Clara slammed the door behind her and ran straight into the bedroom. She threw herself onto the bed and started sobbing immediately. What had she done? Could it really be that she lost her best friend and her boyfriend on the same day? Had she screwed up so badly that it was beyond the point where it could be fixed? She cried for what seemed like hours until her head was hurting and yet she still couldn't stop. Alex had never been so mad at her, he had never yelled at her like that before, he had never refused to sleep in their bed and suddenly she felt like she was a stranger in her own home. Only it wasn't her home, not really, it was his home and Alex was beginning to slip away from her. Clara wished she could be somewhere else, she wished she could be with John, wished that he would take her in his arms and kiss her head and tell her that everything was going to be fine. She wanted to be with him more than she wanted anything else right now. Clara knew that if she went over there right now he wouldn't turn her away, no matter how angry or confused he was, John would be there for her. But if she did that, if she left the house to be with John right now she could just as well pack her things because Alex would never forgive that and she still loved him, too, no matter the how much they had been fighting lately. And she began to wonder if maybe it wasn't Alex that was slipping away from her, but Clara slowly slipping away from him.
Clara hadn't heard the alarm go off. Instead she was woken by Alex who walked into the bedroom to find some clothes to wear – and he was carrying a garment bag.
“What is that for?” Clara asked immediately, afraid he might use it to pack up a few suits and move out. Her imagination was running wild before he even had the chance to answer.
But Alex dropped the bag on the bed.
“What is that?” she asked again.
“It's your dress for the ball tonight,” he explained and Clara could hear from the tone of his voice that he was still angry.
“My what?”
“I bought it for you in Seattle. I thought it would look good on you.”
Reluctantly Clara unzipped the bag, revealing a sparkling, midnight blue ball gown. For a moment she had no idea what to say.
“It's beautiful,” she said in a low voice and looked up at him. For a second she thought she saw a twinkling of satisfaction or even joy in his eyes, “Thank you.”
Clara cleared her throat. Her voice was still a bit husky from crying all night and somehow this beautiful gift only made her feel worse about what she had done to Alex. “So, we're still going to the Christmas ball? Together?”
“Unless you'd prefer to take John,” he replied coldly.
“Alex-”
“Yes, we're going to the ball together. I bought the dress, we took the dancing lessons, I don't want it to be for nothing. Besides, if we're there together Missy might think twice before she gossips about last night.”
“Missy is going to be there, too?” Clara asked, the horror all too audible in her voice.
“Yes,” Alex said sharply, “And I want you to be on your best behaviour. Tonight we will be the nice, perfect couple. If we're convincing, they might not believe what Missy is going to tell them. Can you do that?”
Clara nodded. Even though Alex was still angry with her, she had a feeling that if she was nice and did everything the way he wanted her to tonight at the ball, he would eventually get over their fight.