Page 66 of Lightning Angel
“Thank you.”
He dipped his chin in a bow-like nod, like the gentlemen from period dramas. “It’s only the truth.”
After being constantly flattered by the one boy she had been romantically involved with, to hear an earnest compliment from someone who made her heart flutter despite her efforts to steel her heart against it, it felt almost surreal.
“Did you check in on your sister?” Tristan asked, thankfully changing the subject.
“Yeah. She’s asleep.” Alexa walked to her bed, climbed over it, and waved him over to join her.
He approached and sat on the edge, one leg curledunderneath him and the other hanging off. He whistled as his eyes skimmed over the open notebooks and textbooks. “Now,thatseems like a lot to catch up on.”
Would he think it was boring to help her catch up on her notes? He definitely would.Whydid she ask him to help her with her notes?
“I, uh, yeah…” Heat coated her cheeks and she tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “I shouldn’t bore you out helping me with this. I really shouldn’t have—”
“If you accept my assistance and finish copying down the notes, I’ll give you a reward.” Tristan’s eyes lit up with a mischievous glint.
Alexa couldn’t help but notice how carefree and open he seemed now, compared to how he had been yesterday. She wondered once again if their heart to heart conversation had built a bridge between them. A connection, one that not only her but he too was feeling.
“What reward?” she asked but grabbed the pen and her phone anyway, ready for whatever it was.
“It’s a surprise.”
Alexa didn’t waste a moment. Trying to hide her smile, she unlocked her phone and handed it to him after opening the notes. He read them to her, and she found her hand flying over the page, without a trace of boredom or craving for a distraction.
Nonetheless,hewas distracting enough; the sound of his voice, his occasional jabs, and his concentrated expression whenever she stole a glance at his face as she made an excuse to flex her fingers or straighten her back. By the time they were done, Alexa realized she hadn’t smiled or laughed in the last three months as much as shehad in the last twenty-four hours.
He made hersohappy.
Yet, she pulled up the guard around her heart. No matter what they did, what he made her feel, she couldn’t let the feelings reach her heart. Even if theydidreach her heart through the fragile defenses, she couldn’t allow them to settle in there.
Alexa began gathering her books when Tristan grabbed her wrist. “Put on a jacket and a pair of shoes. I’ve got this.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “We’re going somewhere? At this time?”
Tristan released her wrist and leaned away, rubbing the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. “If you don’t want to…”
“No,” she said quickly. “Imean,I do.” She climbed off the bed in search of her jacket and sneakers. “Have you checked the weather reports tonight?”
“Yes, I have. Today’s a starry night. And,” he paused before saying, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Alexa pivoted to him from where she stood slipping her feet into her sneakers. “I’m not talking about me,” she said incredulously. “I’m talking aboutyou. I couldn’t riskyoubeing out there if there’s a chance for lightning.”
A dumbstruck expression crossed Tristan’s handsome face, and for a moment, he just stared, as though trying to read her.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, pulling him out of whatever reverie he had fallen into.
Tristan’s face rested into a soft smile. “It’s a surprise,” he said and stuffed all the books into her bag neatly.
“I think you’ll have to be a little more specific aboutthat, because I’m agirland I need to dress appropriately for the occasion.” Alexa shrugged on the hoodie jacket Tristan had given her last night, standing in front of the mirror.
“If I tell you it’s going to be just the two of us, wherever my destination is, would it be helpful?” Tristan zipped her bag close.
Alexa hummed, satisfied at her reflection in the mirror. “I guess this will do then.”
She ran her fingers through her hair to arrange it in her preferred casual style and turned to Tristan to declare she was ready, only to find his eyes already on her, with the same warm look that did scary things to her insides.
“What?” she asked with a laugh to cover her sudden fluster.