- Kady -

'I'll be there in fifteen.'

I read Liv's message again. I texted Liv to pick me up from the cafe after Logan left. I need to tell all that happened today to someone. Someone who would understand me completely and knows everything about my past and that Logan Barnes was my high school best friend. And I knew that someone was only Liv. She is the oldest friend I have. We've been friends since college. She is the only one I trust completely.

I touch the ring on my left hand out of habit. It's just a simple ring, not one of those ridiculously expensive and fancy ones. Its three strands are curved and woven together with a simple blue stone set in between them.

"Relax, I'm not proposing. It's just a promise ring." Alex had said those exact words to me that day, while slipping the ring on my finger. That day. That same day of the accident.

I look around the cafe, trying to distract my mind. It's been two years since Alex died. Yet, it still affects me.

My gaze falls upon three girls sitting two tables away from me. All of them were laughing. They remind me of my college days. I look down at the cup of my coffee. It's already gotten cold. I didn't drink it yet. I just couldn't let myself to.

There were also three of us. We always used to stick together.

The aroma of the coffee wafting up in the air towards me isn't helping. My eyes go to those three girls again. I could feel the memory building up inside me, begging to be let free.

I remember that day perfectly clear. I was sitting across from Lucy at our usual table with a cup of coffee in front of me, thinking that the cafe was way too crowded for ten in the morning. I didn't understand how people could be so chirpy so early in the day.

"How was your weekend? You went to your younger sister's birthday party, right?" I asked Lucy.

"Oh, you won't believe what happened. You know, there's a little girl in our neighborhood who was also invited to the party and she's living with her grandpa, who, by the way, is a total- Holy hotness."

I frowned, "Her grandpa is a...holy hotness?"

"Not her grandpa. Behind you."

I turned around in my seat to look at the 'holy hotness,' and sure enough there he was, Alex Walker in all his glory, dressed in ripped jeans and a leather jacket. With black hair that was perfect in a messy way and a tattoo that started from his neckline on the right side and disappeared somewhere beneath his shirt, he looked like a total badass. Not that I'd ever admitted that out loud.

I turned back to Lucy, "You're drooling."

She closed her mouth and then said: "You can't blame me. He just keeps getting hotter and hotter day by day. Come on, even you have to admit that."

I shook my head. She knew I'd never admit that. No matter how much of a truth that was.

She took one strand of her curly, black hair and started playing with it. "I don't understand why you hate him so much."

"I don't hate him. I just don't drool over him like all the other girls do. Anyways, where is Liv?"

"Oh, she is following hotness to the counter."

"Liv is following hotness?" I asked dumbly and turned to look at the counter and there they were. Liv was following right behind Alex with a dreamy look on her face and he was completely oblivious to her.

"There!" Lucy exclaimed. "You called him hotness! I knew it! There's not a single girl who cannot see how hot he is."

"Shut up, Lucy," I said and got up.

I stomped over to Liv and gripping her arm firmly, I brought her back to our table and sat her beside Lucy.

"Hey! What the hell?" Liv complained.

"Seriously? I should be the one saying that. Why were you following that jerk like a lost, lovesick puppy?" I asked.

"Chillax, girl. No need to shout like that. Stop fighting and take deep breaths just like I always tell you," Lucy said, trying to control the situation as always. Liv and I, we used to get into fights daily. Lucy is the only reason we haven't killed each other by now.

"I was going to talk to him today," Liv huffed. "Why do hate him so much? You haven't even talked to him, in like, ever."

Seriously, what is with everyone asking me that same question? I just don't see what's so interesting about a guy who thinks he's the best thing since chocolate cake.

"You want to know why I don't like him," I leaned forward on the table, "Well, for starters he's one big jerk who thinks that he's the king of the world and doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself."

"Shut up, Kady." Liv looked a little pale when she said this. God, she's got it so bad for Alex.

"Why will I shut up? You're the one who asked me that," I continued, "I don't know what it's about Alex Walker. I don't see anything so special about him. I don't even know why no one else sees how big of an arrogant jerk he is."

"An arrogant jerk?" I froze when I heard a voice speak behind me. I turned around in my chair and saw Alex Walker looking down at me.

Oh, shit.

"Well, as they say: 'It takes one to know one.'" Alex said with a smirk.

"You don't know shit about me. And I know a jerk when I see one." I retorted and turned back around, hoping that if I just ignored him, maybe he'd leave me alone.

Alex started laughing. He sat on the empty chair beside me, took my cup of coffee in his hands, and took a sip.

Of. My. Coffee.

Now my jaw was resting on the floor.

I snapped out of my stupor and shouted at him: "Hey! That's my-"

"You shouldn't have this much sugar in your coffee, luv. You don't need more calories," Alex said with contempt.

Why do all hot boys have to be such jerks?

"You come and sit at our table, drink my coffee, and insult me?" I said, getting up.

"Oh. No, no. I'm not insulting you. I'm just giving you some free advice. Someone needed to tell you to control," he said while giving me a once-over. Alright, I knew I wasn't slim and skinny like a model. I'm more on the curvy side and have an average height. It's not exactly perfect, but it's not that bad either.

After he was done checking me, he got up and said, "One kiss burns many calories..." He came closer to me, "...want to lose some weight?"

Seriously, this guy went from insulting me to hitting on me in just one second flat.

"You're not even worth the calories I burn talking to you." I could feel my face turn red-hot with anger.

"Why can't you be like any other girl?" he said, sighing.

"At least I'm not like those stupid girls you run after like an idiot all the time," I said as my hands clenched into tight fists by my sides.

"I don't run after girls. Girls run after me."

"You're one arrogant, egotistical, worthless prick."

We glare at each other.

With the cup of coffee still held in his hands, he takes two steps towards me, all the while looking into my eyes. I tilt my head to look right back into his eyes and stand my ground. He narrows his eyes.

Damn, he's tall. And intimidating. But he can't scare me this way.

Okay, maybe a teeny tiny bit. But just a teeny tiny bit. No more.

"The beautiful you are, that much bitchy you turn out to be."

I lost my shit when he said that. I couldn't tolerate it anymore. I knew that any more insulting words would not affect him. He would just insult me more. Does he think that I'm like any other girl who'll bow in front of him? I knew how to take care of boys like him.

I snatched the cup of coffee from his hands, raised it, and dumped all the contents of the cup over his head.

His expression was priceless.

Alex slowly blinked once, and then twice. Then he started dropping off a string of F-Bombs.

I turned on my heels to get out of the cafe. Just before exiting, I said over my shoulder: "You deserved that!"

After exiting the cafe, the whole situation caught up to me.

Wow. I can't believe I just did that.

I dumped my coffee on the Alex Walker.

Was that a little too much?

Nah. He totally deserved it.

He wants to play this game, huh? Alright, then. Let the game begin.

To this day, I remember the way I smiled at the memory of Alex's face as I dumped the coffee on him and thinking that I'm one awesome bitch as I moved out of the cafe that day.

Little did I know that day, that I had just started a war that I would later regret.

***

A/N:

So...what do you think of Alex? *Wiggles eyebrows*

Show me your love and support by voting! :)