While hovering over the oven, cooking the tortellini pasticcio for Lexie, Eisen really had his first chance in a few days to reflect on what had happened between them. Or, not happened would be more appropriate, he supposed. It had been a long while since he’d seen her. Or, maybe not a long while, but it felt like it had. The last time they’d really talked was over her journal and there was…well, what Rory seemed convinced was flirting. She’d made it so hard to resist. So hard not to just come out and tell her how amazing he thought she was. He’d promised, though. He’d promised Rory that he’d keep his mouth shut; that he wouldn’t say anything until after Ed had gone on his date with Lexie. Eisen Bradbury was nothing if not a man of his word.
Why, then, did it feel like he was making one of the biggest mistakes of his life?
Shaking his head, he mixed the pasta and the sauce in the pan, then left them on a closed off burner to cool, heading to his bedroom to change. He was already freshly showered, seeing how Lex had told him a little bit ago that she was on her way, so all he needed to do was make himself presentable. A little cologne, his favorite blue striped hoodie and one of his few pairs of jeans without many holes in them, and then a comb to the hair and he was ready. Or at least as ready as he could be. Now, he just needed to wait.
It was a little while before he heard the knock on the door, and he had to restrain himself from leaping to his feet and running to the door. The last time he’d actually seen her face to face was in the hospital, and she’d looked miserable, even though he’d been able to make her smile. Since then, her spirits had brightened again and she seemed to be the same old Lexie that he’d fallen for to begin with. Because he wasn’t sure how the date with Ed had went and because of his sudden realization of his feelings and how strong they were, Eisen wasn’t sure if it was a good thing for him to see her right now, but his desire to see that smile easily trumped his sense of self-preservation. By a long shot.
He opened the door and, upon realization that he was face to face with Lexie wearing a full-blown smile, returned the gesture without even realizing it. “Hey, Lex!” he kept his voice calm, but it was near impossible to hide the fact that he was genuinely happy to see her.
“I sure am. But I hope you brought your appetite with you, because I cooked you a pretty epic dinner.”