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Twenty: Never Again
Lex
As anticipated, Cade called to check in with Xochitl the very next day after their long road trip to and from Morro Bay. Lex’s day had already been grueling enough with an extra-long practice when he got home and a sniveling Xochitl had informed him of the call she’d just gotten off. While Lex knew her tears were still all about Bentley and he’d hugged her tightly feeling for her, he was glad the guy knew now. She was in a relationship with her new roommate and there’d be no compromising. Lex would not be okay with any kind of bullshit closefriendshipthey might want to justify.
Just like all the weeks since he and Xochitl had made it official, time was zooming by. Whoever said time flew when you’re having fun wasn’t kidding because they were nearing fall break already. He was only glad after the whole week of Xochitl choking up about Bentley she was finally getting over it. The busy week flew by as usual and like with all his other away games that Xochitl wasn’t able to make, Lex would be forced to sleep without her Saturday night since he’d be staying at his parents until Sunday morning. Saturday morning, she drove him to the airport since she wasn’t going to her convention until later that day. She’d be driving down to pick him up the next day because this game was in San Diego and the Taste of La Jolla food and wine street fair was going on that weekend. He and Vannah had told her enough about it that she wanted to check it out and it’d save him a flight home. “Is this convention an all-day thing?” he asked as they drove slowly through the bustling airport. She shrugged. “It can be I suppose. Just depends on how long I wanna be there.” They were almost at his terminal when it occurred to him that he hadn’t even asked, and he remembered Vannah mentioning some of the conventions she’d attended with Xochitl in the past. “Vannah going with you?” Shaking her head, she eased into the drop off lane. “You’re going alone?” He reached into the backseat for his bag but turned to her when she didn’t respond to his question. “Maybe you should leave early so you can get back before dark. You said it’s in downtown right? Downtown’s not the greatest area for you to be out there by yourself at night.”
He leaned in to kiss her goodbye. She kissed him as eagerly as she always did, smiling big. “I’m going after lunch.” She kissed him again then he reached for the door handle and opened it. “I’m meeting with my web design guy for lunch. He made some changes to my website he wants to go over with me. Then it’s convention time.”
Lex stopped midway getting out of the car leaving one foot out but turned to look at her. “Is this a last-minute thing?”
“No.”
The immediate unease in her eyes brought on the instant annoyance and he sat back instead of getting out. “Why’s this the first I’m hearing about this?” The good thing about being so obsessed with her eyes was that he’d been reading her almost since day one. “You told me about the convention weeks ago. How long have you known about having lunch with this guy?” The car behind them honked and she glanced in her rearview mirror. “Fuck them. Look at me. How long?”
The remorse in those big, beautiful eyes was promising. At least she wouldn’t make less of this or accuse him of makingtoomuch of it. “Well, weeks ago, he said we’d have to get together when he was done but he hadn’t been sure when that would be.” She caressed his arm then squeezed it. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a business lunch. I’ve had them with him before.”
“It’s not a big deal that you’re having lunch with him, Eztli.” He glanced at the side mirror when another car honked. “But you waiting until I was almost out of the car to mention it feels calculated. I don’t like it. Anything else I should know about todaybeforeI get out of this car?”
She was silent for a moment before exhaling in an unbelievably unnerving way. “He’s going to the convention, too—”
“Fuck.” He brought his leg back into the car and closed the door glancing down at the dash.
“We’re not goingtogether.” She offered quickly. “He just told me about it.”
“Drive around.” Lex threw the bag in the backseat again. “We have time.”
“Around where?” she asked, pulling out of the spot they’d been stopped at.
“Around the airport. Go out and come back in. Full circle.” He turned to face her because he wanted to make sure to be looking straight at her during this conversation. “You told me about this convention weeks ago. He told you about it then too, but you didn’t mention he was going until now.”
“He said it’s why he’d be in town this weekend.”
“So, youdidknow weeks ago that you were having lunch with him and spending the day with him today, but you kept that part from me. Why are you lying?” He leaned forward when he saw the panic in her eyes. “Is this a date?” Before she could respond because he felt ready to roar now, he pointed to the drop off area in the next terminal. “You know what? Pull the fuck over. I can’t even be in the same car with you anymore.”
“No!” She reached out for him, but he flinched back. “Okay,okayI’m sorry. But I swear to you, it’s not a date.”
“What thefuckis going on, Xochitl? What are you sorry about?”
A side of him felt ready to explode, while the other felt a sting he wasn’t even sure what to make of. Was she really going to do something today with this guy she knew would have him onfire? “Okay.” She turned out of the airport and back toward the entrance and spoke quickly but still lifted that defiant sweet chin. “This is the God’s honest truth. Remember when I told you I’d forgotten to renew my web host service? I’d also forgotten to back up all my posts periodically like he told me to way back in the beginning and I lost almost ayear’sworth of posts. Posts that took me hours if not days to put together. I completely panicked and he calmed me and told me he could recover them for me, but it’d take time. He said he’d also update other stuff that needed to be updated but he said it’d cost me. I was so relieved when he said he could recover everything I’d lost, I said I’d pay him whatever he asked, and it’s just how he worded it that I knew you wouldn’t like, even though I know he didn’t mean anything by it and like I said before he’s never been disrespectful or inappropriate in any way.”
“How’d he word it?”
“He was just being—”
“How thefuckdid he word it?”
“He said he wasn’t talking money.” Lex brought both hands in front of his face and fisted them trying to stay calm. “But,but, he was being facetious. He’s always been like that. He just suggested we have lunch when he’s in town this weekend for the convention. Like we’ve done before forbusinessreasons.” Lex turned to her unable to believe she’d be thisfuckingnaïve. “He said we could kill two birds with one stone because there’s a lot, he needs to walk me through.” She reached out and this time he let her touch him. “A year, Lex. Anentireyear of posts and you know me, that post I need for my presentation means more to me than the year of posts. I’ve worked so hard on it. If it’s theonlything he can recover, I’ll be beyond relieved. But you know I can’t lie to you and if you’d asked how much he was charging me for this I would’ve told you, and you would’ve been mad all these weeks and for what? Do you really think someone with my lack of patience for bullshit, would really put up with any kind of inappropriate behavior from him? He’s never been inappropriate and I certainly wouldn’t allow him to be now. It’s why I didn’t see the point in upsetting—”
“The point is you not keeping shit from me . . .” He banged the side of the door. “No matter how uncomfortable. We’ve been over this already.” He turned to her just as they reached his terminal again. “I hate this fucker already and it’s not even his fault. It’syours.”
They pulled into the first drop off spot again and Xochitl put the car in park then turned to him, eyes full of tears. Lex turned to her feeling like shit for making her cry. Especially since he’d seen enough of those tears all week over Bentley, but still feeling completely ablaze inside. He reached out to her and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked against his neck. “God, I hate this.”
Lex pulled back and searched her eyes. “Hate what?”
“I’ve never been this snively.” She shook her head wiping away at the corner of her eyes. “This has been such a shitty week. and the last thing I needed was to end it with you leaving pissed at me.”
“It’s fine. Things are fine, okay?” He wiped away at the corner of her other eye. “I just need you to understandwhythis pissed me off.”
