12. Clock Tower
12
Clock Tower
C assie refused to eat anything that night, and she hadn’t come out of her room once. Alexa understood that her sister needed time, so she let her be as long as she wanted.
After what Tristan told her about John, she almost considered calling him and telling him what happened. If John loved Cassie that way, his stepping in would save her from the devastation she was now drowning in. But on second thought, Alexa gave up.
Cassie was experiencing raw heartbreak. What she needed was time and space to get over it. Her sister might even be swearing off boys after this, as Alexa had.
Alexa let out a loud breath and hovered over the notebooks sprawled on her bed. Daphne had sent her the notes she had missed today and she was copying them down from her phone, barely dodging the temptation to scroll through some Instagram reels—or to text Tristan and see what he was up to.
In the end, she gave in to the temptation and texted him.
Alexa: Hey
The moment she hit send, he appeared online. A giddy smile she couldn’t suppress flitted across her face and she bit her lips, waiting for his response.
Tristan: Hey. What’s up?
Alexa: Catching up on the notes I missed today. What about you?
Tristan: Just done with work. Debating on what to do next *winking emoji*
Alexa: Oh. What work, if you don’t mind me being nosy? *winking emoji*
Tristan: *chuckling emoji* I’m a graphic designer for Canfield Enterprises
Alexa: *mind blown emoji* Wow. You didn’t tell me that before
Tristan: I guess the opportunity decided to present itself now *grinning emoji*
Alexa: So you’re not just any superhuman but one who works for one of the biggest companies in the State s
Tristan: You make it sound like I’m their secret agent or something
Alexa: *laughing emoji* sorry
Tristan: Don’t apologize. You just made me laugh
Alexa: Should I be flattered now?
Tristan: I think it’s up to you *winking emoji*
Alexa: *laughing emoji*
After a moment of pause, while Alexa brainstormed how to keep their chat going, Tristan texted again.
Tristan: Why do I feel like you need a helping hand to catch up with those notes?
Alexa gasped lightly and stifled her giggle before she replied to him.
Alexa: How did you know that? *shocked emoji*
Tristan: So I guessed right?
Alexa: I’ve been trying to fight off the temptation to scroll through some Instagram reels.
Tristan: What’s that?
Alexa: *two shocked emojis* You don’t have Instagram ?
Tristan: I’ve never found myself interested in social media
Alexa: I’m shocked! Do you live in the same century?
Tristan: At least you didn’t call me an ‘old man’. It’s what my sisters call me every time this topic is brought up
Alexa: Well, good for you, you’re friends with a social media content creator. And I’m gonna transform you into a ‘young’ man
Tristan: I had no idea you’re one. That’s awesome. What do you make?
Alexa: I do book reviews, song covers, book recs, and film some silly lifestyle things with my sister or Daphne. Though, I haven’t done THAT one in months
Tristan: You’re tempting me to jump into this Instagram thing
Alexa: Be my guest. Why don’t you come over?
Tristan: Are you sure?
Alexa: I’m sure that’s exactly what you meant when you mentioned helping me with my notes *smirking emoji*
Tristan: Yes, but are you sure it’s alright?
Alexa: Do you have something else you need to do ?
Tristan: No, but that’s not what I meant
Alexa: Cassie’s still in her room and I’m bored out of my mind, all while dodging the temptation for distractions and copy down my notes
Tristan: Open your balcony door
Alexa: What?
No response.
Alexa stared at the screen until there was a knock on her balcony door. Her head snapped to the curtained door and she climbed out of her bed. Opening it, she met with his electric blue eyes and lopsided smile.
Her heart fluttered. She stepped back, allowing him to enter. “Why couldn’t you just pop up inside my room?”
“And invade your privacy?” He threw her an incredulous look, closing the doors behind him. “What gentleman does that?”
“Oh, so you’re a gentleman.” She grinned and tied her hands behind, looking up at him as she rocked back and forth on her heels without even registering it.
“Am I not?” He spread his hands, the gesture drawing her eyes to his black-sweater-sleeved arms.
“Do you always wear black and no other color?” she blurted out.
Tristan blinked at her unexpected question before he smiled that crooked grin again. “It’s my favorite color to wear, known as my signature shade in my family.”
“I thought so.” She stopped her rocking and stepped back further, letting him move about the room. “I’ve been wearing black since Dad’s funeral too…” Her smile dropped at once. “But after I broke up with my boyfriend, I stopped. I wanted to be a different person.”
Tristan cocked his head with a warm glint in his smiling eyes. “How different?”
Alexa shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I want to be strong, like my dad wanted me to, but I’ve been anything but that in the last few days.” A nervous, self-mocking laugh escaped her.
“Who said you haven’t been strong?” he asked in a cajoling tone that turned her insides into marshmallows. The effect surprised her. “Alexa, I’ve been with you all this time and all I’ve seen is a strong young woman, nothing less, whether you believe it or not. And I admire you for it.”
A shy smile twitched the corner of her lips upward. She couldn’t deny his honesty when he looked at her like that.
“Thank you.”
He dipped his chin in a bow-like nod, like the gentlemen from period dramas. “It’s only the truth.”
After being constantly flattered by the one boy she had been romantically involved with, to hear an earnest compliment from someone who made her heart flutter despite her efforts to steel her heart against it, it felt almost surreal.
“Did you check in on your sister?” Tristan asked, thankfully changing the subject.
“Yeah. She’s asleep.” Alexa walked to her bed, climbed over it, and waved him over to join her.
He approached and sat on the edge, one leg curled underneath him and the other hanging off. He whistled as his eyes skimmed over the open notebooks and textbooks. “Now, that seems like a lot to catch up on.”
Would he think it was boring to help her catch up on her notes? He definitely would. Why did she ask him to help her with her notes?
“I, uh, yeah…” Heat coated her cheeks and she tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “I shouldn’t bore you out helping me with this. I really shouldn’t have—”
“If you accept my assistance and finish copying down the notes, I’ll give you a reward.” Tristan’s eyes lit up with a mischievous glint.
Alexa couldn’t help but notice how carefree and open he seemed now, compared to how he had been yesterday. She wondered once again if their heart to heart conversation had built a bridge between them. A connection, one that not only her but he too was feeling.
“What reward?” she asked but grabbed the pen and her phone anyway, ready for whatever it was.
“It’s a surprise.”
Alexa didn’t waste a moment. Trying to hide her smile, she unlocked her phone and handed it to him after opening the notes. He read them to her, and she found her hand flying over the page, without a trace of boredom or craving for a distraction.
Nonetheless, he was distracting enough; the sound of his voice, his occasional jabs, and his concentrated expression whenever she stole a glance at his face as she made an excuse to flex her fingers or straighten her back. By the time they were done, Alexa realized she hadn’t smiled or laughed in the last three months as much as she had in the last twenty-four hours.
He made her so happy.
Yet, she pulled up the guard around her heart. No matter what they did, what he made her feel, she couldn’t let the feelings reach her heart. Even if they did reach her heart through the fragile defenses, she couldn’t allow them to settle in there.
Alexa began gathering her books when Tristan grabbed her wrist. “Put on a jacket and a pair of shoes. I’ve got this.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “We’re going somewhere? At this time?”
Tristan released her wrist and leaned away, rubbing the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. “If you don’t want to…”
“No,” she said quickly. “I mean, I do.” She climbed off the bed in search of her jacket and sneakers. “Have you checked the weather reports tonight?”
“Yes, I have. Today’s a starry night. And,” he paused before saying, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Alexa pivoted to him from where she stood slipping her feet into her sneakers. “I’m not talking about me,” she said incredulously. “I’m talking about you . I couldn’t risk you being out there if there’s a chance for lightning.”
A dumbstruck expression crossed Tristan’s handsome face, and for a moment, he just stared, as though trying to read her.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, pulling him out of whatever reverie he had fallen into.
Tristan’s face rested into a soft smile. “It’s a surprise,” he said and stuffed all the books into her bag neatly.
“I think you’ll have to be a little more specific about that, because I’m a girl and I need to dress appropriately for the occasion.” Alexa shrugged on the hoodie jacket Tristan had given her last night, standing in front of the mirror.
“If I tell you it’s going to be just the two of us, wherever my destination is, would it be helpful?” Tristan zipped her bag close.
Alexa hummed, satisfied at her reflection in the mirror. “I guess this will do then.”
She ran her fingers through her hair to arrange it in her preferred casual style and turned to Tristan to declare she was ready, only to find his eyes already on her, with the same warm look that did scary things to her insides.
“What?” she asked with a laugh to cover her sudden fluster.
“Nothing,” Tristan said with a shake of his head and rose to his feet. “Ready?”
“In a moment.” Alexa grabbed a paper and wrote a quick note for Cassie in case her sister came looking for her. “Ready.” She pivoted to him and accepted his offered hand, stepping to his side.
“Close your eyes,” he crooned in her ears.
“What?”
“Do it, trust me.”
“Fine.” Alexa closed her eyes and fisted a hand on his sweater for grip. Gravity shifted and restored beneath her, and she felt the atmosphere change into a lively one. The cool breeze of the night wrapped around her.
“Open your eyes,” Tristan crooned again, just as she was about to ask if she could.
Alexa opened her eyes, and the first thing she realized was that they were on an elevated point. A small gasp escaped her as her eyes fell on the breathtaking panorama unfolding before her .
“Oh, my God…” she whispered in reverence.
“We’re on the clock tower in Cedar Hollow,” Tristan revealed with a smile in his voice.
“The clock tower?” Alexa turned to see the glowing face of the enormous clock just behind them. “ Oh, my goodness!” She looked beneath them. The town park lay below, a serene oasis beneath the night sky. “I can’t believe this.”
“Come on.” Tristan guided her to the edge of the platform.
Alexa gasped again as her eyes traced the outlines of Cedar Hollow. From this vantage point, she could see the entire expanse of the familiar town. It spread out before her like a miniature world, and she marveled at the intricacies of its layout. The houses, streets, and parks unfolded below her, creating a mosaic of interconnected lives.
But what caught her attention the most was the distant carnival. Lights twinkled in the distance, and she could even hear the faint strains of music carried by the wind. A rush of memories from the previous night flooded back to her, and she smiled at the recollection of their moments together.
“It’s marvelous, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Alexa breathed. “Do you often come here?”
“Whenever I am bored out of my mind, yes.” Tristan sighed and added, “At night and when the sky is clear, that is.”
Alexa glanced at him as he continued.
“I could blend in if I want to, but what if I get the signal to flee when I’m in the midst of a crowd? It would freak people out whether or not I shift away. So I decided it was best if I kept to myself and my secluded places.” He met her gaze and smiled, despite the faraway look in his eyes. “This is my way of staying in touch with the world.”
“Oh, Tristan.” She reached for his other hand and held it firmly in hers. Tears began to wet her eyes but she told herself she wasn’t going to pity with him. No one, including herself, wanted pity. “Thank you for sharing a part of your world with me. It is beautiful, the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”
But saying those words to his face, his ethereally beautiful face, didn’t feel right. She soon understood why; he was the most beautiful sight she had seen. Though, she didn’t want to say it out loud.
A grin broke onto Tristan’s face, his eyes shining like the stars above them as he squeezed her fingers. Alexa could feel like he wanted to say something, but he seemed at a loss for words. He looked out to the panoramic view before them and let out a contented sigh. The wind messed with his hair, the longer strands in the front flying to one side like all those handsome male leads in movies.
“Do you wanna go to the carnival? It’s the final day.” He turned to her.
“No.” Alexa shook her head. “I would prefer to be here than at a carnival; unless you want to…?”
“No, I was only asking.” He glanced down behind them. “Let’s sit down then, it’s more enjoyable that way.”
They sat down, leaning against the cool stone of the wall. Alexa sighed contentedly and propped up her knees. Comfortable silence stretched between them as they watched the mesmerizing star-studded sky and the town slowly falling asleep, listening to the music from the carnival.
Alexa grabbed her phone from the pocket and held it horizontally to take a snap. After the first click, she almost sent it to Daphne—out of habit—when she realized she couldn’t.
Daphne would bombard her with questions she couldn’t answer. She frowned; she hadn’t kept a secret from Daphne before and her friend wouldn’t be so forgiving if she learned Alexa kept this from her.
But this was Tristan’s secret. She had no right in sharing it with whomever she pleased. He trusted her, and she couldn’t allow herself to dither it.
She… she treasured his trust.
“Here, I’ve got you something.”
Alexa turned to see Tristan holding out one of her favorite chocolates. She gaped at it for a moment, her eyes lighting up, and melted at his thoughtful consideration.
“Aw, Tristan…” She pocketed her phone and accepted it from him before peeling off the cover and breaking it into two. She handed him one piece and took a bite from hers, moaning in approval. “You’re so sweet.”
Tristan laughed. “Me or the chocolate?”
She nudged him gently in the ribs and joined him in the laughter.
They sat savoring their chocolates when a familiar song floated to Alexa from the carnival. She absently tapped her feet against the stone to the rhythm, only realizing what she was doing when Tristan joined her.
She turned to him and shared an exhilarating glance and a knowing grin with him, and their tapping became fervent and giddy. Alexa laughed and turned her gaze ahead, still rhythmically tapping her feet. Something in her loosened, and her heart felt so light that she thought she could fly. The grin stretched across her face hurt her cheeks, but there was no stopping it.
Her sudden-found joy knew no boundaries.
When the song finished, she and Tristan gave their tap dance a dramatic closure, and burst into laughter. Alexa couldn’t remember the last time she had fun, done something that was both silly and exhilarating, laughed her lungs out, and felt much like… herself.
“That was…”
“I know.”
She slumped back against the cool stone and closed her eyes. She heard Tristan take a deep breath and did the same. Once her laughter calmed down, she exhaled.
“Thank you for bringing me here. I needed this.”
She felt him turn to her. “Everything alright?”
Alexa opened her eyes and gave him a sidelong glance. “No,” she admitted with a sigh, and looked away. “The sheriff promised Brandon will be arrested tomorrow.”
“So…? Are you concerned or something?”
“I’m only worried about what Cassie will say about it. She might hate him now, but I know she loved him fiercely. Whatever hatred she feels toward him now… I don’t think it is—Oh, I don’t know! I just don’t want her to be mad at me for getting him arrested!”
Alexa ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
“She won’t,” Tristan said with the confidence Alexa wished she had. Her sister would never hate her, but what if getting Brandon arrested was… too big a move? “Alexa, look at me, please. ”
It was hard not to oblige when he used that cajoling tone. Alexa met his gaze wearily, his gaze that was the epitome of warmth itself. “She will understand; she has to.” He lowered his voice to the softest possible. “You were trying to protect her, and this is the right way to do it. What you did is right.”
Only, it had been his idea in the first place. It had been him who was keen to get Brandon arrested, and saw to everything for her to file the case. He wanted her to do this.
If his words told her anything, he had been trying to protect her.
Something in Alexa thawed against her will. Did sweet and honest guys really exist? Or was she living in a fantasy dream she was soon going to wake up from?
She wanted to find out. In the meantime, despite the thaws and occasional cracks on the walls around her heart, she would guard it, at all costs. She would not end up like Cassie.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
A small smile pulled the corner of his lips. “You don’t have to thank me, Alexa.”
“What can I say? Gratitude is all I feel right now.”
His eyes smoldered, and they studied her gaze for a moment. “And thankfulness is all I feel.”
“Thankful for what?” she asked slowly.
“For you,” he confessed. “That you’re here with me.”
Alexa smiled. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“If you want to.” He smirked a little.
“I do, if you want to, as well.” She smirked back.
Tristan chuckled. “I can drop you off at school tomorrow if you want me to. ”
The expectancy in his eyes almost made her say yes , but the sensible part of her reminded her that his dropping her at school would start a new rumor; Alexa has a new boyfriend. Though Tristan was just a friend, no one would believe her if she told them.
He looked every part the boy who stepped right out of a girl’s romance novel.
“How about you pick me from the café after my shift, like today?” she asked him reluctantly. “Because, if you’re seen with me at school, people would take it the wrong way.” She turned to him, biting her bottom lip.
His eyes dropped to her lips. She realized her mistake immediately and released it; the boys from books were always tempted to kiss a girl when she bit her lip. Oops.
Tristan brought his eyes back up and met her gaze, now unreadable. Well done, Alexa. “You’re right. I’ll pick you up after your shift, then.”
Alexa nodded dumbly, breathless.
Tristan glanced at his watch and cleared his throat. “We should probably head back now. You’ll be late for bed.”
“Sure.” She nodded again. “Let’s go.”
* * *
“Good morning.”
Alexa turned from the counter and saw Cassie enter the kitchen, dressed up to leave for work. “Good morning,” she greeted back with a soft smile. “Are you hungry? ”
“Very.” Cassie dropped her bag in one of the chairs before approaching her, her green eyes void of their usual glow. “What’s for breakfast?”
“I made your favorite.” Alexa beamed and took their plates to the table.
Cassie inhaled the aroma and her stomach growled in approval. “You’re the best little sister in the world.”
Alexa needed to hear that especially today despite it being a usual dialogue. “Let’s dig in, then.”
They sat down and said grace before delving into French toast, scrambled eggs, fried bacon—and milkshakes, which wasn’t an item for breakfast on their table before. Alexa prepared it especially to cheer up her sister.
“How are you feeling?”
Cassie sighed heavily, toying with a piece of egg on her plate. “Numb, I guess.” She shrugged. “I particularly don’t feel anything.”
Alexa sighed and sipped from her milkshake, preparing to tell her about Brandon’s case. “He doesn’t deserve your tears, so you not feeling anything will serve him right.”
“It’s not like he’s gonna know whether or not I feel anything. He never really cared.” Cassie snorted, her expression sour. “I don’t want to talk about him, Lex.”
“I know, but there’s something I’ve got—” Alexa began and stopped short as Cassie’s phone rang over the table. She read the caller ID upside down— Sammy. Brandon’s younger sister.
Cassie snatched the phone and silenced it. “I wonder what she wants.”
Alexa knew exactly why she was calling. “Brandon’s been arrested.”
Cassie’s eyes snapped to hers in shock. “What?”
Whether that was a good shock or a bad one, she proceeded with the information. “I filed a case against him yesterday with Tristan’s help.”
Cassie gaped at her, blinking once, twice, and thrice before she composed herself and leaned back in her seat. She ran a hand over her face and through her blonde hair. “Well done, Lex.”
Alexa blinked in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Cassie said, dropping her hand, but before she could continue, her phone rang again.
“I think you should answer it,” Alexa interjected as Cassie reached to silence it again.
Cassie shot her a weary look. “I’m not in the mood to discuss him.”
“She needs to know what her brother has done, that I didn’t file a case against him for nothing!” she argued.
Cassie shot her another weary look before she pushed the answer button. “Hello?”
Brandon’s sister literally burst from the other end of line, yelling how the police darkened their doorstep a few minutes ago and arrested her brother over the accusation of blackmailing and attempting sexual assault on his girlfriend’s sister. She wailed, claiming her brother would never do such a thing.
Cassie was put off. She fired back, explaining the events of last evening and defending Alexa fiercely, pacing the length of their kitchen. Both girls got into a heated argument, and at last, Alexa told Cassie to hang up.
Cassie slumped into her chair and rested her face between her arms on the table. “Distract me, please?” she mumbled.
Alexa blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. “Tristan is the Lightning Knight.”
Cassie’s head shot up, her eyes wide. After a moment, she composed herself. “Of course… I kind of guessed that after meeting him yesterday. He… He sounded exactly like he had acted for you at Melissa’s. But how— what is he?”
Alexa sighed. “He’s cursed.”
“What?” Cassie tilted her head.
“It’s a little complicated.”
“I don’t care! Tell me!”
“First.” Alexa raised a finger in the air. “I want to know if you’re mad at me for turning Brandon in or if you’re impressed, grateful—whatever.” She finished with a shrug.
“Seriously?” Cassie asked in disbelief. Alexa shrugged again. Cassie rolled her eyes at the ceiling, and without bothering to admonish Alexa for asking her such a thing, she delivered the answer she wanted. “He deserves it. Who knows if any other girls will fall prey to his trickery in the future or if anyone has been hurt by him already? What you did is right and justified, and I’m proud of you.”
Alexa couldn’t help the smile that fought to bloom across her face. “It was Tristan’s idea though.”
“I think you owe me a full explanation, Alexa.”
And she did.
Alexa told Cassie everything that happened involving Tristan after she had left for Orlando, not leaving the tiniest bit of detail. By the time she was done, they were in Cassie’s car, driving to her school .
“Did he tell you why he has been stalking you?” Cassie asked her after she had gotten all her other questions answered.
Alexa chuckled. “He wasn’t stalking me, Cass. He was my secret admirer.”
“ Of course he was stalking you, Lex, don’t you realize it?” Cassie spared her an incredulous look. “I mean, what are his intentions? Seeing you for the first time at Dad’s funeral and suddenly becoming your secret admirer, and following you around your school, house, and everywhere you go… Don’t you find it at least a bit creepy?”
Alexa stared at her sister’s face, dumbstruck. When she made it sound like that… yes, it did sound a little creepy even though Tristan had been anything but, all the time she had been with him.
Then again, men were unpredictable.
A tendril of fear curled around her heart at the thought.
“You realize what I’m saying right?” Cassie’s soft voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “I love you and I’m concerned for you, for your safety and your heart being at risk. I can’t allow you to end up like me in any way, Alexa, I can’t.” Her voice wavered, and when she glanced at Alexa, her eyes were wet. “You sound like you care for him already, that you two are already the best of friends in a day’s time. It all sounds great, but I can’t shake off the feeling that he might be not as he seems, especially with his supernaturalism… the invisibility and all. Goodness, we can’t even know if he’s with us in the car right now! That, if he’s spying on you all the time… intruding on your privacy…”
“Cass!” Alexa gasped in horror, admonishing her. “ I’m sure he’s not like that! Yes, now that you’ve pointed it out, I do feel like I know him very little and even a little suspicious about his intentions. But he’s not… I’m sure he’s not like that! Remember what I said about him refusing to teleport directly into my room but on the balcony because he didn’t want to intrude on my privacy?”
“Yes, but…” Cassie exhaled wearily. She spared her a brief glance, her eyes pleading. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“There’s nothing I can do to be careful if he’s like what you feel like he is, don’t you think?” Alexa didn’t want to believe any of this, but she couldn’t shake off her sister’s concern either. They just wanted the best for each other. They always had, no matter if their honesty was hard to hear. “But when I think of everything he has done for me, I couldn’t think of it as anything but genuine. And he trusted me with the biggest secret of his life. I saw his honesty reflect in his eyes, Cass. Could he truly be anything like… that? ”
Tears wet her eyes and something in her chest tightened, all the bliss from last night suddenly feeling like stress.
“Can you do me a favor?”
“Anything,” Alexa said in a heartbeat, almost automatically.
“Ask him.” Cassie gave her a knowing glance. “Ask him what his intentions are; why he has stalked you everywhere you went and what he wants with you. Tell him everything I just told you, that I refuse to trust him despite being grateful for defending you and saving your life. If you can’t voice your questions as your own insecurities, voice them as mine, but please do confront him today itself. If he’s not like what I feel he is, he’ll confess it all to you.”
Alexa stared at the road, processing her sister’s words. The thought of learning his intentions filled her with both anticipation and dread. Would he confess at all? If he did, would learning his true intentions change things between them? Would the change be a good one or bad?
At her prolonged silence, Cassie prompted, “Do you promise me?”
Alexa took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah.”