Page 14 of Way Too Close

“You’re looking forward to having lunch with Xochitl.”

What he’d give to be able to say the same thing. Lex’s other line beeped. He glanced down at the caller ID.Sonia. Nope. He was far more interested in what else his sister might have to share about Xochitl, so he sent the call to voicemail. He went back to watching the video of Vannah pranking Xochitl. It’d been two years damn it, and he’d never even kissed the girl. Why in thehellwas he incapable of watching the damn thing without smiling like an idiot? Okay, itwasfunny. He’d never been able to listen to his sisters’ laugh so uncontrollably without chuckling himself, and there was no shortage of Vannah cackling in the video. Still, his eyes were focused onherthe entire time. He even slowed, then paused it a few times on Xochitl’s face like a fucking creeper. But he just couldn’t get enough of those eyes.Princess Jazzy. Vannah’s voice on the other end broke him out of his trance. “So, anyway tomorrow my bestie is coming over for the first time in too long and I’m so looking forward to it. I’m making herquesabirrias. Her favorite.” There was an unusual silence for a bit too long before his sister spoke up again. “Taz, you okay? Anything you wanna talk about? This last-minute transfer stressing you out?”

“No.” He got up to get his evening bowl of cereal. “I’m good. It’s been a little stressful, but I got this.”

For a moment, he had thoughts of stopping by unannounced at his sister’s around lunchtime tomorrow. But there was no way he could even consider it. Not just because he was certain Vannah would mention to Xochitl about talking to him today and telling him about their lunch tomorrow, it’d be too pathetically obvious. At least to Xochitl it would be. Since from what he could tell, Vannah still didn’t know anything about what happened the night of her wedding. But also, because she’d just told him she was looking forward to catching up with her friend. His stopping by would interrupt their girl talk for sure. Plus, there was still the issue of her boyfriend. There was the possibility he might drop her off or pick her up. Maybe even hang there for a bit and Lex would have to be witness to him around her. Even after all this time Lex hadn’t forgotten how amazing it’d felt to hold her the night of the wedding. With Xochitl’s hot curves, he was certain any guy she was with, would likely be as incapable of keeping his hands off her as Lex had felt once he’d had her in his arms. An entitled boyfriend would likely do it openly, even around other people.Fuckthat. Vannah moved on to talk of the reality show and how her and Byron would likely start house hunting next year when she was done with school and got her restaurant up and running. It’s the only reason they hadn’t already. Their mom had warned them that while investing in a home was the smart thing to do, it was a big responsibility with never ending projects. Neither Vannah, nor Byron had time for that right now. But it’s not like they were wasting money on rent. The apartment above the shop was rent free to any part owner. So, they were in no hurry to move out. It pleased Lex to hear his sister back to her cheery self after everything she and Byron had been put through that past year. His parents had been right about the scandal blowing over just as soon as the next big story took over social media. Problem was, since the story had gone viral, the idiots online were milking it for what it was worth. Because the rumors about their aunt being unfaithful with Beast even way back, had been so popular and Vannah being Byron’s wife, they began focusing heavily onherfamily. His sisters’ online channels were really popular now as well, so naturally they’d stick with what worked the first time and went after her family next. Strangely, in each instance, the stories posted were all true and no one had any idea who was leaking them. None were as juicy as the one about Beast and Aunt Sarah, and these other stories were much newer ones too. Like in the past couple of years, but it was enough to upset his sister each time and that’s all that had mattered to Lex. It pissed him off that they had a mole in their circle of friends of family—possibly getting paid for this shit. There hadn’t been anything new in months, and it’d been that long since he’d had to deal with hearing his sister down about it, so he was hopeful they’d heard the end of it. Though his parents had warned it came with the territory. Celebrities had been complaining forever that their lives were no longer private. Vannah and Byron would just have to take the good with the bad and not let it get to them so bad.

Lex had since decided there was no way Xochitl could—would—have anything to do with it. There was just no way and once the newer stories started surfacing, he was even more convinced of it. It was one thing to think she might’ve leaked the first one to sock it to Lex because she was pissed about what happened between them. While he hadn’t gotten the chance to really get to know her, Lex knew enough. She’d struck him a lot of things starting from way back when he first met her, and then later when he’d gotten more of a chance to talk and hang out with her. But evil or even vengeful wasn’t one of them. After getting off the phone with his sister, Lex chastised himself for the usual feelings of bittersweetness each time he talked to her. While he loved his sister and her cheery demeanor always made him smile, he hated how ever since Xochitl cut him off, talking to Vannah was the only time he was forced to inevitably dwell on it. Deciding he’d concentrate on all the shit he still had to do before the impending transfer instead, he groaned when he remembered how little time, he had left to do so.

Xochitl

It’d been a several weeks since she last met up with Vannah. But you’d think the way she shrieked and hugged her upon arriving at her place it’d beenyears. It warmed Xochitl’s heart though. She’d always wanted a sister and Vannah was the closest thing she had to one now. Despite obviously not beingnearlyas buoyant as Vannah about everything, Xochitl had to admit, she too was excited about spending time with her dear friend. They ate the, as usual, delicious meal Vannah made for them with all the fixings as they caught up. Vannah was one year away from getting her culinary degree and as expected was as excited as she was nervous about it. They spoke of her opening up her very own Moreno’s restaurant right there in Boyle Heights. “But I don’t want it to be as fancy as the ones my family have now.” Vannah wiped her mouth. “I want it to be a more laid-back version. Something that’d be popular with the college crowd. This way there’d never be any shortage of customers. I was thinking of maybe even something with entertainment.”

“What more entertainment can your customers get than having the men of Bad Boy’s parading in and out of your joint.” Xochitl rolled her eyes. “Because of the type of reality show it is, even the men will be man crushing.” Xochitl dipped herquesabirriain the mouthwateringconsommé then groaned after biting into it. With her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her head, she shook her head before wiping her mouth. “Oh my God, girl. Even if this were the only thing on the menu, you are going to have a never-ending line at your restaurant.”

Vannah smiled big. “From your lips to Gods ears. I’m praying it works out.”

“Trust me. There’s no way your food won’t be popular. Reality show stars in there or not.Noway.”

Pointing at the tray ofquesabirriason the table, Vannah giggled. “Every time I make these, I feel a little guilty.”

“Why?”

“It’s the first thing I ever cooked here, before I moved in. That day Nena talked me into pranking Byron way back.”

Xochitl closed her eyes for just a moment as she took another bite of her food. The reminder of that day brought on instant thoughts of meeting Lex for theveryfirst time when he’d stopped by to visit his sister at their dorm and Vannah had first talked about the prank. Xochitl remembered how blown away she’d been about seeing him in person for the first time. She’d seen plenty of photos Vannah showed her on her phone. But those picturesdid notdo those dimples justice. To her credit however, she’d been just as equally annoyed by the little punk’s attempts to rattle and flirt with her. If she could roll her eyes inwardly, she would at that last thought. What good had it done her to ward off his attempts to flirt with her that first time? She’d still fallen for hisbullshit, just that following summer at the wedding. Using the annoyance, the very thought brought on, she peered at her friend disapprovingly. “Well, youshouldfeel guilty.” She shook her head tsking, though she smirked. “I’d be so pissed if any guy I was seeing ever did that to me.”

“Speaking of.” Vannah poured more consommé into Xochitl’s near empty container. “How are things going with you and Cade?” Shrugging, Xochitl gave Vannah her rehearsed response to this. “It’s going”—Not really— “We both stay so busy and the long distance between us does take its toll. Things are going fine though, and we try to get together as often as we can. But we both have so much going on all the time; our together time gets cancelled a lot. But we’re good.” It wasn’t entirely untrue. Like she’d told her mom more than once now, the day she told Vannah about her and Cade talking exclusivity a year ago, nearly two years after their breakup, she really had thought it ideal. They’d talked a few times about getting back together before then. Cade had always said it was just a matter of time. That they belonged together—they were soulmates—and for a long time Xochitl had thought the same thing. Of course, shewouldn’t tell Vannah it was her stupid jerk of a brother who now had her questioning whether she’deverbeen in love with Cadeat all. In hindsight, things between her and Cade had been child’s play.

As a chubby girl with little confidence, growing up with a guy friend she could count on as a date for all school events, then graduating to first kisses and every other teenage rite of passage he’d been God sent. He’d helped her overcome that insecurity and inadvertently helped her gain the rightful confidence in the curves that for too long had been the bane of her existence. Xochitl had always been and would forever be grateful for him. She loved him even now as a good friend. He was a safe bet. But looking back now, as much as she tried, she’d never have that heart thudding experience she’d read so much about and had finally experienced the few times she’d been around Lex. And as convincing as she’d tried to be when she told her mom and really believed how ideal their situation with him was, within weeks she’d been back to just feeling that samegratefullove she’d had for him since they were kids.

For weeks now, she’d been using the excuse more and more of her course load being so much heavier than normal to see him too often. Itwastrue. Her classes were condensed into the much shorter summer session, so she had three times more homework than during a normal length semester. But she’d only taken three classes this summer. The minimum required for her scholarship to cover their part of her dorm expense. “Yeah, maybe if you and I weren’t such overachievers,” Vannah said dipping herquesabiriainto the consommé. “Like not even taking the summers off school, we’d have more time for fun. Thank God, Byron and I are married and live together. Otherwise, I’d probably be in the same boat.”

Xochitl couldn’t help rolling her eyes playfully. “Are you kidding me? You two would be inseparable no matter what.” While she’d still gotten together a few times in the past weeks with Cade, it was nothing like the connection she knew Vannah, and Byron had felt for one another even before they’d officially met. She suppressed the feelings of utter jealousy. Because she was genuinely happy Vannah had fallen so hard for someone who’d been equally enamored with her, from the get-go. Just like what she’d begun to feel for Lex in such a short time. Only in Xochitl’s case . . .ugh! She refused to sulk about it anymore.

She didn’t even realize she’d shaken her head in frustration until she noticed Vannah peering at her in question, and it broke her out of her thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

Feeling her eyes go a little wide, Xochitl thought fast. “Oh, nothing you talking about living together with Byron was a reminder of who I have to live with.”

Vannah crinkled her nose. “That bad still?”

Sighing, Xochitl shrugged. “I think you ruined it for every dormmate I’ve had since you moved out.”

“Aw!” Vannah said reaching out and squeezing her arm. Smiling, Xochitl went on. “Gina’s not so bad. She’s just so distant and reclusive. It’s like living with a stranger even after the whole summer session. Being in the same room with her is always so awkward. She hardly talks and if I try to strike up a conversation about anything, not even anything personal, she always ends up cutting it short and going to her room. So, I’ve basically given up trying. But she’s not as bad as the ones prior.” Lifting her hand up before Vannah could say anything because she was already grinning. “I’ll be the first to admit that while I don’t think I’m nearly as bad as those bitches were, two surly people living under the same roof just doesn’t work. So, I guess reclusive is better than the alternative.”

“Well, you did say it’s her first time away from home,” Vannah offered. “Maybe she’ll come around eventually.”

“I doubt it.”

“Are you considering a change again?”

“No,” Xochitl shook her head adamantly. “Like I said, I’d rather deal with someone quiet who keeps to herself, than another bitchy roommate I’ll butt heads with. It’s only one more year. I can pretend I live alone.”

Vannah nodded and laughed. “That’s true.”

About an hour later they had to part ways. Both had homework and Xochitl had a basket full of laundry to fold. In pure Vannah fashion, it took a few minutes to say goodbye since Vannah hugged her friend several times before letting her go.

As usual when she got back to her dorm, it was quiet. Gina was likely holed up in her room as usual. Even though it surprised Xochitl that her bedroom door was open. Even more surprising was that Gina called out for her when she walked by her room.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com