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Ten: We Need to Talk
Lex
Glancing out the dorm’s front window, Lex willed his sister to answer her phone. She did finally after the third ring. “Are you here?”
“Yeah,” he said starting back to his room. “Gonna start unpacking my stuff now. But I know you wanted me to let you know when I got here.” He could’ve just sent her a text like he usually did, but he was hoping he could casually get a few things out of her now. And he knew his high-spirited sister. She tended to offer more than he was asking whenever he inquired about even the most minor things. Glancing down at Bentley, he purposely clickedhis tongue at the sleeping dog. “Good boy.”
“Good boy? Who you talking to?”
“Xochitl’s St. Bernard.” He smiled. “I’m keeping an eye on him while she and her brother ran out to grab something for us to eat.
“Xochitl’s still there?”
“She is. I guess there was a last-minute change of plans.” He told her about Xochitl’s change of plans. “It’s why her brother’s here too. Brought her dog with him for the visit. I thought he was her boyfriend for a minute there when I first walked in. I’m assuming her man’s over a lot?”
“Oh no, he doesn’t even live in town.” Lex slowed his unpacking smiling even bigger as Vannah not only took the bait. As expected, without him having to ask straight out, she elaborated further. “I told you he’s her childhood sweetheart, right?”
Lex nodded. How could he forget? But he played it off. “Um, yeah I think I remember you saying something like that.”
“So, he lives back in her hometown.”
He reached for his tablet glancing out to the front room making sure Xochitl and her brother weren’t back yet. “Where’s that again? I think she mentioned it way back at the wedding, but I can’t remember now.”
Like he’d forgottenanythingthey’d spoken of each time they had. Even that very first time when he’d first met her. “Morro Bay,” Vannah offered without a hitch. “Up north. She’s a beach girl like me. Not sure how far that is, but it’s at least a couple of hours away.”
Three hours and twenty-four minutes to be exact, Lex smiled after tapping into Google Maps. Nice and far. Maybe this wouldn’t be so torturous after all. “Yeah, not familiar with it.”
“Anyway, she said the long-distance thing is taking its toll. He goes to school up there too so it’s hard for them to get together too often.” She had Lex hold for a few seconds while she checked her texts, before coming back on the line. “Just an advertisement. What was I saying?”
Banging a few boxes a little louder than necessary, so it’d be less obvious that he was hanging on Vannah’s every word about this, he cleared his throat. “Uh . . . something about Xochitl’s long-distance relationship?” “Oh, yeah, yeah.” His sister went on quickly as Lex smiled again a little too satisfied. “Because they were childhood sweethearts, they stayed friends even after they broke up. He even came down to see her a few times before they got back together, but she always made it sound like she didn’t think it’d ever work out again. Romantically they’d grown apart. It’s why I was surprised when she told me they ended up in bed a few times last year when he’d come down to see her, and it’s why they’d decided to give it another whirl.” Okay, Lex could’ve done without that last part, and it had him squeezing his eyes shut. Especially because seeing Xochitl again, despite his first assumption that her brother was her man, had been far more exciting than he cared to admit. Last thing he wanted now was a visual of her in bed with another dude. The sound of the front door opening, had him glancing out his bedroom door. “They’re back now,” he said lowering his voice. Lex promised to let Vannah know when the best day and time would be for her to come down and cook for him and Xochitl as soon as he had his schedule down. Then promised he wouldn’t tell Xochitl her bestiewas being gossipy about her and her boyfriend. “It’s not a secret or anything.” Vannah added before hanging up. “Xochitl’s always been an open book for the most part. She’ll probably tell you about him once you two get to know each other better. Especially if he comes down to see her.” Lex didn’t even want to think that far ahead. He could only hope with the guy living so far, Xochitl would know well in advance when he was coming, and Lex would make sure he wasn’t there when it happened. Judging by what he felt when he first walked in today, hedid notwant to be witness to Xochitl around her fucking boyfriend.
After getting off the phone with Vannah, he walked out into the kitchen where Xochitl and her brother were pulling containers of Chinese food out of two separate bags. “Hope you’re hungry,” Izel smiled. “Because I am and when I’m hungry I go a little overboard ordering.”
“No shit,” Lex said with a smirk as he watched him pull out the eighth or ninth Chinese box container. “How much do I owe you?”
“Not a cent,” Izel said without even looking up. “I told my sister I’d buy her lunch before I left, and my eyes are alwayswaybigger than my stomach. So, trust me, I would’ve gotten this much even if it were just the two of us.” “Ain’t that the truth?” Xochitl chuckled looking up at Lex. “Did you get all settled in?”
“Nah, I still have more unpacking to do.” He leaned against the counter. “I was on the phone with Vannah.”
“Don’t tell me,” Xochitl smiled with a playful roll of those beautiful eyes. “She wants to come over and cook for you.”
“Yep. But I told her I’d let her know when I get my full schedule.”
They made small talk, as they passed the containers around and they ate straight out of them but used their own forks. Though Xochitl used chopsticks. It was something Lex was used to doing back home with Gordo since they both avoided having to wash any dishes after. Xochitl told him about her St. Bernard being almost nine. “He’s my baby. He was a birthday gift and even though we had St. Bernard’s before him, he’s the only one I remember having from the time he was a puppy. I was too young with all the others.”
“He’s lived the longest, too,” Izel added covering his mouthful of food.
Lex told them about his dogs before Izel pointed at him wiping his own mouth first. “So, why’d you transfer so last minute?”
Nodding, Lex waited until he was done chewing before he started to explain. That is until Xochitl answering her phone completely distracted him. “Hey, babe,” she said as she took a few steps away from the kitchen counter.
Lex hadn’t even realized he’d stopped talking and was listening to her instead, until Izel cleared his throat. Shaking his head as he turned back to a smirking Izel, Lex felt his face heat. Especially because he couldn’t even remember where he was at with his explanation about his last-minute transfer. “You never got along with the coach,” Izel offered as he lifted a brow but went back to digging into his container of food.
“Yeah, so I couldn’t see myself doing even one more season over there.”
“. . . I just figured you’d be too busy to have company, honey.” Once again listening to Xochitl’s conversation had Lex losing his train of thought. “No, he leaves tonight. But it’s okay. My new dormmate arrived today so I won’t be alone.” She glanced up and caught Lex staring at her again and he turned back to Izel feeling like an idiot. How the fuck was he supposed to deal with this for a whole semester? He hadn’t seen or spoken to her in over two years and already just being around her for what? An hour, had him feeling shit he shouldnotbe feeling. If he didn’t know any better, her brother was onto him too. Because he was doing the amused arched brow thing again as he dug into his beef and broccoli. Lex had all but stopped eating the moment he heard Xochitl answer her phone the way she had. He wondered now what she might’ve told her brother about him.
“That Cade?” Izel asked and Lex turned to see she was off the phone now.
