Page 94 of It Was Always You

Lexi:Do you hate me now?

Lexi:Me and my dad don't share the same feelings about you.

Lexi:Am I just fooling myself with you? Was it really a fling like Easton said?

Lexi:Am I really that bad of a kisser?

Lexi:Are you okay?

Lexi:I understand if you don't want to talk to me anymore. But please just let me know that you made it home okay. I'm worried about you.

A text from Easton came through just as I finished reading Lexi's texts.

Easton:Is everything okay? Lexi's worried. She's starting to think you either hate her or that you died in a car accident.

I laughed. Lexi was awesome.

Noah:Tell her I'm okay now. Just been dealing with family stuff.

Easton:Anything I can help with?

Noah:We're okay now. Staying with my dad for a while.

35

LEXI

Easton steppedinto my room a few minutes later. "Noah is alive."

I sighed, relieved that he was okay. "Did he say anything else?"

"He said he's dealing with some family stuff right now. When I asked if he needed anything, he said he didn't."

I nodded. "Thanks for texting him."

Easton nodded then sulked back down the hall.

Noah was okay. But for some reason, he wasn't responding back to me. I tried not to be too sad about it. Easton must've been right after all. I was just a convenient target for Noah to make-out with when he wanted something to distract him, nothing more.

I tried not to feel my heart ripping apart inside of meat the thought; instead, I decided I might as well go to bed and not sit here waiting for nothing.

I was washing my face when my phone beeped. When I checked the screen, my heart stuttered in my chest.

It was a message from Noah.

Noah:Meet me outside by your window.

I walkedout into the dining room as calmly as I could. My dad was sitting at the kitchen table going through some paperwork.

"Did you check the mail today?" I asked him, hoping that he hadn't.

He frowned and shook his head. "It's Sunday. They don't deliver the mail on Sunday."

"Actually, they do now. I'm just going to go check it."

"Expecting a package?" My dad narrowed his gaze and I worried I might have tipped him off.

I shrugged and tried to keep my face neutral and unconcerned. I knew I shouldn't be sneaking around, especially after our conversation yesterday. But I just needed a few minutes with Noah to talk about things before my dad was hovering over us.

---