CHAPTER 13.

Before the disaster.

Lexie.

I had gone through many emotions together for a single day, so that night I fell asleep as soon as I touched the bed, Liam had not even realized that I had been away or so I think, he was not in his room when getting home and my parents were already there sleeping.

This morning I woke up with the humor of a clown, this was the day that I only had one class and the rest of the day I would spend studying in the library investigating what they had sent us for the class that I shared with Logan.

By the time I entered the Weapons and Explosives class, since they changed classrooms at the last minute, I couldn't help but hear the conversation between a blonde girl bursting with plastic and a boy from the soccer team.

—Josh! Don't do that —the girl snapped.

I stood there when I heard her name. The girl was sitting on her lap while he shamelessly fondled her tits.

Josh? Like Noah's boyfriend?

I stared at the scene until the girl noticed and looked at me. I scan her eyes all over my body, beating her false eyelashes, so much so that it made me sick.

—Did you lose something?

I shook my head quickly and took the first seat I found free.

He couldn't be Noah's boyfriend, she was sure of that.

The class passed me in the blink of an eye, the couple from before left as soon as the teacher arrived and I sensed that they were not from this class. We learned how to disarm a weapon and how to deactivate an explosive.

I left the class ecstatic and discouraged that my day was over, it was a shame that class only went once a week. He would live in that laboratory.

—Hello Lixi! —I´m Listen when someone accosted me as soon as I left the classroom. A mop of red hair appeared next to me.

—Hey, Noah, how are you? —I asked, linking my arms with his.

We started walking towards the library.

—Rather, how are you? —She was wearing her distinctive black clothing color.— You left me worried yesterday.

I frowned in confusion.

—What are you talking about?

—You ran off yesterday after what that jerk told you in the parking lot, and I didn't hear from you anymore.

I blinked in puzzlement.

—You saw me? —I asked as she narrowed her eyes.

—Yeah, Logan didn't tell you?

I stopped in my tracks.

—No.

She was alarmed and began to bite her nails.

—Well ... uh ... well ... no ... I didn't mean to listen to him —she stuttered, her cheeks turning red.

Lower her hands from her mouth so she wouldn't hurt herself.

—Easy, don't worry —I paused— you're my friend.

She was silent for a few seconds.

—Do you ... do you want to tell me?

I was overwhelmed, I didn't know if she was to be trusted, I didn't know that she would think of me if she told her the whole story. I had never had a friend in my entire life and I always kept my problems to myself or told Liam about them.

Part of me wanted to tell him about it and further our friendship and the other part didn't want to admit that now I had someone I could lean on.

Keeping things to yourself, it's not good for you.

The memory of Logan yelling at me completely washed over me, and I decided to tell him.

We sat at a table in the library farthest from people and I told him everything, skipping the part where I'd made out with Logan. Shit, that kiss, was just mind-blowing, I felt it through all my nerve endings, his tongue moving against mine made me go up and down the clouds.

It was the most exciting and full of desire kiss that I have ever been given.

I told him about the summer with Sam, about my accident, about how I woken up and I had found things totally different from how he remembered them. I gasp when I told him what Logan and I had done to Sam's car. And serious laughed when I told him I had broken all of America's shadow palettes.

—That bitch deserved it, and that asshole Sami too —she said sulkily. She looked so cute.

—And how are you doing now?

I said that answer without mincing words.

—Well, fatal, I won't deny that I still like Sam but ... I don't see him the same way anymore, you know? —I paused as she nodded for her to continue speaking.— I'm aware that he didn't choose me and I think ... I think I'm fine with that.

I shrugged, my eyes fogging up as she said the last word.

—Oh, Lixi —she approached and put her arm around met— hurts now, but you'll see that eventually, you'll forget about that bastard.— He is the one who loses.

I nodded. He smelled like fruit, I don't know which one he was.

—You know what?

—What?

—Today is my birthday —she said excitedly, her eyes were shining and I couldn't help but feel bad.

—What a bad friend I am, sorry —I took her face with my hands— Happy birthday!

—Thanks.

—What do you have planned? —I asked, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

—Well, at night I met Josh —I speak excitedly— but I was thinking ...

She put the situation in suspense.

—Tell me! I screamed, tickling him.

She laughed like a child.

—I have a class in no time but after I'm free, we can go to the mall.

—That would be great! —She yelled leading me to a few protests from those who were studying.

—I've been living here for six months and haven't been there yet. —She shrugged.

—Well, I'll deflower you, so you can meet my friend Aleix.

—Who is Aleix? —He frowned.

—He's my friend. I'll invite him so I can choose a dress for today's party, won't you come?— Ask her.

—No, I was planning on spending the night with Josh.

I pouted.

—It's okay.

—See you later Lixi.

—Bye, Noah!

I looked at her red hair until she disappeared, took out the mobile, and searched the contacts for Aleix's name.

Shopping in two hours, look pretty!

Not an hour had passed when Noah arrived at the library saying that her teacher was absent, the truth was that in the short time she had been away she had researched more than twenty artists and had them memorized. One of my great virtues was that I could learn many things and keep them in my memory, like an encyclopedia.

We set off when I had finished packing all my things and got on the first bus heading downtown.

Now we were sitting on a bench near the food court having a vanilla ice cream while we waited for Aleix, who called a few moments ago to let us know that he was nearby.

—Are you sure your friend won't bother?

I made a gesture to him.

—Of course not, you'll see.

She stared at me a bit worried, in the short time that I had been meeting Noah, which has been practically three days, I have realized that she is quite a shy and insecure girl, she does not talk to many people and I think she is almost a miracle that he spoke to the boys.

She was clutching her bag and looking everywhere until I heard Aleix's voice behind me and I saw Noah's puzzled expression.

—Hello, girls! —I greet, sitting in the free room next to Noah.

This she was glaring at him as she drank her ice cream.

—Aleix she is Ainhoa, Noah she is Aleix —she introduced.

She just smiled shyly as she looked in another direction, Aleix next to me noticed her and moved closer to her.

—Christian? —I ask seriously.

Noah shot me a questioning look, I shrugged.

—N-no.

—Homophobic? —She leaned a little closer.

—Of course not! —Noah complained, pulling back.

—Then we can be friends, don't be scared by my makeup, I know it's horrible but I'm learning —she pouted.

Noah softened her face.

—Your makeup is great.

—Certain?

He nodded, then something truly unexpected happened. Aleix took Noah's face in her hands and pressed her lips to hers. I was a bit surprised by what I had just seen. Shit, Aleix! Noah gave me a concerned look as he stood up excitedly.

—Are you going to choose a dress?

—Aleix! You can't kiss people just like that —I scolded him.

—Why not?

—Why not! At what point did you get so gay? —I joked, out of the corner of my eye I could see Noah suppress a smile.

—Since I hooked up with two guys in one night. —He winked.

I plugged my ears when he began to tell us how a guy named Ian had put him stuck his tongue up to his eardrum, and then he had put him something else up his eardrum.

—Don't brag about your sex life, it makes mine feel offended. —I said angrily as a joke as I linked my arm through Noah's and then his.

We started walking from store to store looking for outfits Noah either didn't like or were too flashy for the little one of her.

Logan.

—So they managed to get in? —Adair asked, eager to know the subject.

I nodded. Liam was as eager or more anxious as Adair as he drank from his watermelon soda of course. He drank that thing like crazy.

—If I can understand, did they enter the Silva house?

I nodded with a mischievous smile, today I had gotten up with the best spirit since I had arrived here and everything was for the night I spent with Lex.

I was feeling happy.

—And that bastard will probably have to come by bus and have a serious little problem with his marbles.

I leaned my body back as crossed my arms.

I still couldn't forget Lex's soft legs surrounding me. Before I could continue counting, a bag was smashed on the table. I stain Liam and Adair's food with yellow ink.

The four of us got up instantly ready to break faces and I found neither more nor less with Sam's son of a bitch, with two more boys, Noah's boyfriend and the shaved one that Adair told me about.

—You think I wouldn't notice your little joke?! —Samuel yelled.

I shrugged my shoulders closer to him. The other two advanced.

—Man, I even left my signature —I said calmly.

He pushed me causing me to stagger backward, Adair advanced but I stopped him, the others watched ready to advance.

—You're going to tell me now which of these sons of bitches helped you.

I laughed out loud. Did you really think he was bullying me? Didn't he already know who I was?

—You'd be surprised if I told you who. —I ran my thumb over my lip.

I pushed him with all my might until he fell into the laps of the guys behind me. He was going to stand up again and this time he was willing to hit him, this time he would break his mouth, this time he would make him swallow his words and make him regret making Lex cry.

Before he could hit my fist with his jaw, Liam got ahead of me and punched him in the nose. He fell to the ground and we all stared at how he covered his nose, he began to bleed.

—This is because of what you did to my sister!

He went back to punching her again and another and another until Samuel couldn't move on the ground. Zac and I grabbed him by the shoulders for him to stop, it was the first time he'd seen Liam fight and he was pretty good.

Noah's boyfriend and the shaved one dragged his friend until we lost sight of him.

—Damn man, what a good punch! —Happy Zac.

Liam and I shared a knowing look and he raised his fist, bumping him.

—Thank you for taking care of my sister.

I nodded.

—You know she's like she's mine —I lied.

Throughout my life, I had lied about so many things, and that caused the death of my parents, but today, I lied so as not to break a friendship, one of the few I had. I lied why he did not want our friendship to be broken by a skirt and not by just anyone, his sister.

What a liar I was, when I practically had sex with her.

Lexie.

It was her fifth store when she was in the dressing room trying on a wine-colored dress open on one side and with holes on the sides of her abdomen. The dress had been chosen by Aleix for her, she said something like, special for a night of sex.

I had already opted for a long-sleeved black dress, with a hole in the neckline and a high neck, it included some chains around the waist and one on the high neck that fell down my breasts, it was a somewhat E-girl style, but I liked trying new things so I could wear it with the knee-high boots that I hadn't yet released.

—I also want you to wear this on your knee. —Aleix handed me a mini belt that fits snugly on the knee.

I made a face.

—I'm not quite sure if ...

—You'll wear it —she insisted.

She did it for at least five minutes in the time it took Noah to leave the locker room, I ended up giving in to why she wasn't one of the guys to take no for an answer.

Noah came out, clasping his hands, interrupting our little discussion. We stifled a cry as he watched her dumbfounded, her dress was tight to her small body and highlighted the curve of her breasts and her hips. She looked fantastic in that dress, really her boyfriend was going to be dumbfounded and drooling when he saw her, and if she wasn't, then too bad why she had completely stunned me and was making me doubt my sexuality.

—Do I look bad? —I speak with a broken voice.

I looked at Aleix and I could see that he had the same astonished face as me.

—You're Liam's bane. It looks great on you!

—Damn how sexy you look.

—I think it shows too much skin.

Look at the dress again.

—Do you want that boy to keep drooling? —I asked, tired.

She nodded shyly as she turned to look in the mirror.

—Then we take it, and as a birthday present, I pay for it.

She was alarmed she took me by the hands.

—No, it's too much —I squeezed my hand for his nerves.

—No, it's not too much, it's my gift to you.

She denied it again and I gave her a tired look.

—I'll buy it anyway and make you wear it —she dictated.

—And when something gets into his head —Aleix approached and puts a hand on his shoulder— believe me, there's no one who will make him change his mind.

Finally, Noah ended up giving in and bought her dress along with some accessories that he didn't see him take. She had enough money to give away a lot and a single dress would not make a difference in the bank account that Grandma left us, but she did not know.

When we did the shopping, we accompanied Noah to the store to buy the ingredients they need and took the opportunity to buy a mini cake and send Aleix to buy candles back.

He had gone to get his makeup at home for Noah and me since we both had special night that day. We had gone to take a shower in the shared bathroom with twenty-four other women from the residence.

Fortunately, there were no walls along the coast and we were able to bathe in peace singing Dua lipa songs that she loved so much. I washed my body the best I could with the sponge Noah had lent me and some of the blueberry shampoo that she normally used.

I thought I was drying my hair to make the ends giggle when I heard Noah complain.

—Aleix, you really don't need so much makeup, I don't want to look like a clown.

He protested in response saying something like either you let your makeup or I paint you as a clown or How did her aunt clown her? I didn't really hear very well because of the noise from the dryer.

We were talking about trivial things during the afternoon and then Aleix put makeup on me with dark shadows and glitter in the tear of her eye, you could see that she was struggling to pass that exam she had told us about in her cosmetic course.

By seven o'clock in the afternoon, we had already lit the candles and we had sung happy birthday, Aleix had given her a mini palette of light shadows for her skin tone, I don't even know when she had bought them my friend would sneak away like a snake around the shops, and I had given him the unwrapped accessories that he had sneakily bought.

Half an hour later Aleix and I went home and agreed that I was going to go see him at the bar and gossip about things at the University.

I didn't want to tell him what had happened with Sam why he would be furious, I would tell him at another time. Today she was going to have a good time.

I found Liam sitting on the couch watching their favorite movie.

—You can not! Why didn't you wait for me to see it together? —I stretched out beside her, it didn't take long for her to wrap her arm around me.

I look at myself for a few seconds before drinking from his can of energy.

—I know about Sam.

We both stare at the television.

I hid my head between my shoulders.

—I have not found the time, yesterday you was not when I arrived —he argued.

—But this morning he was —I clear my throat.

I turned to kiss him on the cheek, taking his face with both hands.

—I did not want to worry you.

He grimaced, pausing the movie.

—You know I would do everything for you, right? —I ask with a clenched jaw.

I nodded.

—I don't want you to go near him again.

I was going to reply but he spoke first.

—I don't want him to continue hurting you more than he has already done —I scrutinize myself for a moment— I don't want to hear you cry at night and not be able to do anything.

I opened my eyes wide at his comment. Had he been spying on me? However, whether he had spied on me or not, he was right, Sam was hurting me, even if he didn't realize it. I couldn't deny that this was his way of protecting me without freaking out, so I nodded.

We finished watching Fast & Furious 7, we stopped at the end because it was very painful for us to believe that Paul Walker was dead and with worms all over his body.

—I can't take you to the party, call Logan to pick you up.

He gave her a questioning look.

—Don't ask, I have things to do.

Surely he would go to stupid Jenna.

—You're going to see her, aren't you? —Cross your arms across your chest.

He turned before opening the front door.

—No, I don't see her anymore.

I blew out a breath and faced it.

—Do you think I haven't noticed that you're going to see her? —I'm not stupid Liam —I said, more annoyed than I've ever been on this topic.

He smiled bitterly.

—Believe it or not, it's not her I see —he started to go out the door but before yelling loud and clear.

—If she texted you, you'll have to go find Noah!

It slammed the door.

Who was he kidding? I knew and just who knows Liam well enough to know where he was headed now. We've never gotten angry to the point where we can't stand it anymore, but the thought that he was still in love with Jenna infuriated me.

When he introduced us to Jenna, she made me a pretty cool girl, she made Liam happy and that was more than enough.

But over time I began to notice attitudes from her that were not normal, to say that she made up pregnancy the first time that my brother cut her off, and he had already fallen in love to the brains and that time it was she who left him, and my brother, although his infatuation had passed, continued to visit her and she deluded him.

We were cut by the same scissors and when one of the two fell in love, there is no one who removes the blindfold.

**

I looked at my appearance one last time by tweaking the belt chain and adjusting the accessory on my leg, I liked my appearance it was something new that I had never tried but still liked.

My hair fell in soft waves at the ends of it, more combined with the incredible makeup that Aleix had done, I looked like a whole fuckgirl. I put the final touches on my lips by painting them in a soft tone and putting on perfume.

The horn sounded in the street warning me that Logan had already arrived, I took my bag, mobile, money, and all the desire to move the skeleton.

I went downstairs.

My mother was cooking something in the kitchen and my dad was watching TV.

I gave him a kiss on the back as he whipped the egg whites and kissed my daddy's cheek.

—You're coming with your brother! —I heard my mom scream.

I nodded and walked out the door. The street was deserted and the only noise there was the purr of the car engine and my boots on the asphalt.

Before I could reach the car the passenger window rolled down to meet a wide-eyed Adair.

—But you are a bad girl! —I exclaim, passing my hand over her lower lip.— You are so cute that I want to eat you!

I gave him a wide smile as he spun around. Logan who hadn't looked at me punched Adair on the shoulder.

He frowned.

—Auch.

His cold gray gaze connected with mine, it ran through my entire body, from my eyes to my mouth, from my mouth to my breasts, from my breasts to my legs, and then back up, stopping at the gutter of my breasts.

He tilted her head when he realized what was on her thigh, frowning.

His gaze was fiery, capable of heating parts of me that I didn't even believe my body could.

—Come up at once.

I felt a pang in my chest at his cold reaction, devoid of feeling and lust. I don't know what reaction I expected from him but it sure wasn't this. I wanted him to react in the same way as our friend and that made me feel bad. Wasn't she attractive?

The empowered and strong girl part of me would be disappointed in me for being discouraged by him, and I wanted to hit myself for the reaction my body had to his gaze, my hurt part wanted to punch him directly in the windpipe or in the armpit so he would know how stupid he was.

I got in the car and climbed over the dashboard.

I tapped his shoulder.

—Thanks, Adair, you really know how to please a girl. —I kissed his cheek leaving a small mark of lipstick.

He remained motionless for a moment, touche him cheek, anyone would say that she had just taken the Great Adair by surprise, the most integral Womanizer on earth. It was a great title.

Logan glanced at me over his shoulder.

I raised and lowered my eyebrows biting my lip. Angry Mr. Weisser? Before sped up onto the road, my body went backward, my head collided with the back of the beam and my legs went up hitting my knee with my cheekbone.

He shot me a mocking smile by rearview mirror.

Yes, it will ...!

Before I could protest, he turned up the volume on the radio.

I glared at him.

I look for my gaze a few times in the rearview mirror until I finally gave in and looked at him, I struggled to prevent my corners from rising but it was impossible. That idiot managed to drive me crazy in a couple of minutes.

Oh, Logan, what are you doing to me?