In the header is a beautiful cover made by my lovely friend @tessa_x_lahey Thank you for this awesome gift 🥰🤩💕😘

"Shit! I forgot the Gravitation book at home!" Alex sighs, looking in his empty bag as almost all its contents are on the saddle of his motorbike.

The book in question is one of the books that we've borrowed at the library and which we absolutely need to work on our project. One would think that, in the 21st century, we don't need books anymore, but I guess the Internet still doesn't have all the answers, and paper is still irreplaceable in some cases.

"Do you mind if we stop by my house on our way?" he asks, his tenebrous eyes focusing on me for a second before he shoves all his books and stuff back into his bag.

Since we've finished classes earlier today, we've planned to work on the physics projects, but before, Alex will give me another fighting lesson. So we're going to the gymnasium.

"No, not at all," I reply, putting my helmet on.

"It's just around the corner of the gym," he explains.

Flashes of the old and creepy surroundings of the gymnasium come back to my mind and make me wonder about his home. Though all my questions disappear when he joins me on his motorcycle, the slightest brush from his body distracting all my thoughts. So I try to just relax as he quickly starts the engine in a roar, after having put his helmet on and made sure my arms are wrapped safely around his waist.

I nestle against his strong back, watching the streets pass before my eyes. The grey sky makes them all look the same: dull and gloomy, though as we're nearing the gymnasium, the streets seem even duller and gloomier. I'm not scared; it's just an uneasy shiver running down my spine, and I stay close to Alex's warmth until he stops the motorbike.

I quickly take in the sight of the house before us, since it's small and basic. The façade is run down, letting guess the old age of the walls, yet some flowerpots in front of the windows brighten them up. It's easy to see that the house has been repaired with what they've had on hand, as some sheet metal, planks... are put here and there to keep the house standing. Though, when I look around the neighborhood, this house is one of those who are in better shape, and even if all the houses are different, big or small, they're all damaged by time, almost dilapidated.

Alex leads me inside without a word, the silence around almost inhuman, but I don't mind it. I follow his strong figure standing out in the surroundings, and we're immediately in the kitchen-family-dining room, as the front door opening directly into it.

"I know it's small." He gives me a little smile, almost uneasy, something that doesn't resemble him. "But make yourself at home. I won't be long!" he adds before disappearing through a door in one corner of the room.

I'm left alone in the small room, and I take this time to observe around, a curiosity – that may be slightly indiscreet – tickling my stomach to discover more about Alex.

Inside, the house is more welcoming than outside. It's cramped, and the furniture is quite old and unmatching, yet it's arranged with taste and bright. I can't explain it exactly, but there is a coziness wrapping around me. Feeling at ease, I risk a few more steps around the room, noting that the whole house is on one level and organized around the living room. There are four doors scattered in different corners, probably leading to other rooms, one in which Alex has walked in.

A loud thud, followed by Alex cursing, stops my idle wander and leads my feet to this door.

The room is such a contrast with the family room. It's small too, yet it looks darker probably because of the navy blue walls and the clutter everywhere. I stay standing by the door, glancing around the messy room before finding Alex on the floor, on all fours, and looking under a bed.

"Do you need help?" I ask quietly.

I don't know why, but my shyness is coming back in this room, which is certainly Alex and his brother's room, seeing there are two beds and a lot of boys' mess.

Alex lifts up his head quickly, hitting his forehead in the process. "Ouch! Um... yes please!"

I laugh lightly as just hearing his voice makes me feel more at ease.

"Where was it supposed to be?" I step slowly into the room as I let my gaze run around.

"On the desk right here. But my bro is a mess, and he has the talent to make everything disappear!" He gestures around with his hands.

Indeed, now that I look more closely at it. One side of the room is messier, with stuff: clothes, magazines, even tools... scattered everywhere. While the other side is tidier, a little neater; it's not perfect, but we can still see the floor! I immediately know that it's Alex's side as I catch sight of science books and his famous leather jacket.

I start searching around, yet mainly with my eyes because I don't want to intrude. While Alex rummages through the room, from top to bottom, and things are flying around. It looks like there is a tornado in the room, and I just step carefully between the damages on the floor.

Though I stop all my movements when something on his nightstand catches my eyes. It isn't the book; it's a simple frame. Yet the picture draws my attention in all the chaos around. I can see a man with the same eyes as Alex, and two little boys whose grins I know quite well now: Alex and his brother Josh. They're both on a motorcycle, while the man is standing close, making sure they don't fall. A smile grows on my lips as the grins of the little boys on the picture are contagious and the whole photo is shining like a ray of happiness.

Out of the corner of my eye, another detail on the nightstand draws my attention: a copy of the high school newspaper open on the 'Silent Voice' section of this week, as I can read the title 'Fear'.

"Stop biting your lip." Alex appears beside me, making my whole body jump from my heart to all my muscles and nerves.

"Oh, sorry... I d-didn't..." I stutter, feeling a tint of red warm quickly my cheeks.

"It's my Dad, Josh, and me, on the pic." He points to the photo.

"Yeah, I guessed... you have the same eyes..." I whisper, glancing between the pic and his tenebrous eyes.

He smiles as his gaze is getting lost somewhere, probably going back to this memory.

"It's your bike, isn't it?" I ask, observing more closely the photo, though not for long, as my eyes are attracted by his presence so close. His dark aura is still there, yet it's shining with something in his soft smile.

"Yeah, I inherited his bike, and Josh of his car." He explains, his gaze coming back to me.

I instantly get lost in his eyes, appearing even more magnetizing than usual. In the brown shades, through the light and the dark, I can catch a glimpse of the little boy of the picture, yet also of the man he wants to be, and I feel like I can see every part of him, reach every part of him.

"Alex? You're home?!" Our gazes are torn away from each other when we hear a feminine voice calling from the living room.

I come back to the present moment just as the door opens and we quickly jump away from each other.

"Mom?!" Alex widens his eyes.

"Oh?! Sorry... I didn't know you had company..." The woman standing by the door smiles, a twinkle in her eyes that resembles a lot the one my Mom has when I talk about my physics project partner, even though I still haven't told her it's Alex Carter.

In fact, Alex's Mom reminds me a little of my Mom with the maternal softness emanating from her smile, and her dark curls, probably because of Latin roots too.

"I thought you were at work?!" Alex furrows his eyebrows.

"No, I've switched shifts with Kate because she's asked me." Her gaze slides to me again as a wicked smile forms on her lips. "I didn't want to interrupt... you and your... girlfriend."

"No! I'm not..." I stutter, the blood rushing to my cheeks faster than the words out of my mouth, at the same time as Alex exclaims,

"Oh?! No! She's not... This is Elena... my physics partner for the project... We were looking for a book..." He scratches the back of his neck, glancing around again.

"Nice to meet you, Elena." She offers me a wide and gentle smile, holding out her hand to me.

I shake her hand. "Er... Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter."

"Do you want something to drink?" she immediately offers, and she really makes me think of my Mom and her welcoming ways

Actually she seems as sweet and kind, but under her twinkling gaze, I only want to disappear. So I reply quietly, "Oh, no, thanks. I don't want to bother you."

"Come on! It doesn't bother me! It's the first time Alex brings a girl home!" she gushes.

"Mom!" Alex groans, his eyes wide. "We don't have time, we have to work on our project!"

I can see from the corner of my eye that his ears are reddening, and this pulls me a small smile because for once, I'm not the only one uncomfortable.

"But you don't have your book to work for now." She retorts with a gentle smile, and as she focuses her attention on her son, I take the opportunity to cool down my burning cheeks and watch them silently.

Alex has definitely inherited her brown curls, even though hers are slightly darker, and when a thoughtful frown appears on her face as she asks him, "Where do you remember you left it?"

I recognize immediately the creases between her eyebrows that are the same as on Alex's concentrated expression.

"On this desk, yesterday, but Josh for sure dropped it god knows where..." He grumbles.

"Isn't it the book you had in your hands this morning when you went to the garage?" She raises an eyebrow, her smile coming back slowly.

His eyes go round. "Yes! Shit!"

"Your brother is right: you have your head in the clouds these days!" She laughs as he rushes out, and I'm left in the room with all her attention on me.

"Come drink something while we're waiting for him." She gestures to me with a kind smile.

"Do you want some lemonade?" She leads me to the kitchen part of the living room.

Now that I see her in the family room, it all makes more sense: if Alex and Josh's bedroom resembles their dark, bad boys' personalities, this room has the warm and bright touch of their Mom.

"Um... yes, thanks," I reply, trying to calm down my nervousness. She is really nice, so I shouldn't be this anxious, yet knowing it's Alex's Mom seems to only put more pressure on my stomach.

"Make yourself at ease!" She points to a chair, serving me a glass of lemonade.

I take a seat in the silence, though it doesn't last long as she sits down and immediately starts asking me questions.

"So you're in the same class as Alex? That's how you met him?"

"Yeah, kind of..." I can feel my cheeks warming with color, yet also with a smile as I remember our first encounters... "But we really got to know each other thanks to the project."

She smiles knowingly. "I don't know if you've noticed but Alex loves physics and sciences!"

I chuckle lightly. "Yeah, I've noticed! And he's really good at it!"

"I keep telling him to continue his studies and go to college, but he refuses to even talk about it! He's so stubborn!" She shakes her head. "Maybe you could convince him..." She whispers as we hear him coming back.

I reply with a smile in front of her eyes shining with hope.

"I got it!" Alex announces out of breath, waving the precious book. "We can go if you're ready?" He looks at me expectantly, apparently eager to leave, and I must admit that even though I'm getting more at ease around his Mom's friendly hospitality, I still am impatient to be alone with Alex. I mean, it's just because I'm more comfortable than around people I don't know, no other reason...

"Yeah." I finish my glass and get up. "Thank you, Mrs. Carter."

"Oh! Come on! Call me Deborah! You're a very sweet beautiful girl!"

The blush comes back to my cheeks with her compliments and sparkling gaze, and I just reply with a shy smile. "Goodbye... Deborah."

"Bye, hope to see you again soon!"

As soon as we're out, Alex tells me, "I hope she didn't bother you too much, with questions and all..."

"No, she's really nice," I reply honestly, glancing up at him.

"And she didn't badmouth too much about me?" He lifts his eyebrows, and it brings a smile to my lips.

It's cute to see the way he is with his Mom, his family. It's so far from the baddest bad boy everyone pictures, yet at the same time, it's still him, the Alex I've got to know lately. It's another part of him that mixes perfectly in all of him like his dark aura and shining eyes, and I just want to discover more.

I focus back on his mysterious eyes. "No! She's really proud of you and how smart you are."

He shakes his head, chuckling and resuming his steps toward his bike.

I follow him, nibbling on my lip, and as we get to his motorbike, I gather my courage to ask him a question that is on my lips since I've talked with his Mom.

"Why don't you want to go to college?"

He sighs, giving me a lopsided smile. "She's talked about this..."

I can't tell if he's bothered or indifferent; he is always so unreadable.

"You don't have to answer me, if you don't want to..."

A shade of darkness crosses his gaze. "It's... complicated..." He lets out another sigh before climbing on his bike without another word, and I don't ask further, despite the curiosity growing with an uneasy, worried feeling inside my chest.

However, I am in no position to ask personal questions, when I, myself, avoid them.

I hope you like this chapter, we've got to know another part of Alex's life :)

Please let me know what you think in the comments, vote, add to your library...

Like always your help and feedbacks are more than welcome! :)

And by the way, Law of Attraction made it to the first round of the Writers' Choice Awards in the romance category, I'm so happy! And I'm also happy every time you guys leave sweet comments, so thank you :)