Chapter 124: Savior
Alex sat across from Jade in a booth at a local diner. Though it was late at night, they had both ordered coffee, and had also ordered some food to go with it. Alex chose a grilled cheese sandwich, which was his comfort food, while Jade chose mac and cheese.
The two of them ate in awkward silence for some time, and it was apparent to Alex that the girl was looking around for something, as if she were paranoid. Thus, he decided to use this as an icebreaker in order to help Jade talk through her issues.
“I notice you are darting your eyes around, as if you are looking for something, or someone. Are you alright?”
Jade did not even realize she was doing this, and felt slightly embarrassed as she confessed to what had happened to her earlier in the night.
“It’s nothing… I just ran into some assholes at a concert… I should have known a bunch of jocks only wanted me for my body…”
Alex smirked when he heard this and shook his head before confessing his thoughts about the matter.
“Yeah, jocks are fucking assholes… I know a thing or two about that.”
This remark caused Jade to look at Alex as if he were an idiot, before posing what was supposed to be a rhetorical question.
Contrary to what the girl was expecting, Alex simply shook his head and clicked his tongue before responding in a rather conceited tone.
“No, I’m a fighter… Don’t loop me in with those betas who choose to play with balls for a living. The only sports worth engaging in are those where you can dominate another man of your own size with your own strength and technique!”
This, of course, caused the young emo woman to giggle as she spoke her thoughts on Alex’s comments.
“That’s sounds pretty gay…”
Alex sighed in response to this and shook his head before taking another sip of his coffee before responding to the woman’s comments.
“You’re a woman, you wouldn’t understand a man’s natural drive to engage in violence… anyway, so these jocks, are they the reason you wanted to take those pills?”
A rather grim expression appeared on Jade’s pretty face, as she shook her head before answering honestly, albeit hesitantly. She still did not wholly trust Alex not to be with Chad and his friends.
“No… I mean yes! Kind of… They were simply the last straw… I have a lot of problems at home, and school, so I have been considering ending it all for a while now…”
With a slight nod of his head, Alex expressed his understanding of such a feeling with an almost gentle tone in his voice.
“Yeah… I can relate…. Luckily for me, those days are behind me. Do you want to talk about it?”
Jade bit her lip in frustration. She did not know why, but she could not help but vent out her suffering to this stranger, who at the very least seemed sympathetic and somewhat relatable. This went on for some time, as the two exchanged tales about their lives, which, for Alex, were a mix of past and present.
Everything from his mother in his past life cheating on his father and divorcing the man, to his little sister’s suicide. As well as the fact that his best friend had also killed himself after his fiancee had cheated on him with a lowlife.
Alex managed to blend the tales of his past life with this life and his new identity as Alex Smith. Including the stories where Diana abandoned him, as well as the bullying he suffered from Chad’s hands while growing up.
Though these two identities might seem contradictory, Alex had blended them masterfully, so it seemed like it was only one life. Meanwhile, Jade told Alex about her tragic past. When she was a small child, her mother had passed away during a car crash. Which Jade’s father blamed her for causing, due to the fact that she had distracted him while he was driving.
As a result, the man slipped into depression, and later alcoholism, in an attempt to cope with his mental issues. This eventually led him to becoming an abusive drunk who beat his daughter every night. She even had scars across her body that were a result of the floggings she would routinely receive from the man’s belt.
As if growing up without a mother, and being alone with an abusive drunk of a father wasn’t bad enough, then there was also the fact that Jade blamed herself for her mother’s death. Simply because the rest of her family treated her as if she was responsible for the accident and had done so since that tragic night.
In addition to all of this, there was also the relentless bullying in school that Jade received for being different. Emo kids were never really popular, and were always picked on, even during the days where the subculture was at its height.
But in today’s degenerate hip-hop culture, which was prevalent across the entire country, an emo girl like Jade, who listened to heavy metal, with harsh vocals, and disturbing lyrics, was considered a bona fide freak. Her unique appearance also didn’t help in these matters, either.
After listening to the many reasons why Jade wanted to kill herself. Alex had actually felt a deep and intimate connection with the young woman. In a way, they both experienced abuse from one of their parents. With Alex having received nothing but neglect from his mother in his past life ever since the moment she received custody of him. While Jade was actually physically beaten by her father.
Then there was also the fact that they both felt responsible for the death of a family member. And in many ways were socially ostracized by their peers. Alex had developed a borderline sociopathic personality in response to his trauma. Insofar that he no longer cared about anyone other than himself for the most part. And because of this, he had chosen to live a life of self-reliance. Fearful of trusting others or even accepting their help.
But Jade was not as mentally strong as him. How could she be? She was, after all, a teenage girl. One who desperately needed someone else to rely upon. It was because of this that after hearing the girl’s story, Alex decided to be that person for her.
Even if Jade wasn’t a heroine, Alex would have wanted to help her, anyway. Thus, he felt a great deal of sympathy for this girl, and after nearly two hours of talking about their problems. He gave her his number and made her a promise that she would never forget.
“If you want me to, I can set you up with a place to stay, free of charge until we can find you a proper place to live on your own. I don’t want you going back to your father tonight. From what you have told me, it sounds like he is quite literally one drunken assault away from killing you, and I would never be able to live myself if I let such a thing happen.
Tomorrow I’ll hire some movers to visit your father’s place and bring your things back to your new room. You’re an adult now, and you don’t have to suffer from such abuse and dread any longer. Your father doesn’t control your life anymore!”
Jade broke out into tears once more when she heard Alex’s offer. She couldn’t believe such a random stroke of good luck had befallen her. It was almost as if the heavens had sent her Alex during her darkest moment to help her out of her desperate situation. She did not know why Alex was going to such lengths, and was quick to ask about it.
“Why? Why are you willing to go to such lengths to help me, a stranger?”
Alex sighed and leaned back in his booth when he thought about this. Before answering the girl honestly with a grim expression on his face.
“Perhaps this is my redemption…. I could have saved my sister all those years ago, but I didn’t. I was too absorbed in trying to escape from the world around me. And she died because of it. I also could have saved my best friend when his fiancee cheated on him. But I was too busy focusing on other things… I ignored two people close to me when they needed me most, and the results were… Well, you already know what happened.
Also… If you do end up meeting my family, don’t mention anything that I told you here tonight… They wouldn’t understand what I’m talking about for a variety of complicated reasons.”
Though Jade still believed that those assholes from earlier might pop out from some hiding place and tell her that she was being pranked. She decided to take a chance and believe Alex. And thus; she agreed to his offer on the spot.
“Alright… I can’t face that man again! If I do… I don’t know if I will be able to hold on past the night! Please… Save me!”
Alex smiled when he heard this. It was not a conceited smirk like he normally wore, but rather a genuine heartfelt smile, as if some of his internal wounds had slowly begun to heal over the fact that he was helping this girl. Thus he paid for the check, and walked the girl back to the bar where he parked his car, before driving her to the massive casino that resided in the Las Vegas strip.
The moment he entered the building with the girl, Jade was overwhelmed by the glitz and glamour of it all. She was amazed that Alex was willing to pay for such an expensive room for her to live in for god knows how long.
Despite living in Vegas all of her life, Jade had never actually visited any of the casinos and resorts on the strip. Thus, she barely even noticed when Alex approached the receptionist’s desk. That was, of course, until the girl at the desk immediately noticed Alex and treated him with the highest respect.
“Mr. Smith! I wasn’t expecting you so late at night! Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Alex wore a charming smile as he spoke to the receptionist about his current predicament.
“I need you to set up a room for my friend here. Her living conditions are kind of toxic at the moment, and she will be our guest for the foreseeable future. Just use my account info to settle the expenses. Alright?”
The receptionist smiled and shook her head before informing Alex that such a thing wasn’t necessary.
“Your mother has requested that any and all of your requests are to be taken care of at her expense. Since this friend is a guest of yours, you do not need to worry about paying for her. Whether it’s room and board, laundry service, or even dining. It shall all be taken care of by the Chairwoman. I will set her up with one of our suites that is currently unoccupied.”
After several moments, the receptionist handed Alex two sets of keys, one for himself, and one for his guest. Before giving him a solid wink, as if saying, “I’m rooting for you, Master Alex!” Alex simply smiled at the woman before returning to Jade, where he handed her the key to her room.
“Alright, it’s all taken care of. You don’t need to worry about a thing, your laundry will be taken care of, and if you want to order room service or dine at any of the resort’s restaurants, just bill it to your room, and it will be taken care of.
Like I said, I’ll have someone haul your stuff over tomorrow. And then I can look into getting you an actual place closer to the university so you can get to campus easier in the fall when you start attending courses at UNLV.”
Jade could honestly not believe that Alex had lived up to his promises. He had actually got her out of her toxic environment and planned to help her re-establish herself in a new life. Tears once more fell from the woman’s pink/purple eyes as she hugged Alex and thanked him for all of his help.
“Thank you… Thank you… Thank you so much! I can never repay you for the help you have given me, but I will strive to do so!”
Alex simply smirked and petted the girl’s pastel pink hair before assuring her that he was fine.
“I have enough money. Besides the fact that I’m related to the woman who is now the Chairwoman over a quarter of Vegas’ casinos and resorts, I also have a small fortune of my own. I don’t need you to pay me back, but if you feel the need to do so, just promise me that you will do everything you can to live a better life. And if you need anything from me, even if it’s just someone to talk to, you have my number. Get some rest Jade, because your new life begins tomorrow.”
Alex then escorted the girl to her room, and did not leave her side until she was properly settled in. Once he had closed the door behind him, he saw a message appear from the system that made him smile.
[Jade is incredibly thankful for your help!]
[+20 Affection from Jade]
[Jade’s Affection: 95/100]
Alex nodded his head when he saw this before taking the elevator to his penthouse, where he got ready for bed. As for Jade, she took a shower and got ready for bed. Where she stayed cradled in the large queen-size mattress. There was a deep sense of anxiety in her heart that prevented her from sleeping.
After all, she had seen Alex pocket the second key. And thus she genuinely believed he might come into her room and force himself upon her. Thus she stayed in bed shivering like a wounded dog until the sun began to rise.
When Jade realized that Alex was not actually going to hurt her, she sighed heavily in relief. While her thoughts drifting towards Alex, and the kindness he had shown her as she drifted off into sleep with a wide and loving smile on her face. Though Alex was asleep and could not see it. The system sent him another message once Jade had finally passed out.
[Jade is amazed that your kindness was genuine, and not some concealed attempt to hurt her. She has fallen head over heels in love with you, and will do anything you ask without hesitation!]
[+30 Affection from Jade!]
[Jade’s Affection: 125/200]