This is so wrong in so many ways, I don't even know where to begin. "I know someone else she may like to care for?" I grumbled. 

Cat heard it though. "Excuse me?"

I hold my hands up in surrender. "I'm not saying anything."

"To hell, you didn't." Great now Alex is pissed at me.

"She's my sister, she also has a fiancé in the military, so whatever thoughts you have in that head of yours, forget about them. It's a fantasy created by you and you alone."

The way I see it the only people not facing reality are the two other people sitting at this table. I shrugged. "Whatever you say, but I'd keep my eye on Slippery When Wet Tina."

Cat looks at Alex and back at me. I can tell I pressed a button but it's too late to back down now. "Someone had best explain that last statement or there is going to be hell to pay."

I looked pointedly at Alex. He let out a long sigh and focused on Cat. "I burned my foot and was running water over it when Tina came into the bathroom, startling me. That's how I broke my phone. I fell into the tub and in her effort to keep me from falling in, I ended up taking Tina into the tub with me."

And as usual, Alex took the blame entirely on himself.

Cat's response was a simple, "Oh."

"Cat, there is nothing going on between Tina and me."

"That's certainly true," I agreed but felt the need to add, "At least on, Alex's side of things."

Now they are both glowering at me. "What? I call it as I see it. That girl is trouble with a capital T and that stands for Tina." I had hoped my clever joke might break the tension; Cat however was upset.

I rested my hand over hers. "Oh, come on, you have no more to worry about Alex with Tina, then he has to worry about you with Liam."

Now it would seem it was Alex's turn to be distressed. Good Lord, how can they both be so ignorant of what's going on around them?

"What does this have to do with Liam?"

"Nothing! I'm just saying it's obvious that Liam still wants Cat but you don't have to worry about her going astray just like even though Tina has a thing for you, Cat should know where your loyalties lie."

They both stare at me incredulously and yell in unison. "Out! NOW!" Pointing at the door for me to leave. Really? I'm only talking about the elephant in the room. How can they.... but no they'd rather pretend...

"Okay! Fine! I'm just being truthful with you both, but if you can't handle it. If you rather live in the dark and in doubt. Far be it from me to interfere." I stood up and grabbed my coat, slamming the door behind me.