Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 31

With Valentine's Day here, many couples across New York City were celebrating the holiday in several different ways. Not wanting to spend any money but eager to escape campus however possible, Lexi and Isaac decided to stroll through Central Park. Despite having lived here off and on for as long as she had been, Lexi had yet to trek there. This fact had piqued Isaac's interest when they were busy discussing what to do just days ago.

"You've never been to Central Park?" he'd asked.

"Nope."

"How come?"

Lexi had shrugged nonchalantly. "Never had the chance."

"That's gonna change," Isaac had remarked, "'cause I'm taking you there."

So they planned to meet a couple of days after Valentine's Day, as it happened to fall on a school day. While this wouldn't normally be an issue, they each had important assignments they each needed to focus on at the time. That's why they postponed their date until the following Sunday.

Unfortunately for the couple, the weather had turned fairly cold by the time they met up. Small snowflakes fell from the sky to land anywhere they could. Lexi's long locks were already accumulating snow despite wearing a black knit hat and the hood of her winter jacket. Having forgotten a pair of gloves, she resorted to stuffing her hands in her pockets to keep them from freezing.

Lexi couldn't help but marvel at the early morning sky above them while they walked through Central Park. The sun was slowly peeking up to softly brighten the sky. The falling snow didn't bother her too much, as she was too busy staring at the horizon ahead.

"Enjoying the view?"

The remark made Lexi blink hard, snapping her out of her thoughts. She studied Isaac's gaze before allowing her eyes to look him up and down.

"Sure, but...I prefer this view more."

Isaac's cheeks— which were already fairly red due to the cold— were now redder for an entirely different reason. He chuckled before threading his hand through Lexi's.

"Is that so?"

Lexi nodded.

Despite chuckling lightly, Isaac planted a quick kiss on his girlfriend's forehead. Lexi didn't flinch, choosing instead to smile without saying a word. Her eyes closed upon feeling the gesture, but they opened once his lips left her skin. She couldn't help but lock eyes with him.

"You alright?" Isaac asked.

"Mmm...I'm good, babe. This park looks really pretty."

"It is, isn't it? I love coming here. I don't do it often enough."

"I'd be happy to come here more often if you wish."

Isaac's grin widened. "Really?"

Lexi nodded vigorously. "I wish I could experience New York City more, to be honest. It's my second year at NYU, yet I haven't explored it as much as I'd like. I wanna be a typical New Yorker...whatever the hell that even means. Then again, school tends to get in the way more than I care to admit."

Those remarks weighed on Isaac's mind. Lexi noticed because she cleared her throat and laughed softly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," she insisted.

"Don't apologize," Isaac said. "I'm just thinking of how I can make such a feat possible."

"Please don't lose sleep over it. It's not worth it, babe."

"Can I at least try?"

Lexi sighed with a small smirk etched on her face. "Sure."

"Good," Isaac concluded before punctuating his sentence with another kiss on her exposed forehead.