"You didn't have to do this," Peyton said sheepishly.
The Kent's living room was decorated in pink and gold decorations, paper rings, and white balloons. The kitchen island was full of food and drinks, and the entire space was filled with happy chatter from the women who'd been kind enough to come to an impromptu party.
"I'm happy to," Martha replied with a smile. "Every bride-to-be should get a bridal shower. I'm just glad I wasn't stepping on any toes."
Peyton waved off her concern.
"I wasn't going to have one," she admitted. "It felt unnecessary, I don't actually need people to give me anything."
Martha gave her a sympathetic look.
"It's more about community, and everyone needs that. If you and Lex plan to stay long-term in Smallville then it'd be good to get to know everyone, and let them get to know you."
Peyton smiled in reply and Martha affectionately squeezed her arm. The affection was genuine and Peyton soaked it up. Martha exuded maternal warmth, a warmth that differed from her mother's. It was true that her mother had grown more attentive recently, but there was still some sort of barrier between them. Like a lingering guilt.
And just because her mother decided to become more mothering didn't mean Peyton was going to forget all the times she'd been ignored or treated like a doll while growing up.
"Well," Peyton said, "I really appreciate it. It's all so lovely."
"I'm sorry your mom and friends couldn't make it." Martha looked around at all the guests, local women and some of the high school girls. People she knew but Peyton didn't. "I know these things are better shared with loved ones," she finished.
"Oh, no. It's fine. We had our own little version of a get-together when I was in Metropolis."
Peyton wasn't going to elaborate that it was more of a catered appointment to pick out a bridesmaid dress. Or that she hadn't even told them about the bridal shower in the first place.
Maybe it was a little childish, but part of her felt that if her other mother, her mom, couldn't be at her bridal shower, then it was only fair her mother didn't come either.
They joined the women in the kitchen, and even though she got a few lingering, wary looks, they were different. It wasn't the look of people surprised she knew how to spell her own name, they were the distrusting stares of a small town community being forced to play nice with an outsider. It was actually a nice change.
Martha made introductions and Peyton internally repeated names in an attempt to remember them all. She already knew Chloe, who was awkwardly standing near a dark haired girl, Lana. She remembered Rose- Tina- mentioning her as if they were friends. Lex might've also mentioned Clark having a crush on her, and Peyton could see why. She was a pretty girl with large doe eyes and a soft voice.
Lana's aunt was there with her, Nell. Apparently Lana's parents had been killed in the meteor shower and Nell took her in.
There were other women from the town: Sarah Baker, Betty Fordman, and Amelia Johnson. They all gave her friendly greetings, but seemed more happy to be out of their houses and having a girl's day together, which took the pressure off Peyton. She didn't need to be the center of attention.
The bridal shower was an unstructured gathering. No one knew her well enough for any traditional games, and answering questions about her and Lex's relationship was tricky enough as it was without highlighting specific details. She fielded a few polite inquiries from the ladies and tried to avoid lying as much as possible.
"Lex and I have known each other since we were children."
"We started dating around sixteen. I know. Crazy, right?"
"Of course you're all invited to the wedding. We'd love to have you."
Peyton collected a plate of food and eventually found herself next to Chloe and Lana. There was an awkward gap of people her age, but the girls weren't being immature so she settled in next to them.
"I bet this isn't the kind of party you're used to," Chloe said with a sharp, almost amused, smile on her face.
Lana ducked her head slightly at the comment and chewed on a potluck meatball.
"Believe it or not," Peyton replied, "I've never been too into parties. But this is actually nice! I usually prefer things to be casual, if I have the option."
Lana stared up at her, her brow furrowing in something like concern.
"Did you like living in Metropolis?"
Peyton thought of her brief time running around Metropolis and tried to recall if she'd formed any sort of strong opinion.
There were busy streets, the shining gleam of the Daily Planet, that diner she'd eaten at with Lex, the theater that showed her favorite Broadway productions.
"Every place has its pros and cons," Peyton answered diplomatically. "There's always something interesting to do in the city, someplace new to discover. It's easy to reinvent yourself, to build a life from the ground up with near limitless opportunities. But it can make you feel anonymous too. Small. It can be easy to get swept away and lose your foundations. It just depends on what you're looking for."
"You almost make it sound romantic," Lana said. The light from the kitchen reflected in her eyes as her expression took on a dreamy look. "Sometimes I want to get out of Smallville; see what's out there."
Chloe chuffed.
"The minute I graduate, I'm out of here," she proclaimed. "If I want a position at The Planet, I'm going to need more than some school papers under my belt." Her eyes cut over to Peyton in uncertainty. "That offer for a good word is still on the table, right?"
Peyton smiled.
"Of course it is. You have a real talent as a writer; you made me sound mildly interesting in the interview you published."
"You read it!" Chloe perked up.
"The school paper has been way more interesting since Chloe took over," Lana said encouragingly.
They discussed the school paper for a bit; Lana tried to be supportive and Chloe was clearly defensive of her paper. From the way they spoke to each other it was clear that they weren't the closest friends. Peyton didn't know their usual dynamic, but Chloe had the stronger personality while Lana tended to remain more demure. Peyton tried to direct the conversation so they both had moments to speak.
She learned Lana was a cheerleader and helped her aunt with the flower shop that she owned in town. It was right next to the closed down theater, the theater where her parents apparently met.
"That's very sweet, especially that you get to keep a place like that close to you."
Lana smiled sadly and twisted the green gemstone on a necklace around her neck.
"Besides the few impressions of memories, the theater and this is all I have left of them."
Chloe made a face and looked away and Peyton realized Lana was referring to the necklace. Suddenly she realized she recognized it. It was the same one that Clark had in the cornfield.
"Was it your mother's?" Peyton asked politely.
"No," Lana said quietly. "It's a piece of one of the meteorites that fell that day."
Oh.
Clearly the rock had been worked on to be a certain shape and cut, but Peyton had never seen meteor rock able to look like that. Like green glass.
"Well," she said. "It's beautiful."
"Thank you." Lana dropped the stone and smiled. "I like your necklace too. It's pretty."
Peyton brushed her fingers over the locket and flushed.
"Oh, thanks. It doesn't have quite the story yours does. Lex just gave it to me when we were about sixteen."
Lana's smile widened.
"That's really sweet! Does it have your pictures inside?"
Lana was all sincerity and Chloe wore a look of growing amusement as Peyton's face remained warm.
"Just his," she said. She made no move to open the locket and show them.
Chloe's wry grin sharpened and she leaned back against the kitchen counter as she crossed her arms.
"So you're the shy one in the relationship," she said. Peyton blinked.
"What?"
"It's fine," Chloe reassured. "Just no one's ever seen you two more than hold hands. But I get not wanting to engage in PDA."
"I think it makes sense," Lana argued in Peyton's defense. "Your lives are already so public, right? I wouldn't want everyone watching me all the time like that."
"Right," Peyton said, stiltedly.
Chloe pointed a finger at her and wagged it teasingly.
"Everyone gets to watch you kiss at the wedding."
Peyton... Peyton hadn't been thinking about that. Hadn't let herself think about that. She rapidly stamped down on every embarrassing thought or emotion that rose up and kept her cool. She cut her eyes at Chloe with one brow raised.
"For someone who wants a good word, you're pretty snarky."
Chloe's answering grin let her know the girl didn't take the complaint seriously.
"It's my investigative charm," she said.
[]
Even as she mingled with others, Peyton was haunted by Chloe's words. She conversed with the adult women more and even felt them warm up to her slightly, but the words, the idea, the upcoming kiss, remained present in the back of her mind.
They were going to have to kiss at the wedding. Oh. Oh no. Did the people here know about tapping their glass at the reception? She had no real reason to expect they didn't.
She might have to kiss him more than once.
Peyton couldn't kiss him. Not that she didn't want- no. Wait. That wasn't what she meant.
She was supposed to be keeping some sort of distance between them. Kissing him would be bad. It would make the situation all the more messy. For him.
She tried to crush that entire line of thought, but it was becoming more of a struggle.
As the party wound down, Peyton melted into the background. The women talked about their kids and the awards they won, about someone's dog who'd just had a litter of puppies, and upcoming town events. She listened to talk of the Johnson's cattle and how they were faring this year, how the price of grain and goods were going up, and how Nell was struggling to keep the flower shop open.
She listened and understood that the town needed the fertilizer plant, despite whatever they may think of it or the Luthors. It was one of the main businesses keeping most of the town employed with enough money to put food on the table.
Lionel wanted to shut it down just to prove a point. Up to now, Peyton hadn't felt too invested beyond the unjust nature of shutting it down, too distracted by her own woes and the wedding. But now, sitting in a room full of women who would be personally affected; putting names and faces together, it stirred up additional anger towards Lionel.
But he didn't even seem to care about his own son. Why would he care about strangers?
Perhaps after the wedding, outside of the experimental research ventures of course, she ought to try and help Lex more with the plant. It had been awhile since college, and she wished she hadn't zoned out so much in her studies, but she absorbed enough and understood enough to feel like she could help.
Peyton rubbed between her eyes. She was thinking too much and it was giving her a headache.
She kept an unaffected front on as the last of the guests said their good-byes and gave well-wishes. There were still decorations to take down and some extra food to put away, so Peyton stayed and helped Martha clean up the rest of the way. It was the least she could do.
Martha studied her face in the brief moment Peyton passed her a full Tupperware container.
"You know," she said, "if you need to talk about anything, I'm willing to listen."
Peyton stopped chewing at her bottom lip and forced her shoulders to relax. They'd crept up to nearly her ears. Martha didn't deserve a flimsy lie, so she wouldn't deny anything was bothering her. And Martha was so warm, so understanding. It made her want to open up, even if it was just to be reassured.
But she didn't exactly know how to explain her concerns. She took a deep breath and let it out as she tried to come up with something less insane than the truth.
"Sometimes I get... caught up by the fact that my life hasn't gone in any direction I anticipated." She winced and amended. "Which I realize sounds pathetic given who I am and where I've come from, but-" She chewed her lip again and Martha let her think. "There are parts of my life the public doesn't know about. Parts that are complicated and sometimes I wish- sometimes I wish I could wake up and it'd all have been a dream."
Martha nodded as she folded a tea towel and draped it over the oven handle.
"Just because someone comes from wealth, doesn't mean they can't suffer. There are different kinds of struggles." Martha tipped her head and folded her arms. "Does this have to do with the wedding? I know you previously said things were complicated before you got engaged."
Peyton winced at the reminder.
"Yes; no." Peyton rubbed at her arm and slouched against the kitchen island. "I just-" Gosh, how did she even go about coming up with a work-around? "Sometimes I wonder... if this is the right choice for him," she decided. She could go this route. "His father isn't my biggest fan, and I know I haven't always... I haven't always been on the same level as Lex. I'm probably still not, honestly. And-" She trailed off.
What if she got to leave? What would that do to him? To her?
Martha moved closer and rested both hands on her shoulders, her face taking on a no-nonsense expression.
"I think the fact that Lionel Luthor doesn't approve of you speaks more for your character than if he did. And I've seen how Lex looks at you; it's the same way Jonathan looked at me when we were dating. That man is devoted to you."
Peyton's heart stuttered and Martha continued on, unknowing.
"The only question you have to ask yourself is if you love Lex like that in return. Is he a person you'd want by your side when you're sick? Will he stand up for you and put you first even if it costs him something? If both of you lost everything, would having each other be enough?"
Martha's hands slid down her arms and she gave Peyton's hands an encouraging squeeze; Peyton swallowed thickly.
It was wonderful advice. Beautiful advice. Perfect for someone who was actually just experiencing cold feet and nerves.
It didn't apply to her, unfortunately.
It didn't.
She was going to have to kiss him.
"Thank you, Martha," Peyton said. Her voice was miraculously even and calm. She gave her a slanted smile. "That's exactly what I needed someone to tell me."
It was a lie.
Why didn't it feel like one?
Martha sent her away with a few containers of leftovers, two cupcakes, and a hug. Peyton drove through town on the way back to the mansion and tried to focus on the road more than her thoughts. It was difficult. She still had that headache and all her wondering was making her feel bad.
It was just because the wedding was so close. The big day was closing in on her and the last of her good sense was panicking. She and Lex had been friends since they were children, and if she was able to go back to the other world, she was afraid it would break him.
He was the romantic, after all.
Everyone knew they hadn't kissed, but she couldn't kiss him.
She put the food away once back home, but took the cupcakes with her as she roamed the house. After a few minutes of coming up empty, she sighed and pulled out her cell phone.
The line rang three times before Lex answered.
"Hello?"
"Lex." Peyton made a show of exaggerated sighing. "This house is ridiculously big; where are you?"
"I can't believe you called for this." He laughed.
"I looked in all the usual places," Peyton argued. "And that took long enough."
"This place has more than three rooms you know."
"That's the problem. Do you want to see me or not? I have cupcakes."
"As if you need to bribe me, fiancé," he said. "I was putting my suit away; I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs."
Peyton hung up without another word, her tongue twisted up and her face skewed. Did he have to do that? Just a week ago he'd been nervous and hesitant giving her the ring. Now he was back to teasing pet names.
It wasn't fair.
Not that she cared about it. They were fiancés. But he didn't have to make a point to say it.
He met her at the bottom of the stairs and Peyton hugged him in greeting without thinking about it.
Hugged. Him. In a non-life threatening scenario.
She froze with her arms around his torso and internally screamed. What had she done? Why had she done that? What the heck was wrong with her; was her brain fried?
She needed to stop and let go of him. Oh gosh, Lex was going to think-
A few split seconds that felt like minutes, and Lex unfroze first. He hugged her back. A second later, Peyton released him and stepped away as she cleared her throat. She wanted to crawl under a rock and die.
She hugged everyone. She'd hugged Martha before parting ways. It was normal and not weird and it didn't mean anything. She still wanted to die.
But Lex just smiled all the more widely as they parted and asked,
"How did the party go?"
"Fine," Peyton answered too quickly. "I mean, everyone was really nice and I got to meet Clark's crush, Lana. She seems sweet."
Lex eyed her.
"They were all accepting of you?"
"They opened up more once we got to talking."
Was she insane for wanting to address the Kissing Issue with him? The words, the idea, the issue, kept resurfacing in her mind and maybe he'd think up a solution. Maybe he hadn't realized their conundrum either. Or maybe he already had an answer and didn't know the solution wasn't obvious.
Lex shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I was going to head to the library to see if I can find anything helpful in regards to getting the plant profitable. Want to join me?"
Peyton forced herself to breathe and lifted up the cupcakes.
"I'll bring the motivation."
She fell into step by his side on the way down the hall and Lex cast a wry grin at her.
"I took a peek inside the garment bag," he said. "I can't believe you actually went with a white suit."
Peyton straightened her shoulders and smiled primly.
"Mom agreed it would look striking. And besides, it counts as one of your allotted choices."
Lex laughed.
It didn't make her feel warm.
[]
Both of them collected a pile of books to comb through, settled in at the table in the room, then finished off the cupcakes as they read over operational advice and examples of high risk budgeting. Lex kept a pad of notes and anytime Peyton thought she found something that might be applicable or helpful, she'd turn the book towards him and tap on the section to read.
"Has cutting the supply costs been helping?" She asked. "And is your dad still giving you a hard time?" Lex looked up at her drolly and Peyton huffed. "I mean more than usual."
"I don't think he's been anything less than irate since he found out I defied his orders for layoffs. But the cost cuts are showing some promising signs. I don't think it's enough on its own, but it helps."
Peyton hummed and put her chin in her hand.
"It's a fertilizer plant in a farming community," she remarked. "Is there any way we can encourage them to, I don't know, farm more? Help them expand their crops, maybe, so they use more product? They'd make more income come harvest season, and the plant would have more production."
"Investing in the farms themselves? It would be an idea, but I don't know how many families would be willing to go for it. And I can't exactly blame them for not trusting me after what my father pulled here the last time."
"He seems to have left quite the impression on everyone. This is practically a couple year PR clean up project that we need to speed-run before your dad makes another move."
"We." Lex said. "You don't work for LuthorCorp. You don't have to worry about it."
Peyton looked away as her face warmed.
"Well, after meeting some of the women of Smallville today, I can't help but be a little personally invested. They're real people with real lives. And," she hesitated, "and we're going to be married soon anyway, right? Your concerns become our concerns. And vice versa "
Lex rubbed his jaw and didn't say anything. Peyton licked her dry lips as her eyes dipped down his face then darted back up. She said too much again. He was going to get the wrong idea.
When Lex spoke he had to clear his throat.
"Thank you," he said. "For trying to help; for caring about the plant. It means a lot to me. When he assigned me this location, I thought I'd have to figure it out alone."
"You could," Peyton told him. Lex nodded slowly.
"Sure," he agreed. It wasn't arrogance, it was simply factual. "But it's exponentially better to know someone is on your side, isn't it?"
"A united front and moral support does go a long way," Peyton agreed gently. "After all, a cord of three strands is not easily broken."
In the following quiet, Peyton traced invisible patterns on the tabletop as she worked up the nerve to bring up her concern. Hopefully without humiliating herself.
"Speaking of the wedding." She dragged the words out. As if just saying them would catch her on fire. "Chloe did bring up something at the party that I hadn't quite considered."
Lex disregarded his books and notes to give her his undivided attention. Of all the times she would have paid to have him a little distracted.
"Yes?" He prompted.
Peyton stopped making shapes with her finger and idly tapped the wood instead.
"She made it a point to poke fun over the fact that after the ceremony we'll be expected... to kiss." Lex remained still and Peyton tried to soften or hide, or she didn't know, the statement with another. "Apparently people in town have noticed that we're not...."
"Physically affectionate?" Lex finished for her.
"Right."
He partially broke the awkward stillness in the room by sitting back and resting an ankle over his knee in a display of ease.
"Well," he said, "I guess it depends on how you want to handle it."
Peyton blinked in surprise and her nose wrinkled.
"Me?"
Lex nodded.
"You shouldn't do anything you're not comfortable with. I know what I'm willing to do, so you tell me where your line is, and we won't cross it."
It wasn't exactly the answer she was expecting. It was very chivalrous. Not that she didn't expect that from Lex. But it put the ball squarely back in her court and forced her to make a decision.
What did she want?
No. What was she willing to do?
"Right," Peyton agreed. She fiddled with her locket and sat back in her seat as well. "Okay. I'll think about it and let you know."
[]
They finished up their research in relative quiet and ate dinner with mild conversation. Peyton's mind continued to whir. It wasn't like there was much time until the wedding; the date only continued to draw nearer.
And Lex just had to be a gentleman about it. Or was he being cruel? He could have just told her that they had to. It was expected and it was one time and she didn't have a choice, then she wouldn't feel so conflicted about having to go along with it.
It was just a kiss, she told herself. Told herself all through dinner and the entire time Lex started a fire in the fireplace and they relaxed in his office.
And even if he refused to say it, they would be expected to. It would be weird if they didn't. It was already notable to everyone that they hadn't.
They were supposed to have been dating since they were about sixteen. In some strange way they kind of had been together. And it would be humiliatingly obvious if their first kiss was after being announced as man and wife.
Peyton licked her lips in nervousness as she stared into the crackling fire. The bright light would make it impossible for her to see the minute she looked away into the rest of the room, but that was fine. She wasn't feeling brave enough to look Lex in the eye right now anyway.
"We probably should," she said, her voice weak. She could feel Lex's piercing gaze on the side of her face and she swallowed. "Practice, that is." She clarified.
"Practice?" He prompted.
Heat spread over Peyton's face as he forced her to say the words aloud.
"Practice kissing," she managed. "Since at the wedding...people will expect us to... be ...practiced."
He remained quiet and Peyton forced her eyes away from the fire. All she could see was blinding white light until her eyes readjusted and she could make out Lex sitting in the chair next to her spot on the couch. He'd apparently been waiting for her to fully acknowledge him.
"Is that something you're comfortable with?"
Peyton swallowed and awkwardly shifted her legs.
Not really? Kind of? It was purely for show, right? It wasn't like she'd been thinking about it.
"We can always just make it quick at the wedding," Lex offered, though his tone didn't sound convincing.
"Wouldn't people find that strange, given how long we're supposed to have been together?" Peyton asked.
Lex's response was blunt.
"Probably. But it's still your choice."
She nodded her head sharply, once, and tried to put on a look of nonchalance.
"Right. Well. We don't want it to look like it's the first time then."
She was being so stupid. Kissing Lex, even as a ruse, was so entirely stupid. Because kissing him would complicate things. It would change things. She knew that intrinsically. Already she caught her thoughts slipping in directions she knew they shouldn't, towards ideas and glimpses of future that she wasn't meant to indulge in. Ideas and thoughts she needed to stomp and bury and control.
Her entire motivation was to get home. To find a way back to her own world and own body, and kissing Lex threatened to derail that.
She knew that.
Lex moved from the chair to the spot next to her on the couch, his movements careful and his eyes unwavering from her face. It felt too late to change her mind now.
Peyton swallowed and angled herself more towards him. He was still taller than her sitting, and she tipped her head back slightly to keep an eye on his face. There was far less hesitation in his expression.
It was just a kiss.
Lex put more weight on one leg as he angled himself further, his opposite hand came up and cupped her jaw. Peyton's pulse spiked. Her skin flushed.
"You alright?" Lex asked.
Peyton couldn't even nod.
"Yep! Yeah, doing... doing fine...."
Her voice died out as her gaze dropped down to his lips as he leaned closer. When he was close enough that the heat from his body reached her, her eyes fluttered closed on their own.
Lex used his thumb to tip her head up higher and Peyton's breathing hitched. For a brief second, static buzzed between them. She could feel his skin mere millimeters away from touching hers.
She couldn't help the small gasp as his lips connected with her own. She stiffened instinctively, but Lex kept the kiss gentle, tentative. He dipped his head to get a better angle and continued the kiss; his hand held her head in the right position, leading her.
The bones in Peyton's body melted.
All at once her doubts about kissing him and fears for what it would mean fizzled out as her mind went blank. Maybe she'd regret it later, maybe she'd want to regret it later, but with Lex's warm hands holding her in place and him guiding their pace, suddenly it didn't matter.
There was just him. His warmth and his hands and his lips on hers.
Peyton's hands rose and clutched at the front of his shirt as if she could possibly pull him closer. As if he wasn't enveloping her on the couch already. Lex took her hold as a sign and suddenly the kiss deepened, he shifted as if he were just as desperate to get closer to her as she was to him.
He kissed her until her head felt light, like she couldn't breathe. He kissed her like he'd been thinking about it since he was sixteen. Kissed her like a man starved.
Peyton arched up higher and wrapped her arms around his neck. She should push him away. She didn't want to push him away. She shouldn't like the way he made her feel so much. But she did. Liked it enough that it overrode her common sense and logical thought; shut down her inhibition and kept her pliant under his touch.
Treacherous.
He was far more dangerous than she ever gave him credit for.
Lex broke off the kiss and Peyton shuddered out an unsteady breath. His own breathing was ragged; Peyton blinked her eyes open and her heart skipped a beat. Lex's gray eyes were dark and half open, the pupils wide; his gaze locked on her face as she caught her breath. Her arms still wrapped around his neck and his hand still held her face.
"How was that, for practice?" Lex asked, voice raspy.
Peyton tried to clear her throat and collect herself, but found the task difficult when he was still so close to her. Looking at her like she hung the moon.
"Mmhm." She agreed with a hum. Again, she tried in vain to clear her throat. To recenter herself and gain control over her nonexistent thoughts. "Maybe," she managed to say. "Maybe...."
Maybe they should stop now? Maybe they should try one more time? She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say.
No, wait-
Lex came to his own conclusion about what she meant to say and leaned in. He kept this kiss light, nearly teasing, and Peyton went limp again. It wasn't fair. He didn't play fair.
His hand shifted back, his fingers slipping into her hair on the back of her head, and she felt him actually smile into one of the kisses, his lips curling against her own.
It stripped down one of her walls. A load bearing wall. It let slip thoughts she'd rather keep barricaded away.
Somehow, despite her denials, Lex had made himself something of an anchor; a constant. He was the first person here she thought to confide in; sought for advice. The person she searched for in a crowd or for comfort. The kiss ripped away the lie that she kept telling to protect herself; she didn't have to admit to anything. Just because she didn't say it, pretended it wasn't there, didn't negate the reality.
She was already falling. Maybe already fell, given she didn't stop kissing him first.
When Lex broke the second kiss he let go of her, like he knew she needed the distance to actually be able to think. Later, she'd be mad he was right.
The fire crackled and their breathing filled the room. Peyton finally sat up and ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to shake off the haze he put her in. Lex leaned back against the arm of the couch and wet his bottom lip as he collected himself as well.
"Well," Peyton said. What did one even say after something like that? "I think that... was good practice."
Lex's brows rose.
"Good practice?"
"Yes."
Something mischievous flashed in his eyes and he smirked as he leaned closer.
"I'm not a man that settles for good," he said. "I want to be great."
But Peyton had enough cool air and enough returning sense to scamper back along the couch as she let out a small squeak. She waved a warning finger at his approach.
"Oh, no, no! You- you stay over there."
Lex's smirk grew into a toothy grin, but he leaned back once more; clearly satisfied by her reaction. Peyton let out a breath of air.
She was absolutely, royally, undeniably screwed.