Page 111 of Damaged Boys Don't Fall For Bubbly Girls

“But him and Lexi?” Gael echoes Theo, shaking his head. “I don’t see it.”

“It’s her decision,” I say. “And I don’t think we should whisper about them behind their backs. Be cool, guys.”

Nate frowns. “I’m all for them being happy, but everything will be different now.”

He has no idea.

We don’t say much to each other before Lexi and Finn take their seats at our table. Every single guy looks at them with an odd expression.

“What?” Lexi asks.

The guys exchange a glance. “So what’s going on there?” Cooper asks as he gestures between Lexi and Finn.

They look at each other and exchange a message only the two of them understand. “Well…” Finn says. “We’re kind of…dating.”

“Knew it!” Cooper says. “That’s cool.”

“You guys been holding out on us?” Theo says.

Lexi shrugs. “We didn’t want to tell you until things made sense.”

“And now they make sense?” Dean asks.

“Yeah. Finn and I are dating.”

Cooper slaps Finn’s hand. “Nice, man!”

As the rest of the guys congratulate them, Lexi’s eyes meet mine. I give her the best smile I can, ignoring the pain in my heart.

“I’m happy for you guys,” I tell her.

She pushes some curls out of her face. “Thanks.”

I want to take her hand, like we did many times as kids, but it’d be completely inappropriate now. They’re officially together and I need to keep my distance so I don’t mess it up.

Now that the guys know about them, Lexi and Finn aren’t trying to hide their relationship. They laugh to each other, joke around, look into each other’s eyes.

I tell myself to be cool about it, to accept it and be happy for them. But I can’t. It feels like the walls are suffocating me.

“I’m going to get a drink,” I tell the others. “Be right back.”

I don’t go to the soda machine, but into the hallway and drop down to the floor. Tearing at my hair, I tell myself to just accept that they’re together. It shouldn’t be that hard. I can’t be a good boyfriend to her, so Ishouldwant her to be with Finn.

So why am I having such a hard time?

“Hey,” a voice says from above me. Looking up, I find Dean standing there.

“Hey.”

He slides down beside me. “So Lexi and Finn, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s up with that? Why is she with him and not you?”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “Dean…”

“I just don’t get it. Everyone knows she’s crazy about you. Ever since you came back, you brought life into her eyes. And now she’s with Finn?”