Julius felt good about how his plan was coming together as he left Dominic and Mason.
Ayla and Alexander were waking up from their much-needed power nap as Julius was walking back into the apartment.
Sleep was not something the pair had gotten a lot of since their initial encounter in the woods.
Ayla went to stretch and realized that she couldn't, as the prior events came flooding back to her.
Not only was Alexander nearly on top of her, but she pulled her arm and remembered that it was attached to his.
The arm that came from under her while lying on her side was pulled up toward the arm that was draped over her, owned by him.
Both their wrists branding a black metal cuff.
"Are you going to let me go yet" she whined when she realized he was conscious.
"No".
Alexander grabbed onto her tighter.
He had no intention of letting her go or getting out of bed yet.
She huffed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere" she said.
"How do I know that? If you aren't trying to go anywhere, then I don't need to let go".
His words hit her hard.
She thought about what to say.
"This isn't comfortable. I'm not going anywhere".
He was quick with his response, with his eyes closed.
"How do I know that"?
She recently said those same words to him, and she knew exactly how it felt to hear them.
How do you prove something like that?
"You don't" she let out in a defeated sound, "but you can try to trust that I mean what I say".
His head came up off her shoulder as he positioned himself to look into her eyes.
"You promised me that you wouldn't run before".
Those words cut her deep.
"I know. This time is different. Leaving you hurt me..." she started, but felt his lips on hers.
"Okay".
He didn't say anything else as he removed the cuff from her wrist, and she started rubbing where it was.
She began to stand and stretch as if she hadn't had her whole life.
Suddenly, she yelled, "THANK THE STARS" as she bolted to the door.
Alexander was in a state of shock.
Unsure of what was happening, he jumped to his feet.
"What the hell"!
He was positive that she was being serious with her confession.
Julius wasn't sure what was happening as Ayla darted past him.
Then he saw Alexander chasing after her, handcuffs dangling from his wrist, and he no longer wished to know.
"COME BACK HERE" he yelled after her, and she didn't appear to slow down.
Not in the least bit.
'SLAM'!
The bathroom door attached to the living room slammed shut.
Loud laughing could be heard from behind it, accompanied by a loud "AAHHHHHH" after.
Julius couldn't help but laugh slightly himself.
Alexander threw himself against said door.
"Really, you thought that was the right thing to do" he said, sounding defeated.
He hadn't decided whether to be mad or laugh.
She made him think that she was bolting, and she was, to the bathroom.
His heart couldn't take the hell she was putting him through.
"You know you are going to be the death of me, right" he told her.
"That was for last night. How dare you think it was okay to keep me prisoner, asshole".
"Prisoner! How dare you think I would ever" he laughed.
Knowing she wasn't mad because she giggled after, helped him breathe after her words.
Julius was looking at his friend, amused.
"You handcuffed her" he laughed.
Alexander knew he would never hear the end of this.
"Did you not see how she was acting? It was the same exact way she was the last time she ran. I couldn't take the chance of her running again".
Ayla was listening in from the bathroom, feeling guilty again, but then she heard Julius laugh.
"Don't you think that was a bit extreme, Alex"?
With a stern and firm voice, Alexander replied.
"NO".
"Alexander. She is not going to let you get away with stunts like that. Have you not learned anything about her" he laughed.
Ayla started laughing from the bathroom as she opened the door.
"I think he figured that out" she said, raising an eyebrow at him.
He still didn't think it was funny as he rolled his eyes and looked away from her.
Then, Alexander got a sly smile and looked back at her, "I don't know. I think you might have enjoyed this stunt".
Ayla didn't want to acknowledge anything, "You mean running from you? Yeah, I did".
"Whatever. Where are you coming from"?
Alexander was now directing his attention to Julius.
Alexander didn't like the feeling that they were both ganging up on him.
"Well, I just finished getting all the guys settled into apartments on the second floor. You should have seen their faces as I showed them everything we came with. It was like it was a whole new world".
Ayla piped in from the couch that they were now all sitting on together.
"Because it is. For all you know, they lived in caves in the woods before this. Not saying that they did, but what do you really know about where they come from? Don't just assume everyone lives like you" she scolded.
Julius felt bad about his comment now.
He knew she was right because he didn't know how they had lived, let alone how she had truly been living.
"Well, as I was thinking about everything, I figured they needed something to do now, you know, daily. Since chasing you is off the table. What better than to work at some of the vacant club positions".
Alexander was looking at him, upset.
Julius didn't seem to catch the look or thoughts directed at him, at first.
"You offered them jobs at the club without asking me" Alexander snarled.
He was trying to keep his cool, but anger was starting to boil over.
"Since when do we make independent decisions about the club. Every decision is made together. Now, you are bringing people into our apartment and making a team. Hell, you're even giving them an apartment to live in inside the building without talking about it first".
Alexander was starting to wonder if his best friend's alliance had shifted.
Julius raised an eyebrow and looked from Alexander to Ayla and back to Alexander.
He didn't have to say anything, but he gave it a second and then spoke.
"Am I the one who started making independent decisions? What about the one that started bringing a random person to the apartment without talking first"?
Alexander couldn't believe that he just said that.
Ayla was right there beside them, and it was not the same.
"That was different, and you know it" he answered.
Ayla knew that they were talking about her as she slumped back into the couch.
She knew that she was causing a rift between the two friends, but she didn't know what to do.
Nothing she could say in that moment would help.
Would it be best to just stay quiet?
Yes, she needed to just stay quiet and let Alexander defend himself.
She waited as she listened to Julius speak.
"Is it that different than what I did. It's all in the name of protecting her. The goal is the same in the end. Why are you so mad at me for doing what you did"?
Alexander was mad.
Only because deep down he knew his friend was right, but he didn't want to admit it, not yet.
Or maybe, he didn't want to admit it to himself.
Whatever the case might be, he dug in ten toes deep to defend himself.
"I never brought all those people into our hidden apartment building. This was our place of safety from the world, and you brought them here in hopes of making a team and gave them an apartment to live in. I never did that" Alexander said defensively, "let alone I never took it to the club".
Julius was in disbelief, throwing his hands in the air as he went to speak, before reigning both his hands and words back in.