The Smirking Jerk (Blake's POV)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I didn't open my eyes when I woke up. I didn't feel like it. For the first time in a long while, I felt good waking up, and I didn't want that feeling to go away. I was scared that the minute I would open my eyes things would change.

I was warm and comfortable and... oh crap.

My eyes opened wide. My body froze.

I hadn't dreamt last night. All of it was real. All of it had happened.

Lexi was still in my arms. She hadn't run away from me kicking and screaming. She'd actually gotten even closer than she'd been last night. One of us, I couldn't know who, had unzipped our sleeping bag in the middle of the night and now I had Lexi's arms wrapped around me, her head tucked under my chin, one of her legs hooked around one of mine, my own arms around her.

I couldn't see her face, and normally I would think I was dreaming this whole thing, and the girl in my arm just wasn't Lexi, but the feeling was undeniable. It couldn't be anyone else. No one made my heart beat this fast this quickly.

I was allowing myself five seconds. Five seconds of this and then I had to get out of this tent. This wasn't right. Lexi Grayson would never want to cuddle with me in a tent.

No. Not even five seconds. I'd been enough of a creep for the night, or day, or whatever. This had to stop. I had to stop.

Slowly, so I wouldn't wake her up, I entangled myself from Lexi's grip and got out of the tent.

The air was cold and humid. The ground was covered with dew. I could almost make out little puffs of fog with my breath. The temperature had definitely dropped over night.

I wasn't feeling cold though. My whole body felt warm, warmer than before.

It was a stark contrast to what I was feeling yesterday.

Everyone was still asleep. Alex's car was back, so I assumed he was sleeping in it.

I was restless. I felt jittery. I felt ready to run a marathon.

I figured I shouldn't take off without eating anything so I took a few gulps of water from one of the bottles left in the cooler. I grabbed a protein bar lying in the mountain of left-over food on one of the picnic tables and wolfed it down.

That was as good as it was going to get.

I took off running.

The paths around here weren't exactly made for running. I had to be careful and look where I was putting my feet in order not to face plant every two seconds. I enjoy the slight challenge.

I was happy. I was a total creep, but I was happy.

I wondered if Alex would fess up about the whole thing. I assumed if he did Lexi would probably kick my ass literally and let it go. She was easily distracted. I'd do something else to anger her and she'd forget all about it.

But Alex was never going to fess up about it. If he did, that would mean he would have to tell her why he had left in the middle of the night.

I wondered who was the girl that had replaced Lexi. Who was better than Lexi in his mind? Everyone had different tastes, so I shouldn't judge, but in my book, anyone that rejected Lexi Grayson was a complete and utter moron.

I should really stop being this bitter about it. I should be grateful Alex didn't like Lexi anymore. Seeing Alex and Lexi dating all lovey dovey was painful. I hated to see that show.

But my hate for Alex didn't exist because of the way it hurt me, it came from the fact that his not liking Lexi anymore had hurt her. I hated him for hurting her.