37. Lexi

Noah was waiting for me at the front of the school the next morning.

Easton stepped up beside me and spoke in a low voice. "Looks like your boyfriend is waiting for you." He was still a little touchy over the fact that he really did have to share his best friend with me now, but I figured he'd get over it eventually. Maybe if things didn't work out between him and Mercedes we could try a double date with Juliette sometime. I had definitely noticed some sparks between them before she left, and he had acted really depressed those first couple of weeks she was gone.

Easton made it through the door, and he and Noah briefly nodded to each other. And that was it—no conversation, no hellos, just Easton heading inside the building .

"That was weird," I commented, nodding toward my brother's retreating back.

Noah shrugged. "It's okay. We'll figure things out soon, I'm sure." Then he held his hand out for me to take. "You ready to face everyone on our first official day as boyfriend and girlfriend?"

I took his hand and smiled. "I've been waiting for this day for longer than you probably know."

He grinned. "Now how long is that exactly?"

I shook my head, not believing I was actually okay talking about my long-time crush on him. "Pretty much since you played Go-Fish with me that one day in middle school."

He squeezed my hand and led me further inside. "You mean the day that Easton wouldn't let you play that train game and you went off and cried on the staircase?"

I blushed, remembering how ridiculous he must have thought I was back then. But then I realized something else. "You actually remember?"

He smiled. "Of course. I mean, I don't just play Go-Fish with anyone."

"Well, I'm glad I made your list even back then." We arrived at my locker.

"Me too." He looked back at me and winked. Then he leaned his shoulder against the locker beside mine. "So, this is probably your last chance to back out of dating me before you see Harrison in band. "

"And why would I want to stop dating you because I'll be seeing Harrison?" I cocked an eyebrow.

He scratched a spot on his cheek. "I think I overheard that Justin Banks is coming out with a new movie soon, and I know how you feel about watching his movies with Harrison."

I whacked him in the arm.

"Ow." He rubbed the spot where I'd smacked him, but the smile on his face was huge.

"So does that mean you're not interested in Harrison, or are you just not into the Justin Banks movie?"

"How about neither."

"Neither? Really?"

"Yes. We both know which impossible crush I was trying to forget about when I decided to chase Harrison to that last movie."

"Who?" He tried to look innocent as he stepped closer, his intoxicating cologne making it hard for me to remember how to talk for a moment. "Who were you trying to forget, sweet Lexi?" He ran his thumb slowly across my jawline.

I blinked my eyes shut for a moment before getting lost in his gaze again. "You know it was always you, Noah."

He smiled at me softly. "Thanks for being patient enough to let me figure out that you were always the one for me, too."