The Other Roommate

12 - But She's Priceless

Callie had been significantly distancing herself from Alex to allow for her to think the situation through. That was what she was good at, thinking until the thoughts consume her. While with the three women that were closest to them were engaged in a riveting conversation, Callie sat on Denise's lap, hugging Denise close.

That did not sit well with Alex. For starters, they were just laughing a few minutes ago and that was right after that very interesting breakfast with all the moaning in pleasure. Something was up with Callie and Alex knew that given all the time they had spent together. She knew her roommate didn't despise her anymore. But does she? Alex wasn't sure.

However, the green-eyed brunette thought it would be wise to leave it be for the mean time. There were three other people in their house and she was not about to ruin everyone's day just to strangle answers out of Callie. Contrary to popular belief, she isn't selfish.

All throughout the next hour, Alex just stared at the brown-eyed brunette who was either staring blankly across the room, talking to Denise, or blatantly averting her gaze. That didn't mean she wasn't bothered though. Because she was and she would give absolutely anything to know why she wasn't the recipient or the cause of the littlest smiles or the adorable giggling.

"Good Might, Cal." Alex slightly smiled, her voice laced with pain despite using the merged "morning" and "night" they had both debated over in the first few days of the daily breakfast date.

Their guests had to leave and she had no reason to stay in the living room. Jazmin had classes to attend to while Denise and Rachel had just finished up a project, and were free to relax for the day. The two advertising experts were working all night. They were finalizing and improving their initial plans to be able to send the finished products for printing and such. It was an advertising campaign for a well-known brand's diversification strategy.

She stood up from the middle of the sofa and rushed to her room - without anyone noticing the haste of course. She had decided to turn in knowing she will only wallow in self-pity the longer she watches the girl she's falling in love with ignore her.

"Good Might, Alex. Thanks again for breakfast." Callie retorted with the same enthusiasm as her roommate, or lack thereof.

Alex could not decide if she should be elated or to feel like the knife that had been wedge in her heart mercilessly twisted, inflicting more pain. She just stood there, motionless. Fortunately, her wounded heart could not be hurt any further with visibility of Callie's expressions being a zero. She was only a few steps to her door with her back to her roommates.

After a good couple of seconds, she proceeded to hide in her room without uttering another word.

In reality, Callie was just as mundane as her voice. On one hand, her mind was inundated with thoughts of her interaction with Sydney Tucker. She was quite sure she was not leading Sydney on. She was merely laughing with her and talking about some useless topic about ants and their breathing organ called "Spiracles". On the other was an undeniable pining for the girl with the most beautiful green eyes.

She didn't have to choose one over the other. She could have just remained beautifully attached to Alex, interacting with her - maybe kiss her some more and worry about Sydney at the same time. But she didn't function that way.

"What was that?" Denise protested, incredulous of the whole situation. She, too was just as confused as Alex. Her features exuded of disgust with the scrunched up features and tightly pressed lips.

Denise was being protective of her cousin. Despite all the disgusting stunts she has witnessed in the past with Alex clearly being the culprit, she sees the good in her. Denise knows Alex when she's the slightest bit infatuated, and when the green-eyed girl is, she would do nothing but show them the good in the world.

And Denise was aware of Alex's true feelings for the other roommate.

"Can I attempt to lie to you?" Callie stood up from Denise's lap, rubbing her hands together in anxiety. Her apprehension riddled her usually bright and sunny features.

Denise gave her a knowing look - silently speaking that she was not playing games and she needed the truth and she was accepting nothing but.

"Okay. Okay." Callie defensively held her hands in front of her. She puffed air out, mostly frustrated with the way she treated Alex.

Callie sat on the coffee table with her elbows perched on her knees. She was facing an expectant Denise who wanted to hear all the details and mend the broken. Denise was literally sitting on the edge of her seat, waiting patiently for her roommate.

"I was just thinking a little too much." Callie muttered hesitantly.

Denise was about to protest, gathering enough air to start speaking was abruptly halted. She, instead, settled with furrowing her brows and narrowing her eyes at the girl that sat before her. As unimpressed and unamused as she was, she knew she had to let Callie explain.

"Jazmin told me Sydney..." Callie trailed off, looking for signs that Denise knew who she was talking about. When she received a nod and quite a lot of hand movements to go on, she did. "Well, Sydney practically said that there is a budding romance between us and that she and I are getting there. I know it's unfair on Alex because she's at the receiving end of my self-destruction from overthinking but I really can’t help it."

Denise is aware about Sydney Tucker thanks to Jazmin. She has heard about Alex and her little catfish plan but didn't get the avenue to voice her opinions due to her busy and conflicting schedule.

"You know it's unfair but why do you keep doing it?" She queried condescendingly, tilting her head slightly in scrutiny. Her brows were still sewn together that the muscles surrounding the area had begun to feel rather tender. "You two were just fine when we got here. I'm not asking you to put my cousin's feeling's first, Callie but you're hurting her by sending her back to the end of the line."

Callie sighed in defeat. The idea of her Alex's confusion, not to mentions the agony, of the situation sinking in. They were supposed to be happy. They were supposed to be adults in charge of their lives without minding other people's opinions.

"I'm a flight risk. I have the tendency to run away from my problems." She bowed her head down in remorse. "And I don't have the audacity to talk to her after what happened."

"Chick, you better get your act together." Denise warned, shaking her head. The clenching of her jaw was visible with the swelling that immediately appeared. "Don't wait until you cut Alex too deep that the scar the wound leaves won't fade even after an eternity. If you're going to cower in fear with something as little as someone else's feelings compromising your own happiness, how can we be sure you will at least attempt to make Alex happy?"

Denise's love for her cousin shone in her words. She was not about to deal with another aftermath of a heartbreak. Seeing her cousin so broken after Felicity Meade had cheated on her was traumatizing on her end given the rarity of Alex's tears.

Denise sank in her seat with a sigh. She massaged her temples, closing her eyes in the process. She was frustrated. Had she known the real reason earlier, she wouldn't have cuddled with Callie. She would have forced her to talk it out with Alex girl, fix things.

Since when did Denise become so philosophical? That amazed both women but neither of them spoke about it. It was overwhelming Callie enough, asking would be another set of efforts to muster up.

"I'm not trying to hurt her but I know I am and I am regretting it every second." Callie defended feebly. Her younger roommate's words echoed through her head repeatedly, haunting her. Albeit it not being her intention, she did acknowledge that she was hurting Alex. "The past few days have been too short because she has been making me smile, laugh way too often than I normally do. She's a joy to be with despite our admittedly repugnant history.

"I'm just not used to all this mix up with Sydney." She shook her head in despair. Why Callie had to be a sensitive, compassionate person, she does not know. She badly wished she wasn't that compassionate. "I hate hurting people. Everyone should be fine and dandy."

Denise sat up, not quite understanding Callie's side yet admiring her either way.

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your beautiful heart. I really do. But nobody likes a pleaser, Callie." She explained, her face significantly less tensed as it was minutes ago. "If you're willing to lose my cousin, who you have feelings for, I'm assuming, over a girl who you have no feelings for, again, I'm assuming, then you don't deserve Alex in the slightest bit.

"I think you know Alex enough." Denise pursed her lips, something to resemble a fake smile. "Don't let her tough exterior fool you. She's only human, too. She can only take enough."

Callie nodded in understanding. Knowing she had hurt the girl she had come to care about was one thing but having the harsh truth of the severity of the situation shoved in her throat was another. She was rendered speechless but frozen despite her best efforts to stand up and just walk to the middle door.

"Good Might sound like something a child would say." Denise teased to lighten the gloomy mood that was prominent between them. She had observed how Callie's features contorted to a pitiful, pained expression. The teasing only earned her a slight twitch in Callie's lips that was a pathetic excuse for a fake smile.

It was that bad.

Denise knew she had to stay neutral and it was time to switch it up knowing Callie needed some reassurance as well.

"Just talk to her." Denise encouraged, reaching for her roommate’s knee, patting it twice before she squeezed. "I know you miss her. Despite my awesome hugs," She flipped her hair over her shoulder with a sassy attitude. "I know you want somebody else's." She smiled warmly.

Callie did want somebody else's warmth and it was definitely Alex's. However, at the time, she could only wish for it as her cowardice had remained the strongest in the duel.

Walking to work was interestingly lonely that day. Alex had left early to avoid seeing her roommate ignore her once again. It was a terrible reality she hoped she wouldn't have to face but she was living the nightmare and she wasn't sure if she could make it out this time around.

Callie could hear Alex do her usual pre-work routine and she knew it was at least half an hour early. She could sense the haste in her roommate's actions. She could have stopped her but she didn't. Callie was still shaking in fear when she only had to swallow her pride to get Alex back - well, to whatever extent their relationship was.

Being busy at work helped Callie's case. She didn't have time to talk to her roommate which was something she was thankful for. Just as Alex predicted, they were ridiculously busy that night. It had been significantly colder compared to the summer and people sought warmth, apparently, alcohol was their go to solution for that.

Hours seemed to swoosh by and the usual atmosphere of drunken individuals yelling at each other or shoving their tongues in each other's mouths like they were digging for treasure. The repugnant smell of sweat mixed with various perfumes and colognes did not appeal to Callie. The disrespectful words being yelled at both her and Alex weren't at all appealing as well.

What she absolutely abhorred was the thought of Alex blaming herself for the little rift that had divided them.

Just as she was about to approach the green-eyed brunette, somebody was excitedly calling for her, waving obnoxiously even.

"Callie!" The familiar light and feminine voice fought through against the blaring sound of live music from the band and small chatter surrounding them.

This is not happening right now. Callie groaned as she sealed her eyes with a sigh. She clutched the pourer and the bottle of Campari tightly as she barely keeps her composure. Thankfully, she was facing away from the girl whose excitement she didn't share.

Given Alex's presence, she knew she had to pick her words carefully. She could not just pretend either one of them didn't exist. She had to face her fears and the world has given her the avenue to move past the issue.

"Hi Sydney!" Callie smiled weakly, only swiveling her head to acknowledge Sydney. She was hurriedly finishing up the Mutticano that went with the four double shots of bourbon Alex was pouring. "Sorry, I just have to finish this."

Upon the mention of the name, Alex swiftly turned to the direction of the voice, her reflexes swift and reliable. She wasn't necessarily pleased to find the beautiful woman wearing a tight red dress with her long and luscious locks kept in a neat bun with make-up that accentuated her best features - her eyes and lips according to Alex.

It was as though a rush of the vile feeling that is jealousy seeped through Alex's system and it was all that she could ever feel. It was worse than seeing Callie with Felicity. With the face and personality, the green-eyed girl acknowledged Sydney Tucker as a force to be reckoned with. Sydney had brought Alex's dormant self-doubt and insecurities back to life.

"It's okay." Sydney assured Callie as she climbed onto one of the barstools in the middle section on the other side of the counter, waiting patiently for the younger bartender to finish up. "Take your time."

As soon as the drinks were delivered, Callie attempted to scurry away. After all, she was a flight risk. She had turned to the left, where the exit would be only to be met the green of Alex's strained eyes. Her roommate deserved answers or closure but the look in her emerald eyes screamed to Callie, she needed reassurance, too.

The younger bartender sucked it up - literally sucking as much air as her lungs could take before looking at Sydney with the same mediocre smile.

"This is Alex." She extended her arm to direct Sydney's attention to the Latina who was quite unprepared for the introduction. "She's my...m...my uh-"

"Roommate." Alex interjected as she sensed the stress in Callie's tone. She beamed at the recently acquainted stranger just enough to convince an oblivious Sydney. “I’m the other roommate.”

"Alex." To no surprise, Sydney was not necessarily happy to see Alex as well. She was barely maintaining her warm and welcoming exterior. To say that she was managing the situation just fine was a lie. She would have lost the case if they were in the courtroom. In her mind, Alex is a gorgeous vixen but she would never say it. "I've heard so many things about you."

Sydney would have scoffed under normal circumstances. But given the younger brunette, she needed to be as friendly as possible.

"I wish I could say the same." Alex wiped her hand on her apron before throwing a hand out to shake Sydney’s hand, who gladly took it. She was deeply flattered with the thought of Callie mentioning her to Sydney she knew was her competition. However, her own doubts rationalized to thinking it was Jazmin who spoke fondly of her, not Callie. "I'm sorry but I can't stay and chat. As you can see, we're swarmed. Nice to meet you though."

Alex tried to make her last statements to sound as bland as steamed chicken without seasoning and not the mockery she was actually intending to do.

"No. No." Sydney smiled, beaming her perfectly aligned teeth. They were so white that it seemed to be sufficient to light the night sky like it was the morning. "I totally understand. It was nice to meet you, too."

With a wave, Alex was back to tending to the aftercare of the bar. It was almost closing time and she was ready to get out of there as fast as she could. She replaced containers with new ones, cleaned the under counter refrigerators and took used utensils and such to the dishwasher.

The only things left to do were to wipe the counters down, reseal the alcohol and pack everything in its rightful, food-safety sound storage.

"What will it be?" Callie queried, sporting her best courteous smile to her customer with a cleaning rag in one hand.

Instead of ordering a drink, Sydney casually interjects her concerns.

"I can't blame ya, kid." She began, tapping her finger on the shiny surface of the counter as she watched Callie wipe the crescent shaped water in front of her along with some minute splashes from various different beverages she handled that night. She was hiding her own jealousy thinking about how both bartenders had the same jobs and the same apartment.

Sydney pointed to Alex with a movement of her brow. "She's a looker."

"I know. She's just..." Callie nods incessantly but trailed off, looking for the right word to describe her roommate. She halted her movements and just stood up straight, looking down to the bottles of liquor by her left.

A smile and a sense of warmth infested Callie's strained chest as she had finally found the word that would do Alex justice. She slowly looked up to her anticipating friend who was grinning, encouraging her. "Perfect."

"You're just as great, as perfect, Callie." Sydney interpolated as she leaned further into the counter, closer to Callie who was halted wallowing in despondency with her situation.

Callie shook her head, waving her friend's complement off. She was reminded of the conversation with Jazmin early in the morning and the necessary steps she had to take to keep Alex in her life - to deserve to have Alex.

"Hey, there's something I have to tell you." She breathed, her entire body stiffened to the point where she held her breath.

"I think I know what it is." Sydney lowered her gaze. It was the first time in the whole encounter that she showed any sign of defeat. Up until that point she was asserting her dominance. However, she was clearly defeated even without anyone else's retaliation. "Alex, huh?"

Callie let out the longest, most dragged sigh as she nodded. Had she known it only needed a nod for her to stop Sydney's insinuations, she would have raced to wherever Sydney lived and do just that. She would have doubled over with her hands on her knees, panting in relief but she had some explaining to do - offer some consolation.

"I didn't mean to lead you on or anything. I swear." Her eyes had nervously widened like the guiltiest little criminal. She swallowed the lump building in her dry and nervous throat. "I've been so worked up about this since I found out from Jazmin. I've been so worried about this, about how you felt. I did have a great time with you though."

"It's okay. I kind of thought there was a little chance to it, you know?" Sydney shrugged, sitting back up. Shaking her head, Sydney chuckled slightly as she recalled the day they spent together, only realizing her defeat. "But by the frequency of you mentioning the six letters that comprise your roommate's name, the little chance that I held onto was immediately pushed aside. I guess it was just wishful thinking."

Callie didn't say anything with her tongue stolen by the cat, or something like that. Instead, she bowed down. She was finally forming a good enough face to meet the beautiful porcelain one she lives with.

"But Callie," Sydney continued with such a commanding tone in her voice, prompting the bartender to look up. "I'll always be around."

It sounded so much like a threat that Callie could not help but worry about the severity of the words she had just heard. So much for stopping her advances, Callie thought. She groaned, only loud enough for her to hear. It was the worst thing Sydney could ever say to her. No, she was not stringing her on - Sydney was practically shackling herself to Callie.

Alex stood close enough to hear the last sentence and seeing Callie's tensed state worried her. She had the gray colored cart that they normally used to transport the bottles of liquor with. Unfortunately for Sydney, Alex had to come close to Callie, closer than she could ever be - even on the physical aspect.

"I'm sorry." Callie immediately said as she held Alex by the waist, her mouth close to her co-worker's ear. The touch effectively took her breath away which was intensified by the lack of communication. She was sure she would suffocate any minute now.

But she took longer to apologize than what Alex had needed her to. The older girl felt betrayal crawl in her veins, infesting the supposed eager little girl inside of her. But she was in no position to deny that the mere sensation of Callie's breath hitting her jaw sent chills running up and down her spine.

"We have jobs to do." Alex sternly muttered as she grabbed the bottle after bottle of liquor to position them in the cart. "Can this wait a few hours? I'm tired of this constant tug of war that I'm always losing at regardless of the outcome." Her voice was on a normal speaking level and anyone close to the proximity would hear her loud and clear.

Callie never thought that little apology would win Alex back. She would have considered it a miracle if the older bartender did came crawling back in her arms after the measly apology.

Callie nodded, left with nothing else to do and Sydney saw the way her face fell. It angered Sydney. She figured she was a better choice than the high school dropout.

"Does she always treat you like that?" She probed when she thought Alex was out of the way, taking the gastronorm containers out from the other end of the bar.

"Not at all." Callie retorted immediately rather defensively. Her brows had furrowed with an unmistakably irritated look on her features. She was not in the mood for talking and so she continued cleaning, wiping the counters down with a clean, sanitized rag.

"I'll always be around, Callie." Sydney reiterated, emphasizing the word as if it meant life or death. "Even if I have to scavenge through somebody else's trash. And you know what they say - one man's trash is another man's treasure. I value you more than the world's most expensive gem."

The bartender knew Sydney was not implying she was trash. It was a poorly constructed metaphor that would have offended anybody else. But she fully understood what she was insinuating.

"I hurt her pretty bad." She defended Alex as she stared blankly across the room. "She has every right to feel pain or anger towards me, and that's perfectly fine because I hurt her."

It was a cold morning the next day with the light pitter-patter of the rain. It was a serene start to another day. Alex had not set any alarm clocks or asked the heavens to wake her up but she was awake before eight, right around the time she gets up to cook for Callie. Her body apparently had been accustomed to the whole endeavor.

She was proud and annoyed of herself given the silent game she and Callie had been playing. The few hours she asked of the younger girl had been extended indefinitely given that she slipped into her room immediately after getting home the night before.

Alex cooked for Callie as she always did. She made the usual eggs, bacon and toast. But during that day, she did not wait for her roommate to wake up. Instead, she wrote a quick note and went back into hiding.

"Breakfast is served just like I promised. –Alex"

Alex's familiar cursive contorted Callie's aching heart as she read the inscription that was plastered in the middle of her plate. The playfulness in Alex's words were nonexistent. Even the ridiculous nickname was absent.

Callie could not fight it anymore. She was violently missing her roommate and it had caused a tumultuous storm to wreak havoc within her. A sudden surge of bravery caused her to march through Alex's door without so much as a knock albeit her cat like stealth.

She found Alex humming a tune with her earphones plugged, writing on her big notebook as she sat in front of her desk, on the other side of the room. It had saddened Callie as she was used to seeing Alex writing in the dining table. At times, the older girl would significantly occupy the dining space but that did not bother her at all. In fact, she missed it.

Callie knocked on the wide open door when she realized Alex had not noticed her entrance. She had to bang on the timber surface before the green-eyed brunette unplugged her earphones and swiveled her black office chair to her roommate's direction.

The softness in Alex's features immediately dispersed as her bitterness surged to her system. She was not one to scream at people in anger and her sarcastic tendencies were the obvious choice. With a scowling smirk and a continuous tapping of her pencil, she said, "You know, it's actually customary to knock before you come in, not the other way around."

"I'm sorry." Callie retorted timidly as she grabbed the hem of her shirt, digging her thumbnails to the fabric.

Alex rolled her eyes as she sucked air through her mouth, unimpressed by her roommate's discomfort. Her thick brows were held low, making hoods form in her eyelids. "I don't need that Callie. I've heard it so many times. Now, if you'll excuse m-"

"What can I do?" Callie interjected, swiftly adjusting her head up to meet the green ones she missed. "Please, Alex. What can I do to make it up to you?" She implored as she took a cautious step closer.

"Tell me why." The older bartender immediately retorted through gritted teeth - her interest in the conversation sparked up. The fact that affection for Callie had never died down despite her conflicting feelings for the younger brunette riled her up. She was never used to not having the upper hand.

Her hold on the meagre pencil tightened, causing it to bend slightly. Had she applied more force it would have snapped in two.

Given the demand, Callie explained the situation as she stood by Alex's door, unsure of herself. She had avoided looking into the green eyes that exuded the pain she had caused. If she was bothered by the thought of Sydney Tucker aching for her, Alex's pain was different. She could not stand it and was only able to do so in the past 24 hours due to the fact that she was blind to those emerald orbs.

"I know, it's stupid." She ducked her head down apologetically. "I shouldn't be punishing you for it."

"Or you." Alex's tone became light and playful which made Callie look up to that smirk she had actually wanted to see. "I know you miss me."

Callie narrowed her eyes amid the light chuckle escaping from her lips. She had fought to suppress the wide smile that was slowly winning the battle but she was not too bothered by defeat. Alex deserved to see her smile and it had warmed her cold and lonely heart.

"Let's do something stupid." The green-eyed brunette stood up with the glint of excitement in her mischievous eyes. "Let's get some ice cream."

"But it's cold." Callie complained with a stomp of her right foot, her shoulders slumped down with her arms flailing at the movement. It was an adorable childish display. "That's stupid."

Alex bobbed her brows as her smirk turned into an excited grin. "Precisely."

Callie adjusted her stance to find that her roommate was not actually writing. Alex was drawing. It was a caricature of a familiar looking girl whose eyes radiated with misery. It was a surprise to her that Alex she lived with is a skilled cartoonist and she was mentally smacking her head with the late realization. Alex's creations could very well be published in newspapers.

Callie scaled the minimalist look of the four cornered room for the first time. She could say that she expected to find the ebony filled space that reflected Alex's personality and preferences. The desks, the shelves, even her closet doors were black. Finally, her eyes were laid to Alex's made bed with silk sheets and Callie wondered how it would feel to lay there.

"Come on, let's go." Alex hastily grabbed Callie's wrist as soon as she retrieved her wallet and keys without bothering to change her shorts and hoodie. "You don't need anything, we'll just grab my ice cream from the freezer."

Callie was definitely surprised with the rush and the choice of clothing. She allowed for Alex to pull her out the her bedroom door but halted as soon as they were in their living/dining room, wriggling her wrist loose which surprised her roommate.

"I'll just change."

"No, that's not necessary." The green-eyed girl insisted as she attempted to pull her work partner again. "My car has a heater."

"Let me at least wear something appropriate for going out." Callie countered stubbornly, her eyes were widened pitifully as her brows formed an arch in the middle, making gorges appear in her forehead.

Alex let out a sigh in defeat but the fight in her was still burning wildly. "You look fine."

"Easy for you to say, you're wearing a hoodie." Her roommate muttered, eying Alex's ensemble but ended up ogling her beautifully pale legs. If her gaze was made of sharp knives, Alex's flawless legs would have been bleeding.

"With shorts." Alex glared at her with an eerie fake smile. Her hand with her keys and wallet traveled from her shoulders to the ends of her shorts, emphasizing her point. "Besides, you have yoga pants with that shirt of yours. We're even."

Callie huffed, she knew she was losing the argument. "Fine." She begrudgingly agreed with her shoulders slumped down and her head draped backwards.

With the packaged ice cream with cone in a bigger plastic bag, the women were off with only boots to add in their wardrobe. It was a gangly looking ensemble for Alex with her laced black combat boots in contrast with her very short blue shorts and red hoodie. Callie was pulling off the knee-high brown boots with her dark gray yoga pants and white tee.

The rain was consistently mild. The sound of water droplets hitting the roof of Alex Ford Taurus and the engine's gurgling noise were the only sound in the secluded space.

"What is it with you and your lovers?" Alex asked rather tensely as she drove. Her tightly furrowed brows and glared eyes would have scared a child away. It was the streets of Chicago that received that scowl and the city didn't have a chance against it. "They seem to show up right as we're closing. I mean, I liked that Colin guy. He was why you kissed me."

The green-eyed girl suddenly grinned and Callie could see the changes on the side of her face. Alex's cheek bones had grown prominent as her eyes squinted significantly with the tugged up corners of her lips. It made Callie chuckle as she saw how proud her roommate was of the events that unfolded on that night.

"More importantly," Alex's mood significantly changed again. It was as if she was the same capricious weather as Miami. Her tone was laced with insecurity - something that strangers or acquaintances would not expect from her. "Why do we always end up not talking?"

"I don't know but I know I hurt you despite your seemingly indestructible walls and I'm really sorry." Callie muttered remorsefully, the guilt that had festered her conscience was still present. Alex's expressions had managed to make her stomach sour up with her heart descending to its demise. "I know you deserve explanations when you want them and that it was insensitive of me to hide it from you. I know it was hard for you to understand but you didn't even attempt to strangle it out of me. I appreciate that, Alex. I was just scared."

The older bartender nodded aimlessly. Her glossy eyes never left the empty Saturday road. She was avoiding having to look at the pitiful brown ones as she knew she would lose it.

"Can we please talk about it before either of us shuts down?" Alex proposed.

"I would like that." Callie reached for Alex's thigh, caressing the surface with her thumb as she admired the side of Alex's face. She marveled at her bare skin as contrasted with the make-up covered one she inspected the day before.

The minute lines of Alex's young face showed the smiles she had offered to the world and the frown it had inflicted through the years. She saw little freckles and a number faded scars that were probably caused by pimples in her teenage years. The mortality in those little details captured Callie's further admiration for the girl with the green eyes.

It took her quite a while to pluck her chocolate irises from Alex and reattached it back to the road to find that the streets they were cruising in was rather alien to her.

"Where are we going?" Callie probed as she looked around to find any street signs that would answer her question. She had sat up to further inspect her surroundings with eyes that darted from a direction to another.

"Lincoln Park." Alex retorted with a slight, yet gentle smile - momentarily glancing at her roommate before focusing back on road. It was a reassuring gesture that she did not have to make as Callie was merely curious and not worried. "Have you been there?"

"Nope." Callie shook her head as her brows furrowed and her lips pursed. Her inquisitiveness ran wild as evidenced by all her head movements. "But what are we doing there?"

However, in all her commotion, her hand never left Alex's leg.

The green eyed girl's smile widened with the new information. She was excited to be the first person to take Callie to the certain place. "You'll see."

Alex was expecting a violent reaction, if not close to that, from Callie the moment she parked at North Avenue Beach. The breeze was a savage frost beast making the 20 degree weather much colder. It would soon be exacerbated with the addition of the ice cream that was waiting to be devoured.

"You do realize it's raining, don't you?" Callie muttered, alarmed by what she had just seen. The little flags that accentuated the white sands swayed along with the wind. The sheer lack of beach goers, even ones that were clothed properly, panicked Callie with the light clothing she was wearing.

"It's not even that hard. It's a sprinkle." Alex chuckled as she reached for the bag with the ice cream on the dashboard. "That's the point. It's stupid, remember?" She shut the engine off and retrieved her keys before looking at her bothered roommate. "Come on!"

The prominent sound of the water crashing against the shore was soothing. The crackling noise of the froth that it had formed relaxed the Miami native. But the chilling gust greeted them the moment they got out of the car, making goose bumps erupt from their smooth skin. Callie had immediately crossed her arms as her hands rubbed her upper arms simultaneously, creating heat through friction.

Alex walked around her car from the back to join Callie but was ceased from walking further by what she saw. "Geez, BB." She emphasized the nickname to give subtle hint.

The contours of Callie's plump behind had been emphasized well by her tight choice of bottoms. Alex's eyes were bulging out of their sockets. Her jaw had hit the floor while she was sure that her heart stopped for a moment. "You seriously need a pile loader to haul that much ass to places. Are you sure you don't need help carrying that around because I will. I mean, damn!" Alex rambled further.

Callie would have been offended but she found Alex's choice of words hilarious, and it was Alex. She swiveled to reveal an annoyed look with her lips curled in disgust and eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She did, however, notice the use of the famous acronym she begrudgingly missed.

"Do you forgive me?" She asked as Alex finally approached her.

Alex shrugged her shoulders, feigning indifference as her eyes were glued to the floor. There was no annoying smirk, no quirked eyebrow - nothing. "I might if you do one thing for me."

"Name it!" Callie retorted rather eagerly.

The only thing she saw before there was total darkness was Alex's dark green eyes that overflowed with desire. Her brain had just down just as her eyes. She felt the familiar feeling in her chest and the kaleidoscope of butterflies. Her pulse quickened as her roommate's supple lips devoured hers. In an instant, Callie was breathless. The lack of oxygen in her system made her lightheaded.

But she sure as hell missed kissing Alex.

The contact had provided her warmth from within that easily spread through the entire coverage of her skin. Whoever said that jackets were the only things that could keep you warm in the icy weather has not kissed that passionately before.

"Doing it is so much better than simply saying it." Smiling, Alex muttered as their lips were still connected.

Callie could not help but grin at her work partner's words but was more interested in keeping the synchronized movements of their lips. She grabbed Alex's cheeks and pulled her closer.

"Yeah, stop talking." She breathed.

The two roommate made out for a good couple of minutes before they reluctantly pulled apart and went on with their plans. They trudged through the light-colored sand as they consumed the frozen treat with their hands intertwined.

Callie had begun to shiver as the ice cream repeatedly travelled down her throat to her stomach. The minute jerking force caught Alex's attention. Her body was experiencing a similar sensation yet her sweater proved to be more useful than Callie's yoga pants.

However, before she decided that they had to go, Alex put ice cream on Callie's nose just for fun. She deserved the laugh anyway.

Callie took a sharp breath as soon as the cold delicacy grazed her nose. She froze on the spot as her eyes shut tightly. A gush of goose bumps rallied on her skin. She noticed Alex ducking away behind her back, giggling the moment her chocolate eyes were once again revealed by the separation of her lids.

"Why are you hiding?" She queried with her slightly shaky, choked up voice due to the cold weather. Her brows knitted together as she continued to munch on the ice cream. She chuckled lightly, amused by her roommate. "I'm not wasting this on you. It's some heavenly confectionary treat and you are just...you." She jested.

"Thanks." Alex sarcastically muttered with the same shaken, forced voice as she stood up, taking Callie's hand once more. She looked at her roommate who was licking away with an innocent look on her face and the white colored ice cream still on her nose. "You're too kind."

Callie didn't expect it but Alex leaned in to lick her nose clean. Alex could have just wiped it away with the sleeve of her sweater but her tongue grazed the tip of Callie's button nose before getting another short yet passionate peck on the lips.

Callie had forgotten how to breathe and she would rather suffocate in Alex's kisses than live to freely respire with the world's cleanest oxygen.

They were back in Alex's car a few minutes later. Callie was appreciative of the warm air that blew against her skin with her clothes slightly wet from the mild shower. The rain did not necessarily drench them - it was too insignificant to do such damage.

"I heard what she said." Alex muttered with her hands tightly gripping the wheel of her car. Her gaze was plastered to the dim horizon with dark clouds and a hiding sun.

"Oh." Callie's eyes widened knowing Sydney's little monologue. She was reluctant to turn her gaze to Alex but she did anyway. Callie was being bold at that time - she decided to continue the streak and pull Alex's hand who was easily pried off the wheel.

She caught her attention with the movement of Alex's head.

"Were you flattered?" Alex queried timidly as she watched Callie interlace their hands. The natural feel of their fingers elated her and caused her heart to flutter, making her take a huge gulp of air and a subsequent dragged out sight.

"I don't know." Callie shrugged, not necessarily knowing how she felt. However, her tensed expression soon was wiped away as she found humor in the excerpts of Sydney's words. "Being compared to trash is something else."

They both bellowed in laughter just thinking about the clumsiness of the situation Callie had gone through. It was lighthearted this time and there was no remorse or grudges held against each other.

"She did say you're more than an expensive gem. At least she said that after all the nonsense she said." Alex spoke as soon as the laughter had died down. She realized how much it bothered her in so many different ways - one, being Sydney who said it and two, Callie deserved a better set of words, not a lanky constructed sentence that preceded her profession of admiration.

"The most expensive gem." Callie reiterated Sydney's word - with her mind floating pointlessly around the four-worded sentence. She attempted to put more weight into it but failed in the process as she had no interest in Sydney.

She had regretted the twenty four hours she spent without Alex. Picking overthinking and Sydney over Alex was just not worth it.

There was stillness in the car and anyone could tell Alex was sucked in her thoughts. Callie was about to get worried especially after seeing the rather emotionless, hardened expression in her roommate's features.

There was much suspense when Alex parted her lips. She gulped enough air as her eyes connected with the brown ones that were staring back at her.

"But you're priceless, Cal." She whispered. Despite the volume of her voice, the severity of her words and the emotions that traveled with it sent Callie's spine tingling.

Callie practically launched herself to Alex - swinging her arms around the green-eyed girl's shoulders. Her weight made her roommate sit back on her seat. She grinned at a surprised and confused Alex who had pulled her head back by the sudden movement.

"You can't say those things, Alex Rivera."

"But you are."