Chapter 8
Alice hit up Simon, and they decided to grab some grub at a fast-food joint.
They got two combo meals and some extra fried chicken.
Simon said, "Dude, if you hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have even known that was David. I sent the pic to Dylan, and he was totally floored."
Dylan and David were college buddies. Back in the day, David had girls throwing themselves at him left and right, but he always turned them down nicely. He'd get dragged to parties sometimes, but he never acted wild, and definitely never had lipstick marks on his face.
Dylan always said David was super straight-laced and old-school.
Simon was shocked, and Alice couldn't wrap her head around how David, the goody-two-shoes, ended up like this.
But she didn't have time to dwell on it. She hadn't eaten dinner, and David had freaked her out when she got home.
Now, with the smell of fried chicken in the air, she was starving. While Simon was talking, she'd already scarfed down half her burger.
Watching Alice chow down, Simon said, "But if David's going off the rails, I'm worried about you. If he's partying hard at home, what's he like out there? I bet the last time we saw him acting all classy at the club, it was just a front. Even Dylan bought it."
Simon put his phone down and leaned in closer to Alice. "Seriously, you should move out. I'll find you a spot with good transport, close to school, and lots of food options. The main thing is, you'll be away from David!"
Alice tossed her chicken bones on the table. She was almost done eating, with just a few pieces of fried chicken left.
"Chill out. If I move out for no reason, what am I supposed to tell him?"
Before Lucas went to the nursing home, he specifically asked David to look after her, showing how much he trusted David. If she moved out now, she wouldn't be able to explain it to Lucas.
Plus, she didn't want Lucas stressing out during his treatment.
Simon, frustrated, zoomed in on the picture and shoved it in Alice's face. "What if he tries something while he's drunk?"
Alice shook her head and sighed, "He's stronger than me, what can I do? I'd have to go along with it."
Simon's eyes went wide in shock.
Suddenly, a soda bottle shattered at Alice's feet.
They both jumped and turned to see a group of thugs at the table behind them, glaring and grinning like they were up to no good.
Simon looked at Alice.
Alice took the last bite of her meat. "Don't look at me."
Simon laughed, "Honestly, in situations like this, it's usually your enemies."
Alice had a knack for making enemies, a real talent. Simon spent so much time with her, so those people naturally lumped him in with her and beat him up too.
Simon sneered. If he dropped his name, these thugs would be kissing his feet, but he didn't want to go there.
Alice rolled her eyes at Simon.
Clara had been beaten by her twice and scolded by David. If she messed with Alice again so soon, she'd be an idiot. These thugs were clearly here to stir up trouble.
Whether it was Clara, Clara's friends, or someone else, Alice had made so many enemies she could count them all night.
As Alice wondered who had sent the thugs to rough her up, she heard chairs scraping the floor and footsteps coming closer.
"Alice, right?" A bald guy in a floral shirt put one foot on a chair and sneered, "You look pretty good. Why do you keep causing trouble?"
He then looked at Simon and sneered, "You must be her boyfriend, huh? I'm gonna beat you up."
The bald guy stepped back and signaled his goons to surround them. "Get 'em."
Back at the villa, David had just wrapped up a party. After thinking for a bit, he decided not to text Alice.
Remembering Alice's reaction when she saw him, David felt a bit guilty. But their relationship was never gonna be romantic. He had to shut down Alice's inappropriate thoughts, and his own too.
Though it stung, it was better than being a couple with a big age gap and getting laughed at by everyone.
David rubbed his temples, looking stone-faced.
The living room was a disaster zone, and he figured he'd call a cleaning service the next day.
Just as he was about to head upstairs, his phone buzzed.
"Hello, is this Alice's guardian? This is the police station. Could you come over, please?"
David got the call, and his eyes flared with anger. He'd spoiled Alice too much. In no time, she'd stirred up a big mess just to get his attention.
David thought, 'Does she really like me that much?'
At the police station, Alice sat against the wall, holding a cup of hot water, looking all innocent while the cops chewed out the thugs.
The bald guy, feeling super wronged, pointed to the scratches on his face and arm. "Officer, look at this! This girl isn't hurt at all, but I've got scratches all over. How can you say I was the one causing trouble? Be fair. She stole my sister's boyfriend, called my sister a bitch, and locked her in the school bathroom. Shouldn't I teach her a lesson?"
The cop looked at Alice and then asked Simon, "Are you her boyfriend?"
Simon, with a split lip from a punch, replied, "Boyfriend? I'm her lover!"
Just as the bald guy was ranting, David showed up.
He was in a black suit, all wrinkled, hair a mess, and he was fuming.
"Are you Alice's guardian?" The cop approached, but David, with a cold face, brushed past him and went straight to Alice. His gaze was icy and intense.
David's expression was grim. Alice, seeing David barely holding back his anger, felt a chill run down her spine.
Alice shrank back, not daring to meet David's eyes.
Since he'd had a bit to drink, David's voice was hoarse and low. "I told you to go out for a meal, and you end up fighting and causing trouble at the police station?"
The cop, sensing the tension, quickly stepped between them, worried the imposing guardian might hit someone. "Sir, please calm down and listen. We reviewed the fast-food joint's surveillance footage, and it shows that your..."
He glanced at Alice, then continued, "Your sister did nothing wrong. These people started the trouble, and your sister had no choice but to defend herself. The manager and bystanders can back this up."
They hadn't expected this high school-looking girl to be so fierce.
David looked at the cop and frowned. "Really?"
The cop nodded quickly, "We have the footage. Want to see it?"
"Okay."
The cop thought, 'How little trust does he have in Alice?'
After watching the footage and confirming that Alice hadn't caused trouble to get his attention, David sighed in relief.
After finishing the paperwork and paying some compensation, David took Alice and Simon out of the police station.
Simon, in his condition, would definitely get an earful from Dylan, so he decided to crash at a hotel for the night.
Before leaving, Simon pulled Alice aside while David wasn't looking. When David turned around, he saw them whispering.
Simon asked, "Are you sure you don't want to stay at the hotel with me?"
Alice gave Simon a suspicious look.
Simon paused, then quickly caught on and said angrily, "I'm worried about you!"
"I'm fine." Alice patted Simon's shoulder. "Make sure to treat your injuries. Don't let Dylan find out, or he'll really lay into you."
Simon, annoyed, said, "I'm outta here then. Be careful. If anything happens, call me."
Alice ruffled Simon's hair with a smile. "Thanks."
Simon rolled his eyes. "You still have a conscience." He glanced at David, "I'm leaving."
After watching Simon drive away, Alice walked to David's side, flashing an innocent, bright smile and blinking at him, "Thanks."
Seeing that smile, David was seriously ticked off.