Your Head's Only Medicine

The One That Got Away

January 3rd, 2019

In another life, I would be your girl
We keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away

The Sun is out, as it often is in Los Angeles. She's not downtown often, and she kind of hates it. Too many people, a thing she used to like but, things change. She's only here because Kelley wanted to come, and she'd do just about anything for the girl. Ali and Ashlyn are there too for reasons she was told but quickly forgot.

Kelley bounces up and down a bit as they walk down North Highland Avenue. She's has no idea where they're going and she has a feeling Kelley doesn't either.

Her hands are in her pockets and her head angled down, if only to not draw attention to herself. Sometimes, she looks up, to look both ways before she crosses the street. And this time, when she looks up to make sure she's not going to dramatically roll up onto someone's windshield, she finds it all for not.

Kelley stops bouncing, and Alex stops moving, and Ali bumps into Alex's back, who then stumbles back into Ashlyn.

Alex just stares at her, like she normally does. Her mouth a little agape.

"Alex." Eden smiles politely. Waving a bit at Kelley. Alex does absolutely nothing.

It's been three years give or take and Eden looks just as beautiful as ever, if not better, and Alex still finds herself speechless.

"H-hi." The forward curses herself for stuttering. The last thing she wants to do is alert Eden to exactly how much her mere presence disarms her.

"How are you guys doing?"

Alex tries to ignore the stinging behind her eyes, and the burning of Eden's gaze all at the same time.

"We're, uh, fine. How are you?" It's an odd question to ask, she's not sure she wants to know how her ex is doing. She's not even really sure how she herself is doing.

Eden, under all of the sheer beauty, looks more relaxed than anxious, but she could be wrong. Alex could normally read her like her favorite book, but it seems the words have changed, they've morphed into a language that Alex can't decipher.

"I'm good. Been better, but I'm...good. You look good." Eden's eyebrows crease, she looks genuine. Her lips form a sort of a wispy smile and she breaks eye contact breifly. Glancing in the direction she came.

Ashlyn and Ali exchange furtive glances with each. Alex Morgan was many things, but self-conscious was not one of them. And yet, this woman had said a minimum of three sentences to her and Alex looked like she wanted to fold in on herself, collapse into a heap and have Ashlyn drag her away dramatically. The situation is intriguing yet, terrifying all at the same time.

"Thank you. You do, too. You look happy." Alex mumbled that last part under her breathe. It seemed like the right thing to say when you meet your ex who you've been trying to forget about for the past three years and never managed to succeed.

The corner of Eden's mouth cinches up, not in a smile or smirk. She looks like she wants to say something, like she wants to deny it but ultimately thinks against it.

Instead she turns to Kelley, who looks almost relieved to see her old friend, "How are you, Kelley? How's Hope?"

Kelley glimpsed at Alex before answering. Alex is still staring and she'll more than likely never stop. "I'm good. We're good. She's been through some things, but she's Hope. She'll be fine."