Page 55 of It Was Always You

"I know what you mean. But I'm going back this weekend. I can't overstay your much-too-generous hospitality for long. I don't want to risk your dad taking away yourcollege tuition if he finds out that you're letting me sleep in your closet."

"Does Easton know about any of this with your mom?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. I, um, like to keep some things just in the family."

She nodded and gave me a small smile. "I appreciate you telling me. I know it wasn't easy."

"That's the understatement of the year." I blew out a low breath. "Just try to forget the whole part where I teared up. I kind of have a reputation for being a tough guy."

She laughed lightly. "That secret is safe with me, too."

17

LEXI

The doorbell ranga few minutes after Noah and I had finished our conversation.

"I'll get it." Noah stood from the couch.

I watched him as he walked up the stairs. His broad shoulders carried much more of a load than I'd ever imagined. I still couldn't believe what he'd told me about his stepdad. I'd always wondered who Noah was getting into fights with, but I'd never imagined it was happening in his own home. It hurt my heart to think about what was happening to his mom and how because she was too scared to leave, she was putting Noah and his little sister in danger.

Noah was even stronger than I'd known. I definitely couldn't deal with all the stuff he had to. He should be having a fun, carefree senior year. Not sleeping in his caror sneaking into my bedroom because he had nowhere else to rest his head for the night.

"The movie is all set up downstairs," I heard Noah say to Jake as they walked closer to the top of the staircase.

"Hi, Lexi." Jake waved when he made it to the family room. "Thanks for letting me join you guys."

I nodded and adjusted my position on the couch. "No problem."

"I don't think we've officially met, but I've definitely been hearing a lot about you this week." Jake sat on the opposite end of the sectional, tossing the throw pillows to the cushion next to him.

"Hopefully good things," I said. Though I knew the reason why everyone was talking about me was because of my new ‘relationship’ with Noah.

Jake laughed. "Yeah, mostly good." He turned to Noah. "How was it to have Ashlyn and Luke find you two making out under the bleachers today?"

"What?" I asked, feeling my neck grow hot. I knew Jake and Luke were good friends, but why were they talking about that?

"Who told you they saw us?" Noah asked.

"Luke overheard Raven talking in P.E. about how she thought you guys were only pretending to date. So when he heard what she was saying, he told everyone what he saw."

I looked at Noah, anxious to see what he felt aboutthis. His jaw flexed. He wasn't happy about Ashlyn and Luke catching us after all. I should have known. I knew he wasn't over Ashlyn yet. It was obvious with how he hadn't touched me again after they'd found us.

But he pushed the annoyed look off his face and took his seat on the cushion next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders and squeezing me against his side. "Oh, it's real, right babe?"

"Yeah, definitely real." I managed to croak out.

But I wondered if Jake bought it, since Noah removed his arm from my shoulders the next moment to grab the controller and get the movie started.

He really didn't want to touch me anymore, did he? He'd been so touchy-feely in front of people at school the past couple of days that his complete lack of physical contact after our kiss was messing with my mind.

Whatdidhe think about me after that kiss, anyway? Had I really been that bad of a kisser? I'd thought it had gone well enough. It had definitely been good on my end, at least.

And he wouldn't have told me those things about his family if he'd felt nothing for me, right?

But then again, hehadinvited Jake to watch the movie with us. Was that so he wouldn't have to be alone with me again?

Noah started the movie and reclined his seat, so I found the lever between the cushions to recline mine aswell, hoping the show would take away my worries for the moment.

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