Текст книги "Avoiding Commitment"
Автор книги: K. A. Linde
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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 29 страниц)
“It’s not over yet,” he muttered into her ear.
“But everyone’s...” she began gesturing to the crowd.
“Wait a second,” he said smiling down at her.
Lexi glanced around hoping to find out what he was talking about. Half of the people were already exiting the lawn, and they hadn’t even moved yet. She knew it would take awhile to get out of the park and was ready to start the long ride back to his place. If there was more to come, then no one else had been informed. She was about to tell him that he had been misinformed, when a loud pop sounded from the mountain.
Lexi’s eyes darted up to the sky as a red firework exploded, covering the night sky. There were never fireworks this time of the year. They only ever had fireworks for the week of the Fourth of July. The surrounding crowd had halted their urgent packing to look up at the shimmering colors falling towards the earth. Several more fireworks erupted from their perspective locations producing earsplitting booms and crackling popcorn. Lexi stared on in wonder as more and more fireworks colored the sky.
“I can’t believe they did this,” she whispered into the night. “I didn’t think they had fireworks this late in the season.”
“They don’t.”
Lexi shifted her gaze momentarily to stare into Ramsey’s shining green eyes. “They don’t? What do you mean?”
He smiled at her, reaching up and cupping her chin. “I thought you’d like the surprise.”
“You mean...you did this?” she asked putting the pieces together.
“For you.”
She couldn’t do much more than nod before his lips touched hers gently. She knew they had kissed the night before, but she had been drunk at that point and acting without inhibitions. This kiss occurred because she wanted it to. It was gentle and brief, but he sure did taste wonderful. She had no idea how he still tasted of peppermints. She hadn’t seen him eat one or anything. When he pulled away, she couldn’t help but whimper at the loss of his warmth. He chuckled and placed one more kiss on her lips as the fireworks display came to a close.
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on. Now we can go.”
“Shouldn’t we pack up?” she asked looking at their feet.
“Nah. I’ll have someone take care of it. Let’s get you back. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
Lexi filtered in and out of consciousness on the ride back to Ramsey’s apartment. After last night, all she felt like doing was sleeping. Her evening with Ramsey had been magical. She was pleasantly surprised that he was capable of being well...human. She had such a terrible stigma against anyone from a Country Club that she had immediately thought he would be just like everyone else. And though at times, he did play that part, and obviously he had a good deal of wealth, she didn’t feel like that was the main part of his character. He was able to be a fun-loving guy, who just happened to have money, rather than the other way around, as she expected.
“I appreciate you taking me out and letting me stay here the night before,” Lexi told him truthfully, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear. She followed him up the stairs to the front door. “I guess I should probably get a hotel or something tonight.”
He stopped and turned to look at her. “You could come inside if you like.”
Lexi gulped not feeling comfortable with the direction of that statement. She wasn’t really prepared to take this to another level. “Uh...I don’t think so.”
He scratched his head thoughtfully. “Sorry. No. I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I have a guest bedroom. If you’d like to stay here another night, you are more than welcome.”
“Oh, well...” She didn’t know whether or not to accept the invitation. She was dead tired, and couldn’t exactly afford a hotel. “I guess that’s alright.”
Ramsey veered her towards the guest bedroom on the top floor and left her to get dressed for the evening. She changed into her own sleeping clothes and brushed her teeth. A soft knock sounded on the door and she pulled it open. Ramsey stood before her clad in nothing but a pair of black athletic shorts. Her eyes traveled to his six pack and then back up. She gulped unsure if she would be able to control herself if he came into the room.
“I wanted to give you a proper good night,” he informed her bending his head and crushing their lips together. She breathed him in enjoying every bit of pressure he was exerting onto her lips. She could tell he was trying desperately to keep himself from going further just like she was. She wasn’t exactly known for her ability to resist temptation. Her body was still flush against him when he pulled back, his breathing ragged, and his pupils dilated.
“I...uh,” he muttered pulling back a fraction of an inch.
“Yeah,” she agreed her own breathing coming out in short puffs.
“You know you never did answer me earlier this evening,” he said resting their foreheads together.
“About?”
“Will you accompany me to the birthday festivities?”
“Sure,” she said just as he captured her lips again. She moaned as his tongue slid against her own. Satisfied with her answer, he pulled back again.
He cleared his throat and stepped back into the hallway. “Well, good night.”
“Good night,” she whispered closing the door and leaning back against it.
“Shit,” she muttered to the empty space. “What have I done now?”
CHAPTER 14
DECEMBER TWO AND A HALF YEARS EARLIER
“How could you tell him?” she asked breaking down into tears for the second time that morning.
“What are you talking about?” Jack asked glancing helplessly into Lexi’s bloodshot eyes.
“You told Clark about what happened. You told him everything.”
“Lexi.”
“How could you do that?”
“Lexi…”
“I’ve been lying to him for months, he confronts you about it one time, and you tell him everything. And for what, Jack?”
“Lexi, please let me…”
“No! For what? What could you possibly gain from telling him? Do you think he’ll spare Kate the knowledge of what we did? Because I don’t.”
“Geez, Lex, can you give me a minute?”
“A minute? Oh yes, so you can try to explain? No, I don’t want your explanations. I already know what happened. You told him, and he’s going to tell Kate. All because you told him. I can’t believe this is happening,” she said her breath coming out uneven. She could feel the characteristic tingling feeling in her fingers and lips that let her know she was hyperventilating.
“Lexi,” he said stepping towards her, mouth hanging agape.
“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked pulling away from him. “I can’t believe you.”
“Could you listen to me for one goddamn minute?” he asked finally raising his voice.
She stopped her rampage. “Fine, say what you wanna say.”
“I didn’t talk to him. I didn’t say anything.”
Lexi’s eyes shot up to his face, her heart full of hope. Then she shook her head. “How did he know? He said you told him everything. You must have told him, Jack.”
“I told you I’d never lie to you again. Look at me,” he commanded. “Lexi, look at me. Look in my eyes and tell me I’m lying.”
Her eyes lifted to him once again. She searched those beautiful blue eyes for some sign that he wasn’t telling the truth. For anything that made him seem like he would tell her boyfriend to spare himself. Anything at all that said he didn’t care about her. But she found nothing there. He looked as sincere as he could get.
But how could she believe him? He could lie his way out of a lie detector test if need be.
“I...I don’t know what to think. Why would Clark say that if it wasn’t true?
Jack’s face had gone pale at the realization of what she had said. In his earnest desire to let Lexi know he hadn’t breathed a word to Clark, he had completely skipped by the fact that Clark knew.
“He trapped you, and you told him everything,” he finally said soaking in the information that Clark knew...and Kate would soon follow. “Fuck.”
“Oh God, this is so fucked up,” she cried falling to the couch. “He actually didn’t talk to you. The conniving little...” she trailed off. It was useless to be angry at Clark. She should have told him in the first place, and it was her fault that he was finding out this way. How could she have let this happen? How could she have let this thing with Jack spiral so far out of control?
She was acting just like Jack had while he dated Danielle. Only three years ago, she had screamed at him for doing less with her behind his girlfriends back. Now look at where she was. How had she changed this much over the past couple years? She would never have let herself get into his kind of position with anyone else.
Damn it! Why did Jack do this to her? It was so exhilarating being in his presence that sometimes she felt like she never wanted to leave. After the amazing night they had shared, she couldn’t believe they were sitting here like this. Less than twelve hours since that amazing kiss, lying wrapped up in his arms, and here they were arguing and freaking out about the people they were actually dating finding out. God, they were pathetic.
Beyond that, she had no idea what to do. She had come here ready to be angry at Jack for the rest of eternity, and now what? He hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, she had been the one to spill the beans. If anything, Jack should hate her, but the way he was looking at her said a different story.
“What are we going to do?” she whispered through her fingers. Her head rested in her hands and tears trickled down her face collecting in a pool in her palms. She felt the sofa adjust next to her as Jack’s weight shifted the cushions. He slowly brushed her hair back several times pushing a few loose strands behind her ear just like she habitually did.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said soothingly.
Lexi sobbed into her hands as he continued to stroke her hair. There was nothing he could do or say that would make her feel better at that moment. She was lost in her own misery.
“Are you going to tell Kate?” Lexi asked finally looking up at him.
His hand stilled at the nape of her neck as their eyes met. “I…uh…I dunno.”
“Jack, you know he’s going to tell her about it. He was so angry. If you had seen him, you’d understand what I’m talking about.”
“Did he say he was going to tell her?” Jack asked her.
“Uh…well, no,” Lexi admitted. She assumed Clark would tell Kate everything. If she was in his position, that’s what she would do. Jack had ruined Clark’s life. It seemed only fitting for Clark to return the favor.
“Maybe he won’t tell her,” he said wistfully.
Lexi stood swiftly. “So, what? You’re just going to go on with your life?” she asked through her tears. “You’re just going to go back to Kate? I don’t understand you at all. Even if he doesn’t tell her, she’s sure to find out. She’s not all that bright, but she’s not an idiot. She had to know something was up. Clark did.”
“I doubt she would find out,” he said looking down.
“What? How could you say that?”
“You said it yourself. She’s not as bright as Clark, who obviously figured this all out on his own. If he didn’t say anything about telling Kate, then maybe he’s not going to tell her.”
“And you’re not going to tell her?”
He met her fierce gaze. “I don’t see why I would.”
“Oh…you don’t see why you would.”
“God, Lex, you wouldn’t tell Clark if the positions were reversed.” She didn’t really want to think about that. She had no idea what she would do if the roles were reversed. “And anyway, I would never let Kate have any idea what we were up to.”
Lexi gasped. “Are you implying that I set this up for him to find out?”
“I’m not implying anything. Stop putting words in my mouth. All I’m saying is that there’s no way you would tell Clark. You’d have no reason to tell him.”
Lexi’s mouth just hung open. Was he serious? He could find no reason to tell his girlfriend that he had been cheating on her? She sighed heavily. “I don’t know what I would do, because circumstances aren’t reversed, but I’d at least be smart about it.”
“Fine. Tell me how to be smart about all this. You think telling Kate is a smart decision? Well, you’re wrong. Kate and I have been together for years, and if I told her it would crush her.”
“Maybe you should have thought about that,” Lexi said.
“You think I didn’t think about that? I fucking think about it all the time. But you…I don’t even know. Once I remembered what it was like to be with you, I didn’t want to let it all go again.” Lexi allowed herself a small smile at his admission. “But I wasn’t ready to get rid of Kate either. And I’m still not ready to get rid of her.”
“But you’re ready to get rid of me?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. God, I don’t even know what I’m saying. All I know is that I can’t tell Kate just yet. I couldn’t imagine being the one to crush her. She would never be the same.”
Lexi shook her head in disbelief at everything he was saying. It was like last time except now she knew about what was happening. She had allowed herself to get into this position for the second time with the same guy.
Not that she had been prepared to let go of Clark, but that seemed to be the obvious course of action. This was something that wouldn’t go unpunished. Clark was the kind of guy who could find a million different girls to be with, and he had chosen her. At the flip of a switch, he could have any other girl.
A part of her knew that was coming. It was inevitable that Clark was going to leave her. That inevitability wasn’t in place for Jack. But even so, she couldn’t even count the number of times she had thought about actually being with Jack in a relationship. She had imagined them together for so long, it was strange to see that for the third time they had screwed up beyond repair. Jack wasn’t leaving Kate. Lexi knew it, but she couldn’t come to grips with that reality. She had always assumed that if things broke apart in their relationships, that they would be together. Not that they would be apart. She had never believed they would be apart.
“Jack, be realistic. She’s going to find out one way or another. If you don’t tell her, then Clark will. Then where will you stand?”
“What do you expect me to do, Lexi?” he asked standing forcefully. “Think about it. What would you do in my place? You have this great life with an amazing girlfriend who would do anything for you, and you would throw all that away?”
“If your life was so great, then what the fuck is this? What have we been doing since May?” she screamed gesturing between the two of them.
“I don’t know, Lexi. God, I don’t know. Give me some time to think about all this.”
Lexi’s mouth dropped open. “You need some time to think? I didn’t have any time to think when Clark confronted me.”
“That’s not my fault! Alright!”
“I thought we were in this together,” she said weakly. Her mind was whirling. Clark was right. It’s not like this actually mattered to Jack. He may not have told Clark about what had happened, but it wasn’t like he was going to leave Kate for her either. He had set her up in his mind to be the other woman, and that’s where she resided. That’s where she had always resided. She had never come first with him. Even when his relationship was threatened, he couldn’t see past his “amazing” girlfriend to what was really in front of him.
“This is all so sudden, and I just need time to get things straight. I can’t rush over there right now and tell her what happened. Even if I did that, it’s not like we could be together. You still have to straighten things out with Clark. So let’s put this whole conversation on the brakes. You’re already upset. I don’t want to continue to cause you pain.”
Too late.
Lexi felt completely drained as she left Jack’s house. Somehow she managed to get back to her apartment in one piece. She collapsed onto the couch. Glad, at least for the moment, that she had no more tears to shed. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying. Her complexion had drained of color. Her lips were only a soft pink. The messy ponytail she had forced her hair into that morning had all but fallen out. She realized for the first time that she didn’t even match. She wore purple sweatpants coupled with a ratty orange t-shirt and blue zip-up hoodie. She kicked off her red, black, and white sneakers to reveal one orange and one neon yellow sock. She couldn’t even remember changing.
Lexi stared upwards pathetically counting the number of dots on the ceiling. She reached a number somewhere in the triple digits, forgot which ones she had already counted, and then started over again. Then she started losing count of how many times she had numbered the same area. She closed her eyes hoping to block out the pain she was feeling. All she wanted to do was forget that all of this had happened. Close her eyes and wake up to find that everything was back to normal or at least skip to the part where she felt like a human being again.
She wasn’t sure how long she had been lying there when her phone started buzzing. She didn’t even realize she had stuffed it into her pocket. A feeling of dread took over her body as she stared at the screen flashing Clark’s name. Her stomach curled in around itself wondering whether or not she should answer. Of course, she knew she should answer, but she really didn’t want to hear him say the words that she knew was coming. How could she let this all be over?
She felt the phone buzz once more, and then with a loud sigh answered the phone. “Clark,” she mumbled into the phone.
“Hey, baby,” he said from the other line. Lexi’s heart fluttered at the pet name. Well that was a good sign. She shook her head. No, it was more likely a habit. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to respond to him or if he was going to do all the talking. Her throat felt like it had a handful of cotton balls shoved down it, and even if she had wanted to initiate conversation, she would probably need a full glass of water before she could even attempt to manage it.
“We need to talk.” Lexi gulped. That didn’t sound good. How could he sound so calm after blowing up this morning? How was he so controlled? She was all over the charts. She had cried for hours, and then stared at the ceiling for God knows how long. Clark sounded more like he had just taken a brisk morning jog, gotten out of the shower, had breakfast, and was ready to start the day.
“Alright,” she began, clearing her throat. “Let’s talk.”
“Come meet me for coffee.”
Lexi’s head swam as a vision of Jack standing behind a counter handing her a paper cup brimming with coffee filled her. She snapped her eyes closed hoping to clear her head. The last thing she needed to think about right now was Jack. “Can I…just come over?”
“I’d rather not be at one of our houses.”
Why did she always have to associate coffee with Jack? She just wanted to hit herself. Everything seemed to remind her of Jack. She needed to focus on what he was going to say to her. She needed to remain calm as he broke up with her.
“Coffee it is then,” she said weakly. “See you soon.”
“Yeah.”
Lexi decided that it really didn’t matter that she was going out in public in something resembling a clown outfit. If all she was going there for was to be broken up with, then what did it matter? It didn’t really add to the humiliation. She couldn’t humiliate herself any more than she already had.
*****
Her eyes traveled the familiar building, her heart aching with memories. She entered through the side entrance to avoid getting a glimpse of the counter area and her all too familiar study space. She breathed in the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and appreciated the dull green glow that emanated from the lamps resting on every table. At least this light didn’t hurt her already damaged eyes. She saw Clark nestled in an overstuffed couch next to the fireplace with two cups sitting before him. They both appeared to be untouched.
Their eyes met across the room. She felt frozen in time in that second as she stared across into his hazel orbs. Clark had always been so intuitive, so knowledgeable. Even from her spot rooted to the floor in front of the entrance, she could tell something had changed in him. In the short time they had been apart, he had come to a decision. A decision that Lexi knew would change everything.
Lexi meandered through the crowded room, and plopped down next to Clark on the sofa. He handed her one of the cups. “Black, like you like it,” he said taking a sip of his own cup.
That was strange enough in itself, because Clark didn’t drink coffee. He was one of those self-motivated people who could survive the morning without that extra buzz. She eyed his cup like it might explode any minute. He followed her gaze to his cup, and revealed a half smile that quickly dissipated. “It’s hot chocolate,” he confessed.
“Oh.”
“You’re probably wondering why I asked you here,” he said.
Lexi didn’t really wonder. She knew why she was here. He needed time before to think about things, and then after thinking things through he was ready to break up with her. He might love her, but Clark wouldn’t be second best. He wouldn’t let this slide. However, all she said was, “I guess.”
“I just…can I ask you something?” he questioned putting his cup back down on the table and turning to look at her.
“You just did,” she said meekly, “but sure, go ahead.” She wasn’t sure why he was prolonging this. It would just be better to get this over with. Cut the strings and all that.
He gave her another half smile before it fell off of his face again. A curl fell into his eyes and he pushed the hair back into place. Lexi hadn’t even realized he had let his hair get so long. He normally cut it all off before it was long enough for her to play with. How had she missed the fact that she was able to run her fingers through his thick mess of curly hair? Had she been so lost in her other world that she hadn’t really been present in this one? Her heart contracted at the knowledge that she would never again have the privilege of playing with his beautiful hair.
Had Jack been right? If the roles had been reversed, would she have given everything up? Would she have willingly given up Clark? Her eyes followed the curly hair down to the five o’clock shadow across his chin, up to the plump lips, and then finally resting on his hazel eyes. Now with him right in front of her, she couldn’t be sure.
“Do you want to be with me?” Clark asked breaking her out of her thoughts.
“Of course I do,” she said without another thought.
“Why…” he began taking a deep breath. “I want to ask why you would do this to me if you claim you want to be with me, but I know that is a useless path to take. You did it because of Jack. I should have known all along. I should have seen the warning signs. I did see the warning signs. I just didn’t want to believe that anything had happened. I wanted us to stay exactly where we were. We were happy, right?” he asked his eyes pleading with her.
“Yeah. We were happy.”
“I knew from the get go what Jack meant to you. I could see it every time his name was mentioned. I could see it every time he was near you. I knew it every time you had to run away from him. You did that to save us. I can see that now,” he said. “Then, I forced ya’ll to be around each other. What did I expect by doing that? I should have known that ya’ll wouldn’t change. Ya’ll would only continue to harbor the same affection you felt previously. Right?”
Lexi gulped and then nodded.
“That’s what I thought. Now, I didn’t think ya’ll would sleep together. I thought that perhaps you would be smart enough to realize that this would be done if that happened.”
Lexi gulped again even harder. There. He had said it. They would be over if that happened, and it had.
“I guess I didn’t expect it to continue. I tried to turn a blind eye. I tried to be with my girlfriend, but you weren’t the same girlfriend. I guess you haven’t been for a long time,” he said, his eyes momentarily darkening. “That’s when I couldn’t deal with it any longer. I couldn’t be with a shadow of the woman I love. And that’s what you’ve become.” He reached out and took her hand. She was so shocked by his grasp that she nearly dropped her drink. “So please, Lexi, baby, my dear, my sweet, my love, answer me honestly. Do you want to be with me?”
Her heart fluttered at his words. After everything they had been through and all the good times they had shared, did she really want to give that up? Jack didn’t want her. She had to know that by now. He wanted Kate. He had all but come right out and said that earlier today. They couldn’t be together. A part of her felt like she was dying with that thought. Jack had been such a large part of her heart for so long, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be the same person without him. As cheesy as it sounded, she felt complete with him. A completeness she had never felt with anyone else, not even Clark. Yet, Jack didn’t want her and she needed to move on from that.
“I do want to be with you,” she answered.
He searched her face for a lie or some sign of falsehood, but couldn’t locate any. Lexi was a terrible liar, and he could almost always pick out when she wasn’t being honest with him. But as he stared into her big chocolate eyes, he realized she was telling the truth.
“I want to be with you too,” he said pulling her into a hug.
Lexi couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face again. How had this happened? How had she come out of this scenario unscathed? Well, almost unscathed. After all, she had lost Jack. She pushed that thought away. No need to think about him. He was gone.
Clark still wanted them to be a couple. She was having a difficult time processing that information. For the third time today, everything had turned out completely opposite of what she had been expecting. She had been mentally preparing herself for a break up, and he hadn’t wanted a break up at all.
When he pulled away from her, there was something different in his eyes that she didn’t recognize. “I just need one thing from you, if we’re going to stay together.”
She should have expected this. No way was he going to let her walk away so easy. “What is it?” she asked warily.
“Lexi, you really want to be with me, right?” She nodded, the anticipation rising. “Alright, if you really do want to be with me, then you have to tell Kate.”
Lexi’s mouth popped open. “What?” she squealed.
He wanted her to tell Kate what they had done. God, what a terrible thing for him to ask her to do. She couldn’t imagine what Jack would think of her if she did tell Kate. No, actually, she did know what he would think of her. He would never speak with her again. He would never want to see her again. He had flat out told her that he didn’t want Kate to know. He didn’t think Clark would tell her, and he wanted to get on with his perfect, amazing life with his perfect, amazing girlfriend.
“If you want to be with me, then it won’t matter that you tell her,” he stated simply.
She couldn’t close her mouth. She was in such a state of shock. She had never realized how vindictive Clark could be. He was asking her to ruin another person’s relationship, another person’s life like she had been so easy to do to her own.
So, it came down to whether or not she was willing to give up Jack. Because after this, there was no turning back. Jack would never forgive her for this. Earlier he had seemed slightly unsure, but she knew what that meant. He had already made his choice in Kate, and now she was going to go and ruin that for him. No, he wouldn’t forgive her, because Kate would surely leave him. Lexi knew the news would crush Kate. Jack had been right in that at least.
“But, Clark…it would…it would, I don’t know,” she mumbled incoherently.
“She has a right to know the truth about him,” he said darkly.
“Of course. Of course she does,” Lexi said nodding. “But to have me tell her.”
“I don’t see a problem with it.”
“It would be the ultimate insult.”
Clark smiled the first true smile since she had arrived. “Not to her.”
Lexi bit down on her lip…hard. Of course Clark would want to get back at Jack, and having her tell Kate would do just that. “Clark, I…I don’t know about this.”
“Lexi, it’s really simple. You said you wanted to be with me, and you do want to be with me. I can see that. I’m just asking you to do one simple thing. Tell Kate what happened.”
What he wasn’t saying was that he was actually asking her to do two things. She would have to give up Jack and not just his friendship and the relationship that they had grown into. She would have to give him up forever. No contact with him at all. Telling Kate would ensure success in that aspect. Could she do it? Could she actually go without Jack?
“Fine. I’ll tell her.”
Lexi pulled out her cell phone and found the number that she had never used waiting for her. She clicked send without thinking about it. If she thought about it, she would never actually go through with what she was about to do.
“Hello?” Lexi heard her answer.
“Kate. Hey, this is Lexi.”
“Lexi! Oh my God, I haven’t heard from you in so long. What have you been up to?”
“Um…yeah, not that much. Can we meet somewhere to talk?”
Kate was silent on the other line for a minute, and then she answered, “Sure. Jack and I were going to hang out tonight because he was busy last night. But he won’t be here for another hour or so. Where did you want to meet?”
Lexi tried not to show her guilt at her words. Jack had been busy last night because of her. He had told Kate he couldn’t hang out, because he was with Lexi. “Um…wherever you want. I can come over if you want.”
“Sure, sounds good.”
After getting directions, Lexi left Clark at the coffee shop and made her way over to Kate’s house. She had never been to her place, and she was dreading making this her first visit. The house was situated in a small subdivision outside of downtown. Each house was a bright color ranging from yellow to pink to baby blue. Most were single stories, but the one Kate resided in looked to be a two-story townhouse with a small yard and white picket fence. The area was trying to bring the suburbs to the city, and Lexi had always found them adorable. Well, until now.
Kate let her inside on the first knock and ushered her into the living room. Lexi had a faint idea based on Kate’s appearance that Kate’s family was relatively wealthy. As she looked around the townhouse, she realized this was definitely the case. An olive green couch sat on one side and two brown chairs occupied the other side. The television that was mounted on the wall fit the size of the room to perfection. Picture frames hung tastefully on the walls and the oak side tables were filled with pictures of her friends. The most common face Lexi noticed other than Kate’s was Jack. He was all over her house. Scattered in nearly every picture frame. A brown jacket she recognized as his hung on a hook at the front entrance. A Wall Street Journal, Jack’s favorite newspaper, sat on the coffee table.
