Page 90 of Lightning Angel
The following days, they spent time in his room, whether it was playing random games to get to know each other, or Tristan playing his guitar and her singing—at his imploring, or simply talking. Whenever there was lightning, Alexa would sing to keep him distracted from the pain.
Each day was better than the last, and with every day she spent with him, Alexa finally began asking herself how she had lived all these years without him.
With him, she felt alive like never before.
Her heart flared to life every time his lopsided grin and adoring blue eyes greeted her. He made her feel like she couldn’t survive without him anymore. And so it was.
The ceasing in the thunderstorm allowed Tristan to use his phone, but when he tried to leave the house, Alexa implored him to stay until it was sunny in Harmony Hills all over again.
Not to her surprise but much to his father’s astonishment, he obliged.
Each morning Alexa was greeted with a good morning text from Tristan, and in every waking moment, she reached for her phone with a girlish grin. She would also text him when she was at school whether she was free or in a boring class, and would tell him everything that she felt inclined to share happening around her.
With him, she felt like…Alexa,the girl she had believed to be dead when her dad died. Somehow that girl was resurrected, but with more life than before. She smiled more, laughed contagiously, danced and sang when she was alone, was more enthusiastic, cracked jokes that made even John drop his jaw in astonishment.
Everyone was surprised at the change in her, but no one was as surprised as she was. Alexa knew that love changed people, and while she couldn’t say shelovedTristan yet, she couldn’t deny that he affected her.
So much for planning a romance-free future.
“You’re daydreaming—again.”
Alexa composed herself and blinked at her best friend who sat cross-legged on the bed, across from her. “I’m not,” she lied.
“Don’t lie to me,” Daphne retorted with narrowedeyes. “You have this mushy, faraway look in your eyes. I can tell your mind is floating, or rather it’s already in Tristan’s house.”
Alexa’s cheeks betrayed her, and all that took was one mention of his name. Oh, had he turned her into a blushing fool already? “Oh, shush.”
Daphne shot her a knowing smirk. “I don’t blame you; from your photos, he looks like a dark, morally gray hero. Super hot.” She wiggled her perfect dark eyebrows funnily.
Alexa grabbed her nearest pillow and hit Daphne on the head with it. “You’re not welcome to think of my Tristan like that!” She narrowed her eyes, barely containing a smile.
Daphne looked at her, her jaw dropping. “YourTristan? Are you claiming him already?”
Alexa released her smile, and it came out as a shy one. “Heismine—but don’t youdarethink of telling him that.”
“How can I, when I have not met him yet?” Daphne faked a pout, just before her expression lit up. “Or, why don’t you call him over today so you can introduce your best friend to your boyfriend?”
Alexa’s eyes widened. “He’s not my boyfriend yet.” There was a difference between saying he was hers and calling him her boyfriend.Surelythere was.
“Is he not?” Daphne’s eyebrows rose in challenge.
“I told you we’re…” Alexa trailed off, pondering for a moment what exactly was her relationship with Tristan. They were friends, but there was more than friendship between them; he loved her. Though they hadn’t been on a date yet, it was obvious that theirrelation was something special if not official. “We’re friends, but we’re also aware of our feelings for each other. He knows my hesitancy about romance and I think he doesn’t want to rush us but give me time.”
Daphne’s face softened at her confession. “He’s really a good man, isn’t he?”
“Yes.” Alexa’s smile was fond. “Yes, he is.”
“So I deserve to meet him and get an introduction.” Daphne declared. “What are you waiting for, call him over.”
Alexa worried her bottom lip and glanced toward the window. Today was a sunny day, the first in the entire last week, but what if it’d turn stormy all too soon? She didn’t want to put Tristan at a risk.
“He’s feeling rather unwell today, he texted me this morning,” she lied, again, and hated doing so. But she had no other choice. Perhaps, there will come a day Tristan would let her tell Daphne about his secret. Her best friend was the most trustworthy person in her life besides her sister.
“Who feels unwell on a Saturday?” Daphne huffed and hovered over her notebook and continued copying down the notes from Alexa’s that she had missed during her absence in the last two days. A moment later, she asked, “So… Tristan is your prom date, right?”
“Uh…” At Alexa’s hesitation, Daphne looked up at her. She was not going to like the answer. “I haven’t asked him yet.”
Of all the things they talked that whole week, she lacked the courage to ask him for prom. And it was so unlike her; Alexa Ford never lacked courage before boys. But then again, Tristan wasn’t just any boy. He wastheboy, the one who made her feel like she was living in one of her romance books.