AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah.” She set the phone down on the counter as Lex pretended to be into his food and not completely into what she might say next. “When I told him this morning you were leaving today, he invited me up there since he knows I can’t go home, and I won’t get any more time off until Thanksgiving break.”
“Oh, you should.” Izel said then turned to Lex and smiled. “Her boyfriend. They’ve been together since they were kids.”
Nodding, Lex did his best to show polite interest and nothing more but couldn’t keep one inquiry to himself and turned to Xochitl. “Yeah, I think I remember you mentioning something a childhood sweetheart way back.” He dug his fork into the kung pao chicken container he held and as indifferently as he could, then went for it. “You said you two broke up when you both went away to school?” “Oh, are you kidding me?” Izel waved his hand at Lex. “Any time those two have ever broken up over the years they’ve never been able to stay away from each other for long. They’re gonna be together forever.”
Chewing his chicken a little harder now, Lex nodded then took a sip of soda. “One ofthosecouples, uh? “That’s not true,” Xochitl said twirling chow Mein in her chopsticks. “We were broken up for almost two years this last time andbecauseof school we did stay away from each other almost the whole time.”
Izel pointed to her then at Lex with his fork. “Hear that? Almost. Just accept it, girl. You two are soulmates.” He turned and tossed a piece of chicken at Bentley who caught it in his mouth effortlessly. “They’re adorable together too. You should go get you some good lovin’ before classes start. But then Santa Barbara is a lot closer to here than home, so you’ll likely be getting a lot more of that this semester, right?” He turned to Lex with a stupid smirk. “You might wanna turn a radio on or stick some headphones in your ears if he ever spends the night. We had adjoining rooms in Vegas once, and those two get loud.”
“Izel,” Xochitl said through herteeth.
“Just sayin.’” Her brother shook his head with a laugh as he continued to dig into his food. Xochitl eyes met Lex’s, but he glanced away immediately, unable to even look at her after that revelation. What thefuckwas he doing here? This was never going to work.
“Santa Barbara?” Lex asked ignoring that last infuriating comment as the mixture of annoyance, and unrelenting jealousy continued to sink in.
“Cade transferred to UC Santa Barbara for his final year.” Xochitl explained. “He’ll be a lot closer than when he was going to school back home.”
“And even though he says he did it because the graduate program there issomuch better than it was at his previous school and he’d waited all this time on a waiting list to get in, for years blah, blah, blah.” Izel shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I think he did it because like I said, these two just can’t stay away from each other and he’ll be that much closer now. Isn’t it great?” he asked Lex. “Soromantic.” Yeah, fucking great. “Itwashis first choice since way back,Izel.” Xochitl said sounding just as irritated as when he’d mentioned the Vegas adjoining room thing. “Okay, okay.” Izel lifted his hands in front of him. “Can I help it that I’m overjoyed because my sister’s boyfriend is so genuinely in love with her?” He turned to Lex now. “He’s never hurt her, you know. Not in all the years they’ve known each other. Never disrespected or cheated on her.”
“Izel?” Xochitl said in a threatening but telling tone and Lex knew she’d told him about the night of the wedding. “Alright, alright,” Izel pulled his thumb and forefinger across his lips to show them he was zipping it thefuckup about her boyfriend already. “But oh my God.” Izel brought his hand over his stomach. “See what I mean? I’ve eaten way too much. I have a long ride back to Josh’s tonight. I need to go to the bathroom at least a couple of times before that drive. Round one.” He started toward the bathroom then pointed at Bentley. The huge dog was on his feet for the first time since Lex had walked in. “He probably needs to go too. You should take him for a walk.” Lex caught the exchanged glances between Xochitl and her brother and for a moment wondered if they had another brother. “Josh?”
“His boyfriend,” Xochitl said as she walked over to the grab the leash hanging on the wall. “Izel and Bentley are staying with him for the rest of the week until my parent’s house is finished being exterminated.” Boyfriend. Her brother was gay. So, the dynamic between these two was different than the dynamic between Lex and his sisters. Unlike Lex’s sisters who’d likely keep something like what XochitlthoughtLex had done to her from their brothers, because both him and Gordo would be too ready to pummel any fucker who hurt their sisters there was no doubt anymore. Xochitl had told her brother. The infuriating conversation about Xochitl and hersoulmatethat Lex had been forced to sit through was likely a result of that. He and Gordo would never do anything of the sort with any guy they knew, orthoughthad toyed with either of their sisters. They’d go straight for the jugular and be done with it. But his sisters would absolutely do what Izel had clearly done here to any girl who did him or Gordo wrong. Instead of resorting to violence, they’d come up with a cleverer way touché them like Izel had. “I’m gonna take him for a quick potty walk,” Xochitl said as she clasped the leash onto Bentley’s collar. “Izel should be out—”
“I’ll come with you.” She glanced up at him in obvious question. “You and I need to talk.” As if herbabysensed Lex’s words unnerved Xochitl, he growled. A bit halfheartedly and it ended sounding more like a yawn, but still he got his point across because even she petted his head. “It’s okay,papito. I got this.” She kissed his big head before straightening up and looking at Lex straight in the eyes with a purpose. “Let’s go then.”
