Strictly Platonic

☼ F A L L I N G

I couldn't bring myself to pick up the phone.

I stared at the iPhone laying on my pillow, in arms reach, and held my breath until it stopped ringing. It had been ringing incessantly for the last fifteen minutes, and I knew it was Jace calling.

I knew I was acting childish, but I was still a bit upset about the whole Melanie thing. Did he kiss her the way he kissed me? If so, did it lead to more? Did it actually mean something to him; was it not a mistake?

I squeezed my eyes shut and threw my blanket over my phone to silence it. I could still slightly hear the ringtone, but it wasn't as loud as before.

At first, Jace had sent many messages.

The first one: Lex?

The second one: Hey, can we talk?

The third one: Lex, this is seriously the longest we've gone without talking.

The fourth one: Lex. Baby. (I'll admit, my heart started racing at that one).

The fifth one: I'm calling you. (Then my heart stopped altogether).

I didn't answer anything. I was still psyching myself up, honestly. I needed to know what Jace's intentions were; whether he wanted a friendship or something more, although I highly doubted he'd want the second option. It was Jace, the womanizer, after all.

"Answer the damn phone!" I heard Melissa screech from the room beside mine. She was using her old bedroom while she visited.

"How does she hear that?" I asked myself as I reached under the pillow.

I had to do it. I pressed answer.

"Alexis Isobel Hamilton, I swear to God that I'm going to hunt you down and put you on my mantel when I get back to Florida." Jace growled huskily, and I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my spine.

Although he was threatening me, he sounded hot. Really hot.

"Well hello to you too." I mocked and he let out a huff of air.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" He still sounded angry, but I couldn't help but close my eyes at the sound of his voice. It had only been a few days since we last talked, but it felt like years.

I seriously just needed to stop being a girl and grow some balls.

"I wasn't ignoring you." I lied. He scoffed.

"Lexi, I know you ignored me. I was calling because I checked my phone yesterday after getting out of the shower, and I saw that I had a call from you. The funny thing is that it wasn't a missed call." He sounded suspicious.

"Melanie answered." I shrugged, although he couldn't see me.

"What?" He sounded taken aback. The anger was long gone as surprise replaced it. "What was she doing in my room?"

"It's okay, Jace. If you guys...did it, then I'm happy for you. You used to seem to really like her." I sneered at my own words. I hate having feelings.

"It? What the hell, Lexi? I wouldn't do that, not with her. She's a part of my past. She's a jealous psychopath that started dating my cousin literally just to get to me. That's why she was in my grandparents house." He sounded appalled.

I took comfort in that.

"She literally told me she still loves me and that we can be together." He continued. "I said no, because she still wants you out of the picture. If forced to choose again, I'd pick you in a heartbeat, babe. Melanie is just a mistake on my part."