by Caity H.
“Whatever I want,” he replied, sinking into my couch.
“You're not planning on staying are you?” I raised an eyebrow cautiously. He reached for the remote and turned on the TV, answering my question. I groaned and ran back upstairs.
“Order food,” he called absently.
Curse that boy.
I paced back and forth in my room, wondering what to do about Lex. I couldn't call Bethany, she was on a date. She would probably welcome the excuse to leave, but part of me was convinced she was actually enjoying the attention. Sighing, I shook my head. I wouldn’t call her. Even if Lex was taking my living room captive.
After a little while, I made my way back downstairs. Lex was still lounging on my couch, looking more than comfortable. I swept my hair over my shoulder and glared at him through my glasses. “You know, I didn't say you could stay.”
“Didn't I say to order food?” He didn’t even look away from the T.V.
“Why are you here?” I leaned against the frame of the archway that led into the living room. “Doesn't your mother cook for you anymore?”
“Yeah, but my parents are out.”
“And you expect me to feed you?” I hissed.
“Yeah,” he yawned. He stretched out on the couch, the hem of his shirt riding up, offering me a quick glimpse of his abs before he covered them back up. ”Unless your mom’s here, then she can feed both of us.”
“She won't be home till later.”
“Then I guess the duty to feed me falls to you, Honeybee. Get to work.” He beamed, a devilish spark in his forest green gaze.
I glared at him and turned towards the kitchen. I picked the phone up off of the counter and dialed a pizza place. “What kind do you want?” I yelled, not explaining my meaning. He would understand.
“Cheese,” he shouted.
I rolled my eyes at his simplicity when it came to pizza. I for one liked to try new things. Oreos, crushed up Doritos, sprinkles; anything weird. Lex used to try new combinations with me, hence used to. After I ordered the pizzas, I walked back into the living room.
Lex was still sitting on the couch. “Did you order food?”
“Yes,” I said. I stood in front of him and stared at the TV. “What are you watching?”
“I think there's a Disney movie coming on soon. Sit down,” he instructed.
I shook my head. “No way, I'm sitting over there.” I pointed towards the seat opposite him.
“I demand you sit down here.” He told me, slapping the spot next to him.
“Can't make me,” I teased.
He grabbed the back of my tank top, tugging me into the spot beside him “Yes I can.” He smiled, still holding onto my top. I assumed it was so that I couldn’t leave.
“If I wasn’t protecting your dignity from the truth, I would show you how strong I am and walk away without any trouble,” I told him.
He scoffed. “You’ll never be stronger than I am.”
“I was when we were younger,” I reminded him.
“I let you win because you're a girl,” he assured me, his arm moving to rest around my hips.
“Funny, but that excuse won't fly with me.” I pushed his arm away.
“It's not an excuse,” he feigned disgust, putting his arm around me again.
I grabbed his arm and let it fall back in his own lap. But, being the egotistical guy that he was, Lex couldn’t lose. His arm dropped my shoulders, curling my hair around his fingers. If he wasn’t dating Cassy, the moment would’ve been a cute couple’s faux-fight.
“Lex,” I grumbled. Sighing, he took his arm off of me.
The TV in front of us glared a bright blue and animated ocean. The words “Finding Nemo” floated across the screen.
Lex gasped. “Isn't this your favorite movie in the whole wide world?”
My mouth dropped open. “How did you know that?”
He glanced over at me, a glint in his eyes. “You told me, when we were like ... eight or nine.”
“You remembered that?”
“Course I did. What are best friends for?” I was at a loss for words. “You don't remember that kind of stuff about me?” he asked quietly. There was something in his gaze. It almost looked like he was hurt.
“I remember that you love Tinker Bell.” He smiled. “And that you got mad at me for dressing up like her for Halloween.”
“You knew she was off limits.” He winked.
“You mocked, Peter. You knew he was off limits,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Don't bring up, Peter Pansy. He doesn't compare with Tink.” It always amused me how serious he was about his dislike for Peter Pan.
“He does in my book.” I settled back against the cushions, aware of how close our bodies were on the couch. If he moved even slightly, we would be touching. Heat spread across my face.
“Where is your book? I need to burn it. Peter Pan is a fairy boy. You know he wore a skirt, right?” he double checked.
“I recall a certain video game character that wore a green skirt as well. I think you called it a tunic though,” I hinted.
His eyes widened. “Don't ever compare Peter Pansy the fairy boy and Link the hero. Ever. They're nothing alike.”
I giggled and turned my eyes back to the movie. It was about the point where Nemo's mom went to save the eggs, and the evil fish killed her. A hand shot in front of my eyes and I couldn't help but smile.
“Don't watch this part. It's too scary for you.”
“Thank you, Lex.”
“That's the first time you've said thank you to me in like ... a long time.”
“And who do we blame for that?” I remarked sarcastically.
“Bethany,” he answered quickly. I hit his arm. “Ow.” He rubbed it a moment.
“Just be quiet and let me watch my favorite movie in peace.” I pulled my legs up so I was sitting cross legged. He complied and shut his mouth.
About ten minutes later the doorbell rang.
“Nose goes!” I cried loudly, putting my finger on my nose.
Lex gaped at me. “What? I didn't know we still did that!”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Sucker! Now go pay for the pizza.” He sighed and stood up, heading towards the door. “Put it in the kitchen,” I added.
As Dory and Marlin raced around trying to find Nemo, I heard Lex in the background pay and shut the door. He walked into the kitchen, set the food down, and came back in.
I went past him into the kitchen, opening the cupboard door to search for strange foods to put on the pizza. I grabbed the Oreos, Lays chips, and crushed them up all over the pizza. I cut up the pizza, grabbed some sodas from the fridge, and took it all back into the living room. I set it on the table and watched as Lex stared at it for a few moments.
“I said cheese pizza,” he finally spoke. “What is this?”
“Yes, I know you did. But, this is like having the entrée, side dish, and desert all at the same time,” I insisted, sitting back down.
He put his hand on my knee, sending shivers up and down my spine. “If I faint or something, please promise you'll call an ambulance. I don't want to die from this,” he muttered gravely.
I laughed and placed my hand on top of his. “Don't worry. If you faint, I'll call for help.”
I watched as he slowly picked up a piece of pizza and moved it towards his now open mouth. He stuck his tongue towards the pizza and licked it. I giggled. He glanced at me a moment. “Don't mock,”
“Chicken,” I taunted, raising an eyebrow.
“Am not,” he declared. The pizza was still in front of his mouth. As if to prove his point, he took a deep breath and stuck almost half of the piece of pizza in his mouth. I heard the crunching as he chewed on Oreo crumbles. He scrunched up his face and continued eating. After a few seconds, and a few more incomprehensible facial expressions, he swallowed.
As I waited for him to compliment my ability to create great pizza, I turned back to the movie. Dory and Marlin were
racing around, trying to avoid bombs and get away from Bruce.
A light thud made me turn around. I raised an eyebrow. Lex lay on the couch, eyes closed.
“Lex?”
He was probably acting like he’d fainted to mess with me. I poked him a few times, watching for a reaction, but there was nothing. A thought struck me. What if that sickness, that was causing him to be somewhat nice at times, had killed him?
Oh dear.
“Lex, seriously.”
He was still breathing, that was a good sign. I stood up and moved in front of him, peering down at him. I almost poked him again when I remembered how people poked dead things, and he couldn’t be dead.
The minute the idea of death popped into my head, I started to worry. What if he was allergic to something in the pizza, or Oreos, or Lays? I gulped. What if I had accidentally poisoned Lex?
My heart almost stopped when his chest did. He wasn't breathing. Panic swept through my body at an alarming pace. My heartbeat quickened. I searched my brain for something. First Aid! Of course, I'd taken one of those classes for some career education program in school. I couldn't believe what I was about to do. Telling myself this was to save him; I leaned down and opened his mouth, hesitating the whole time.
Our lips touched, and as I should have predicted all along, he was fine. So fine in fact, that he decided to return the mouth to mouth gesture. Taken by surprise, I didn’t know how to react. My instincts kicked in, and my eyes closed as I was lost in the kiss. He leaned up against my lips, deepening the kiss. He placed his hand against my cheek.
A small voice in the back of my head was screaming at me, telling me to stop what I was doing. I knew it was stupid, letting myself get wrapped up in him again, but logic couldn’t seem to reason with the feelings inside my heart, cheering at his touch.
The movie in the background reached the part where the bombs went off. The loud explosions made me jolt, ending the kiss. Our breath mingled together, my eyes remaining shut. I felt his thumb touch my lips gently.
I took the chance and opened my eyes. He was laying there, a small smile on his lips, and his eyes were still closed. I bit my lip and smiled. He looked content about kissing me. Lex Diamond was content with kissing me. Honeybee.
A yell from Dory and Marlin being chased by that evil glow fish startled him, and he opened his eyes. He caught me staring.
He smiled at me a moment before he sat up. “Thanks for saving me. I knew I could count on you.” He winked, leaning back against the couch. I leaned back, and this time I let him put his arm around me.
Chapter Twelve – Too Complicated for Curses
Lex was lying on the couch next to me, another piece of pizza in his hands. “I miss your pizza concoctions.” He took another bite.
“Good.” I grabbed my Pepsi off the table and took a sip. He stuck his hand out for it. I slowly relinquished my soda to him. He took a long swig of it, before handing it back to me. I shook it around slightly; empty. I frowned. “Jerk.”
“Baby.”
“Prat.”
He laughed, his head lolling back. “Wow. That’s a little harsh,” he told me.
I shrugged. “You did pretend you were dying just so that I would feel obligated to save you.” I knew it was bad I reacted so calmly to him kissing me. I should’ve been outraged that he had the audacity to kiss me when I was trying to save his life. But instead, it was like I was on a sugar rush. My heart was beating erratically, and my thoughts were moving way to fast to figure out what they were all for.
“I like kissing you, you're good at it,” Lex murmured, covering a yawn.
“Thanks,” I stammered, a blush coloring my face.
He smirked and ran his fingers along my cheek. “You're welcome, Honeybee.” He dropped his hand back down to the couch and slipped his fingers in between mine.
The simple gesture made my emotions run wild as it brought back memories of the first time he held my hand, the first time he kissed me. Right before he walked away.
My breathing turned ragged as I struggled to keep my emotions in check, reliving all of the times he’d hurt me. All the times he’d walked away, all the times he’d watched me fall. How many times was it going to take before I got it in my head? Lex was bad news.
“Honeybee, are you okay?” he shifted closer to me. I nodded, refusing to answer. “I don’t buy it. You can tell me,” he murmured.
“What are we doing, Lex?” I bit my lip, hoping my eyes didn’t spill any tears.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s like some sick cycle we keep repeating,” I muttered, looking away from the T.V. screen. “You act sweet, something romantic happens, and then you walk away.” And you leave me to pick up the pieces of my broken heart. I wiped a tear from my eye.
“Honeybee, are you crying?” There was concern at the edge of his words. He reached over wiping away the tears that slipped down my cheeks. He brushed the hair from my eyes and placed his forehead against mine. “What's wrong?”
“You were my best friend in the whole world. But now, I don’t even know what we are.” I bit my lip, cursing my emotions for giving in so easily. “I’m tired of being hurt.”
“I'm not going to hurt you,” he whispered, his breath hot on my skin.
“You already have, so many times.” I moved away from him, looking down. “I think you should leave, Lex.”
The silence between us made me feel numb. Even the sounds of the T.V seemed to fade into the background. The only thing I could hear was our breath brushing by each other as we exhaled.
His lips set in a firm line. “Fine.” His voice was cold, making me want to shrink away.
I was vaguely aware of the door slamming shut, and the sound of sobs coming from my own throat. My heart ached for the boy it would never have, the love that would never be reciprocated.
Taking a deep breath, I shook myself. I needed something to get my mind off of Lex. I was so sick of crying over him. At least if I watched a movie I could pretend that’s what I was crying about. I searched through the movies, and ended up with Sleepless in Seattle.
After grabbing chocolate ice cream from the freezer and a spoon, I moved back into the living room and sunk down onto the couch. It was time to remind myself that not all love stories ended in heartbreak.
Forty-five minutes later, tears were on my face over the fact Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks weren't together. They were perfect for each other, yet they weren’t together. It was depressing. Even though I knew the ending was happy, I couldn’t help the tears.
The doorbell ringing nearly gave me a heart attack, the ice cream tub slipping from my fingers into my lap. I quickly set it on the coffee table and tossed off the blanket. I shivered in the cool house, mentally reminding myself to grab a sweater before returning to the movie.
I pulled open the door and gasped slightly. His head looked up, lip ring glinting in the light coming from the porch light. I didn’t understand. “Ryan, what are you doing here?”
He’d texted me a while ago, just to say hey. I’d text back a few times before telling him I wasn’t feeling good and needed to lie down. I wasn’t sick, just emotionally drained.
He enveloped me in a hug. A good hug always made things better, and Ryan gave good hugs. “Can I come in?” he asked when he pulled back. He lifted a brown paper bag. “I brought soup just in case you needed it.” He was too sweet.
A small smile flickered across my features, and I nodded. We went back into the living room. He didn’t even complain when he saw what movie I was watching. The cup of soup warmed my body. Maybe ice cream wasn’t the only thing that could help a broken heart. Chicken noodle soup helped, too.
My big moment of emotions was the end of the movie when Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks finally got together. Ryan pretended to be all sappy about the end, which made me laugh. He even went so far as to wipe away imaginary tears.
When the credits started to roll, I got up and went to grab another movie.
“Some
thing masculine,” Ryan pleaded, stretching out on the couch. I pulled out one of the Bond movies. He nodded his approval and I moved back to the couch, picking up the ice cream container. It was almost all gone.
Ryan shivered. “Your feet are cold.” I raised an eyebrow. How did he even know my feet were cold? “I can feel your feet on my legs,” he murmured knowingly.
“Don't judge my body temperature,” I chided, dipping my spoon into the ice cream.
“I wasn’t,” he gasped.
“Sure,” I mumbled, shoveling more chocolate in my mouth. He dipped his spoon into the container and shared the ice cream with me.
Halfway through the movie, the front door opened.
I turned, straining my neck to see who it was. Mom walked in the house, her purse draped over her arm and her hair in a tight bun. She was wearing one of her pencil skirts and a white blouse. She spotted me and Ryan sitting on the couch together and raised her eyebrows
“Hello, Ryan,” she welcomed, shooting a wary glance at me.
Ryan turned and smiled at her. “Hey, Mrs. Martin.”
“Call me Debby.” She waved away the formality. “I didn't know you were coming over tonight,” she noted, walking into the living room.
“It was kind of impromptu,” he replied, watching the movie out of the corner of his eye.
“I see.” She smiled.
“How was work?” I asked.
“Oh you know, lots of fun,” she quipped. “I’m sorry I got home so late, did you eat already?” she started toward the kitchen.
“Yeah,” I called back to her. “Pizza.”
“I hope you didn't feed that friend of yours the pizza you and Lex used to make,” she said. The ingredients were still out in the kitchen, which probably tipped her off to what kind of pizza we had.
My chest ached. “I didn’t.” Ryan nudged my shoulder, giving me a smile. “Are you a mind reader?” I laughed.