I skip my classes again. A decision I know I'll pay for later, but right now I have more pressing things on my mind. I sit alone in the apartment I shared with Liam, packing up my belongings. I take only what is truly mine. Anything we bought together he can burn for all I care.

I rent a truck and offer to pay some freshmen to load it up for me. We get to the truck rental place, and I spring for a storage unit. My helpers move my stuff in. It now contains everything I own, stored neatly in a 5-foot x 5-foot space. Everything except for a small box of clothes and personal items that I keep in the back of my car.

"Looks like my life hasn't really amounted too much," I think miserably, before shutting and locking the unit. I drive the freshmen back to campus, give them their money, and thank them for their time.

I sit in my car for a few minutes, trying to take everything in. Okay, genius, where to next? I pull out the storage unit key to put it on my keyring, but I have the wrong key. Alex's key is in my hand. I put both keys on the ring and drive to Alex's place.

William has been texting me every half hour since the second period. He wants to talk, but I can't right now. I don't want to see anyone. I just want to be left alone. Upon opening up the apartment door, I see Alex hasn't put away the sofa bed. 

I fold it up and put away the pillow and blanket, wash the dishes, dry them, and put them away as well. I open my schoolbooks to start my coursework, but soon have to give up, being completely unable to concentrate.

I jump in the shower, hoping it will wake me up enough so I can focus, and that's when it hit me. Like a knife to the heart, the pain is crippling and my tears mingle with the spray of the shower as I slide down the wall and sit on the floor. I don't know how long I sat there and cried.

A knock on the bathroom door startles me back to reality. "Cat?"

Alex?

I turn off the water and step out of the shower. I wrap a towel around myself.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm..." about to say fine, but I'm so far from it. I am a hot mess. I don't even know where to start sorting out my life, and so I begin to cry all over again.

"I'm coming in," Alex warns as he opens the door. He doesn't say a word. One look and he just wraps his arms around me and holds me while I sob. I try to stop. I feel so foolish, but now that the floodgates are open, there is no stopping the flow of tears that threaten to drown me.

Alex leads me out to the other room and sits me on the bed. He grabs his robe from the back of the door and puts it around my shoulders. I shrug into it, grateful for the small amount of decency it provides. He leaves and comes back with a towel and begins gently to towel dry my hair so it isn't dripping down my face and neck.

I sit there motionless as he takes care of me. Finally, the tears stop.

Alex kneels in front of me. His hands rest on my knees as he looks up at my tear-stained face. "Better?" he asks.

I just nod. He smiles at me, gets up, and leaves the room. He comes back with my box in his hands, which he places by my feet. "Take your time, get dressed, and I'll be out there if you need me."

He walks out of the room and shuts the door behind him. I feel so ashamed. How did I come to this? I dress in a pair of stretch jeans and a soft sweater. I can't find my socks, so I go without them.

I am embarrassed. I can't believe I just blubbered all over Alex, and he just stood there and let me. No, he did more than let me, he held me, comforted me. He... took care of me.

When did I become that kind of girl? Needing to be taken care of? I am more than capable of taking care of myself. 

I decide I have to tell Alex I will stay one more night and then I'll find somewhere else to go. It's hard facing him when I come out of the bedroom.

Alex is sitting on the sofa, and as I approach, he holds out a cup of tea. I take it, grateful to have something to wrap my hands around because I still feel so shaky. I take a seat at the other end of the sofa.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" I blow on the tea before taking a sip. I taste the tea, discovering it contains honey and lemon, which feel good on my throat, after all that crying.

"It scared William when you didn't answer your texts. I told him you'd seen your boyfriend this morning and that he looked mad. The longer time passed, the more frantic William became and then he confronted... Liam.. is it?"

I shake my head, yes.

"I'm not sure what they said, but William told me it was imperative to find you. So, on the off chance that you used my key, I thought I'd check here for you. I hope you don't mind, but I called William and told him you were safe."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to be so much trouble. Tomorrow I'll go. I just have to make an appointment with the RA and see if there is another room available somewhere. Until we figure that out, I'll just stay at a hotel."

Alex is already shaking his head. "You'll stay here."

"I... I can't, Alex. I just... hell, I'm not even certain I'll be continuing at this university. I have a lot on my plate right now and I don't want to be a burden to you or to anyone."

He reaches over and tucks a piece of my wet hair behind my ear. "Please stay."

"I..."

"Please, Cat. William will be a mess if you leave. He needs you, and I promise you'll be safe with me. You have nothing to fear here."

"I'm going through a bit of a situation," I say, not sure how much to reveal.

"I know," he admits and his words surprise me. Then I recall the reminder that popped up on my phone when he handed it to me.

"Just to be absolutely certain we are on the same page, what do you know?"

He looks embarrassed to say it. "I know you're pregnant."

Hearing it come from someone else feels even worse. I look away, unable to make eye contact.

"Did you tell William?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alex shake his head no. "Not my place."

"Thank you." I stare into my cup for a second or two, "I WILL tell him. Right now though I feel too..."

"Raw?" Alex supplies.

Raw is the perfect word to explain how I feel. "Yeah."

"It gets better," he informs me.

I wonder how he can sound so sure. "When?" I ask.

"Can't say, but it will happen. Of that I'm certain."

I want to believe him. I'd love to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. He reaches out and takes my hand. "Stay."

Alex's look is almost pleading. I feel myself cave despite my reservations. I squeeze his hand. "Okay."

He squeezes my hand back, and that brilliant smile of his spreads across his features. I can feel it warming me from within.

"I have to get back to class. Give me your roster and I'll stop by your professors. I'll tell them you will be out for a few days with the flu and I'll pick up your assignments. You can work from here while you sort some things out."

"Thank you." It hardly seems enough to say for all that he's doing for me.

"You know you won't be able to keep William away forever?" 

"I know."

"He's not good with losing people. He doesn't let that many people in and I think losing you would destroy him."

"You care a lot for him, don't you?" This must be the real reason Alex is opening his home to me and making such offers. It's the only thing that makes sense.

"Yes," is all that he says in response, but that sad look returns.

"You should tell him," I offer. It's evident Alex loves William. I wish I could help him.

"He knows." Alex lets go of my hand and stands up. "Are you going to be okay here on your own?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I promise."

"Good. I'll be back after classes are over."

"Okay."

He gets to the door and turns back to look at me, his look sincere. "I'm glad you trusted me enough to use the key, Cat. I'm glad you're going to stay."

I try my best to smile back at him. "Me too, Alex. Me too."