“Mind if I tag along?” Nick asked.

My heart sank. If Nick was going, then that meant Lex was going with him, and I really wanted some time to talk to him.

Nick leaned between my seat and Lex's. “What do you say, mate? You coming?”

I held my breath.

Alexi’s voice was smooth. “No. I'm actually pretty knackered. I wouldn’t last the night.”

“All right, then you're on your own for a ride home.”

Alexi shrugged, and I could feel his eyes on my profile. “I'll figure it out. If push comes to shove, I'll just take the tube or spend the night and grab a taxi in the morning.”

A heady cocktail of relief and anticipation flooded my veins. When all was said and done, it was only me, Faith, Lex, and Angel left in the screening room. Max and Sophie had eventually retired to take their loud make-out session somewhere more private. Faith eventually leaned forward. “I'm headed to bed. I think there are the two spare rooms and the couch. Which one do you want, Abbie?”

Oh wait, we were all staying? Alexi too? I’d just assumed he’d be going back to wherever he lived. Um, yeah, that was so not going to work for me. There was no way I could survive the night knowing Lex was somewhere in the house after everything that had happened with us. “I um…” I slid a glance to Lex.

“Not to worry, I'll take the couch.”

I frowned. “Are you sure? It doesn’t look that comfortable.”

“Let the man take the couch, Abbie,” Faith admonished. “I'm headed to bed. You coming?”

“Um, I think—”

Faith inclined her head sharply, widened her eyes, and then tapped her temple. I groaned inwardly. Faith had invoked our I-need-to-talk-to-you-right-now signal. Of all the times. No doubt she wanted to give a full deconstruction of everything Angel had said and done in the course of the night. There really was no graceful way to back out of going with her.

“Yep, right behind you.”

When I stood, I only allowed myself a fleeting glance in Lex's general direction. If I let my gaze linger on his, there was a high likelihood I would spontaneously combust. “Goodnight, guys,” I muttered to Angel and Alexi.

As it turned out Faith did need me. And I felt like a terrible friend because I couldn’t give the Angel deconstruction my full attention.

“I mean, he’s acting like he’s into me. I know you couldn’t turn around lest Jasper leaned in for a kiss or something, but our legs were touching the whole time. I think that means something.”

I pulled my focus together. “Maybe. Did you feel like you had a cocoon of tension wrapped around you?

“Yes. And I swear that love scene didn’t help.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered.

“So, what do I do?”