The Final Chapter

"Zeke?" Justin asked, his face wearing an expression of shock and confusion.

"Justin?" His former best friend exclaimed and gave him a fierce hug, "Alex told me that you were back in town, but I didn't expect to catch you before you left," Zeke wore his usual happy-go-lucky smile. The years hadn't changed him much. He still wore his hair on the long side, but he was a little taller and more physically fit, but otherwise he seemed pretty much the same as when Justin left. Except of course he was now standing in the doorway of Alex's hotel room… that was different. Justin was too shocked to be angry, but it was coming.

When Justin took off for college he never really gave a second thought to how his best friend would react. Honestly, when he left, he didn't really think of anyone but himself. It was selfish and childish to storm out of everyone's lives like that, but what was in the past was done and all he could do was look toward the future. Unfortunately, standing directly in his path toward the future was Zeke, looking ecstatic about whatever it was he was saying. Justin snapped out of his thoughts long enough to realize that Zeke was actually talking to him.

"…it's kind of strange how it all happened, but I mean when it's right it's right, right?" Zeke asked, but went barreling on without waiting for Justin to respond, "anyway, so I was just here spending time with Alex. We took in the hot tub for a little bit," he quickly reached over to a table beside the door and picked something up, "but don't worry big bro, we wore our bathing suits," Zeke was rambling on and on and Justin could feel his temperature start to rise.

"Baby, you still here? Who are you talking to?" Alex asked as she emerged from what Justin was assuming was a bathroom; wearing an oversized white, fluffy bath robe. She was rubbing her wet hair with a large white towel and froze when she saw that it was Justin standing in her doorway.

"Justin!" Zeke exclaimed, looking between Alex and his high school best friend.

"Hey," Alex said breaking out of her frozen state, "what brings you here?" She asked, "I thought you were tired?" She tossed the towel she was using on her bed and grabbed a hairbrush off the vanity table and began running it through her long dark hair.

"I was just catching Justin up on all that he's missed," Zeke explained as he stared at Alex. A dopey look came across his face as he watched her brush her hair. It was then that Justin's anger turned to an icy chill that coursed through his veins. Realization was a damned evil thing sometimes. His fists clenched at his sides.

Alex finished with her hair, walked over to Zeke, stood on her tip toes and gave him a peck on the cheek, "you have an early day tomorrow," she reminded him.

"Right," Zeke agreed, looking down at Alex with a look in his eyes that Justin wanted to beat out of him, "I was just on my way out. See you later, Justin! I hope you're sticking around!"

Justin didn't respond as he stepped aside to let Zeke pass. The silence that fell over the fancy hotel suite was deafening. Finally Justin couldn't take it anymore and he slammed the door shut behind him. Alex jumped and looked over at him. Her brown eyes large and innocent until they suddenly narrowed.

"Justin, what the hell?" She snapped.

"That's what I should be asking you, Alex!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Justin reached up and loosened his tie. The heat in the room went up about a million degrees as his anger bubbled over, "Zeke? You're with Zeke? Of all people? Come on, Alex!"

"And what's wrong with Zeke?" She asked with her hands firmly placed on her slender hips.

"Um, let me see," Justin began in mock consideration, "he's not exactly your type? You like guys with no job, no ambition and a free ticket to prison?"

Alex's jaw clenched as Justin went off on her.

"He's everything you hate!" Justin continued, he began ticking things off on his fingers, "he was in the Alien Language League, you always thought that was stupid, he took all the same classes as me, you barely even went to class! You two couldn't be more opposite!"

Alex's expression changed slightly as she watched Justin, wondering how long it would take him.

"He's a complete geek, Alex! And he was my best-" Justin stopped short as his face showed the realization, "friend." He stared at Alex.

"That's why you chose him, isn't it?" He asked, taking a few steps closer to her. Alex crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

"You're with him because he reminds you of me," Justin stood in front of Alex and placed his hands on her arms, "am I right?" He knew the answer, but he needed the confirmation from her lips.

"After you left, I felt like I had no one, Justin," she began, looking up at him. Her eyes were glassy. Her voice broke a little, but she held herself together. She refused to let him see her cry again, "you abandoned me."

"I know," Justin began, but Alex cut him off. She pushed his hands off of her and walked away from him.

"I know that I wasn't the easiest person to live with," she continued as she stood in front of her mirror, head bowed, but Justin could still see her face in the glass, "but I loved you."

Justin swallowed hard as she said those words.

"When you left, Justin, you hurt me. You don't even know the extent of it, because you never came back. You never called. We had no idea where you were, if you were okay. I wasn't the only one you left either. Besides Mom, Dad, and Max I mean," she said as she looked into the mirror and back at him as he stood behind her, "you left Zeke, too."

Justin looked down at his shoes, feeling the guilt of his actions build a nest within him. It would never truly go away. He hurt too many people.

"He kept asking me where you went, why you left, why you didn't say goodbye. And I had no answers for him, Justin. What was I suppose to say? 'Oh, well, I kissed him and it freaked him out?'" Alex turned to look at him then. "Was I supposed to admit that I'm some sort of freak who was in love with her own brother?"

Justin looked into her hard eyes as she said these words and he took note of the past tense, "you're not a freak." He said, his own voice breaking.

Alex scoffed and waved her hand as though shooing a fly.

"It didn't take long for me to see the similarities between you and Zeke," she continued, "sure, you're not exactly alike… but that's fine. I was willing to pretend. We grew closer as the years went on. He waited to go to college and we attended NYU together. Yeah, that's right. I went to college," she said before he could comment. Justin never would have imagined Alex going to college, even though he always knew she was smart.

"After awhile I realized that Zeke wasn't my Justin substitute anymore. He was just mine." Alex said as she swirled her finger on the vanity table's surface, her face soft.

It was then that Justin realized that he was too late. He knew his feelings but it didn't matter.

"That is why I wanted to talk to you tonight," she said softly, "I'm in love with him, Justin."

Never had any words hurt him so much.

"Alex, I-" he began and faltered, what was he supposed to say? He loved her? He couldn't do that to her. She wasn't a toy that he could push aside and then pick up again. Five years was a long time to hope that someone would wait for you, "I'm happy for you," he settled on awkwardly as his eyes began burning.

"No you're not," Alex replied softly and Justin's eyes snapped up to her face, "but I appreciate your lie."

Not knowing what to say, but knowing that he had to get out of the room, Justin nodded and walked toward the door, "I guess there's nothing left to say," he said.

"Justin, wait," Alex said suddenly and he turned to look at her, his heart jumping with possibilities.

"Don't forget your handkerchief," she said as she reached into her navy clutch and held out the white fabric to him.

"Right," he said as he grabbed it from her, his fingers lightly trailing over hers, "thanks."

"You're welcome."

With that Justin left the room without looking back, he shut the door behind him and turned toward the elevator. He got halfway there when he turned around and headed back toward Alex's suite. He had to tell her how he felt. He couldn't live with the everlasting question of "what if" burning in his mind. He had to know. But just as quickly as that determination set in, he lost it when he remembered the softness of her face when she admitted that she loved Zeke. Justin stopped walking then and slowly turned again toward the elevator. He almost made it to the doors when he spun on his heel and walked with purpose toward her door. He had to know what she would say if he told her that he loved her. He was the better man after all. He was the better match. Just as he reached her door his hand paused above the handle. But was he really? Could he give Alex a good life? He remembered Zeke's expression as he looked at Alex, the dopey look that only a man in love could wear and not care how foolish he looked. Justin heard Zeke's words play over again in his mind; "kind of strange how it all happened, but I mean when it's right it's right…"

Justin removed his hand from the handle and backed away from the door. When it's right, it's right and this… the feelings he had for Alex weren't right. They were wrong. He could never give Alex everything that she deserved to be happy. Zeke was a good guy, and Justin had to trust that he would provide for Alex in the way that she needed. Justin finally allowed his burning eyes the release they desired. He stepped back until he felt the solid support of the wall behind him. He slammed the heels of his hands against his tear filled eyes as the salty liquid spilled over and allowed his body to slide down until he was sitting on the floor outside Alex's room. Why did it have to hurt so much? The white handkerchief fluttered from his hands and onto the floor. He surrendered.

Fin.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the support with my first fanfiction ever! I hope you enjoyed it! I look forward to reading your thoughts about the final chapter!