Ch. 15 - Grounded

Alexis pulled up her driveway just at the same time as Jeremy, who was also returning from somewhere.

"I'm glad you're home," he said after exiting his car. "Looks like Vincent was about to raise the alarm to find you." Jeremy lifted his phone to reveal the messages on his screen. "Did you turn your phone off?"

Alexis gave a tight-lipped smile.

She may have felt a little annoyed by Vincent summoning her home so early and clicked the off button only so he couldn't keep track of her. Judging by the messages on Jeremy's phone, it had been taken a lot more severely than she had meant it.

"My battery must have died," she lied.

"Think of a better excuse, Alexis," Jeremy said after giving a small 'hmmm'. "You know that app notifies him if your battery is low, which it hadn't."

"Should I smash it?" Alexis asked. "I can say it fell as I was riding."

"That's a bit wasteful, isn't it?" he said. "Besides he does this for your own safety. If anything had happened there would be a lot of people in Ashford Heights being questioned right about now."

Alexis let out a heavy sigh. "So what do I say?" she asked.

"How about the truth? You were scared of how much trouble you were going to be in so you panicked and turned it off hoping you would get home before he needed to call again."

Alexis couldn't help but snort. "I am not scared."

"Fine, tell him you were annoyed with him and let's see how that goes." Jeremy pulled out his keys and waited for Alexis' response.

By no means was she scared of Vincent. He was strict and had the most frightening appeal around him, that was true, but she'd never once felt threatened in his presence. However, as Jeremy watched her she couldn't help but wonder if there was perhaps a limit to Vincent's patience with her and her antics. He wasn't feared by men like Thomas for no reason after all.

"I am a little scared, I guess," she said.

Jeremy nodded. "Good. Ride with that feeling Alexis. Vincent isn't someone whose kindness you should continue to take advantage of. Not that he would ever hurt you, I'm positive. But who wants to get on Vincent's bad side."

Jeremy was right of course. Alexis too doubted Vincent would harm her. She had lived in peace since she'd met him, surrounded by security and what resembled, as best she knew love. She dreaded to think what life would be like if she were on the opposite side of Vincent's favour.

Jeremy pushed the door open and stepped inside. "He wants to see you now that you're home," he said before pulling a small package out of his bag. "Do me a favour and drop this off in Geoffrey's room, please."

Alexis nodded and took the package and then made her way up to Geoffrey's room.

What's so special about this candy? Alexis wondered, tearing the package slightly to see the contents.

Jeremy and Geoffrey were regularly arguing over which stash belonged to who and always made sure they had plenty in when they were planning any kind of gatherings.

Alexis pulled out a small bag of white powder. She'd seen similar bags many times but had never really been interested. She peered back into the torn corner to see another small bag of powder and then something new - a bag of small white pills. Alexis pulled that out too to get a closer look.

They were medium-sized pills with a shiny white lining and, though Alexis knew they weren't the kiddie kind of candy, they could easily be mistaken for white Skittles.

I wonder if they taste at all like Skittles, she thought as she stopped outside of Geoffrey's door and knocked three loud knocks.

Geoffrey gave a small call to wait and in the time he took to call out again for her to enter Alexis had already decided to open the bag of white Skittles and drop one into her hand.

Unlike real candy, it had a cold, firm feeling more similar to medication than anything else. Urgh, I wonder if it tastes anything like those pills I had to take the last time I was ill.

It had been her intention to drop it back into the bag, but Geoffrey's second call for her to enter startled her somewhat from her meanderings and, in the rush to put everything back into the package, it wasn't until after she had opened the door that she realised that the pill was still in her hand.

Never mind, she thought as she popped it into her pocket and pushed the door open with her other hand.

"Ah Alexis, it's you," Geoffrey said straightening himself up out of Melanie's arms. "My phone has been popping Alexis. I almost had to send my lady home so I could go and look for you."

"Lady?" Alexis asked as she looked around the room for Priscilla who didn't seem to be present. "I thought you were having more guests."

"Nope, just my Melanie," Geoffrey said.

"Well, I sure am glad I didn't have to disturb this," Alexis said, her voice laced with condescension.

"I'm so glad you're here," Melanie said rising from her seat and moving over to Alexis with her arms spread. "It's been so long."

Geoffrey's eyes narrowed at Alexis for a brief moment in warning. It wouldn't be the first time Alexis had made derogatory remarks about one of Geoffrey's women while they sat obliviously watching and she was clearly in the mood to do exactly that if he didn't, at least, try to keep her in check.

Alexis forced an apologetic smile at Geoffrey and then an even more forced yet a lot brighter smile at Melanie.

"Wow, the dress is so beautiful," Alexis said emphasising the 'beautiful'.

With that, Melanie pulled Alexis into a loose and not very convincing embrace.

One thing Alexis was always sure of was that their fake niceties were exactly that - fake and perhaps only extended for the same reason Alexis offered any of her time to them; for Geoffrey's sake.

"You've grown," Melanie said. "I am so sure you could look just as beautiful if you started to wear dresses and did something with your hair." Melanie scooped Alexis' hair as she spoke, simultaneously pulling two locks down at the front to create some type of faux ringlets to frame her face.

Melanie guided Alexis to the mirror and gave an emphatic 'See', before turning to Geoffrey to address him.

"She'll have all the boys lining up at the door after a year or two. I guarantee it," she said.

"She'd better not," Geoffrey said with a small scoff.

"You're one to talk Mr Ladies man," Melanie teased. "Be careful someone exactly like you doesn't steal Alexis' heart."

Geoffrey was on his feet then moving quickly towards them and pulling Melanie's hands away to let Alexis' hair fall free.

"I feel sorry for any Ladies man who thinks he's going to mess around with our princess," he said.

Alexis held in a laugh, realising just before Geoffrey where his comment was going to take him.

"Mess around with?" Melanie snapped lightly. "Is that what you're doing?"

"Not me, Sweetheart," Geoffrey said turning his charm on full blast as he pulled Melanie into his arms. "You called me a Ladies man, not me."

Melanie let out an unimpressed groan.

"You know I'm all yours, Sweetheart," he continued.

Alexis, once again, held a laugh as she recalled Priscilla as well as the other random women she had seen him with.

"I was told to give this to you," Alexis said in an overly loud voice as Geoffrey sweet words began turning into sweet kisses all over Melanie's face and neck.

"Ah yeah, thanks a lot, Princess. You can drop it on the dresser," he said before continuing his trail of kisses along Melanie.

Alexis rolled her eyes and did as Geoffrey had said, dropping the package on the dresser before heading back to the door.

"Catch you later, Alligator," she called as she made her way out and wasn't surprised in the least that there wasn't any reply.

She closed the door behind her with a heavy, somewhat annoyed sigh and turned to make her way to Vincent's office.

To say the day had left her feeling slightly perturbed would be an understatement. From her short-lived friendship to having to put up with Geoffrey's harlot dripping from his neck and now the unknown of what Vincent had in store for her, she found herself dragging her feet as she made her way along the landing that led to Vincent's room and braced herself for a simple moment before knocking his door.

A tired 'Come in' sounded from behind the door so, tentatively, Alexis pulled the handle and opened the door.

Vincent didn't utter a word when she entered which she took as a sign of how angry he was. Vincent's silent eyes watched Alexis as she approached his desk, still waiting for him to speak which he did after a few seconds with a simple 'Sit down'.

"I just wanted to go for a ride," she said softly as she took her seat opposite him.

"We've spoken about Ashford Heights before, Alexis," Vincent began.

"Have we?" Alexis said, feigning ignorance.

"We've spoken about Wyndmoor Academy before too."

"Yeah, but you didn't say I couldn't ..."

"I asked you not to go," he said sternly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean don't go. I thought it was just a request."

"Are you trying to play stupid, Alexis?"

Alexis froze. Vincent was actually angry. "No, Boss," she muttered.

"I should hope not," he said before extending the palm of his hand. "Also, give me your phone."

Alexis let out a soft sigh and pulled her phone out then gently dropped it into Vincent's hand.

He scrutinised it shortly before pressing the power button.

"It's off for what reason?"

"I panicked when I realised I was going to get into trouble so I turned it off and tried to get home as quickly as I could."

Vincent let out a deep groan. "And that sounds rehearsed because?"

Alexis let out a mock gasp and uttered "Rehearsed?"

Vincent dropped her phone on to the table just as his brow dipped deeply between his eyes; his stare more intense than any he'd ever given her.

"I am trying to keep calm right now Alexis and I don't appreciate games!"

"I'm not ..." Alexis paused on the narrowing of Vincent's eyes. Perhaps I'm pushing a little too much, she decided and lowered her head to mumble 'Sorry'.

"If you can look in my eyes to lie, you should have the decency to look in my eyes to apologise," he said.

"Yeah," she said with a small huff before looking back up to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry."

"For?" he asked plainly.

I hate when he does this, she moaned internally.

She knew why he was angry and he clearly wasn't in the mood for her usual sidestepping the issue so ignorant responses only seemed likely to get her into more trouble at that moment.

"For going to Wyndmoor Academy when you had asked me not to."

Vincent nodded and picked her phone back up. "You're grounded" he said before dropping it into his drawer. "I didn't want to have to issue punishments to you Alexis, but you seem to be pushing the boundaries a bit too much later."

"You're going to punish me for going out?"

"I'm going to punish you for disobeying me."

"But grounded? Blackthorn men don't get grounded," she argued.

"My men do not disobey me," he said, uttering each word deliberately. "Besides that, you are not a man, Alexis. You're a young lady whom I am the guardian of and you will do whatever I tell you to do which is for your safety anyway!"

"But Boss ... Vincent, please. I just wanted to make some friends. Like you said, I'm not a man, but I spend all my time with a houseful of men."

"I set up regular play dates with my friend's daughters." It was Vincents turn to argue.

Alexis rolled her eyes at the term 'play dates'. "I'm not a baby," she moaned.

"You either want friends or you don't."

"I want to make friends, not have girls I have nothing in common with forced onto me."

"You cannot make friends just anywhere. What would you have done if you had gotten into a situation at Wyndmoor? I have enemies, Alexis, you know that. And many of them have family who go to that very school."

A situation? Alexis swallowed hard as she recalled the boy she had fought. That was definitely a situation.

But what's more was the reaction 'Joe's' guardian had given on seeing she was Blackthorn and the abrupt way he had left. Was he perhaps the family of one of those enemies?

"Fine," Alexis agreed deciding it was best to leave the conversation there rather than get herself into more trouble if the events of her trip were discussed. "It's not like I go out anywhere anyway!"

"You're grounded from any tasks or missions as you like to call them," he said referring to her partnership with The Cleaner. "As well as any social outings with Geoffrey or Thomas."

"No," she said which came out as more of a squeal than anything else. "That's not fair."

"What's not fair is you disappearing without notifying anyone and then turning off your phone, and there's no more discussion."

Alexis' mouth dropped for a moment as she stared at Vincent with tears burning at her eye ducts.

Has he really just taken away my most favourite thing? she moaned internally not wanting to bring any further trouble on herself. And there was me thinking I had him all wrapped up.

Vincent dropped his gaze from her and began rummaging through some papers on his table. "You may go," he said without looking back at her.

She lingered a minute or two longer until it became clear that Vincent was no longer invested in their conversation and she stood and walked back to the door.

Maybe I should have apologised for real, she thought scolding herself for having pushed Vincent so far that he had to take such measure, while at the same time wishing she had argued more about the unfairness of the whole thing.

"Goodnight, Alexis," he said as she opened the door.

His voice was slightly off, no longer angry but somehow not as usual either.

"Goodnight," she mumbled and pulled the door closed behind her.

She would have gone straight to Geoffrey at any other time, but he was entertaining Melanie. Thomas was also a great place for her to find console, except she was sure he would only side with Vincent and most probably make her feel worse. So, not feeling up to any of the other men watching her as tears fought for their freedom, she made her way to her room, just as that fight was won and the tears streamed, in victory, down her cheeks.

Alexis threw herself down onto her bed and once again went over the day's events.

A fight with a bully which wasn't exactly won, a friendship with someone who seemed kind of cool which was over even quicker than it had started. Then there was Melanie, she shook her head not even wanting to recall that meeting and finally a punishment from the one person she wished never to have upset, yet still she couldn't help but feel more than annoyed at the severity of his punishment.

Alexis brushed her hand over her pocket on her recollection of Geoffrey and his mini party, and the small bulge of the tablet she had swiped revealed itself.

It seems to cheer Geoffrey up, she thought after pulling it out and turning it over in her fingers, then after a moment's thought, she pushed it into her mouth.