Always There

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

Songs for this chapter:
• Complicated - Olivia O'Brien

Chapter One Hundred and Nine:

Lexi's POV

I raise my fist to knock on the door.

It flies open before my hand even connects with the wood.

"Lexi!" Vanessa squeals.

I throw myself into her arms and we collapse into a heap of limbs on the hardwood floor. We're laughing and crying and holding each other so hard that it hurts.

"I missed you so much," I sob into her shoulder.

"I missed you too," she whispers back. "I was so scared to transfer to NYU and move to a new city. I've lived in Toronto all my life and I'm going to miss my family so much. But when Matt got into Columbia I knew I had to come with him. Knowing that you're here was the final convincing factor that I needed."

I hold her even tighter. "I'm so glad you're here. You don't even understand how happy I am. I know we probably won't be able to spend time together a ton because of me and Bryce, but I'm so happy that I'll still be able to see you every once and awhile."

We slowly untangle ourselves from our embrace and we help each other to get to our feet. I slip off my shoes and tuck my duffel bag against the wall before turning to take in Mateo and Vanessa's new apartment.

"Holy shit!" I can't help but to exclaim. "This is not just an apartment, Vanessa! This is a penthouse! This is the nicest place I've ever been in! How the heck are you guys affording this place? Can I move in too?"

Vanessa laughs and loops her arm around my waist. "Leo's paying for it. He's just happy both his boys are going to Columbia now. Even though this is Bryce's last year before he graduates to do music full-time, he loves that both of them will have a degree from there. Mateo still has a few years of school left anyway, even though he's changed his mind about his career path."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Oh? He doesn't want to be a lawyer anymore?"

She shakes her head at me. "Nope. He decided he would rather follow in Leo's footsteps. He's going the business route. I'm the only one of us going to law school now." She pauses. "I want to give you a tour. It's really the most beautiful home a person could wish for."

Vanessa walks me through the beautiful kitchen, the various living rooms, the luxurious dining room, and she even shows me the two bathrooms on this level before dragging me onto their back balcony. 'Balcony' isn't even the right word to describe it, though, as it's the largest balcony I've ever seen. There's a grassy area as big as a soccer field, a massive pool, and a hot tub shaded by a large umbrella. There's even a small bar beside the pool, the shelves lined with bottles of expensive liquor.

"Oh my God," I whisper. "If I moved in, I don't think you guys would even notice. It's so beautiful, Nessa."

She shoots me a cheeky smile and tugs me back inside. We hurry up the grand spiral staircase in the centre of the penthouse to the second floor, where it splits in two directions.

Vanessa completely disregards the hallway to the right and gives me a thorough tour of the left hallway, complete with several bedrooms, bathrooms, and currently-bare rooms before dragging me back down the stairs.

The home is beautiful beyond belief. All of the wood is a deep brown so dark that it's nearly black, and the walls are painted a slate grey. The countertop in the kitchen is a gorgeous granite with small flecks of cherry blossom pink and white, and the entire apartment is accented with pops of the same two colours, from the couches to the throw pillows to the delicate curtains framing the windows.