Page 66 of The Scientist
I’dbeenfalling. The time I’d spent pretending we were nothing more than friends had been a complete and utter waste of time. The truth had always been there, no matter how hard I tried not to see it.He was more than a neighbor, more than a friend, he was just… more. In every single way.
With so much at stake, this realization should have felt more frightening than it did. But I just couldn’t find it in myself to be scared. There’s a certain calmness that the truth always brings when it’s finally revealed, and I was ready for it.
I pulled back a fraction, still not letting go as my eyes lifted to meet his. He peered down at me through thick lashes, his gaze feeling like a caress to my soul. I felt his grip on me tighten, and his breathing seemed shallower as we stood there taking each other in.
I leaned in further without thinking. Everything in me was pulled toward this man. His eyes became fixated on my mouth at the same moment my gaze found his.
“Lex?” I heard a female voice call out to him.
The feeling of being doused in icy cold water hit me as we pulled away just as Nicky walked through the door. We weren’t doing anything wrong, but I’m sure we still looked guilty as hell.
“I was coming to see why you weren’t in your office, Lex, but I’m glad to see you’re hard at work here,” she sneered, looking between the two of us.
“I was just leaving.” I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her attitude today.
“No, don’t let me interrupt. I can see you’ve developed a serious interest in neurobiology lately.”
“That’s enough, Nicky,” Lex warned.
“What? Were you two just pondering the mechanism of renin-angiotensin inhibitors and their capacity for suppressing neuronal cell death?”
I knew she was trying to make me feel small for not knowing anything about neuroscience, the one thing that held them together.
“What we were doing is none of your concern. In fact, you should worry more about your own work rather than wasting time tracking my every move,” he said crossly. “Your work might even be a little better if you gave it the same attention.”
Ouch. I didn’t want to see the look of hurt on her face that I knew was there, not that she didn’t deserve it. She had no response as she stood in the doorway, looking shell-shocked. I would have bet my life he had never spoken to her that way before.
I knew it was time for me to leave. “I’m going to go,” I told Lex.
“I’ll walk you out,” he said, still sounding annoyed. I wasn’t expecting him to, but maybe he didn’t want to deal with her either.
She said nothing as we brushed past her, still frozen in the doorway. I almost apologized for causing such a rift betweenthem. I didn’t have any ill will toward her, even though she acted like a total twat every time I encountered her.
Once we made it out of the building, I stopped and turned toward him. “Thank you again, Lex. You don’t know how much this meant to me.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry about Nicky. I know she can be tough to deal with sometimes.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Go easy on her. I’d probably be the same way if you dumped me.”
He looked taken aback by that statement and seemed to be fumbling for something to say.
“Anyway, thanks again,” I said, saving him the effort.
He continued to stare blankly at me, the shock never leaving his face as he mumbled, “You’re welcome.”
I walked away with an overwhelming, undeniable realization—I really, really liked California.
Chapter 16
“Hm,” was all my mom said after I told her about what Lex had shown me in the lab while sitting together at her chemo appointment.
“What?” I asked, knowing there was more.
“Nothing,” she said vaguely. “That was very kind of him.”
“Mhmm. What else?”
“He seems like a really greatfriend,” she said, putting emphasis on the last word.