Lexi's Love & War

Chapter 34

Where in the hell could she be?

That was the main question plaguing Isaac's mind. He'd sat inside The Bean's Knees for almost an hour, drinking a coffee all by himself. He had a hunch that Lexi would be hiding at their favourite hangout spot. But the coffee shop was now closed for the night, forcing him back into the cold.

Well, that's ruled out, Isaac thought. But where else could she be?

Isaac walked a few feet from The Bean's Knees with his head down. He wasn't sure where to turn to next, as he didn't have a clue about Lexi's whereabouts. Nikita's insistence that she wasn't at their apartment was more than true; she had no reason to lie, and was also concerned about Lexi, too. He wasn't keen on giving up and returning home; he needed the peace of mind that his girlfriend was safe. Even if she wasn't ready to talk to him, he just wanted some sort of confirmation that she wasn't in harm's way.

There's no way she'd be on campus at this hour, Isaac pondered. He paused with his eyebrows knitted in thought. Then again...it couldn't hurt to check. But where would she go?

A few minutes later, Isaac had made his way to campus. With it being close to 11 PM, very few people were milling about at this hour. He spotted a couple of guys smoking and speaking in low voices near the cafeteria. A security guard making her rounds spotted them, but she didn't approach the pair. She simply glanced over before walking away from them— and from Isaac.

Seeing that most buildings were dark and locked up, he wasn't sure where to begin his search for Lexi. But after several moments of aimlessly wandering, he spotted the only building that had a few lights on— the library. He suddenly remembered that there was an after-hours section that opened once the rest of the building closed down for the day.

She's got to be in there, he thought.

Isaac quickened his pace so he could make it to his newest destination. Once he entered the small room, he scanned the small study areas that sat empty. He'd expected a few people scattered about, focused on their laptops and books to complete assignments and prepare for tests. But the library's after-hours area was empty of people— save for one spot. It was occupied by someone— a woman, judging from their petite frame and long chestnut blonde hair.

There's no way that's her, Isaac thought.

He wanted to confirm whether it was indeed Lexi but abruptly hesitated. He didn't want to interrupt some random female student just because he was out looking for his girlfriend. He would've been so damn embarrassed if that happened. Then again, he needed to find out. So, he swallowed hard before tiptoeing over to the woman sitting at the table. Her eyes were drawn to her laptop screen, she had earbuds in, and had a small stack of papers strewn about on the desk. Despite a part of him wanting to leave her be, Isaac tapped her shoulder in a gentle manner. The woman jumped, locking eyes with him in a split second. When they exchanged looks, Isaac raised his eyebrows.

"Lexi?"

The woman in question yanked her earbuds out and paused whatever had been playing from her phone. She then looked back with a nod.

"Hey, Isaac."

After scanning what was left of his surroundings, Isaac realized that they truly were alone. He promptly took the seat right next to her. "God, I'm so glad I found you."

"Honestly...so am I," Lexi confessed. "I wasn't trying to hide too much...I've come here a few times before. It's always dead at this time of night."

"You walk to and from your apartment to come here? Even when it's this late?"

"I know, I know— it's dangerous. You don't have to tell me."

Isaac nodded before dropping the subject altogether. "I don't wanna talk about that. I'm sure you know why I wanted to find you so damn bad."

"Oh, I know," Lexi remarked with a slight laugh.

"Look," Isaac said, "I'm truly sorry for Cassie's stunt. I had no clue she was gonna do that."

"Neither did I. Don't say you're sorry for that; it wasn't your fault."

"Still, it was fucked up. And I'm sorry about my parents. I wish they liked you...believe me, I do."

Again, Lexi dismissed his worries. "Isaac, don't apologize. That wasn't your fault either."

Despite her words, Isaac could tell that something was off about Lexi. She seemed incredibly short with him; not angry, but frustrated. He could tell that all the recent events had left her more than a little spent. He touched her shoulder, and she didn't bother to fight him off.

"I really care about you, and I really want you to be my girlfriend," Isaac insisted. "Please, please believe me when I say that. I want to be with you so bad."

Lexi managed a slight grin. "I want that, too. I really like you, and I want this to work."

"Really?"

"Really."

Isaac nodded with a grin of his own. "I'm glad to hear that. Look...for what it's worth, I told Cassie off for her stunt. Not after you left that night— tonight before I left to find you. I fucking reamed her out and told her to leave us the hell alone. As for my parents...I don't know what to say about them. All I can do is try and get them to like you. It won't happen overnight, but I refuse to give up on them— or on you, for that matter. Okay?"

"Isaac..." Lexi paused to collect both her emotions and her thoughts. "I believe you. I'm shocked that you yelled at Cassie, but I'm glad that you did. I won't give up on you or your parents either. I'm really sorry that I left as suddenly as I did. I'm sorry I've been ignoring you, too. I'm not proud of doing either of those things."

"I know," Isaac said. He paused to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "I'm not gonna lie— all of that hurt me a lot. But I can't bring myself to be mad because this whole situation is so upsetting. I get that you needed time to process everything and whatnot, but I don't want to be completely ignored. If you want to be alone, please say so. I might not like it, but I'll respect your wishes. I hope you'd do the same for me."

Lexi nodded while wiping away a stray tear that had trickled down her left cheek. "I'm going to do my best to not hurt you like that again. I promise to try and fix things instead of being a coward. I'm so sorry, Isaac...I really am. I don't want things to be like this."

"Neither do I. But I know we're gonna be okay. I have a feeling that we're gonna make this work. I forgive you." Isaac's smile widened a bit before he kissed her cheek.

"I don't deserve it."

"Yes, you do."

Lexi's laugh was one of exasperation. "Okay, you win."

"Thank God for that," Isaac teased.

Lexi couldn't stop herself from giggling. She then took her chances and leaned in to kiss him. Isaac met her halfway, allowing them to share a gentle kiss. Once they broke apart, they shared wide grins.

"So...are we okay again?

Isaac nodded. "Yeah. I'm happy that we managed to work things out."

"So am I, babe," Lexi remarked.