“College.”
“Right.”
The truck falls silent. I wouldn’t be mad if she dropped the entire conversation. I don’t need a fight to arise between us again.
I feel her eyes laser over to me. “So when you saw her, did you have old feelings come back?”
I keep my eyes on the road and hold my breath. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Lex,” I admit. “I felt a little something.”
“So do you wish you were with her rather than me?” Her voice is tight, on the verge of being raised, I can feel it.
“Of course not. I care about you.” I reach over to rest a hand on her thigh. “I love what we have, I enjoy being with you, babe.” I grab her hand. “Really,” I assure. With a brief stare into her dark brown eyes, I wait for her to respond.
“Okay. Thanks for being honest. Sometimes young love is hard to forget,” she says.
I’m relieved. That was not the reaction I was expecting. But why do I feel like I just told the biggest lie of my life?
Chapter 4
Jesse
After the run-in with Ella a few days ago at church, I decided to surprise Lexie with a homemade dinner at my place. She thinks we’re going out, but when she gets here, she’ll see we aren’t. I just don’t want her to feel like she’s in a competition with Ella. I’ve been feeling a little guilty. The brief conversation Ella and I had replays in my head almost on a loop. I can’t shake it. It’s been so hard to ignore those old feelings, but I can’t let myself feel that way when I’m with Lexie. It’s not right, I know that.
“Hey.” I greet her at the door. She’s wearing jeans she knows I love on her and a leather jacket. Her long brown hair is curled down around her face. I lean in to kiss her. “You look beautiful.”
She smirks. “So do you.”
Laughing, I step aside and her attention sets on the kitchen. Confused, she asks, “Are you cooking?”
“Yeah. Surprise, we’re not going out.”
“Well, aren’t you just a dream,” she flirts and walks past me to further investigate, and I follow her.
“We have homemade mashed potatoes, Mom’s recipe. Roast beef and asparagus.” She raises her eyebrows and grins.
“And you made it all yourself?”
“Damn straight,” I say and watch her laugh. “It’s ready, you hungry?”
“Yeah, I didn’t eat much for lunch.”
“Good.”
As I start serving the food onto our plates, Lexie sits down at the table. Enos, my yellow lab, walks over to demand her attention.
“No, sir. Go lay down.” I point in the direction of the living room. He listens, and I take my seat across from Lexie.
She points to the flickering candle that is set between us. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did.” I smile and reach my hand across the table for hers to pray. She doesn’t hesitate, which makes me happy.
“Dear Lord, thank you for bringing Lexie here tonight safely. I pray you can bless this time we have together tonight, especially as we navigate the newness of this relationship. In your name we pray, amen.”
Our hands separate and we lift our heads. I’m now met with my chocolate lab, Cletus, sitting on the floor at Lexie’s side. She laughs and takes a drink of her water.
“Hey, I know she’s pretty but she’s mine. Go lay down, now,” I tell him and watch him mosey over to his bed.
She laughs. “They’re like your kids.”
