“Yeah, we would have brought you back lunch, but we weren’t sure what you wanted. So, I just got you coffee,” he said holding up a brown Starbucks cup. She stared at it like it was her lifeline.

“Uh…thanks,” she said awkwardly reaching for the glass. “How did I end up in your guest bedroom last night and not at a hotel?” she meekly asked the question that was on her mind.

“You weren’t in my guest bedroom. You were in my room,” he corrected her taking a step into her personal space.

It was as she had dreaded. She had slept with him. God, she just wanted to bury her face in her hands. She didn’t even remember sleeping with him. Had he been good? Had they been careful? Ugh…she felt like such a slut.

“I dragged you up there after you passed out on my couch last night. I got you awake enough for you to change into this,” he gestured to her clothing. “Then tucked you into my bed where you proceeded to pass out again. And now here you are,” he muttered quickly.

“Wait, we didn’t sleep together?” she asked blushing furiously as the question tumbled out of her mouth.

“I didn’t know you wanted to,” he chirped smiling down brightly at her. How did he look so good in the morning…oh wait, afternoon?

“Oh, I didn’t say that I did. I just assumed…” she trailed off.

“No, I did exactly what I said I was going to do except the part where you slept in a hotel. I thought you would like better accommodations than that.”

“Where did you sleep?”

“Couch.”

“Oh, well, thank you.” So she had been wrong. She liked knowing that her judgment was still intact. Jack had been completely misguided...just jealous ramblings of an ex-lover. Fantastic.

“Anytime,” he said still not leaving her personal space.

“I know that you did a great thing by letting me stay at your place, but we really need to work on your manners Country Club boy,” she quipped.

“My manners?” he inquired.

“Yeah. Personal space,” she reminded him sticking her hand out and pushing him back a step.

“Right. I forgot.”

“Oh, black coffee. How did you know?” she asked after guzzling a good quantity into her system.

“I paid attention at brunch yesterday.”

“Oh God, was that yesterday?”

“Yeah, hey, do you want to go get some lunch?” he couldn’t help asking.

Lexi stared at him amazed. Was he asking her out? No way was that happening. Sure they had kissed and he had let her stay at his place, but that probably happened all the time. He was just being kind. And besides that she looked and felt terrible. He had to see that on her. Was he just humoring her?

“Uh...I don’t have any clothes. They were in Jack’s car.”

“He left them,” he said evading her first excuse.

“I still feel kind of shitty,” she admitted.

“Alright then, how about dinner?” he asked prepared for this.

“Oh,” she began chewing on her bottom lip and pushing her hair behind her ears. What was she supposed to say? He had been very generous and all she had been was rude to him. She figured she at least owed him that much. “Well, I guess we could do that.”

“I mean you don’t have to go,” he said misinterpreting her hesitation.

“No, no, we should go. I appreciate what you did for me last night.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. I’m letting you pay me back by allowing me to take you to dinner,” he said smoothly scratching the back of his head thoughtfully as he looked at her.

She smiled for the first time that morning. He had decided that he liked her smile much more than the frown she normally sent his way. He wasn’t sure how he elicited such anger from her, but he would work much harder from now on so long as she continued smiling like that.

“Alright. Sounds like a plan.”

“Like a date,” he corrected sending her his most charming smile he could muster.

CHAPTER 12

NOVEMBER TWO AND HALF YEARS EARLIER

“You busy?”

Lexi read the text message she received from Jack and smiled. She relaxed back against Clark’s passenger seat. They were on their way back to his place from eating at a quaint downtown deli before finals.

“Not sure. I’m w/ Clark. What’s up?”

“Who’s that?” Clark asked his eyebrows furrowing as he watched her fingers slide against her beat up phone.

“Oh,” she said her head snapping up as she pressed the send button, “Jack’s just seeing what we’re doing tonight.”

“I want to see your sexy little body.”

Lexi’s grin widened at the message. “You miss me?”

“What did you tell him?” Clark questioned her, taking the turn a little faster than she had anticipated. Lexi’s shoulder slammed into the doorframe, and she readjusted in her seat glancing nervously at her boyfriend.

“That it was up to you,” she told him returning to her text message.

“It’s been five fucking long days!”

“Well, in that case, maybe I can get away.”

“Did you want to do something?” Clark asked attempting to read the message over her shoulder.

“Doesn’t matter to me. We can if you want,” she said her head still buried in her phone. “Did you want to?”

“Do that. I can’t wait another minute without you.”

“I mean, I was planning on going home,” he said checking her reaction.

She snapped her phone shut and turned to face him in her seat. “You want to leave?” she gasped. “I thought we were going to do something together this weekend. You were gone all last weekend with MBA stuff. Don’t go.” Clark had been accepted into their school’s prestigious Business graduate program at the end of last year. It had been extremely beneficial that he had received the offer since that meant that he wasn’t leaving for Atlanta to find a job. Instead, he would be able to stay in town for her senior year.

“I’ll try. No promises.”

“Lex, I’ll make it worth it.”

“I haven’t seen my parents in a long time though. You know that.”

“I know, but Thanksgiving isn’t even until Thursday. Do you have to leave so early?” she asked. They had originally planned on going to their parents separately on Wednesday and staying through until the next weekend.

“You could come with me,” he offered.

Lexi crinkled her nose. Lexi loved Clark’s parents. They were caring and loving and always wanted to take them out, but she had thought they were going to spend some much needed alone time together. Guess he had a different agenda. “You know I have that big paper due.”

“Oh I know you will make it worth it.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” Jack asked.

“It’d only be for the weekend. You’d still have the rest of the break to work on your paper.”

“Yeah, maybe. I just feel really behind. With applications, LSAT, and everything, I’ve just had no time to work on this paper, and it’s due as soon as we get back.”

“Maybe I’ll just go tonight and be back to be with you tomorrow. Would that give you more time to work on it?”

“Clark.”

“…”

“I shouldn’t. I can’t.”

“You won’t. It’s different.”

Lexi stuck out her bottom lip. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“What if he’s in town? I can’t get away.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

“So, what’s Jack doing tonight?” Clark asked eyeing her suspiciously. “I didn’t think ya’ll were still talking that much.”

“We’re not really. I guess he’s just bored. He’s talking about going out downtown.”

“What about Kate?”

“What about her?”

“Is he trying to get a group together?” Clark asked curiously.