The Love Hack

Chapter 17

Mindy gasped before asking, "And then what happened?"

"And then he just walked away," Lexi replied before puffing her cheeks and blowing out the air.

"Oh, my goodness! This just keeps getting juicier and juicier! How do you feel about everything?"

The girls were sitting back in their dorm room on each of their respective beds. Lexi had managed to catch Mindy near the cafeteria building and share the news that class was cancelled before they made their way back.

"I don't know, Mind. It really sucks that the first time I'm genuinely interested in a guy and find him so unbelievably attractive, he ends up being completely off limits."

"Well, hopefully we solve this case soon so you can tell him the truth and you guys can get to know each other more."

Lexi shook her head. "I just don't know if he'd even like me once he got to know me more. Like, I'm the awkward Christian girl who would rather spend time reading Harry Potter fan fiction than go to a party."

"I don't know, Lex. He seems be into that though."

Lexi nodded, but then looked down while picking at the fuzzy pieces of her blanket. "I guess it doesn't matter anyway. My parents would never approve of me dating a past target. Or I guess the brother of a past target. There's too much messiness with it."

"I'm sure they'd understand if you guys were right for each other!"

Lexi shrugged and a droplet somehow managed to escape her tear duct. Mindy jumped up and ran over to Lexi's bed. "Oh my gosh, Lex. You really like him, don't you?" She threw her arms around Lexi and gave her a tight hug.

Lexi laughed and quickly wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "I just feel like I messed it all up. And he doesn't want anything to do with me now."

"I highly doubt that!" Mindy raised her hand in a way that it looked like she was telling a car to stop. "Like seriously, highly doubt it!" she repeated while bobbing her hand. "Didn't you say he asked you about him being your first make out before? Guys in general are obsessed with being a girl's first anything. And they never forget it. Like you could've literally said that he was the first guy you went into a hot tub with, and he'd still be completely smitten by you."

Lexi laughed and leaned into Mindy who had put her arm around her. "Or you could have said he was the first guy you got into an elevator with, and he'd ask you to have his babies." Lexi busted out laughing and wrapped her other hand around Mindy for a hug.

"You'll be okay, Lex. Trust me. It'll all work out. Let's just keep doing our jobs well and not let anything shake us!"

"You're right, Mind. Thanks." She took a deep breath in. She knew she needed to stay to task and needed to clear her head to continue prepping for the girls' night. Yet before she could say anything else, a buzz alerted her to an incoming call from her brother. "Hey Cole, what's up? I'm putting you on speaker."

"Aren't you supposed to be in class with Mindy?" Cole said through the receiver.

"It got canceled." Lexi furrowed her brows before continuing, "Wait, why are you calling me if you thought I was going to be in class?"

"I was going to leave a voice message. But this is better. Is Mindy there?"

"Yeah, she's right next to me."

Cole paused before clearing his throat. "Uh, hey, Mind."

"Hey, Cole," Mindy responded before giving a smile toward the phone.

A moment of silence hung in the air and Lexi raised a brow. "Cole? What is it?"

"Oh, um, sorry, so it's about Charlotte. We can't find anything on her. It's actually pretty crazy how off the grid she is."