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For the first time since she’d started looking through her texts, Lex smiled. But it felt forced because the relief practically exuded off Xochitl each time she opened a new text, and it was something harmless. Not something that would annoy him to no end. She glanced back down and now her lips pressed together as they had earlier, and she glanced up at him. “Can I just say something, Cade?” She shook her head even as it took a moment for Lex to even catch it. “I mean, Lex.”
Feeling the instant heat sear through him he sat up even straighter. “Did you just call me Cade?” She shook her head and for a tiny instant he was hopeful, even though he’d in no way find it amusing. “Is this a fucking prank?”
“No,” her expression went as hard as his felt. “You know I don’t approve of those kinds of pranks.”
“So, then you did just—”
“I’d just looked down and saw his name before addressing you.” She pointed at her phone. “And what I was going to say to you was about him. I just mixed the words. I’m sorry.” Before he could retort she went on. “I was just gonna say, I can feel the tension building. Can I just remind you that you know how I feel about him and how I feel about you? Whatever he texts shouldn’t matter.”
“Whatever your ex-boyfriendtexts you shouldn’t matter to me?” He glanced down at her phone. “Why? What’d he say?”
She glanced back down and now her lips pressed together like they had earlier, and Lex braced himself. “Cade,” she said, clearing her throat, “is asking if by chance I’m with my parents.” Her brows pinched as if this puzzled her too. Because it sure as fuck puzzled Lex. Was this fucker still hanging out with her family? If so, this was worse than Lex thought. They were way too close for him to accept this shit. Especially now that he’d confirmed they were still staying in touch, and she’d been keeping it from him. Xochitl cleared her throat again as she continued to tap her screen and read Cade’s texts out loud. “Is Izel still in Mexico?”
Unable to stay in bed anymore, Lex got up and pulled his shorts on turning back to her. “How does he know your brother is in Mexico?”
“I mentioned it the other day,” she said without looking up.
“Did you? You hadn’t mentioned tomein a while that you and your ex are still going back and forth.” When she didn’t look up, he had to ask. “Is there more?”
She read the next one without addressing his comments. “You said you were off this weekend, right?”
“You did?Why? Why does your ex need to know that your off for the weekend?” She finally looked up and he expected to see a little more fight in her eyes. Lex was actually readying himself for it because he wasn’t backing down from this anymore. They were nipping this shit in the bud now or . . . well he’d been ready to think of something. Only now this made him nervous. As timid as Vannah had once described her, Xochitl sure as fuck had it in her to be feisty. Right now, she looked anything but.
“He asked so I told him.” Once again, her words lacked the conviction or tenacity, he’d expect from her.
“Why would he need to know?”
“He didn’t,” she explained, but her tone still wasn’t nearly as annoyed or defensive as he’d been anticipating from her. “It was just an inquiry. Like if Nena were to ask you what you were up to this weekend or if you’re looking at another busy weekend. It was just a question.”
“He’s not your brother, Xochitl,” he shot back. “He’s your fucking ex-boyfriend. Someone you slept with for years.” Lex stopped when he caught himself. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to cuss at you. I’m just . . .” He took a deep breath, because he needed to calm the hell up before he said something he might regret or need to take back—again. Especially because after glancing back down at her phone again, she looked up and their eyes met. Like earlier, because he spent so much time gazing into those beautiful eyes, he could read them so well now. The unease—or something—was unmistakable. Had he scared her, God damn it? “That’ll never happen again, okay, babe?” His dumb ass brought his tone down a major notch now. “It’s just that you have to try and see this from my perspective. Your ex is asking you about your family, and after almost two months you’re still going back and forth with him. Worst of all you’re keeping it from me. I keepnothingfrom you. No matter what. Why would you keep that from me?”
“Because it really just felt like before when we’d break up and he even moved on to someone else and we’d still keep in touch. So, I didn’t see the point of upsetting you every time I heard from him.” She glanced down at her phone again. “Maybe like you told Annette. I should’ve told him the truth about us. He would’ve kept it from my family until I was ready to tell them.”
Feeling the heat stir inside him all over again because he’d known something was up the moment he’d seen the unease in her eyes earlier. “Okay first of all,” he said as calmly as he could. “That I-really-didn’t-see-the-point BS isn’t gonna fly with me. There was no point in me telling you that Annette was still coming on so strong that I had to tell her about us. But I didn’t want this.” He pointed at her phone. “You finding out in another way that might upset you. Second, what do you mean, maybe you should’ve told him about us?” He motioned to her phone again with his chin. “There’s more?”
She nodded and he could see he’d been wrong earlier. That expression she’d worn when he thought maybe he’d scared her, had been misinterpreted. He should’ve known better. Xochitl was too assertive to just sit still and be intimidated by a hostile tone. She’d sooner tell him off then cower down, especially if she really believed he was being unreasonable. Wearing that same expression now as she glanced up from her phone screen, Lex could see it had nothing to do with his angry tone. He braced himself because it was all too clear. This was why she hadn’t pushed back. Hedidhave reason to be upset and she was being fair about it by not arguing vehemently like he’d thought she would’ve. Even as his insides went hot, he tried to think positive. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe she’d finally see why Lex had such an issue with this shit. Because the guy was absolutely not over her and if Lex had to guess probably never would be. “What is it?”
Taking a deep breath, she glanced back down pulling a strand of hair behind her ear and began to read. “I’m assuming you’re sleeping in since it’s your first full weekend off in a while and why I haven’t heard back from you. I’m driving out to see you today. Left after I sent you the first text. If you’re not there when I get there it’s okay, I’ll wait. I really need to see you, Chichi.”
Feeling that familiar thing his insides had been doing when he felt ready to blow for as long as he could remember, ignite instantly, Lex glared at her. “What the hell else have you two been texting about all this time that you’ve been keeping from me because, it’s sopointless?”
“Nothing like that,” she said getting out of bed and throwing his T-shirt on, for a split second her glorious bare ass distracted him. “I swear. It’s been nothing but platonic friendly texts mostly.”
“Really?Mostly? Has he been telling you heneedsto see you or that he misses his soulmate?”
“No, nothing like that” She jumped on one foot trying to get her panties on as quickly as she could. “And I’m gonna tell him when he gets here about us. He already knew you’re the reason I broke things off with him before anything even happened between us. He called me on it the day I broke up with him, okay? That’s how well he knows me so I’m not sure what he’s thinking but I’ll set him straight today.”
She worked fast to get dressed as if the guy might be there any second. Lex turned to the vintage clock on the nightstand confused. “Isn’t it an almost four-hour drive?”
Shaking her head, she scurried around the room getting dressed. “He said he left when he sent the first text remember? That text was sent almost four hours ago. He should be here any minute. He and I will go somewhere and talk and—”
“The hell you will!” Lex rushed to finish getting dressed now himself. “You’ll do it right here, and I’ll be there with you two. What’s wrong with you?”
“What do you mean what’s wrong with me?”Nowthe obstinance showed up?
“Yeah, your ex who’s obviously still in love with you, is driving four hours because hehasto see you, possibly coming to convince his soulmate that you two are meant to be.” He punched his chest with his fingers. “And I’m supposed to wait here like an idiot while you go on a date with him to talk it out?”
“It’s not a date—”
