13 Flames | gxg

61 - breathe

Lexa

After an exciting breakfast of my dad teaching Palmer how to make omelettes, we're ready to go. I hug my parents one last time before climbing into the passenger seat of our rental. Palmer smiles at me and I lean over the armrest to give her a quick kiss.

She turns the car on but before we go anywhere she hooks her phone to the aux. She scrolls for a minute before she finds what she's looking for. I laugh as Taylor Swift's first album blasts through the speakers. Palmer grins and pulls out of the parking garage.

"Taylor?" I tease. "Really?"

"We've got a five hour drive and are getting through at least five out of nine albums. So yes, Taylor all the way."

I laugh as Palmer sings along to "Tim McGraw." I give in and join her, smiling at the way she dances around in her seat.

We make it out of the city half an hour later and Palmer gets on the highway. She turns the music down and I stop singing, shooting her a playful glare.

She grins. "I know, I know, I could never. But I wanted to talk to you."

Palmer's hand rests on the armrest and I put mine over hers. My fingers trace the back of her hand and I wait for her to continue.

"My parents don't know about us, as far as I know. Could... could we tell them?"

"Of course we can. Chloe and Nick, too," I add.

Palmer laughs. "Oh, they already figured it out."

I smack Palmer in the arm. "What? Why didn't you tell me! I told Chloe yesterday that we weren't."

At this Palmer turns her head to look at me. "You talked to Chloe?"

"Yeah, we text all the time."

Palmer grins like a little kid handed a lollipop. She squeals in her seat and I burst out laughing. I swear, it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. "YAY! WE CAN ALL HANG OUT TOGETHER!"

Palmer rants for ten minutes about everything we can do with Chloe and Nick. She rushes through her words in her excitement and I can't help but watch in amazement. A few minutes later she slows down and looks over at me, eyes shining. I don't even realize I'm staring. "What?" she giggles.

"I love you," I blurt out.

Palmer laughs. "I love you too."

────

A few hours later 1989 plays throughout the car and we're over halfway to Palmer's parents house. Palmer sings along to "Out of the Woods" and I sip at my iced coffee as I watch her. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I smile when I see a text from Chloe.

Chloe

this you?
posted this morning

I open the link she sent and it takes me to an article on some magazine website. A headline pops up, Palmer Drake and Lexa Marshall Now Official? The picture beneath it is me and Palmer on the doorstep of my parent's brownstone. My hands cup her face and we're both smiling. I scroll through and there's a couple more of us talking, and a few of us holding hands. My eyes widen and my heart rate speeds up.

"Palmer?" I breathe.

She stops singing and glances sideways at me. She sees my expression and her lips pull into a frown. "What is it, Lex?"

I read her the headline and show her the picture. "Shit," she mutters. "How the hell did they know we were in New York?"

"What are we gonna do? I don't-Damnit, the whole world's gonna know." I bury my head in my hand.

"Hey, hey," Palmer says softly. Her hand finds my thigh and she gives it a light squeeze. "Breathe, Lexa. It'll be okay. People have been saying these things for months."

I pick my head up. "But this time it's true."

"They don't know that. As far as the world is concerned, nothing's changed. Our relationship is our business, not theirs."

I take a deep breath. "I'll call my agent and have him get in touch with the magazine and deny it."

Palmer nods. "Okay." She gives my thigh another squeeze. "Don't worry, Lex. Really, it'll be alright."

I give her a small smile and take her hand in mine. I turn the volume back up and watch as Palmer gets lost in the music. She seriously loves Taylor Swift.

I call my agent and he says he'll take care of it, which eases my nerves a little. But what Palmer and I have, it's still new. I'm already terrified enough of screwing it up, and I don't need millions of people claiming us as "endgame". I know the pressure would mess with our heads, and I don't want it to get in the way of us. I just want her. Out of the spotlight. For as long as I can.

────

Two hours later and we're almost there. I'm leaning against the corner of my seat, tracing lines across Palmer's arm and snacking on McDonald's fries. I raise my hand to Palmer's mouth and she takes the few fries I'm holding. I watch the road through the windshield, small snowflakes flying at us. Snow covers everything in a white blanket. You can tell it stopped recently by the way the tree limbs are still coated in it, by the slushy splotches of white on the road. The temperature dropped to thirty degrees as we made our way north and I'm thankful for the winter coat around my shoulders.

Palmer provides commentary as we pass through the center of town. She points out local restaurants, boutiques, the ice cream shop on the corner, the book store.

"Every year, the day before Christmas Eve, there's a festival downtown," she tells me, her voice brimming with excitement. "There's lights and food and dancing and it's amazing."

I smile. "I can't wait."

She glances at me sideways. "I'm also totally going to crush you in the sled race."

I smirk. "In your dreams, Drake."

Ten minutes later Palmer pulls into a driveway off the bumpy back road we've been following. She drives up to a navy blue, Cape Cod style house with a wide front porch and white columns. Evergreen garlands decorate the columns and a similar wreath hangs on the red front door. We have to park halfway down the driveway due to the five or so cars ahead of us. I notice a minivan with a Massachusetts plate and a bright blue jeep beside it. The jeep must be Chloe's. Two cars sit in the wide garage before us.

I look over at Palmer and she's smiling ear to ear. She zips up her coat and steps outside. I unbuckle my seatbelt and she hurries around to my door to open it for me. I laugh and take her offered hand. She wears a long black coat with a red knit hat, contrasting with the short, puffy white coat keeping me warm. We walk up the cobbled pathway to the front door. I can hear the sound of voices inside.

Palmer looks at me. "Prepare yourself."