Chapter 25 – Lexi #2
“Our stepfather,” she explains softly, “the one who adopted me, which is why we don’t have the same last name anymore—something that I’m going to change back—left us both a trust fund of a looootttt of money,” she sings out as Ariella gasps.
“And then my mother passed away”—she blinks away tears—“and she left us the rest of what our stepfather left her. I’m not talking about the M word; I’m talking about the B word and it makes me uncomfortable to even say it! ”
“Wait, so you guys are Richie Rich rich?” Ariella asks, making me laugh and all I can do is laugh at her.
“Yeah, it took a while for Kirby to even want to touch the money,” she says, looking at me. “I live off the interest and just let the money sit there. He makes fun of me all the time at how cheap I am.” She takes a sip of her wine. “But, yeah, he’s not your boss.”
“Well, you are both my bosses,” I declare, turning and walking away from the kitchen and the girls as they talk, carrying the frames with me to my bedroom. My head is spinning at finding out things about Kirby, but I was feeling like I was invading his privacy, so I walked away.
The rest of the night the three of us sit in my small living room, watching the game.
My heart speeds up every single time they say his name or they show his face.
We half watch the game, half talk as I keep filling up the trays with snacks.
I walk them both out when they leave and give them both a hug, and we make plans to go to the next home game the guys have, which is next Friday.
Ariella pulls out first, waving at me like crazy, before driving away. She is followed by Kylie, who holds up her hand and then stops and rolls down her window. “I want to try the Pilates thing you were talking about.”
I clap my hands. “Want to do a class tomorrow at ten?”
“Yes,” she says. “Send me the details and I’ll meet you there.”
“Will do.” I hold up my hand and take my phone out to reserve our spots for the class.
I clean up the little bit of a mess when I get back into the house and then head to my bedroom. I look up and see the pictures Ariella had put up during the first and second period. I smile when I see the one in the middle, with the six of them hanging all around that one.
Pulling out my phone, I pull up his text and close my eyes before I start writing the text.
Me:
Thank you for the pictures. They are the best.
I press send and then take a picture of them and send it to him.
I look at the clock, seeing it’s just after eleven thirty and wondering if he’s sleeping or not. I slip into my shorts and tank top, and I’m sliding into bed when my phone pings with his reply.
Kirby:
You are more than welcome.
I laugh and then decide to call him but after half a ring I hang up.
Kirby:
Are you drunk calling me?
I laugh and call him again and this time he answers within the first half of the ring. “I’m not drunk,” I state before he even says anything and his laughter makes parts of me ache and then tingle.
“It’s girls’ night, you’re supposed to let loose.”
“Is that what you are doing in Vegas?” I ask him and then I hear a ring and look to see he’s trying to FaceTime me. I smile and press the green button, and his face fills the screen with his naked shoulders.
“We didn’t even go out for the team dinner.” He laughs. “We were going to and then we saw two girls in the corner puking and decided room service was the best plan.”
I can’t help but laugh at him. “Are you dating anyone?” I ask him and the back of my neck burns and I feel like I’m going to throw up.
“Are you crazy?” he asks me, his eyebrows pinching together.
“I’m asking you a serious question.” I turn on my side and lie down, pretending he’s here with me.
“How the fuck do you want me to be dating anyone when the only one—” He stops talking and then tilts his head to the side. “I’m not. Are you?”
“No, of course not!” I shriek, not adding that if I would be dating anyone, he’s the only one I would want to date. “See? I miss this,” I tell him. “I miss talking to you.” Admitting it to him pushes me out of my comfort zone.
“No one is stopping you from talking to me.” His voice goes soft.
“I just—” I start and then stop.
“We’re friends, right?” he adds in.
I want to be more than friends, I almost say out loud instead of in my head. “We are.”
“So, friends talk,” he says, leaning against the pillows in his bed. “What’s on your mind?”
I think about it and tell him the first thing that is on my mind. “I hate that I missed so much stuff when it comes to my family.”
“Like what?” he asks me. I turn and sit up myself, propping up the pillows behind me.
“Like fucking everything.” He laughs at my answer.
“Like the fact I wasn’t there when Matty and Sofia got married because Trent had just graduated and said he booked us tickets to Europe.
” Kirby just rolls his eyes. “And I missed the gender reveal and the birth of my sister’s kids.
” My voice gets angrier. “One, because he was going into his first clinical trial and the other because he took me on ‘our much-needed vacation,’ away from everyone.”
“Okay,” he says, “but that was then.” He tries to make me feel better. “You can’t change that, but you can change what you do going forward.”
“I want to do it all,” I declare. “Birthday parties, I’m there. Gender reveal, sign me up. Wedding, yes, please.” He laughs at me. “I’m not kidding, I feel like I just missed out on so much.”
“Lexi,” he says softly.
“Did you ever feel like this?” I ask him and he nods his head.
“When I left home for college, and I started living my life, and wasn’t under his thumb, I stayed away from my mother and my sister,” he admits softly. “I missed birthdays and Christmases. I even missed Kylie’s graduation, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”
“Well, you definitely turned it around,” I tell him. “Now the two of you are closer than ever.”
“We are,” he confirms, “and I would die for her.”
“She’s an amazing human.”
“She is,” he agrees with a smile, “and she got the brunt of what that asshole did. She tries to pretend she’s okay and that nothing bothers her, but it’s a front.
She’s never let anyone in for them to see how amazing she truly is.
She’s afraid, and I hate that for her.” I suddenly feel so sorry for Kylie, and I make a mental note to open up to her more, hoping that maybe in some small way I can help her move forward.
“So I heard about your ex-girlfriend today.” I snicker at him and he groans. “Angela was her name.”
“My nightmare.” He shakes his head. “She was the complete opposite of you. She was a horrible human, a mean girl through and through.”
“Why did you date her, then?” I ask him, not sure I really want to be sitting here talking about his past girlfriend.
“Fuck if I know.” He runs his hand through his hair and he laughs. “I was young and stupid.”
“It was last year.” I laugh at him.
“Was I not younger then?” he points out. “I like this,” he says softly, “talking to you after the game while I wind down.”
“I like it too,” I admit to him, “but I’m going to let you go so you can get some sleep.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you soon, Lexi.” He looks into the camera and into my eyes, as if he’s looking into my soul, sucking the air out of my lungs. “Sweet dreams.”