The Kissing Booth - The First Year

How can you mend a broken heart? - Elle

I couldn't look back, I didnt want him to see me crying even more. At that moment I knew that everything was happening because of the stupid and childish way I had acted. 

I had to respect his time, the way he had respected mine, there was no other way to do things now, and I never thought this could hurt so much.

The flight took longer than I could imagine, even arriving on time in Los Angeles ... it was the longest flight I've ever being in my life. My only wish was to go back in time and undo everything I did wrong, but I could not ... so I just wanted to see Lee. I was coming down the stairs and I saw him smiling... my heart melted and I started to cry again. I ran to him and he held me "Calm down Shelly... you'll be fine, I'm here and I'll always be"

I still couldn't say anything, my sobs wouldn't let me talk, I just stood there, hugging Lee and crying. When he realized I had calmed down a bit, he gently took my hand and led me to the car. He took my bag and I got in the car, wiping my face with my jacket. He came in, but before he started the car, he looked at me.

"Ok ... now that you're a little better, do you want to go somewhere to talk? It's still Saturday, we have nothing to do tomorrow and I told Rachel that you would need me ... she completely understood."

"You don't exist ... I really don't know what I would do without you now. First of all, thank you Lee..." I hugged him and kissed his cheek "Can we go to your house? I don't want to see my father with those beautiful red eyes and nose... I'll also have to tell him how I screwed up my relationship, and I'm not in that mood, not today. I know your mom and dad are traveling, she said they were going to San Diego during the week, and only come back tomorrow night... "

"You're the boss, we can go there and order Chinese food and then you'll tell me everything."

We went to his house and as soon as I saw Noah's bike my heart skipped a million beats... it was there, so perfectly froze in time and I remembered what I felt when he gave me my first ride, and then when he taught me how to ride it. Lee was staring at me there, staring at the bike, crying again, but not as much as back in the airport.

"Come on, let's go in and order food... do you want to take a shower? You can... well... use my bathroom, you know" he was going to say that I could use Noah's bathroom, I realized that he changed the phrase before finishing the sentence.

"Okay Lee, you can mention Noah... and yes, I need a shower. I told my father that you needed a help with history and that I would only go home tomorrow, is everything okay for you?"

"You don't have to ask me this... of course it's okay Shelly, my house is your home... it always have been and always will be." at that moment he received a message "It's Noah ... he wants to know if you arrived well... can I answer?"

"Yes Lee, please tell him I'm here and fine. The fact that he asked me to be alone for these months does not mean he needs to be worried without knowing anything about me..." he wrote and showed me *She arrived well, do not worry bro.* "It's okay Lee... I'll be back soon" and then I went up to have a shower.

As I walked by the hallway, Noah's door was open and I could smell his scent, but I didn't enter the room, it would be very painful at that moment.

I spent almost an hour in the bath, when I came down, Lee was waiting for me in the dining room, the food had arrived and everything was ready to eat.

"Wow, you got everything... thanks Lee, I realized that I only had breakfast today and didn't eat much. I wish my tears had fed me, but that's not what happened."

"I ordered the spring roll you love, along with shrimp yakisoba... there's no excuse for you to keep hungry." I sat down and ate, a lot ... I was really starving, and one thing that never existed in my life was losing my appetite over anything, not even being sad.

After that big dinner, we did the dishes and went to his room, he took the sleeping bag and made the bed for me. It was not so late, but since he had a Smart TV and was a bit cold, we decided to talk there, instead of hanging out in the pool chairs as we used to.

"Now, little girl, please tell me everything..."

And then I started telling him everything that happened at Harvard and how things should be going now. When I finished, he was, again, trying to wipe away my tears.

"Well... it's not a breakup, he asked for a time apart, just like you did last year."

"Lee... we still have almost 3 months before summer, we've been apart for a month when I asked for the time after Thanksgiving... and I suffered almost 30 days without talking to him. How am I going to stay thinking about the 90 days without him now?" My eyes were burning, but the tears were dry.

"Elle... unfortunately this time you really screwed things, and I understand the point of it, it would be very difficult for Noah, knowing him as we know him, being in Harvard thinking that you could be here with Joe, even if you were not and also even trusting in your love for him, do you understand?" he was now sitting in front of me. "You know he's right Shelly, come on... you two would be fighting over three months if he decided to keep things the way they were, long-distance relationship, he'd start to doubt you and worse, he could doubt me because we are always together and he knows that I protect you with all my forces. It would be hell on Earth. It will be better for you both, we will have a lot of activities during these months, you won't have time to feel bad all the time because of him and he will also be focused on training and final exams. Please try to see the good side of all this mess, this time will be essential for things go back to its course and you two will become even more strong and united."

He was right, I needed to see something good in all this... at least I needed to find that incredible side he was telling me existed.

"I'm going to try Lee, I promise... I need to know what I'm going to do with Joe... I've been a jerk with him, I'm sure he's hating me now."

"Um ... yeah, you fucked him... but he's hating Sharon, he's just upset with you... heartbroken. I talked to him after you left on Wednesday and he was very sad. Of course he didn't like being used to make my brother jealous, but I tried to make him understand that it was the first time you were facing something like that... he didn't know about Noah's rules back in school in the last years, and also didn't know that my brother had been your only boyfriend. I might had to include the particular information that he was the second guy you kissed and slept with."
I felt a cold in my spine remembering this little fact... he continued "He thought I was not telling the truth but we talked for almost two hours and Tuppen and Warren confirmed the story to him"

"So... everyone knows that I slept with Joe that night... Right... great, really awesome... I was really stupid! Then everyone will know that I cheated on Noah... the whole school goes to talk about this "

"No Shelly .. no one will know. Joe told them that nothing happened, he said you two talked all night and fell asleep, that's all. He promised me he would never tell anyone the truth, he's a nice guy Shelly... if you and Noah decided to breakup, I'd be happy if you stayed with Joe." I froze "Hey Hey ... Do not look at me like that okay? I know things are not like that and I really hope you keep in my family, but I'm being honest about it..."

"I know he's a nice guy ..." I remembered our night, it was not a total fiasco, Joe was completely different from Noah in everything, and of course, since I had only slept with Noah, I felt the difference with Joe. It had been good, but not like with Noah.

"Earth to Elle, what are you thinking?" He caught me in the act

"I was remembering my night with Joe and how different he is from Noah"

"Okay, I don't need the details, I'll skip this part..." he chuckled. "Well... are you feeling a little better?"

"Yes... I am... I also need to get some sleep, it's been almost a week since I've had a good night's sleep."

"So be my guest... my bed is calling your name, aren't you hearing?"

I lay down and he covered me with his blanket, giving me a kiss on my forehead "Good night, my little girl, sweet dreams ... okay?" He teased at the end

"Okay dad, thank you for being my best partner in crime, for better or for worse"

"Always ... I live for this."