Page 134 of Poisoned Promise
“So…” Alex clears his throat. “What we talked about last week…”
Ah. So this is another serious talk.
“I want to stay.”
“Stay?” As much as my heart lifts, I need to be sure Alex understands not only what he’s asking for, but what he means.
“Here. In New York. I don’t want us to be alone anymore. And the more I think about it…” His lips press together and he swings his arms while he walks. “I know you gave up a lot of your life for me and I know you want us to be safe. But Mom, all of your hard work didn’t stop all of this from happening. Not in a bad way, just that… these people are nice. I like Bree. She’s fun. And I like Felix.”
Felix.
It always comes back to him, but I can’t deny that after our talk last week, I feared Alex would settle on anger or a desire to move to another country.
“You like Felix?” I repeat.
“Mhm. I know you like him too. You like him a lot.”
That’s an understatement.
“I want to get to know him. And I want to be like you.” He turns to face me and starts walking backward. “I want to be able to kick people around like you do. Not because I want to hurt anyone but I want to be able to protect myself. And you.”
“Alex, honey, you don’t ever have to protect me.”
“I know. But I want to be able to. You said this life doesn’t let you go, and I know you tried, so I think we should be prepared. I want to be as smart and as fast as you are, Mom.”
“You’re already smarter than me,” I chuckle warmly. “I definitely couldn’t figure out my life this smoothly at fourteen.”
“That’s because you didn’t have you to teach you. I do.”
The simplicity of his statement fills my heart with utter pride that despite everything, Alex still looks up to me. I feared that my actions and everything that happened would change how he looks at me but it seems to only have cemented me as a good influence in his life.
“I need you to understand that staying here is dangerous, Alex. You will always have a target on your back because of me and because of Felix. Being the son of powerful, dangerous people is just as dangerous as being them.”
“That target would exist regardless of where I am,” he replies. “Here, we can be with everyone. And we can visit Mike and Mary’s graves.”
The mention of Mary sends a sharp pulse through my chest and I nod slowly. “I’m not saying I’m agreeing with you, Alex. There’s a lot of moving factors but it’s important to me to hear what you want.”
“So you’ll consider it?” His eyes light up and by the time we loop back to the house, he’s practically buzzing with anticipation.
“All I’m saying is that regardless of anything, whether we stay or we go, you’re finishing school before anything else happens.”
“School.” His face twists. “That sounds so alien after everything. How am I supposed to go back to school like a normal kid?”
I pat his cheek as we walk inside, finding Bree freshly-showered in the kitchen and chopping some fruit.
“It’s part of your practice,” I reply. “Now go and wash up for lunch.”
“Good talk?” Bree asks once Alex has hurried out of the kitchen.
“He wants to stay.”
She lifts her gaze to me. “That’s great news!” Then she hesitates. “Isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. Am I doing the right thing in considering it? This city almost killed the both of us.”
“True,” Bree nods. “But as parents, we can only guide. Don’t you think it’s better to nurture and teach him about this life the safe way, rather than taking him away and risk him coming back at eighteen and entering this world the wrong way? He’s already had a taste and he’s a kid. In a few months, this will have been the most exciting thing that happened to him and by the time he’s eighteen, it’ll be so cool he won’t think twice about throwing himself back in.”
She passes me a piece of sliced mango.
