Charles' POV
"Anywho, Alexander's back from the military for a break," she said suddenly, her voice lifting with excitement.
"No way! How long's he staying?" I asked, sitting up straighter.
"A month or two," she replied.
Alexander.
That name dragged a few memories out of the shadows — the kind that came with cigarette smoke, laughter too loud for the night, and Louis's constant disapproval.
He'd been one of those friends Louis never approved of. Not because of his tattoos — Louis had them too, though he kept his hidden like secrets under his shirts. No, it was something else. Something unspoken that always made the air between them feel charged.
Louis never said why he didn't like Alexander, but I'd seen the way his jaw tightened whenever Alex walked into the room. The kind of reaction that comes from old history — or old jealousy.
I leaned back on my bed, smirking faintly. "Haven't seen him in years. He still looks like he could kill a man with just a stare?"
