Jealousy

I wake up the next morning very confused.

'How did I get into my room and what happened? Where is Alexander?'

"Hey, you are finally awake."

I look up to see him standing in my bedroom doorway.

"How did I get here," I ask.

He walks over to sit down next to me on the bed.

"You passed out yesterday while we were at the gazebo. I was so worried when you started to faint, luckily I caught you before you could hit the ground. I brought you up here to your room and asked one of the maids to look over you while I fetched your parents."

"What did they say? Why did I pass out unexpectedly?"

"Your mom said it might be due to you being so stressed out lately and that your body just could not handle the news of me proposing after everything."

I look down at my hand to see a big diamond ring on my finger.

'Yep, it was definitely not a dream.'

"So you really did propose then?"

"Yes I did and you said yes."

"Thank you for taking care of me. I am sorry I ruined your night by faintly."

"Do not worry about it, I am here for you whenever you need me."

I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek. When I try to pull back, he grabs my face in his hand and brings his lips to mine. An electric current seems to run throughout my body as I find myself tightening my arms around him.

He laughs, "come on, you do not want to be late to school. It has been a long weekend and I know all of your friends are probably missing you by now."

'Wait, I thought we talked about this? I thought I told him I was never going back to school? I guess I do miss my friends and now that things are settled between Alexander and I, maybe school will not be so bad anymore.'

"Okay, but you need to leave so I can get dressed."

"You already are dressed and ready," he says smiling.

I look down to notice I am not wearing the red sundress and black heels anymore. Instead I am wearing a pair of jeans and a red shirt.

'How did I get into these clothes?'

I look up at Alexander and his smile questionably.

"Please tell me you did not change my clothes and dress me."

"Of course not, I had one of the maids do it while you were out. I can wait until you are ready for me to see you like that."

'It never really occurred to me until now that he will see me one day without my clothes on.'

I can feel my face begin to grow red as I think about it some more.

"Okay, we can go to school then," I say trying to avoid looking at his face.

I get up off the bed to slip on a pair of sandals before taking Alexander's hand in mine to face my other home. Alexander opens the door and we both walk through the doorway, back to another world I once lived in.

* * * *

When we arrive at school, all of my friends are talking to each other, waiting by the front entrance of the school. Alexander parks the car and I get out to run up to the school entrance. Everyone surrounds me with hugs.

"Where have you been? Alexander said you were not coming back to school and when we could not get ahold of you, we were all scared that you had run off or disappeared without saying goodbye," Lauren says with concern.

"I was with my parents this weekend and forgot my phone. I am sorry to have worried you all. I am okay though and I am not going anywhere."

Alexander comes up to stand behind me and puts his hand on my back.

"See, I told you that they missed you. Now we should get you to first period before the bell rings and you are late."

I look over just in time to see Damon walk over and join the group. He looks down at Alexander's hand on my back before looking up to give him a death glare. I look up at Alexander to see that he is still looking at me and smiling.

'This is going to be difficult to explain to everyone later on.'

I shove my worries aside just as Alexander and Lauren pull me with them to first period. As soon as we take our seats, Miss Settles starts passing out a packet.

"You will need to work on this packet and bring it back tomorrow for us to go over."

I look down at the packet to see it is all about telling time in Spanish. I get to problem four when there is a commotion to the right of me. Lauren moves her desk over until it is side to side with mine.

"What are you doing," I ask.

"This way, she will think we are working together on the packet instead of just talking."

"Okay, what did you want to talk to me about then?"

She points her finger to the left of me. I follow her gaze to see Alexander looking at me. He smiles at me and I cannot help but smile back at him.

"What about him," I ask Lauren, while I turn back in my seat.

"You like him, do you not?"

"Um, no I do not."

"Audrey, I am not dumb. You have been missing all weekend and then you suddenly show up to school with him. Plus your face turns red every time you look at him or even think about him."

'Okay, she was right. I cannot get Alexander off my mind and it was finally okay to admit to myself about the feelings I have toward him. Admitting them out loud to everyone else though was a completely different situation. Well if I cannot get her to stop asking about Alexander, maybe I can distract her with something else for now.'

"Hey Lauren, I need to tell you something."

"Okay, what is it?"

"My name is actually not Audrey."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I guess I changed my name when I moved here, but my actual name is Audriana. It is actually my middle name to be exact."

"It is pretty and I like it but if it is okay with you, I am still going to call you Audrey."

"Yeah, it is just nice to tell someone."

"You know I am always here for you and that you can tell me anything right?"

"Yeah, maybe I will in time."

The bell rings to end the period so I grab my stuff and head out of the classroom. I am walking into the library when Alexander stops me by grabbing my arm. He looks upset when I glance up at him.

"You will talk to her about personal things, but not to me?"

"Alexander, I am not going to tell her everything but I really do not want to keep you a secret from my friends."

"You would tell her about us? You are not ashamed of me or anything?"

I reach up to caress his face.

"No, of course I am not ashamed."

"That is good to know. I will see you later."

He bends down to kiss me. I try to pull away because we are at school and public display of affection is frowned upon, but give up when his hold does not budge. I smile at him as he leaves in time for the bell to ring for the start of the second period. I walk over to the desk and start sorting through the books left on the cart. A chill runs up my back when I sense someone is standing behind me.

"Have you been with him this whole time?"

I recognize his voice immediately, but I am not ready to see his face just yet.

"I have been home with my parents all weekend."

"Audrey, I saw him kiss you."

'Now I cannot deny it; he saw it with his own eyes. That explains why Alexander was so hesitant to let me go. Why does Damon still like me? I thought I made it clear that we were friends and only friends.'

"Damon please, I need to do my job and organize these books back onto the shelves."

I pick up a stack of books and head over to the shelving units. I am in the farthest back corner away from anyone's viewing eyes trying to put the books back into the right places. Putting the last book on the right shelf, I feel his presence behind me once more. I make the mistake of turning around and looking into his saddened eyes.

"Damon please, I cannot talk right now."

He grabs my wrist when I start to walk away and pushes me back up against the shelves. My eyes widen as he pins me to the shelves with his body. I try to move and push him away, but his hold is too strong.

'Damon has never been like this, he is always nice and kind. What has gotten into him to think that this is okay?'

The look in his eyes scares me to where I try hard not to resist his hold.

"Damon please," I beg.

"You left me for him, you said your parents would not let you date anyone and now I find out you are with him."

There is so much hate in his voice as he glares at me with daggers in his eyes.

"Damon please, you are scaring me."

"Mark my words, you will regret this."

He pushes off of me to walk away. I try to catch my breath, but stop when he turns back around to face me. He takes the two steps toward me and seizes my face in his hands to bring his lips to mine. The kiss is not soft, but is rough and hard. He presses me up against the shelves once again, this time with more brute force. Suddenly he lets go of me and walks away to leave the library. When I am sure he is finally gone, I fall to the floor and let the tears I have been holding back, flow down my face. I do not know how long I have been sitting here, but I cannot find the strength to get up when I hear the bell ring for third period.

"Audrey, are you okay?"

I look up to see Lauren standing in front of me.

'Why is she here and not in third period?'

"Oh my gosh, what happened?"

She bends down to help me off of the floor before wiping my tears away with her shirt sleeve.

'How am I going to explain what happened to her? I am not even sure what happened myself except for the fact that I need to avoid Damon now.'

"Do you want me to go get Alexander? Maybe he can help you."

"No," I yell.

'If she gets Alexander then I am going to be in big trouble. That is the last thing I need, if he finds out about this then he will go after Damon.'

"I mean no, I am okay. Can you just maybe take me home please?"

"Yeah, come on."

I walk to my locker with her following me and I put my stuff in my backpack and shut the locker back up. She wraps her arms around me as we walk out to her car in silence. On the ride home, I debate on telling her the truth about what happened in the library but I just cannot do it. She helps me up to the house and up the stiars to my room.

"Are you sure you are okay? Do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, I am okay. You can go back to school. I really appreciate the help. Thanks Lauren."

"No worries Audrey. Get some sleep and maybe everything will be better when you wake up."

I wait until she leaves the house for me to make my way up to the attic. There is no way I am staying here where Damon can possibly find me again. I open the door to my other home, feeling safer already.

* * * *

Surprisingly, I find my mother sitting on my bed, waiting for me. It is like she knew something was wrong.

"Hey, I thought you might come home early. Are you okay sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I am okay. I am just a bit tired so I might go to bed."

'Okay, if you need anything I am here for you."

She gives me a hug and a kiss on the forehead before walking out of my bedroom. Right away I lay down and decide to go to sleep, hoping my dreams will chase the real life nightmare I am having away.