After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

Chapter 22

"It's nothing" he said hastily, pinning it to his shirt with practiced precision.

Nora tilted her head, curioun. "Nothing, huh?"

"It's from Aunt Linda, Alex admitted reluctantly, his tone softening as he stared at the badge.

The corners of his lips lifted into a rare sulle.

She gave it to me last week. I'm wearing it to choot her on tonight at the Fall Moon Speed Rare

The mere thought of the rare seemed to light a spark in Alex

He straightened his posture, his earlier grumpiness momentarily forgotten.

But the flicker of happiness dimmed when he realized something

Aunt Landa hadn't called lum yet today.

She was usually quick to reply to his texts, often sending him playful voice messages or sharing her plans for the day.

Alex's chest tightened. Was she angry with him?

The memory of yesterday's argument resurfaced, gnawing at his mind.

He'd accidentally spilled juice on her prized racing gloves, and although she'd laughed it off at the time,

he couldn't shake the feeling that she might be upset after all

Frantically, he grabbed his phone and sent her a string of texts:

"Aunt Linda, are you mad at me?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday!"

*1 like you more than Mom, okay? Don't be angry, please!"

Minutes passed, but there was no response.

Alex tried mindlinking her, but her side remained eerily

ily silent.

His fingers hovered over the screen, a lump forming in his throat.

"Alex, hurry up!" Nora's voice cut through his thoughts.

Frustration boded over, and Alex shoved the room door open, storming out. "You're so annoying he snapped, brushing past her.

Nora blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst.

"What's gotten i

a into you?" she murmured, watching as he stomped downstairs.

There was a sound of feet coming towards the kitchen, and there she was, Nora's mother-in-law,, her sharp eyes observing the interaction between mother and son

"Good morning," the old lady greeted her voice calm yet probing.

"Good morning." Nora replied, trying to mask her unease

"Where's Arnold?" the old lady asked, referring to Alex's father.

He left last night for some urgent matter, Nora explained.

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Chapter 22

The old lady's lips thinned, a flicker of understanding passing through her gaze.

Thit she said nothing more, her focus shifting to Alex, who sat willenly at the table.

After a quiet breakfast, the duo made their way to the car.

As they prepared to leave, Alex suddenly announced, "I need to

use the restroom. Wait here."

He bolted back to the house, leaving his phone on the passenger seat.

Moments later, the device buzzed to life. The screen hit up, displaying a new message from Linda. Nora's eyes instinctively darted to the phone. She knew it wasn't her place to look, but curiosity got the better of her.

The message was simple: "Don't worry about yesterday. Tim not mad. See you tonight".

But it wasn't the test itself that caught Nora's attention, it was the conversation history below it

The drive to the practice field was quiet, except for the occasional hum of the car engine.

Nora glanced at Alex in the passenger seat, his eyes glued to his phone, his fingers tapping away with enthusiasm.

A small smile played on his lips, the kind she hadn't seen directed at her in weeks.

Her heart tightened as she recalled the messages she had accidentally seen earlier. Alex, who had been

so cold and dismissive toward her, had been messaging Linda every day without fail.

His good morning texts to Linda were brimming with warmth and care, something he no longer seemed willing to share with his mother.

Alex let out a chuckle, breaking her thoughts.

"Linda says she trained late last night for the competition. She woke up late today. That's why she didn't reply earlier," he said, more to himself than to

Nora.

Noru forced a smile.

"That's nice of her to let you know," she said gently, her tone betraying none of the sadness she felt. Alex didn't pick up on her mood.

"Yeah, she's awesome. She works so hard. I'm glad she's not mad at me about yesterday," he added, his thumbs flying over the screen as he typed a reply

Nora gripped the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles whitening

She envied how easily Linda had become the center of Alex's world, how effortlessly she brought out this side of him

"By the way," Alex suddenly said, breaking her thoughts again, "do you have anything planned for tonight?"

Nora glanced at him. "Yes, 1 have a meeting later in the evening. Why?"

she used to know was back

Alex's grin widened, and for a brief moment, it felt like the boy she

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering. That means you won't pick me up from school right?