"You don't mind if I escort you this time, do you?" Ramsey asked holding out his arm. His green eyes were twinkling again as a smile broke out across his face.
After contemplating her options, Lexi rested her hand in the crook of his elbow, and trailed behind the crowd exiting the dining hall. "I might mind, but I'll allow it," she said glancing up at him mischievously. She hadn't realized how tall he was the first time around. Now standing directly next to him, she noticed that the top of her head just barely reached his shoulder. He had to be over six feet tall. Way out of the height range of guys she typically dated.
"So, are you just here visiting Jack?" Ramsey asked.
"Kind of," Lexi said neither confirming nor denying anything.
"Specific. Are you visiting your parents?"
"I plan on it."
"So are you staying with Jack?"
Lexi saw Jack's head swivel in front of her. He had obviously been eavesdropping on their conversation. "Um…no. I don't think so."
Ramsey nodded, but kept his face neutral. "Do your folks live in the city? Are you staying with them?"
"Why do you care?" she asked snootily.
"Why are you so snippy?" he questioned right back at her.
"Sorry, Yankee thing," Lexi said drawing out the word.
"Right, but you're not from there," he pointed out. "Either way, I was just curious about you is all. I told you that before."
"Okay," Lexi said eyeing him warily, "well my parents live on the south side of Atlanta about an hour maybe an hour fifteen south of here. I'll probably be staying with them."
"That's pretty far away. Why don't you just get a hotel?"
She rolled her eyes. This was typical. "Money. As in I don't have any, because I'm in school," she told him coldly.
"Oh right. Stupid me," he said smacking his forehead with his available hand. "Well I think Bekah and Jack are coming over to my place later for drinks with some of my friends. You are welcome to join them, if you are interested," he offered graciously.
"Oh my God, we would just love for you to come," Bekah exclaimed interrupting their conversation. "Why didn't you think of that Jack?" she asked him, hitting him playfully on the arm.
"Must have slipped my mind," Jack commented glancing from Bekah to Lexi and then down to where Lexi's hand was still placed on Ramsey's expensive sleeve.
"Then it's settled," Ramsey confirmed, "I'll see you around eight."
Lexi had come here for one purpose. Country Club brunches and late night parties were not on that list. She didn't want to get to know Bekah or her family. She didn't want to think about what a better lot Jack would get by marrying into this family…this girl. She didn't want to go back to New York feeling worse about her situation and the way things had ended with Jack then she already did. She couldn't imagine what that would feel like. She just wanted this to over with.
Why couldn't closure be easier than this?
* * *
K.A. Linde
Compulsion
But according to him
I'm beautiful, incredible,
he can't get me out of his head.
According to him
I'm funny, irresistible,
everything he ever wanted.
-Orianthi "According to You"
* * *
Chapter 6: September Five Years Earlier
"Jack, I can't come over," Lexi told him for what felt like the hundredth time. She rested her flip phone between her ear and shoulder. She directed her black Hyundai Tiburon into an available parking spot in front of the grocery store.
"Sure you can. I don't live that far away from you. What's the drive like ten minutes?"
"It's not the distance that's the issue," she told him, getting out of the car and walking towards the entrance. She dodged a white Explorer that zoomed in front of her. Lexi flicked off the driver as she skidded to a halt in the middle of the crosswalk. "Jackass."
"What? No need for name calling."
"Oh, sorry, I wasn't talking about you," she told him cautiously jogging the rest of the way to safety. "Some crazy driver."
"I really want to see you."
"I know. I want to see you too," she confided in him. She bit her lip at the thought of going over to his house. Then, she quickly diverted her attention. She couldn't let herself go down that path again.
"Well then, come see me. Nothing's stopping you."
"You know that there are plenty of things stopping me from coming to see you."
"Alright. How about this: I'll come see you. That way you don't feel like those reasons apply."
Lexi shook her head. "You forgot about my nosy roommates." She threw a few items aimlessly into the cart and continued down the aisle.
"Are they there right now?" Lexi knew they weren't, but there was no way she was telling him that. She didn't know her roommates' schedules, and if she was found with Jack, there would be a lot of explaining to do. And explaining why she was talking to him again was not something she was interested in. "Silence means they're not?" Jack guessed.
"I don't know when they are or are not there," she told him noncommittally.
"I just really want to see you. You've been so busy with your schedule that I haven't seen you but once since we ran into each other at Chamber."
"Yeah, about that. How did you know I was going to be there? You never told me," she said switching ears to adjust the uncomfortable feeling creeping through her shoulder. She couldn't afford to have aching muscles with conditioning beginning soon.
"Don't try to change the subject. When do I get to see you?"
"You can't see me until you answer."
"I won't answer until I see you."
"Well I guess we're at a stalemate," Lexi said attempting to maneuver the shopping cart one-handed.
"Okay fine. If I tell you, you promise you'll come see me? My roommates are out of town, and we'd have the house to ourselves."
All of a sudden, the invitation seemed very enticing. God, she knew she shouldn't even be talking to him. Spencer had no idea about the conversations they had been having, and she had no real desire to tell him. Sometimes she could swear that he knew that something was different about her. Jack always made her appear different. That wonderful month they had shared together, albeit he had had a girlfriend the entire time, she knew she had changed. Her parents had even commented on her seemingly newfound inner joy. Jack just made her glow. Which was the exact reason she could not tell Spencer about Jack.