Chapter Twenty Eight
I looked at my parents, waiting for the catch. This was too good to be true, there was no way we weren’t moving. “C’mon guys, this isn’t funny.” My dad placed his hands on my shoulders, standing behind me “We aren’t kidding, son.” I squealed in happiness, and immediately took out my phone to call Alex. My dad grabbed my phone out of my hand, “Ah ah ah. Not so fast. We need to get settled first, THEN you can call Alex.” I nodded, and raced inside to get started.
Half an hour later, I sat on a stool at our new island counter, listening to my mom explain how we got the house. Every time her and Isobel went “out,” they were actually house-hunting. I guess somehow the insurance came through and they had managed to get this house. Everyone (well the parents) but Alex and I had known about this for months. But why the secrecy ?
I asked my mom about that, and I guess her and Isobel both agreed it was better for mine and Alex’s relationship to kind of get a shock to realize how much we mean to one another. I guess she didn’t think we were 100% after our whole three month fight scenario. In a way, I understood where they were coming from, but what gave them the right to make that choice ? I tried to put the past away and just focus on the important thing- that I’m not leaving.
At 8:00 that night, I was finally permitted to call Alex. He answered sounding confused that we were in Lebanon already. I told him the good news with great pride, and he started screaming like a little girl. “I’m coming right over !” He promised. I could hear him yelling for his mom in the background, and then I heard Isobel laugh and say “I guess you heard, huh ?” “You knew ?” Alex shrieked. Alex’s mom got on the phone, and asked me to put mine on.
My mom arranged for Alex to spend the night, since we had stayed at his house for so long. He would be able to spend the night two times a week, and the whole family could come over any time they wanted. Every Wednesday we would all eat dinner together. In other words, my life was about to get a lot more perfect.
A knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts, and I jumped up to answer it, knowing it was my boyfriend. As soon as I opened the door, the shorter blonde boy jumped into my arms- literally. His arms snaked around my neck, his lips went to my throat, and his legs wrapped around my waist. He squeezed tightly, “Jacky !” I said nothing, holding him in my arms was enough. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. My mom appeared, “Hello Alex.” He jumped off of me, running over to her. I’ve never seen him so happy than he was right now. “Joyce !” He pulled her in for a hug. “You tricked me !” I had no idea what he was on about, but I let it go. The Gaskarth’s walked through the door soon after, and I hugged them as well. Then I tugged my Alex up to my room to show him around.
My room was a medium blue, currently only occupied by a brand new bed.
But that was all we would need.
Alex darted onto the bed, jumping up and down. I joined him, and we jumped until we were both out of breath. I collapsed on top of him happily, so grateful that everything worked out the way it did. He initiated a kiss, and I kissed back until I thought my lungs would burst from lack of air. It was a good sort of burn though, one that I would never want to live without.
I settled back against the pillows, watching Lex as he slept. He curled around me, clinging to me as if I would leave him any second. I tried not to notice how red and puffy his eyes obviously were from crying. I stroked his hair, and he smiled in his sleep. His shirt was off, and I lightly ran my fingers over the slight scars left from his burns. His bare chest was mostly fine now, but there were still some raised lines left over as reminders that he saved my life. “I love you, Lex.” I whispered into the dark.
We woke up late the next day, giddy from the realization that it was summer. I dialed Rian and Zack while Alex showered, eager to tell them the news. I invited them over for an impromptu band practice, excited to re-energize the idea. My parents had bought me another guitar, a better model than my old one, since we had been ‘moving’ to Lebanon. I pulled it out and played it for the first time, reveling in the sound. Alex emerged from the bathroom, tackling me once again. He placed millions of kisses on my forehead, “I love you Jacky. I love you, I love you, I love you.”
