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Homecoming, in short, was not at all what Lexi had expected it to be. In fact, it was the exact opposite. She had wanted laughs, dancing, singing along eith the retro songs and drinking with her friends and her girlfriend. Instead what she got was a night of lies from saints; a night with the guilty jury.
It had started well, complimenting her insanely gorgeous girlfriend and getting pictures with Toby pretending to be a photographer for twenty minutes while Cole complained about being the assigned driver. But it grew further into chaos the longer than night went on.
Cheryl had been conflicted, unable to enjoy herself the entire dance and unwilling to share with Lexi what was wrong. So Lexi drove her home to the Hale house, knowing whatever was bothering the redhead was something to do with that dreadful family of her back at Thronehill. It also might have had something to do with how Polly Cooper had moved in to the Blossom mansion and her parents were treating her like a prettied china-doll.
Unknown to Lexi, Cheryl had been too stressed and upset over how monstrous her parents were, even going as far to drug Polly to stop her from attending the Homecoming party at the school. She'd also had to lie straight to Betty's face when she'd asked for the whereabouts of her sister in order to protect the vile demons she called her parents. So it wasn't particularly a surprise to the redhead when she had ended up crying herself to sleep in Lexi's arms as the brunette shh'd her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.
After she'd managed to fall asleep, Lexi's phone buzzed beside her and she was quick to curse under her breath at the text from Lydia. The King was arrested. Her uncle, of all people, had been arrested for the gruesome murder of her best friend.
Toby went down to the station immediately but he returned only half an hour later, claiming FP confessed to the murder and didn't want to drag family into this mess. He refused Toby as his defence attorney and said he'd take the one the Station provided for him.
Lexi didn't know what to believe. She'd been involved in Jason's dealings from the start, she couldn't accept that FP was Jason's killer because if he was, that meant she was the reason Jason was dead.
She'd been the one to confide in him with her relations to the Southside, she'd been the one to introduce him to the Serpents, she'd been the one to convince FP to accept Jason's offer. But if she'd been the one to lead to Jason's death?
Lexi didn't know if she could survive that guilt.
She was brought out of her thoughts as Cheryl sniffled and opened her eyes from the restless sleep she'd somehow managed to fall into during her sob fest. Lexi smiled softly at the girl sleeping on her (now dead) arm, she quickly deemed it worth losing all feeling in her arm if it meant she could provide even the smallest amount of comfort for her girlfriend.
"Hey," she breathed heavily.
Cheryl's tearstained cheeks and misery-wrecked eyes stared back at her but she briefly forced a weak smile in return. "Morning."
"Cole's making pancakes downstairs if you want some." Lexi said instead of asking how she was. She knew better than anyone, sometimes asking that only led the person to more heartache. "Though, if you don't want food poisoning, you should stick to the one's I bought from the supermarket the other day in the bread-bin."
Cheryl gave a faint smile at that which was far more than Lexi had been expecting. "I love you."
Lexi blinked, unmoving. Her mind went blank and her throat went dry. Sure, she knew she was in love with Cheryl but she never actually gave thought to the idea that Cheryl would love her back. There was still a small part of her that truly believed she was unlovable.
It wasn't exactly hard to come to such a conclusion. Her father never really cared enough to express his love for any of his children, he was barely there to love them. Her mother loved her dearly but she was too busy working trying to bring in enough money for the house and save up for Toby's lawyer school. Toby and Cole were more of "I love you but you will never hear me admit it aloud" brothers, they cared but acts of affection were not something they put on the table all that often.
Then there was Chuck, a boy she believed had loved her and although, she had been too chicken to say it back to him, he was definitely someone she had cared for deeply. Sure, they may not have had the best relationship but it was a good first serious relationship — well, at least it was until he cheated on her. She had thought he actually loved her but in the end his love for her went out the second he climbed into bed with another girl.
With Cheryl, Lexi felt more vulnerable. She felt happier as sappy as it sounded. So yes, Lexi knew she loved Cheryl back. The problem lied with actually saying the words and believing Cheryl when she had said them.
Which is probably why Lexi ruined the moment of Cheryl's first confession of love by asking, "Why?"
"Why?" Cheryl echoed, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean why?"
"I mean, why are you in love with me?" Lexi stressed, a frown on her face to mirror Cheryl's. "You could have anyone, you're Cheryl freakin' Blossom and you chose me, why?"
Cheryl stared at her with an intense emotion building in her eyes, one Lexi easily recognised but refused to acknowledge. "Because you're exactly what I need, maybe we fight a lot and maybe we don't always see eye to eye but to me, you are exactly what I need. You're the balance to my temper, the fuel to my heart and the best goddamn kisser... You have bits of Jason too. Jason was my platonic soulmate, my twin, the only person who ever actually understood me. You, however, you're my one true soulmate, my girlfriend, the girl who makes me smile when I'm at my lowest. I love you, Alexis Hale. I love you for all your strengths, faults and all the rest. I love you entirely, Lexi."
Lexi Hale was many things but she was not a crybaby. So when the tears sprang to life, she closed her eyes and brought Cheryl into a passionate kiss to say what her mouth could not.
Cheryl hummed in pleasure before pulling back just enough to ask, "I take it this means you love me too?"
"What do you think, idiot?" Lexi arched her eyebrow before peppered her face with light kisses.
