Just You and I

Chapter 24

I woke up the next day buried in my sheets, with no sign of Alex. He must have left after I fell asleep. I had to wait for a few seconds to adjust my eyes to the bright sunlight, before lazily looking for my phone on the bedside table.

I barely had notifications, but the one on top was a text form Alex from around 10.30 last night.

'Just got home. I'm sorry I had to leave without waking you up, you looked way too cute asleep. Oh and I also met your mom on the way out. Long story short I'm coming over for dinner on Wednesday night lol'

I laughed to myself, loving that he was the first thing on my mind in the morning. AND that he seemed to get on with my mom. 

A second message from Alex read 'Btw, left your half of the photo from the mall earlier, on you table :)'

I rolled myself slowly out of bed and picked up the photo with two frames of Alex and I, and my heart was still beating faster from how amazing our first date was. I grabbed some tape off my desk and stuck the picture to my wall. 

Just as I started getting lost in my thoughts of making myself an entire board on the wall full of pictures of Alex or the both of us, a knock on my door pulled me away. The doorknob swiftly twisted open and Natalie stuck her head inside my room. 

"Hey you ready to-- JAkE! WHY ARE YOU NOT DRESSED YET??" She started screaming

"WHAT? WHAT'S HAPPENING? DRESSED FOR WHAT??"

"SCHOOL YOU DUMBASS. WE HAVE TO BE THERE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES OR THEY'LL CLOSE THE GATES ON US. WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING???"

School. Right. CRAP. 

"Okay give me TWO MINUTES and I'll come down. Could you go start the car for me please?" I gave her an innocent smile, and she made an exaggerated groan and slammed the door shut. 

I can't BELIEVE I forgot I had school today. I blame this entirely on Alex. 

Wasting no time at all I practically ran to and from the bathroom, brushing my teeth, straightening out my hair and getting into clean clothes, all at the same time. Sure enough in just two minutes, I was out the door and in my car, ready to drive myself and a Fuming Natalie to school. 

The day went by slowly. I didn't see Alex all day, mainly because we were always in different classes. But he did text me a 'good morning' just when I was coming into school. 

During lunch I sat with Jeremy as usual. Although my eyes kept moving towards a laughing Alex. I wasn't expecting anything to really change now that I figured out Alex actually likes me back. He told me himself he wasn't ready to come out and tell anyone about me yet. And after all, I'm pretty sure everyone still thinks we hate each other. 

As I munched down on the sandwiches that Mom had made me this morning, I was listening to Jeremy explain the over-the-top date he'd gone on with a girl from another school over the weekend. That was until Jordan suddenly walked over to our table and excused Jeremy in the middle of his story. 

"Um sorry guys. Jake um... I've been meaning to talk to you... Do you think you could spare me a few minutes after school?"

I hadn't seen or heard from Jordan since the party at Zach's. It wasn't that I was avoiding him anymore. I'd just forgotten that Jordan had actually confessed to me, because of everything that changed with Alex. I definitely needed to have this conversation with Jordan. 

"Of course, yeah. I'll come by your locker after class"

"Great. Thanks." And with a gentle smile he walked away.