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Her parents nodded glancing back at Xochitl. “I just didn’t want to jinx it. But.” She shrugged. “I figured we were in town so I may as well just do it.”
“Are you letting everyone know now?” her mother asked. Xochitl knew who her mother was asking about specifically, and she wished she would’ve waited to ask her privately. “You guys and Cade are the first to know,” Lex said beating her to the punch as if he too knew who her mother was asking about. He then turned to Xochitl. “But, yeah, we’ll be telling Vannah and the rest of my family as soon as we get the chance, right?”
Nodding, Xochitl smiled. “Yep. But if you wanna do it in person, it’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. You have a game next weekend, and I have that convention I told you about. During the week is out of the question.”
They spoke with her parents a little more about their crazy schedules and how it was a blessing they were roommates, or they might not have time to be around each other too much. But they weren’t there long since they still had that long drive home.
“I’ll have to call Cade and thank him for what he did,” her mom said somberly as her parents walked them out.
“Yeah,” her father agreed. “We’ll take him to lunch or something.”
After saying their goodbye’s, Lex and Xochitl were on the road again. Despite Lex holding her hand most of the way and even bringing it to his mouth often so he could kiss it, Xochitl could feel the tension. She knew he’d likely give it a few days before bringing up the conversation that had really begun to escalate before Cade arrived today. But Xochitl wanted to get it out of the way. “Can we get back to the conversation we were having today before Cade arrived?”
Lex turned to her, then back to the road. “We can talk about it another time, babe. Doesn’t have to be today. You’ve been through enough today already.”
“I’d prefer to just get it out of the way. The sooner the better.”
His jaw clenched and unclenched, as he continued to stare straight ahead. “Why? Do you anticipate it being unpleasant?”
“No, it’s just that—”
“Because I’m not backing down when it comes to this, Eztli. So, if you aren’t either”—he tapped the steering wheel as he worked his neck from side to side like he was getting a kink in it— “it’s probably better if we discuss this another time.”
“Look, he’ll be calling me in a few days, I’m sure.” That had him working his jaw again and she squeezed his hand. “To ask how I’m doing, and I’d like to know how he’s doing too. You saw how emotional he was today, Lex. Bentley was as much his as he was mine and Izel’s. He was there the day I got him for my twelfth birthday. When we were younger, he wasn’t justmyneighborhood friend. He was Izel’s. So, even when I wasn’t home, he was over hanging with my brother and Bentley. But when he does call, I’m going to talk to him. I know you’re thinking you’re gonna be dealing with this ex-boyfriend from hell who’ll try to weasel his way back in my life—”
“I would,” Lex said, turning to her very seriously for a second before bringing his attention back to the road. “He’s in love with you, and after all the years he’s invested in you, he’d be insane not to. I’ve been with you two months, and I already know I’d stop at nothing to get you back.”
Instinctively, her hand was at her chest as her heart doubled over, but she shook her head. “He’ssonot like that. If he wasn’t my ex, I think you’d like him.”
“But he is, and I don’t.” He shook his head. “I don’t hate the guy, okay? I just don’t like the idea of you keeping in touch with someone you’ve slept with.”
“And I get it.” Xochitl smirked. “Misanthropist here, remember? I’d hate every one of your exes no matter what. When he and I got back together this last time, after I’d told him about our night at the wedding, he said he knew if you ever came back into my life, he’d lose me for good. He’s been saying it for years. He knows me better than I know myself. It’s why when I had to have that conversation with about you being my new dormmate, he already knew. Then when I broke things off just a day into you moving in, he called me on it. He knew.”
Lex turned to her as they came to a stop a skeptical brow sharply arched. “And you really think he’s gonna back off?”
“Back off?” She shook her head. “Backing off would imply he’s been pushing. He hasn’t. At all. The only thing he’s called or reached out for lately is to check in and say hello like you would a friend.” Lex didn’t even try to hide the annoyed roll of his eyes. “I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I think he knew before I even did, that you were someone, I wasn’t getting over with any time soon. It’s why he hated when I told him you’d be my new roommate. Even the day I broke up with him he said he knew it was coming from the day I told him you’d be moving in. When he calls in a few days and even though you might not believe this, I know him well enough to know, he’ll respect your wishes. He’ll stop calling and reaching out without me even having to ask him to. And I’ll be honest with you even if it pisses you off, I’m sad about it. I’ll be losing a lifelong friend.”
They came to a stop, and Lex turned to her, that Moreno brow up and ready. “You don’t have to lose hisfriendship. But just like all the friends I’ve had over the years that I’ve lost touch with, but maybe I’ll see when I go back home for a barbeque a few times a year. I don’t have a problem with him being there. I just don’t wanna have to hear that you’ve been chatting with him every day and I sure as fuck don’t like seeing another dude holdmygirl’s hand. Especially not her ex. You’ve slept with this guy and he’s in love with you, babe. That makes everything between you two different than if he were just a lifelong friend.”
“I know. Iknow.”She ran her fingers through his hair. “The whole hand-holding thing with him just goes back to before him were even romantically involved. But I get it, okay? If I’m being fair, I wouldn’t be okay if it were you and an ex staying that close either. As much as I’d like to argue that you have nothing to worry about, because I really don’t think you do, I’d be hard to convince, and pissed ashell, if things were the other way around.” She smiled this time doing the kissing of his hand when she brought it to her lips. “I don’t want you to be pissed as hell. We check in with each other, just like I’m sure he’ll be doing in the next few days about how I’m doing over Bentley being gone. But I promise you, once I talk to him things will change without me even having to ask him.”
They came to a stop, and he turned to her, bringing her hand to his mouth and nipping it. “You staying in touch with him didn’t piss me off as much as you keeping it from me.” She inhaled as he kissed her hand again. “As uncomfortable as it’s been for me to tell you about Annette, for example, I’ve done so because I don’t wanna deal with this kind of shit either way.”
Xochitl nodded, feeling the slight knot in her belly. Next weekend was different. It was business. Lex hadabsolutelynothing to worry about when it came to Rigo. There was no sense in even igniting that fire.
