Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 17

Isaac headed to Lexi's apartment once she'd texted him that Nikita had left for her Halloween party. He walked the short distance from his place to hers and knocked on her door. She opened it with a sweet smile on her face.

"Hello," he greeted while giving her a big hug.

"Hey, Isaac!" Lexi exclaimed as she happily returning it.

She then ushered him in her surprisingly spacious apartment. He had to walk through the plain white living room to get to the kitchen. He noticed white walls with a light grey countertop, as well as matching white cupboards above the silver sink. The stove sat across from the sink, which had a large pot and a pan on burners. Isaac smelled cooked beef and herbs in the air, causing him to grin.

"Something smells really good. What is it?"

"Nothing fancy— just spaghetti with homemade meatballs and tomato sauce. I wanted to make something easy, but not sloppy. I hope it's okay," Lexi replied.

Isaac eyed both parts of the meal. "It looks good. Need any help?"

"The pasta needs to be strained, and then I'll combine everything in the same large pot. Oh, and I need to set our places at the table. Before you ask— yes, I do mean that small table over there. You don't have to help if you don't want to, though."

"I'd love to help."

It took several minutes between the two of them, but dinner was ready soon enough. Once they finally plated their meals, they sat at the dining table to enjoy their food.

"This is really good," Isaac remarked. "I'm curious, though— why'd you offer to cook dinner for our second date?"

Lexi shrugged. "I don't know...it seemed like a good idea that wasn't too expensive or fancy. Was it a bad idea?"

"No, it's fine! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude or...ugh, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay, I know what you meant."

Isaac let out a relieved chuckle. "I'm glad I didn't embarrass myself for a change."

"You're nervous again," Lexi remarked. "How come?"

"I have no idea. Hell, I shouldn't even be this nervous. I guess after all the shit that went down at the Halloween party, I'm trying to...make things up to you? God, I don't know what I'm saying. I'm sorry, Lexi. I don't mean to be a nervous wreck."

Lexi set her fork down and moved her hand closer to Isaac's. He apprehensively grabbed it, noting how warm it felt and how small her hand was compared to his. He grinned at the gesture before looking back at her. She had a calm smile on her face and warmth inside her blue-green eyes. He ran his other hand through his short brown hair, messing up his once tame curls in the process.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

The rest of the dinner went smoothly after that. Isaac helped Lexi do dishes before they sat on the couch to watch a movie. He'd picked an indie thriller called Just Call— nothing too girly, too manly or too bloody. It wasn't easy to pick the best movie for their date, but he did it.

"You have good taste," Lexi commented. "I've wanted to see this for a while."

"Oh, really? I'm glad I picked it, then," Isaac replied. "I haven't seen it yet either, but Felipe and DeShawn love it. I had to keep them from spoiling it for me."

As the movie began, Isaac reclined his tall figure out on the couch. He still left plenty of room for Lexi to do the same right next to him. She pressed her back against him while being careful of where her body was positioned. Isaac's arm enveloped her torso as he gently pulled her in closer to him. He waited to see if Lexi would tell him to back off, but she remained quiet and focused on the film.