Ch. 12 - White Candy (One Year Later)

1 Year later

Alexis lay back on the ottoman she had pushed up beside Thomas and pulled one of his earbuds from his ear before placing it into hers.

Classical music poured from the ear piece, just as she had expected it would, and Thomas didn't budge or even flutter an eyelid as she lay down beside him.

It had become 'their thing' as far as Alexis always said anyway, but though Thomas had never agreed, he seemed happy to comply with her.

"This is one of my favourites," Alexis muttered out loud, referring to the piano piece that was currently playing.

Thomas didn't react, again, just as she knew he wouldn't but that didn't deter her.

"What's it called again?" she asked.

"Alexis," he replied in a subdued tone. "I don't mind tolerating your presence, but please don't be a nuisance."

"Tolerate?" Alexis repeated, torn between amusement and offence. "That's not very friendly!"

"Friendly isn't my strong point," he agreed.

Sensing a challenge Alexis sprung up to a seated position pulling her earbud into her hand. "Maybe it should be. I can help you."

"I'd rather not," he dismissed candidly.

Alexis let out a low groan, she shouldn't have been surprised by his answer. "That's why you don't get any women!" she moaned.

"I don't see that as much of a loss, dear."

Alexis slumped down beside him and pushed her earbud back in, with all the frustration she felt from Thomas' lack of investment. She then muttered a low 'ow' and internally scolded herself for taking her annoyance out on the wrong person.

Thomas let out a low chuckle before retreating into the quiet focus of his ear pads.

In truth, the fact he didn't get many women was one of the things that she loved about him, along with many other intricacies she had learnt about him over the years.

He was outwardly nonchalant yet remarkably observant, a completely detached exterior under which burnt a fiercely protective heart. He cared so gently you would certainly miss it but it would be clearly displayed in how he would take the most severe resolve against anyone who harmed the people he cared about. He held the most steadfast dedication which he concealed beneath a harsh aloofness.

He was, Alexis had decided, fire wrapped in ice and more than anything she wanted to see the side of him that she knew only Vincent ever got.

Alexis closed her eyes and listened, knowing Thomas wasn't a person you could rush. If, after all his years with the other men they were still on the outside, she could only wait patiently for him to open up to her.

A mere thirty minutes passed before Thomas stopped the recording and sat up stretching slightly as if waking from slumber.

"You're still here," he asked when Alexis opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Where else would I be?"

Thomas gave his head a small shake and placed an open palm in front of her.

Alexis smirked knowing he intended for her to hand over his earbud but instead, she considered dropping a five into his palm in the form of a small slap. Geoffrey would have appreciated it but she was sure Thomas would simply raise an eyebrow - which he did even before she dropped her five and without waiting any longer reached up and pulled the earbud from her ear.

"You need friends your own age," he muttered.

Yes! That was another thing she wanted more than anything else - to have friends her own age.

"Well, if you're really committed to that thought, I've been trying to convince Vincent to let me start school. Maybe you could talk to him for me."

Thomas gave a small head shake. "Vincent doesn't think that's a good idea, and I agree."

"There's that school not too far from here; Wyndmoor Academy. It's super prestigious and it's got some of the highest academic scores around. I read it's really tough to get in, but if you do, it's like one of the best educations you can get."

"You've done your research," he said with such skilled sarcasm that it could have easily been mistaken for awe. "Because you want one of the best educations you can get, right?"

"Of course!"

"Miss Sanders is a highly renowned tutor and she's helped you achieve top scores in all of your subjects so far," Thomas stated referring to Alexis' private tutor.

Alexis rolled her eyes. It was the same reasoning Vincent gave whenever she tried to sway him into agreeing with her.

"But what about social interaction?" she said bringing her usual rebuttal. "That's an important part of my development, you know?"

"Ah ha. I thought there was a little more to your sudden interest in schooling."

Alexis waited silently as Thomas appeared to be in contemplation her hopes rising slightly until he spoke again.

"It's not worth the risk, Alexis."

Alexis let out a loud puff of air.

"I can look after myself, Thomas, you know that. Besides, you said yourself I need friends my age."

"You do," he agreed, ignoring the first part of her statement. "That's why all of those play dates were set up."

"Play dates? I'm not six years old, besides I had nothing in common with any of those pretty, flowery, girlie girls!"

"Wha ..." Thomas said, stifling a small laugh. "I'm sorry none of our friends have annoying, non-flowery, tomboys as daughters."

"I'm not annoying," she moaned without any real offence. "But the sooner you convince Vincent to allow me to go to school the sooner I'll get out of your hair," she laughed, ruffling her fingers through Thomas' hair before jumping up from her seat in order to make her escape easy.

Thomas glared at her from beneath a deep frown as he smoothed his hair back down.

"Alexis," he said in a way that resembled a low growl more than a word.

Alexis let out a weak laugh before running to the door shouting 'I've got to go,' over her shoulder.

Once outside the door, her laughter was more audible as she made her way to the hall.

Of all the Blackthorn men, Thomas was the most fun to tease but she was aware that it could end up with her in the dog house with him which wasn't much fun, though she was finally starting to work out ways to get around him quicker than she had in the past.

The sound of muffled, yet angry voices distracted her thoughts from Thomas as she neared the hall and, without entering, she knew Jeremy and Geoffrey were in the middle of a semi-heated, brotherly argument.

"What's going on?" Alexis asked Ren.

"The usual."

Ohh. The Candy!

Alexis had heard a number of arguments about Geoffrey's White Candy before. They called it candy anyway, and for a long time, Alexis didn't understand why Geoffrey got so upset about candy, or why Jeremy always felt the need to eat it rather than just buy his own candy. She soon realised that their candy was not the same as regular candy, still, she liked to play along.

"What if I just buy some more for them?" she said more as a joke than a serious offer knowing they would never say yes.

Ren gave a small laugh. "I don't think that will be necessary, Princess."

"But I want to. I even know the best candy shop and ..."

"Will you two quit it?" Mamax grunted. "You've gotten Miss Alexis all worried about your candy." There was a clear disapproval in the way he uttered the word candy.

Geoffrey turned to Alexis with his usual warm smile. "Sorry about that, Princess. You don't need to trouble yourself. I'm sure Jeremy will sort out his mess himself. It's just a shame he messed up my evening with Melanie," he said, adding a light slap to the back of Jeremy's head.

"Melanie?" Jeremy questioned as he smoothed down the back of his hair. "I thought Priscilla was coming."

Geoffrey smirked and threw a wink to Jeremy before completely straightening his expression and looking back to Alexis giving a small throat clear before addressing her again.

"I've got a few hours before my guests arrive, did you want to play a game or anything?"

"I'm good," Alexis replied sounding a lot more sullen than she wanted to. "I'll probably just go and sit in the garden for a while to read," she concluded mostly just wanting to be as far away from Geoffrey as possible when his guests arrived.

Both Melanie and Priscilla were Geoffrey's semi-serious girlfriends and Alexis liked neither of them.

Of course, both women had made a lot of effort trying to befriend Alexis, or at least gain some kind of friendly rapport. But beyond Alexis' forced smiles, she had no desire to be on friendly terms with any woman who claimed more of Geoffrey's time than she believed they deserved.

Geoffrey rushed up beside Alexis as she walked out of the hall and loosely placed his hand on her shoulder immediately softening her annoyance towards him.

"We're still on for tomorrow, right?" he asked, referring to his promise to take her bowling.

"Of course," she said with a small smile while letting out an internal complaint, It's not like I have anywhere else to be!

Geoffrey gave some words of enthusiasm before leaving to go up to his room. Such words would normally have made Alexis don the brightest of smiles, but his excitement about taking her bowling seemed pale in the light of his excitement towards his expected guests which was more than evident as he climbed the stairs singing happily to himself.

Alexis stomped out to the garden, feeling a mix of frustration and determination building up inside her. Everybody else in the house had their own friends, and their own private spaces which she was more than often starting to feel an intruder on, and the desire to have her own friends and experiences gnawed at her. She decided then and there that she couldn't wait any longer for others to change her circumstances.

She quietly made her way to the garage, took out her bike, and with a final look back at the house, she opened the garden gate and pedalled away - the early evening air hitting her face.

Determined to have a say in her own social affairs, she set her sights on Wyndmoor Academy.