The Kissing Booth 3: Impending Destiny

seven

A/N- sorry again for the late update, I'm so useless at the moment just found I've had no motivation to continue writing this at all... This chapter is pretty dark, and it's main focus is on Marco. But this is all tying into the main storyline , so I didn't include Lee's section, because I didn't think he was relevant in this chapter. Sorry to the Lee lovers out there, he will 1000% be back next chapter.
anyways, enjoy!

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~Elle~

I may have been completely wasted, but I knew something was up with Noah by his raised voice in the corridor. Then again, Noah's always raising his voice, so I shouldn't be shocked it was no different now.  I prized myself up off the couch and headed out into the corridor, where he was pacing up and down, the phone firmly against his ear. What was he hiding from me? and who the hell was he talking to?

"She's drunk, Lee. Unlike you, she's actually having fun at college." Noah spat, my heart ached at the sound of my bestie's name escaping his brother's lips. Since our argument, everyone avoided talking to me, and I even avoided anything to with him, including Noah for a while. I found myself approaching Noah, before he could say anything, I put my hand out for him to give me the phone. He did.
"Lee?" I said, hoping he wouldn't put the phone down on me. In fact, I was praying he didn't.
"Hey, Elle. I've missed you." I felt myself overcome with emotion, everything in my life was coming together now. My best friend wasn't avoiding me anymore, and my boyfriend was here with me in London. I couldn't ask for anything more than that.
"I've missed you too, bestie."

As I chatted away to Lee, my thoughts drifted to him being in California alone, without Rachel, and without me. It hurt to think of him being lonely, but he'd never been good at making friends, and we only ever had each other until Noah, Rachel and Marco came into our lives. I guess, you could say that we were always inseparable, and part of me wished I went to Berkeley with him. But I'd chosen London, and I know I'd have to live with that for the next three years, no matter how hard it got. I'd hoped that Lee would tell me why Noah was so angry at him on the phone, but he didn't even mention his name, or the fact we were together. I didn't care though, I was just happy to speak to him, even if I probably wouldn't remember in the morning.

~Marco~

I've always found California looked prettier under the night sky. I was lucky enough to have spent the past two years living in California. First year was in San Diego until we moved to Santa Monica and to LACD High School.
I couldn't help but smile as Katy linked her arm with mine walking along the sidewalk. Her touch was electric and sent shivers down my spine, I don't know if it was the alcohol or not, but I didn't care. The only other time I felt like this was when I first met Elle. I walked along the side walk with Katy, her hair blew in the wind and I couldn't help but stare at her, there was definitely something about her that intrigued me, I don't know what or why that was. After what feels like a few hours, Katy and I found ourselves on the beach, sat under the starry night sky. Even though I'd only known her a few hours, it felt like my whole life. That's how I knew that she would be special to me, and that I was well and truly over Elle.
"This is beautiful," Katy said, after a short bout of silence.
"Yes, it is." I couldn't help but stare at her. Her blue eyes shining under the moon. My heart was beating ten to the dozen, as I felt her lips slowly crash onto mine. It felt like someone had let off fireworks in my chest, I'd never felt anything like this before.
She eventually pulled away, not that I wanted her to. "Marco, I want to tell you something." Her tone became serious and I started to worry, that she'd had second thoughts about me, that she had a boyfriend. Damn you, Elle for making me think every girl is like you.
"Every guy I've ever been with has cheated on me, I want to know that if we carry on seeing each other, you won't ever do that to me."
"I won't. I've always been second best to every girl I've been with, and I know how shit it is." I replied, stroking the back of her hand with my thumb. Her lips met mine again, and I knew that everything in my life was going to turn out okay.

The kiss was interrupted by my phone humming from my back pocket, at first I ignore it, but it carried on ringing. I rolled my eyes as I saw my Mom's name flash on the screen. She'd rang me every day, twice a day since I left and I was only a few miles away. I couldn't complain though, I missed her too.
"Hey Mom, can I call you back later? I'm kind of busy..." I hear Katy giggle from beside me, her hand intertwined with mine.
"Marco, you need to come home right now-"
"Mom, I can't."
"Your brother was hit by a car, he's in hospital."
My mother's voice broke, and I heard her let out a small sob.
"Is he going to be okay?" I asked, hoping Mom was just over exaggerating and he'd just broken an arm.
"He's... he's got a bleed on the brain. The doctors are taking him to surgery now."
A tear escaped my eye, I felt it run down my cheek and into my half open mouth. I couldn't find the words to say to Mom. I didn't know how I would even get to the hospital, but I knew I had to..

"I have to go." I told Katy, pulling myself up off the sand.
"What's up?"
"My little brother is in hospital back in Santa Monica, I need to get there."
She hugged me, and ran through the contacts in her phone, dialling as many people as she knew in Los Angeles. Turns out the only people she knew were all drunk or busy.
Before I could even think about what I was doing, I dialled a number I knew I was going to regret. With all my friends at college across the country, I only had one option.
"Hello, Mr. Evans. It's Marco Peña. I was wondering if you could do me a favour."
I couldn't believe what I had done, but Elle's dad was my only option.

~Noah~

The time difference between California and London completely sucked. I was woken up by Elle's phone going off, she had forgotten to put it on do not disturb. Manoeuvring myself from Elle's grip, I answered the phone, her father's voice raspy and he sounded like he was upset over something.
"Sorry, Elle's asleep. We had a late one."
"Wake her up." He demanded. I could tell it was something serious as he didn't even question why I was answering Elle's phone from the other side of the world. It's not secret Mr Evans didn't like me, I mean it's understandable why from my past, but we'd been dating for nearly two years and he still hadn't come to terms with the fact that Elle and I loved each other.
I shook Elle's sleeping body from beside me, her little frame looked so beautiful wrapped in my arms.
"Your dads on the phone. It sounds urgent." She rubbed her eyes and sat up, her back pressed against the cold wall behind her.
"It's 3:30am, really?" Elle said, taking the phone out of my hand.
I couldn't make out what was being said, but I knew Elle's sad face when I saw it.
"Everything okay?" I asked, as she ended the call and climbed out of bed.
"I'm going back to Santa Monica."
"What? Why? What happened, Elle?"
She didn't reply, instead she just started throwing a few clothes into her backpack. Whatever happened, she wasn't going to tell me unless I pushed her for an answer.
"Elle your classes start in 3 days, you can't come back."
"I can catch up," she replied, not even looking in my direction. Now I knew something was really wrong. The only thing I could think of was that something happened to her dad, but if that's the case he wouldn't have rang, and if it was her brother, then Mr.Evans would've told me straight away.
My palms started clamming, I could feel myself getting angry at her. I didn't mean to, but since everything that happened back in Boston, I found myself spiralling again.
"Will you just talk to me, Elle. You said no more lies." My hand grasped onto her arm, and I wrapped it round her so she couldn't escape from me.
"So did you." She wiggled herself out of my grasp, before turning to me. "I'm going home because I need to be there for Marco."
I gritted my teeth together at the thought of Marco and Elle. I thought she was over him.
"Marco, really?" I spat, slamming the door so hard that the room shook.
"Let me pass, Noah."
I stood in position in front of the door so Elle couldn't leave. I wasn't going to watch her leave me for Marco, not again.
"His little brother is in a coma. My dad took him to the hospital because he had nobody else. Whilst my dad sat with him, he told him he'd made friends with Chloe's brother, Cal. I know what you did, Noah. So let me pass, before I scream."
I didn't hesitate, but lowered my head as she pushed past me and through the door. Now, I was alone in London, and I knew I'd truly blown it with Elle for good this time.