The Kissing Booth - Chasing Noah

Chapter 10

A/N: This is the edited version of chapters 24 and 25.

...

Lee's POV

As Elle instructed, I headed over to Rachel's the next day after to school to fix the mess I had made. I think this was what regretted most from my episode - that's what I had decided to call it. Breaking up with the girl that I loved. I don't even remember what was going through my head when I did it. I just know that I needed to make it right, or it was always going to be something that I'd regret.

It's been a really long time since I was nervous going to see Rachel. I used to just show up and walk right in. Now, I was sweating through my shirt and I hadn't even gotten out of my car yet. I took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to her front door. I knew that she didn't hate me. She had come to talk to me a couple times since I had broken up with her. And I loved how much she cared about me, but I almost wish that she did hate me. I didn't deserve her after the way I treated her.

"Lee?" Rachel asked from behind me. I turned and met her eyes. Her gorgeous brown eyes. The length of my car seperated us, her running shoes telling me she was just getting home.

"I-uh-I just came to..." I stuttered. Standing here in front of her now scared the shit out of me. My mind went blank and I couldn't remember what I had wanted to say. I had gone over it at least half a dozen times on the drive over; I guess I had just skipped over the part where I had to look into her captivating gaze and actually speak the words.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked softly.

"No...I just came to...uh...to apologize. I don't wanna bother you," I told her. She gave me a small smile and insisted that I come inside. Her entire family was home and if we stayed on the front porch they would hear whatever it was I wanted to say. So I followed her through the house, scratching my neck nervously. Her mom was in the kitchen, as usual. I missed her cooking, and her amazing blue raspberry pie. The constant smell of baking was comforting.

"Rachel? Is everything alright?" she asked, giving me a withering look. I guess Rachel told her everything.

"Everything's fine. Lee just came over to talk," she said sweetly. I don't think I've ever heard Rachel get mad. I've heard her cry, seen her cry. I've even been the one to make her cry. But she's never been so angry that she's raised her voice.

"Well, I'm here if you need me," her mom uttered, her eyes never leaving me. Her cold stare gave me goosebumps. As I followed Rachel out the back door to the patio - not so subtly admiring her - I couldn't help but notice that what she was wearing seemed very familiar. It didn't look like something that she would wear, but I had seen it before.

"Are those your clothes Rach?" I asked, sitting on the wooden porch swing. She sat opposite of me in a lounger. She looked down at what she was wearing and laughed.

"No. I slept over at Elle's last night and I didn't have time to come home and change before school, so she lent me something to wear. Why?" she replied.

"Oh...Nothing. I was just wondering," I muttered. I guess Elle and her were a lot closer than I thought.

"So what'd you want to talk about? Is everything okay with your dad?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. I just needed to talk to you about what I said to you last week." Her mouth formed an 'o', as if she wasn't expecting me to grow a pair and apologize this quick. I really betrayed her and I was scared I would never be able to repair that.

"Lee, I get it. You were under a lot of stress, and you had to take it all in pretty quick. I would have reacted the same way," she reassured. But we both know she wouldn't have. She was making excuses for me just because my dad's sick. But that's no reason to break up with your girlfriend. I mean, of course I want to be there for my mom, but using that as an excuse to end our relationship was just...cowardly.