Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 31

"Hey, you deserve it, babe."

Lexi rolled her eyes with a laugh before the pair separated. The lack of customers inside allowed her to pick most any seat she wanted. She quickly selected a small dark brown couch situated in front of an electronic fireplace. The fire was clearly fake, but it still felt super cozy. Lexi tried to sit close to it in a feeble attempt to defrost. She removed her jacket and settled into the soft couch cushion while smiling softly.

"Miss Cole?"

Lexi glanced up with a larger smirk. "Yes, Mr. Ambros?"

"Here's your hot chocolate."

"Thank you," Lexi laughed.

Isaac couldn't help but join in. "No problem, babe."

The pair settled in and began enjoying their sweet beverages.

"I really enjoyed seeing Central Park," Lexi revealed. "It looks nice in the winter."

"Believe me, it looks better in the summer," Isaac confessed.

"I bet! I wish I could see it, but I'll be back home in California by then."

Isaac's smile disappeared in an instant as his eyes darted down.

"Don't feel bad for me," Lexi insisted with a calm gaze. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. I swear I'm not upset about it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain."

"Well...okay," Isaac said. He seemed unsure but decided against asking again. He looked back at Lexi, whose blue-green eyes were bright with joy. He couldn't help but smile in response.

"I know we only have until the end of April before the semester ends," Lexi said, "but I'm not dwelling on it. I just want to try and enjoy the time we have together right now. That's why I'm trying to spend more time with my friends, and with you."

Isaac mused her explanation for a moment or so. "That's a great way to look at things."

Lexi placed her hand on his leg in a gentle manner. Isaac seemed surprised by the gesture, but he wasn't about to stop her. Instead, he placed his hand on top of hers. They remained in this position for over a minute, all without saying anything. Words didn't seem necessary at that moment, and they were both content with that.

"Oh, by the way...my mom called me the other day," Isaac admitted.

This revelation made Lexi feel small in an instant. She retracted her hand and clasped her hot chocolate. She took an apprehensive sip before finally responding.

"Did my name come up?"

"Only for a moment," Isaac answered. "She asked if I was still dating you, and I said yes. I won't lie— she didn't sound thrilled by my answer. But you didn't come up again after that. She didn't insult you or make any rude remark about us dating."

"That's...good," Lexi replied with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, I don't know what else to say."

"It's okay," Isaac said. "It was kinda awkward, but I tried not to think about it."

Just like me trying hard to not think about that disastrous meeting, Lexi thought with a somber expression. But she tried to perk up quickly as to not worry her boyfriend. If he noticed, he didn't mention it.

"Let's change the subject," Isaac abruptly suggested.

Lexi nodded. "Sure. That's fine with me, baby." She punctuated her words by planting a kiss on his cheek with a wide smile.