Chapter 17
Mae
Going through your possessions is an arduous task. Going through them after they've been ruined, is hell. I have never been one to keep lots of stuff around. I don't do the nick nacks, and I don't collect anything. The things that I did have held value to me and my life.
My photos of family and friends were hanging on the walls or set on things throughout the apartment. Most of them are now in broken frames and scratched beyond repair. The few little trinkets that I had have been broken and are now being swept up by Rosetta.
Alex and Max are handling getting all of the broken furniture out. Who breaks into someone's home and trashes the sofa and bed to the point of being unusable? My dining table looks like it was kicked to pieces.
I've run through all the emotions today, and it's exhausting. Erica has helped me try and go through my clothes, and we have had to stop several times because I am crying or angry. A huge part of me thinks that this was not just a break-in. The police assure me that it is just like the others in the building. That does little to console me.
Sitting on the floor, going through my clothes, I start to notice that most of them are slashed. Even the ones hanging in the closet. Who does this to a stranger? I hear a knock on the door and see it open, revealing my parents. Max must have called them.
"Pumpkin, are you alright?" My father says as he walks through the door.
I rush into his arms and hold on tight. My dad has always been my protector, and I still need that reassurance from him. My mom runs her fingers through my hair just as she always has. Their comfort is something that I desperately needed today.
Alex and Max walk into the room and immediately stop. Both are covered in sweat and dirt from all the going up and down the stairs. Alex's eyes go wide, and I can tell he wanted to make a better first impression.
"Mom, Dad, this is Alex, my boyfriend that I told you about. Alex, these are my parents Mitchell and Barbara." Alex wipes his hands on his pants and gives a nervous smile. He walks over to shake their hands.
"I'm sorry for my appearance. I was hoping to meet you under better circumstances." He says, shaking my dad's hand.
"Son, from what we have heard from Mae and Max, you have made the best first impression possible. You were here for our daughter when she needed you. That makes you good in our books." My dad says smiling at Alex.
"Mae, we have gotten all of the furniture taken out, and the bags of trash are gone. What do you we have left?" Rosetta asks.
"Just bagging up the rest of these clothes. Alex and I got everything last night that was salvageable. I was hoping to find more today, but I was not so lucky." I shrug my shoulders as I say this.
"What do you need, honey?" My mom asks.
"Clothes mostly. Erica is out right now getting me a few things to tide me over until I can go shopping. The weirdos stole all of my underwear." My dad and Alex jerk their heads in my direction at those words.
"They stole your underwear?" Alex says. I nod my head.
Alex looks over at my dad, and my dad looks at him. There is something that the two of them are not telling me. I let it go for now, but I will be asking about it. We finish up cleaning and go and turn the keys in.
Alex invites them all over to the house to have some take-out. He says it is his way of saying thank you for the help. We order a ton of Mexican food and kick back and relax.
My father and Alex are getting along great. My mom thinks he's wonderful, and so she is happy that I gave love another chance. They were never fans of Tanner, but they let me make my own choices.
"It's a good thing that the two of you had already decided to move in together. Who would've known that all your stuff would be ruined or stolen." My mom says while eating.
"Yeah, I'm having a hard time understanding all this. I had been in that apartment since I left your house and had never had any problems. I had felt so safe there since there were never really any break-ins before. I went through a lot in that little apartment." I sigh as I say this.
"Just think of this as a new chapter in your life. You are moving forward with Alex. You two seem to be so happy together and you are going to love being with him all the time." My mom says. Erica walks over and joins in.
"Think of it as saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future," Erica says smiling.
The rest of the night we all spend laughing at stories my parents insist on telling about my childhood. Alex learns all of my most embarrassing memories and the twinkle in his eye, lets me know that I won't hear the end of it for quite some time. He wraps an arm around me and kisses my temple and I feel my fears melt away.
"We are gonna head home, sweetie. Alex, take care of our girl." My mom says.
We all say our goodnights and Alex and I are left alone. Even though I have stayed here multiple times it is different knowing that I'm going to live here. We wash up the dishes and get e everything downstairs cleaned up. As we walk up the stairs I feel Alex take my hand.
He leads me into the bathroom where he starts running water into the huge tub that is in here. He undresses and then turns and starts removing my clothes as well. He helps me into the tub and gets in behind me, pulling me back against his chest.
"You've had a rough couple of days. So relax and just let it all out." He says while rubbing my shoulders.
Magically it seems to do the trick because all my pent-up emotions spring free. I sob loudly letting it all come out. The pain of seeing Tanner again, the disappointment of Alex just standing there, and finally the break-in comes flowing out. Arms wrap around me and hold me tightly. The support that I need is here in these arms.
"No matter what Mae, I will always be here. I love you and I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you. I will never let anyone hurt you and I will love you with all that I have." Alex whispers in my ear.
I have no idea how long we stay like this, but it relaxes me. Once we get out Alex takes his time and dries us both off. He then takes me to bed and shows me just how much he loves me. We fall asleep in each other's arms forgetting all the cares of the world.
I wake the next morning to find Alex isn't in bed. I look around the room and notice he isn't anywhere in here. I hear yelling coming from downstairs. I can't make out who it is so I quickly get some clothes on and head down.
"I told you she doesn't want to talk to you. I think you should leave before you upset her again!" Alex yells.
"Cut the bullshit, Alex! I know she'll want to see me!"
The voice I hear makes me want to scream. I had hoped that by telling him I didn't want to see him anymore that he would have gotten the message. Tanner is more stubborn than I thought. I walk up to Alex and place my hand on his shoulder.
"What are you doing here Tanner?" I say in an irritated voice.
"I thought you may need some comfort after your break-in. But your apartment was empty when I got there." Tanner says with a smirk.
"I did need comfort and I got it from my boyfriend Alex. I think that it's best if you leave." I turn to walk away when I feel a hand grab my wrist.
"What the hell do you think you're doing Tanner? Get your hands off her! She doesn't want to see you so back off." Alex says as I turn to look at Tanner who has my wrists.
"Ladybug, please let me explain," Tanner begs.
I shake his hand off and look at Alex. I nod my head and Alex starts pushing Tanner out the door. I have no intention of listening to his pitiful excuses. I hear Tanner yelling and Alex pushing him out the door and slamming it shut. I sit down on the couch and put my head in my hands.
"Why after all these years is he so hell-bent on explaining? He knew where I lived the whole time." I ask as Alex sits next to me.
"Because he is a spoiled ass brat, who hates when someone has something he doesn't. We can get a restraining order if you want." Alex rubs my back.
"No, I'll hold off until I think he will be a problem. He'll forget about it in a few days when he finds a new girl to bang."