He'd been living on his own for a year before he threw the party which would change everything. Born to a small town, Alex Curren had worked hard to excel and be noticed, even with the looming shadow of his more successful older brother. When the job offer had come through, he'd been utterly amazed.
It had called for him to move across the country, taking up residence in the big city for the first time in his life. That alone had not worried him much - Alex was social and charismatic enough when he wanted to be. Making friends would not be a problem.
Leaving the ones he already had, though? That was more difficult? He'd pondered what to do for several days but ultimately there was only one real choice. Alex had hated living in the small town, it was constrictive, one day was the same as the next and there was no sense of progress or growth. It was like he was drowning in time, sinking deeper and deeper into the years until one day he'd wake up to find that he was fifty and had never amounted to any more than he had now.
No, his very soul recoiled at that thought and so he became set on finding his own path in the city. He said goodbye to each of his friends in turn, some of them had been bitter like he was abandoning them. Others had been happy for him, or proud of him. A few stood out in his memory more than others.
Lilly, her blond hair flying as she clapped him on the back. For her, it was not goodbye at all. Lilly lived in the city already and visited the old town when the mood hit her. She was boisterous and cheerful and was one of the first to celebrate his good fortune.
"Not bad, Alex!" She said, "Is it what you always wanted?"
"I don't know," he said to her. "I've not had a chance to go there yet. Is it very different?"
"Very," She'd said seriously. "Things happen much faster, you'll find. It's not as easy as life here. Finding your place can be hard but if you do, you'll be rewarded. It'll be hard work."
"I know that," he had said, "But I am willing to work hard for it. I really am."
"I believe you," Lilly said, shooting him a look. "I think you'll do just fine."
After a year of hard work, Alex had his own home. A small one, to be sure, but it was his. He had a job, he had money coming in and better than everything else, he felt like he was going places. Moving up in the world. For a whole year, he'd seen none of his old friends save Lilly, but tonight was going to change that.
It was the day of his twenty-first birthday and Alex was throwing a party. It was to celebrate his new life, his new existence, all of the things that he had done and the things that he also had yet to do. He'd invited his friends; everyone from the old town. Most of them had turned up for it too. He'd been a bit surprised about that. After so long, he'd expected that most of them wouldn't care.
That they did filled him with warmth, and he went through that day catching up with old faces and old gossip. Laughing and joking as if the last year of separation had not happened.
He chatted and drank - though never too much - spent time with people he'd known for most of his life. The atmosphere was informal; most everyone had known one another since they were kids and there were few secrets between them. As the day went on, Alex felt himself becoming more and more comfortable. Easing into the spirit of the evening.
But there was one thing that was not quite right. One little niggling problem prevented him from truly enjoying himself.
Her name was Clara, and she was the reason he had been both anticipating and dreading this night ever since he'd decided to host the party. Clara was, by all accounts, his closest friend and had been a big reason he'd hesitated to leave the old town. It had felt like a betrayal, and to some extent it still did. He'd hoped to speak to her today, try to clear the air a bit. Show her that he still appreciated their bond. But as the day had gone on, Alex had come to a depressing conclusion.
She was avoiding him.
At first, he couldn't believe it, then it stung a little. They'd been close since they were kids, growing up together in a small town didn't leave a whole lot of playmates, and Clara and Alex had been together for most of their lives. Leaving the town had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done, and he hadn't done it without a whole lot of guilt. Now her actions were calling that back to the surface.
Did she feel like he'd abandoned her?
Did he feel like he'd abandoned her?
The answer was not a simple one. It twisted in his gut like a knife. The city had represented everything that he had ever wanted, but leaving had never been an easy choice for him. He wanted to talk to her, to try to explain. She was at the party, but every time she saw him, she seemed to slip from the room. It was infuriating. His urge was to follow her, but he didn't want to force her into a confrontation if she felt she wasn't ready for one.
But if she wasn't, why had she come here in the first place?
And if she was, why wasn't she speaking to him or even staying in the same room?
For most of the day, Alex was able to suppress his concerns and fears. There was chatter, the laughter of friends. Good food and drink. But gradually, as people trickled away, it became more and more obvious that something was bothering him. He tried to hold it inside. He flashed smiles and forced himself to be cheery and happy. Yet those who knew him best could see that he was wounded, and there were already rumours. Everyone knew that he and she had been inseparable before, so why had they not been seen together today, this one day where they were back together again?
Thankfully, no one actually asked. He didn't know what he would say if they did.
Eventually, the last of the guests trickled away. Many of them were staying in hotels or at friends' homes. Most were going back home early tomorrow and couldn't stay for long. Alex waved goodbye and traded final jokes. A few friends embraced him. Lilly gave him a solid nod as she left,
And then he was alone. Alex turned, the living room was a mess, of course. Discarded wrappers, empty drinks, abandoned plates and all of the other detritus of a party. He ran one hand through his short, blond hair. It would be a pain to clean up, but that was fine. He'd taken two weeks off to prepare for this event. The party itself, the cleanup and then some unwinding. He could afford to be slow about it.
Which was good because Alex felt tired. He loved to be with people and enjoyed the time he spent with his friends but it was exhausting to be the centre of attention for too long. Now that everyone had left, he was looking forward to being able to just relax and look to the future in his own particular way.
But just as he settled down on a nearby chair, giving a soft sigh of release, there came a sound from the corridor to the kitchen. He frowned, rising again to his feet. Had someone not left?
It was probably the drink, he decided. It wouldn't be the first time that someone had taken a bit much of it and he'd had to call a taxi to take them back to their home or hotel. Failing that, they could certainly stay the night. He wasn't going to kick someone out if he didn't think they could take care of themselves.
But as the door swung open, the person who stepped out certainly didn't seem like someone who had had too much to drink. She was lithe, a tad shorter than the average but with a slender figure and deep dark hair. Her eyes were blue, and her skin was pale. Usually, her face was mischievous, and she often liked nothing better than to play jokes or gently rib someone for something that they had done in the past.
Not this time.
"Clara," He said softly. "I thought you were already gone."
"I would have said goodbye to you, wouldn't I?" She said a bit awkwardly.
"Usually, yes," He said. "But you seemed to be avoiding me this time. I thought I'd pissed you off."
"What, you mean like by leaving me all alone for a year?"
"You weren't alone," He protested lamely. "There were others...Sarah...David..."
She waved a hand, dismissing that thought before it could fully form.
"I'm not mad at you, Alex." She said, "But I have been avoiding you. I just didn't want to be too near you until I was sure."
