It Doesn't Do Well to Dream

Chapter 5

By the time they were finished touring the mansion it was getting late. Another two and a half hours were spent chatting in the car on the way back to the Woods' house. Peyton invited Lex in for a cup of coffee before he headed home. It was cold out and he'd been more than generous spending the day with her. It was the least she could do. Especially if she were going to disappear for a few more years. Any second now.

Luckily the kitchen was empty when they snuck in. Lex offered to make the drinks, so Peyton dug through the fridge to make some simple sandwiches. By the time she'd finished and put everything away, how many mustards were there, Lex had two cups of cocoa waiting. He passed her one and she traded him a sandwich.

They nibbled at their sandwiches and Peyton tried to get to the cocoa under the mountain of whipped cream floating on top.

"Like your whipped cream with some cocoa," she teased. Lex grinned.

"Maybe."
She snorted lightly and took another sip before she sat the mug down.

"So," she continued as she began to pick at her crust. "What do you and your dad do for Christmas?"

Upstairs she'd noticed a few stylishly placed strands of garland and lights. It was a bit sterile for her taste, but at least it was a small acknowledgement of the season. Lex snorted into his drink.

"My dad doesn't do Christmas," he said. "According to him it's just a lazy man's excuse not to work."

Peyton frowned, swallowing down the bitter taste his easy proclamation seemed to bring to her tongue.

"No offense to your dad, but that's dumb."

"That has to be the least offensive thing that's ever been said about my dad."

Peyton let out an obligatory chuckle, but chewed lightly on her bottom lip afterwards. She knew that not everyone had great relations with their parents, but it still bothered her. Lex was only just an adult, and he already spoke about his father with a callousness and apathy that spoke of rocky years between them.

"Well, no one should be deprived of days off." She tried to steer the conversation away from his dad. "And no one should be deprived of Christmas either. Heck, even these people at least put some sort of decorations up."

Lex wore a smirk as if amused by her ranting and raised his mug.

"I'll drink to that."

Peyton rolled her eyes but clinked mugs with him and took a few more drags of cocoa.

They finished and cleaned up the mess and Peyton walked him back to the front door. She still hadn't blinked back to her own room. The uneasiness in her gut was so constant now that it was almost making her numb.

"Thanks again," she said. She leaned against the threshold of the door and watched him loiter again on the stairs. He gazed at her almost nervously, and Peyton wasn't sure if it were because she was a girl or because he wasn't used to having real friends. With a sigh she pushed herself off the doorframe and met him on the top step.

"I mean it. You've really... You've been a saving grace through all this craziness. And you actually believe me, which is incredible. You're an incredibly kind person, Lex."

Taking a breath and hoping she wasn't being too forward, she took another step and embraced Lex. From the brief encounter she'd had with his father and what she heard tonight, plus how he'd acted at school, she figured he could probably use one.

He stiffened a moment, as if unused to the gesture, before relaxing and returning the embrace. Peyton really hoped he knew it was strictly friendly. She kept forgetting that she only looked sixteen.