Page 34 of Navigating Lexie

Lexie

Lexieclosedhereyes and relished in the moment. She was hyper-aware of the steam enveloping them, but even the temperature of the hot tub couldn’t compete with the heat between them as Nav placed his hand upon her cheek. She could feel the lingering love between them radiate as if it were electromagnetic.

She knew she was crouched down in the center of the hot tub on a stable patio, but she still felt as if her body was rocking against the water like a wave. Nav’s hand against her body stabilized her, bringing her back down to earth. She was drunk. She was entirely too drunk to be this close to Nav but couldn’t seem to find the words to pull herself away from him. Instead of pulling away, Lexie leaned her body into his, reaching beside him for the liquor. Just as her fingers brushed against the bottle, Nav snatched it out of her grasp and used his other hand to wrap around her waist. She could feel his fingertips against her back and his large hand covered most of her.

“Lou, I think maybe we should take a break from the whiskey,” he said in a near whisper with his gruff, yet buttery smooth voice. Despite the warmth around them, a shiver ran down her spine. She pulled her head up and bounced her eyes around his face, trying to stabilize her sight. He was starting to blur and that’s when Lexie realized it was probably a good idea to listen to him. Nav’s left hand remained on her waist as he settled the bottle behind him and placed his other hand on the opposite side of her waist, pulling her closer to him. Their faces were only inches apart and Lexie found the sudden and immediate need to close the gap between them. Nav must have felt it too, because as she shifted closer, so did he, but instead of meeting his lips with hers, they landed squarely on her cheek. His scruff brushed against her smooth skin and she felt the familiar ache deep inside herself wanting more of him. His breath danced over her ear as he whispered, “I wish you knew how much I want this. How much I want you. But not like this. Not like this Lou.” He kissed her cheek again and held his warm lips against the side of her face for a moment before pulling away to look her in the eyes. She opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of a sliding glass door swooshing open pulled her eyes from his to directly above his head to the deck overlooking the pool. She quickly pulled away from Nav and leaned against the side of the tub looking up to see who was standing on the patio.

Sedona’s voice carried down to the hot tub. “Hey you two, there’s food up here! You probably need to eat something.”

Mother Sedona caring for her little sheep.The thought alone made Lexie chuckle as she thought back to the first night she brought Sedona out with her after arriving at St. Augustine. She had convinced Sedona to let loose and have a good time and all throughout the night, Eagle was her strong protector making sure she was safe. Lexie and Nav were always so careless at parties. They typically stuck together and even if they veered off in different directions, always landed in the same bed together side by side. Neither took on a protective role because neither felt the necessity. At least that’s how she saw things between them. There were some nights she couldn’t remember but knew she felt safe when she woke up with Nav beside her. Lexie called out to Sedona, wanting to escape the moment with Nav. She wanted Nav but found that hard to admit to herself. She felt like her body was betraying her because her mind was still saying it wasn’t okay to move on to Nav after Oliver. Nothing felt right and the grief complicated everything in her mundane life.

“Coming up!” she yelled out. She stood in the center of the hot tub and suddenly felt the world spin again. Nav’s hands quickly found their way back to her waist as he stabilized her against him. He whispered as he held her close.

“Let me help you. Please.”

She sighed but felt so unsteady on her feet that she gave in, letting him guide her out of the tub and onto the patio. The cool tiles brushed against her pruney toes as they walked together to the basement door. As Nav slid the door open, a gush of cold air met her skin, immediately causing her nipples to stand at attention. She wrapped her hands around her body and stood on the plush rug right beside the door. Nav swiped his feet a few times to dry them off and then walked over to a cabinet to grab a towel for her. He wrapped it around her shoulders and she reached up to tug it tight against her skin. He grabbed one for himself, draping it along his lower half before placing his hand on her back, ready to lead her up the stairs, but she didn’t budge.

“We should,” she paused as a small burp escaped her lips, “talk.” She covered her mouth just as the hiccups began. “I think--” she said, covering her mouth as a hiccup released. Nav shook his head and rubbed his hand on the small of her back.

“Plenty of time to do that tomorrow, Lou. Let’s get upstairs.”

As the hiccups consumed her, she knew her attempts at having a conversation were futile. She needed to stuff a hamburger into her face and climb straight into bed.

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