I ignore the phone, focusing on her. "They can wait. I've been avoiding them all week, one more hour's not gonna kill them."
"Can they wait, though?" she asks gently. "Do they even know where you are?"
"No," I grumble, unable to stomach lying to her.
She gets a sad, distant look in her eyes. "Maybe it's time to talk to them."
"I told them I'm staying at a hotel," I say, the words coming out more defensive than intended. "They know I'm alive and safe. They'll live."
"That's all the more reason you should go," she insists. "I don't want them thinking you're running off with some random beta or they'llreallyhate me. And they'd actually have reason this time."
"I don't care what they think," I counter, though even as I say it, I know it's not entirely true. Despite everything, they're still my pack. Still important to me. "You're not ‘some random beta.’ And they won't hate you."
"You can't know that." She reaches across the table, taking my hand in hers. "Look, I want this to work. I want to see where this goes between us. But I don't want to be the reason your pack falls apart."
My phone buzzes again, more insistent this time. Probably Jax, trying to use his captain voice via text.
"You're right," I admit reluctantly. "I probably do need to talk to them."
Relief flashes across her face, followed by vulnerability. "So what does that mean for us? For... whatever this is becoming?"
"I want you," I say simply, because it's the truest thing I know right now. "I want to keep seeing you, keep getting to know you. Keep waking up with you."
The flush that spreads across her cheeks is gratifying.
"I want that too," she admits. "But the pack?—"
"We don't have to figure everything out right now," I say, seeing the conflict in her eyes. "Can we just... give this a chance? Just the two of us, for now? See where it goes?"
She studies me for a long moment, those expressive brown eyes searching mine. Finally, she nods. "If you discuss it with your pack, and they're accepting, then yes. I'd like that."
It's not the unconditional yes I was hoping for, but it's realistic. Practical. Very Lexie.
"I'll talk to them," I promise, bringing her hand to my lips. "Today."
My phone buzzes again, as if on cue. Lexie laughs, the sound lightening the mood. "You should probably get that before they send a search party."
I groan but reach for the phone. Six texts from Jax, three from Aidan, even one from Dmitri. It's three words, which is practically a novel from him.
DMITRI: Are you okay?
Nothing from Zayn, but that's not surprising.
"I should go," I say reluctantly, scrolling through the messages. Nothing urgent, just variations on, "Where are you?" and "We need to talk."
Lexie nods, standing to clear our plates.
I catch her wrist as she passes, pulling her onto my lap. She comes willingly, settling against me with a comfort that feels earned rather than assumed.
"This isn't me running away," I clarify, needing her to understand. "From you, I mean. I want this to work."
"I know," she says softly, her hand coming up to cup my cheek. "I do too."
The kiss we share is gentle, a promise rather than a demand. When we part, there's a certainty in her eyes that wasn't there before.
"Call me later?" she asks.
"Definitely," I promise.
