Chapter 10: Coffee

Thanksgiving came and went fast, but Lara Jean was happy to get a chance to spend even a short time with her family. Of course, much of the focus was on her love life. Kitty and Margo would not stop asking about Peter and Landon. Once they were caught up they began comparing the two non-stop. After forcing her to share a picture of Landon, Kitty looked at her shocked.

"Wow, LJ. Dare I say….you have taste?"

With a less offensive response, Margo agreed and the two of them scrolled through his instagram, before Kitty had the great Idea to use her phone to pull up both men's pages side by side.

"Ok, Peter still cannot shake that jock vibe." Margo said, frowning.

"Hey, he's found something that works for him. He also gives off the goofy, adorable vibes, see?" Kitty responded pausing on a picture of him snuggled up with a friend's dog.

"But, Landon," Margo continued. "He's….elegant."

"Oooh that's a good word. Elegant. Poised. Hot." the sisters giggled.

"Hey, Peter is hot!" Lara Jean interjected. Margo and Kitty looked at her expectantly. "I just mean..it's not fair to compare them just off pictures." Lara Jean shrunk.

"Well it's not just off pictures, LJ. We all know Peter, and plus we have what you've told us about Landon. Plenty of evidence for comparison." Kitty said as she continued to scroll.

Lara Jean tried to ignore them for the most part and enjoy being at home. She helped Trina with dinner and baked a lot. It was a much needed break. Although Peter had reached out and asked her to hang out during their vacation, she made an excuse. She wanted to keep their interactions strictly to the car ride.

On the day the were set to drive home, neither opted to bring the other breakfast. In fact, when Lara Jean pulled into Peter's drive way early the morning of their return to New York, LJ was a little surprised to see a disheveled Petter shuffle to the car and toss his bag in. His mother stood on the porch and waved at Lara Jean before walking back into her home.

"...Is everything ok?" Lara Jen asked, handing over the keys hesitantly.

"What?" It seemed like Peter had just realized she was there, "I'm fine. Let's get going."

The first hour of the road trip was virtually silent. Lara Jean kept looking over at Peter catching him shifting uneasily in his seat or rubbing his eyes, which would draw her own to the dark circles forming above his cheeks. The verbal silence would have continued, but Lara Jean was so uncomfortable. She reached out to turn down the radio, which was already low and asked him again if he was ok.

Glancing over at her quickly he sighed at her concern, "Yeah, yeah. Sorry I'm being so…"

"Quiet, reserved...very un-Kavinsky." She tried to joke, but only got a small smile in return.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just stuff with my mom...and I saw my dad. Let's just say it wasn't the holiday I thought it would be."

"I'm sorry...Do you want to talk about it?"

He took a long breath, "If I'm honest, Covey, not at all. I kinda just wanna forget about it."

"Oh ok," She said, unable to hide the disappointment.

"But hey, I promise to liven up and we can talk about other stuff. I saw a sign that said the nearest gas station is only three miles. I'm gonna stop and get some coffee."

"Sounds like a plan!" They grinned at each other for the first time that day and Lara Jean turned the radio back up.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. Lara Jean carefully tiptoed around asking questions about his family and spent more time talking about her excitement returning to the bakery. They made it back to the city in the early evening. After Peter technically dropped himself off, Lara worked her way through traffic, excited to be back in her apartment. She had plans with her bathtub and had promised Landon she'd call as soon as she was settled in.

When she entered her apartment she immediately dropped her bags and kicked off her shoes, before locking her eyes with Jeanette, who looked a little startled.

"Hey," Lara Jean said before laughing, "Sorry for barging in here like this. I hate long car rides and I gotta pee!" Lara Jean shuffled to the bathroom and came out as Jeanette was settling on the couch with a snack. "How was Thanksgiving?"

Jeanette waved her hand, "Oh you know, same old, same old, lots of food, my Nana was drunk and telling me I'm too skinny. How about yours?"

"It was good! I'm happy to be back though. I actually miss work!"

"Says no one, Lara Jean," Jeanette laughed.

"I'm serious, I actually miss both of my jobs,"

"Well of course you do. One has dessert and one has a big strong man!" Jeanette swooned causing Lara Jean to blush.

To deflect, "Speaking of men," Lara Jean began and sat on the edge of her couch, "I talked to Peter."

Jeanette frowned slightly, but that went unnoticed, "Well it would be weird spending 13 hours with him and not saying anything."

Lara Jean rolled her eyes, "No," She swatted at her, "About the other night, he told me!."

Lara Jean was smiling as Jeanette choked a little, "What?"

"Why are you being so weird? You didn't even tell me you guys went out again." Lara Jean was still laughing.

"I didn't think you'd want to hear about me hanging with Peter and-"

"I don't mind that you're hanging with Peter." She got up and grabbed a glass of water, "Honestly I think it's great you're getting along so well."

"So...so..he told you what happened?" Jeanette said standing slowly.

"Yeah. I just said that." Lara Jean was beginning to get confused.

"And you're not..upset?" sipping her water LJ shook her head shrugging. "Oh my god," Jeanette breathed. "I've been wanting to talk to you about this, but I had no idea how you'd react. I mean I feel...terrible."

"Jeanette, it's not that big of a deal. Hang out with him some more." She shrugged and started to walk towards the bathroom.

"I mean, I know you have Landon now and everything, but Peter is...well...Peter -and I totally crossed the line that night by kissing him," Lara Jean froze and turned around, "And oh god, I made him stay, because I was so drunk and needy."

"Wait, woah, what? You kissed?"

Realization spread over Jeanette's face and stared at each other for a moment, "LJ you said you knew what happened."

"He told me you guys hung out. Not that he kissed you."

"I Kissed him LJ, because I was drunk. He pushed me away almost immediately."

"Almost? Wow, what a gentleman." Lara Jean gasped, "So that's who was in your room! I thought it was Jeremy." Lara Jean's mind flashed back over the past couple of weeks, thinking about how strange Jeanette had been acting and Peter being so flustered in the car. "I can't believe you." She said crossing her arms. "We were friends."

"We are friends Lara Jean. I wasn't thinking and it went nowhere. Honestly."

"You know how me and Peter broke up. You knew how I lost him the first time. So you just threw yourself at him? Knowing how I felt about him!"

"How you feel about him?" Jeanette stepped back and took a breath to collect herself, "Look, LJ I'm sorry, I really am, but…You're acting like I betrayed you on purpose. He's not even your boyfriend." Lara Jean scoffed. "I'm sorry, ok, it happened, but it won't happen again."

Lara Jean said nothing direct, but turned to walk away muttering things under her breath.

"What did you just call me?" Jeanette stalked after her and they both ended up in the bathroom. "You know what? You have been walking around here talking about Landon, and how wonderful he is and oh he's so perfect. It shouldn't matter what Peter does, with me or anyone else. You're not together, LJ."

"He's still my ex, Jeanette. Friends don't do that to each other."

"I already apologized. Nothing happened. We talked and fell asleep. I know I was wrong, but you need to figure yourself out."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"One minute you're over Peter, the next, you act like you own him. Be honest with yourself."

"That's not what this was about and you know it." Lara Jean said icily. "You lied to me. No you didn't lie, you completely kept this from me."

Jeanette opened her mouth to speak but shut it as she heard a buzz coming from Lara Jean's pocket. Without thinking, Lara Jean yanked her phone from her pocket and looked at the text that glowed across the screen.

Peter: Hey, I think I dropped my wallet in your car. I kinda need that :). Is it cool if me and Jeremy swing by to grab it?

Ok Jeanette was wrong, but it seems like LJ wants to have her cupcake and eat it too.

Hope everyone is doing well! Next chapter will be up soon. I think it's time for a little college flashback.

-Pink