Текст книги "Avoiding Temptation"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 27 страниц)

She tapped her foot on the tile floor and looked down at her watch. Any second now.

As if on cue, the door opened, and Bekah walked out. Lexi scrambled to her feet. She didn’t want to be sitting if Bekah said anything to her. Lexi didn’t want Bekah to be able to look down at her at least.

Bekah’s lawyer followed. He looked familiar. He was probably one of the attorneys Lexi had investigated when searching out one for Jack. The lawyer nodded at Lexi and urged Bekah to keep walking, like he knew it was in her best interest not to stop.

Bekah didn’t listen.

“What a surprise!” Bekah said. She looked at Lexi smugly as if she had expected her to be here.

Lexi didn’t like falling into Bekah’s plans in any way. “Bekah,” she said curtly.

“Do you really think this is the best place for you right now?”

“Around you? No, not particularly,” Lexi responded dryly.

Bekah bristled, which was highly entertaining. Lexi liked to see her uncomfortable. She was just a little too perfect with her long blonde hair, perfect chunky bangs, and baby blues. She had on a rather innocent-looking pink dress and modest heels. Lexi assumed Bekah was playing the victim card just by her appearance.

“Let me just give you some friendly advice,” Bekah said, stepping forward toward her.

“Just what I always wanted.”

“If I were you, I’d stay away from Jack.”

“Is that so?” Lexi asked, arching an eyebrow.

“You shouldn’t even be here right now. What does Ramsey think about all this?”

“The best part about all of this, Bekah, is that it’s none of your business,” Lexi said. She shot her a big fake smile before turning her back and walking away.

Jack appeared in the entranceway a minute later. He didn’t look happy. Things must not have gone well. Lexi hadn’t thought they would.

“What happened?” she asked, concerned.

“She won.”

“It’s not over.”

Jack pulled out a paper. “I don’t even know where to start—exclusive use of the marital home, exclusive use of the motor vehicle, freeze on all joint accounts, payment of her attorney’s fees. Christ, her fucking attorney fees—when she’s a fucking vice president of Bridges,” he growled. “Plus, I still have to pay my half of the house and utilities—the house I can’t live in.”

Lexi knew that wasn’t the worst they could have done. Every single day, she was thankful that kids weren’t involved. Money could be spent and earned. It was just a piece of paper that people valued. What really mattered, money could never touch. It could make things easier, but it was such a fragile aspect of life. It was something that people so easily allowed to make or break their happiness.

“It’s okay. It’s not the worst it could be, and you’ll have time to plan a defense before you go to a full trial, if it comes to that.” When it comes to that.

Jack shook his head. “My attorney is talking to the judge. He wants to meet with me after this to discuss the impact and strategy going forward. So, I guess I can’t even see you, but thanks for showing up.”

“Of course,” she said softly.

She stared up into those blue eyes and just saw defeat. How had Bekah done this? She was destructive. Lexi wanted to go back outside now and beat her to a bloody pulp for every person she had hurt from her games and manipulation. That kind of person did not deserve to walk around the world with a chip on her shoulder as a vice president of a huge company. She deserved nothing less than to be buried six feet under—in the same way she was doing to Jack.

“Maybe I’ll see you soon,” Jack said.

It was the first optimistic thing he had said since she had arrived.

“Sounds good,” she said and then turned to go.

“Lexi, what’s that?” Jack asked, sounding shocked.

“What is, what?” She crinkled her eyebrows together.

Jack stalked forward, closing the short distance between them, and grabbed her left hand. “This. What is this?”

Lexi’s mouth went dry. No. He wasn’t supposed to find out this way. He couldn’t know now, not when he was so beat-up already.

She shook her head, not able to form the words.

“Lex, tell me,” he demanded, his eyes like ice as they stared into her.

She just shook her head more furiously. “I can’t.”

His grip on her hand tightened imperceptibly, and she winced. When she tensed, he dropped her hand like she had burned him.

“When were you going to tell me?”

“Soon,” she whispered. “Every time I wanted to, I couldn’t. The divorce—”

“Every time?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “How long have you been…how long ago did this happen?”

He couldn’t even say it. She couldn’t either.

“About a month.”

Jack staggered back a step. His face was a mask, and if she hadn’t known him so well, she wouldn’t have seen the hurt flashing in his blue eyes.

“A month…”

“I’m sorry, Jack.”

“That you’re…” He shook his head. “Or that I found out this way?”

She took a breath before answering. “That you found out this way.”

“You always were a fucking terrible liar, Lex.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she shook her head. She hated hurting him. After all the fucking bullshit they had gone through, she still fucking hated this so fucking much. It made her chest ache, and her ears were ringing.

“I’m not lying,” she said. She had to stand by it. She loved Ramsey. She wanted to marry him.

“You can’t even say it. You haven’t even told me. I’ve known you for years, longer than everyone else you still talk to. I know you, Lex,” he said, still standing at his safe distance. “Don’t ever forget that I know who you are as much as you know who I am.”

“I know. God, I know, okay?” She swiped at her eyes as her vision got blurry.

“Are you happy?”

“Yes.”

“No, are you really, really happy? Like, you’ll never really be sad again because you have everything you want. Are you happy like that, Lex?” he asked.

Those blue eyes stared straight through her. They demanded she think and feel and remember.

She hesitated. “Yes.”

He shook his head and looked away from her. “Then, what are you doing here?”

“What?”

“If it’s him, Lex, and you’re really happy, then what are you doing here?”

“Don’t ask me stupid questions. I came because you asked me to,” she whispered.

He smirked at her. It was a knowing look. She had seen it a million times. How he managed it through the pain that was clear across his entire face at this point was beyond her.

“Exactly.”

Lexi just stared at him. How was she supposed to respond to that?

“And it’s why you should leave now because I’m asking you to.”

“Jack…”

“I told you once that all I wanted was for you to be happy. If you are, then that’s all that matters. That’s it,” Jack said before turning and walking back into the courtroom.

Lexi stood there, stock-still, for longer than she wanted to admit.

What had just happened?

Lexi might as well have been in a nightmare.

She stood at the center of a large group of people. Photographers were all around. A podium had been constructed off to the side. A shovel sat in the freshly tilled earth, and before her was the completely cleared land where the new Bridges medical wing was going to sit. Even though breaking ground had officially begun two months ago with the underground garage that was going in, they were having the public ceremony on this perfect sunny Saturday morning in front of the press.

The press made Lexi nervous.

They made her even more nervous when three guys who she had slept with were in close proximity. Not to mention, Bekah and Parker and Ramsey’s parents were also present!

She had never been with all of them in one place. Last year, the rehearsal dinner and wedding had been close, but John hadn’t been factored into the equation. Now, he was here, standing smugly next to Jessica. When he caught Lexi’s eye, he stared at her like he knew all of her secrets. It was completely disconcerting. She had never found out where he was getting his information from, but damn it, he seemed to know so much about her every time she saw him. He was civil and hadn’t pushed his luck with her or anything, but he was never far out of the loop.

And she just wanted to know—how?

But he wouldn’t tell her.

She couldn’t badger him about it without raising questions as to why she would be talking to him so much. So, she tried to avoid it. But she would be lying if she said the temptation to gather as much information from him as possible wasn’t there.

Lexi averted her attention from John as he started up a conversation with Jessica. Lexi surveyed the rest of the crowd. Bekah wasn’t even standing with Jack. He was talking to some business associates that Lexi had never seen before. Bekah was at her father’s right side, a position of power. Even though Bekah wasn’t working on the medical wing, she was sure to put herself in the spotlight, regarding the development.

Everyone was dressed in suits, and for a brief moment, she mourned the loss of Jack’s Chuck Taylors. She hadn’t seen him in them since the day of the concert. That could also be because she hadn’t seen him outside of work.

Something had shifted that night after the concert. Lexi hadn’t known what to say to Stella after her announcement. Jack had said no. Stella had pushed her luck. Still, they had slept together. But Lexi didn’t know why Jack had never given her the details. She remembered her interaction with Jack in New York clear as day. He had said that he didn’t have an excuse, it was his fault, and that he had to tell her…get it out in the open. Why would he say that when in reality he’d had an excuse?

It wasn’t that he had lied about it.

She probably would have still been pissed that he had gone through with it. But some part of her brain kept whispering that maybe things could have been salvaged.

Yet, she hadn’t been able to bring it up with him.

She just couldn’t do it.

She had walked out of that restroom and stared into those big blue eyes with a wave of memories crashing down all around her—the way he had looked at her on the beach, the first time he had told her loved her, the whispered sweet-nothings before falling asleep together, the depth of emotion in his eyes when he had produced that ring in her ratty New York apartment. She had seen all of that and thousands and thousands more moments all in a second. She had seen her Jack standing before her, wanting to do nothing more than to make her happy, when all he’d had to do was make an excuse for his behavior.

But he’d never had.

He had never once made an excuse for who he was.

He was just Jack—the blue-eyed, smirking, beautiful man she had loved for far too long.

Something had clicked in that moment. She wasn’t mad at him anymore.

She’d had every reason to be mad at him. He had fucked her over ten-thousandfold over the years. She’d had her heart ripped out of her chest more times than she could count. He had slept with someone else when they had finally had a shot at working it out. He’d had sex with Lexi before proposing to Bekah. He had put a duplicate of her ring on the Bitch’s finger. And then, he had fucking married the Bitch.

And still, she couldn’t be angry with him even when she wanted to be. So, she had let it go. Because the only way that she could keep going was to move on.

As his blue eyes found her in the crowd, she knew that there would forever be a pull between them—a magnetic, inexplicable pull. If she kept fighting it, then she would only be putting all of her energy into pushing something away that kept crashing into her life and not focusing on the life she was currently living.

So, she lived her life with Ramsey. Jack just happened to be there—not like he had always been but more like…a friend.

“Lexi,” Ramsey whispered.

He stood at her side, and she hadn’t even realized he had been talking to her.

“What? Sorry,” she said, turning back to Ramsey.

He chuckled and squeezed her hand. “You look a little pale.”

“Press,” she murmured softly.

“Don’t worry. They’re just here to take pictures and maybe ask a few questions. You won’t even have to be around them.”

“That’s good.”

“We’re about to start,” he said before bending down and kissing her cheek. “I’ll find you after.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

“I don’t need it,” he said with a confident smile.

“I know. Take it anyway.”

“From you…I’ll take anything,” he whispered.

She believed him.

Ramsey left her side and walked up to the podium, followed close by his father and Parker. His father did some quick opening remarks, thanking everyone for being in attendance. Then, Ramsey gave a speech on the progress of the project, the vision behind the development, and the future of Bridges Enterprise.

Parker chimed in with perfectly timed delivery of her lines. She looked a bit nervous up there in front of all those people. She had clearly taken the time to put herself together though. Lexi normally thought that Parker had a bit of a thrown-together appearance, like she didn’t care about much more than the next surgery ahead of her. Someone must have convinced her otherwise today because she looked great—even Lexi could admit that. Parker’s dark brown hair was blown out, and she had on shimmery makeup that brought color to her naturally pale skin. She was wearing a fine-cut coral dress and nude heels—both designer if Lexi had to guess.

Ramsey’s suit was black, but his shirt and tie complemented what Parker was wearing. They looked good up there. Lexi’s heart constricted at the thought, and she wished to her very core that she could unthink it. Someone had dressed them. It hadn’t been an accident. It absolutely had not been an accident—not when they were going to be on TV and in pictures and going to be broadcast.

Fuck.

She turned away from the speech because, truthfully, she didn’t want to get choked up in front of anyone, especially not the people here. Thankfully, no one was looking at her. Everyone was trained on Ramsey and Parker talking about what they had created together.

She wished these kinds of things would hit her at more opportune moments. She had been trying not to care about the fact that Ramsey and Parker were working together. To begin with, Ramsey had only given in to the idea because of Lexi. Of course, if he had asked her, she would have told him not to even consider the idea. How ridiculous was it that she preferred him around strippers and club whores all day than to being near Parker?

But Ramsey wasn’t in love with Parker anymore. At least, there was that. They were just friends…coworkers. Lexi could get through that.

Schooling her features, she turned back toward the stage and stared up at her handsome boyfriend. He was the only one looking at her. He was speaking to the crowd, but he was looking directly at her. She wondered if he knew what she was thinking, what emotions were roiling through her chest.

By the look on his face, he had a pretty good idea. She wasn’t very good at masking her emotions, holding back, not reacting. She couldn’t lie well with her body any more than with her words.

The speeches ended to a round of applause. Lexi forced herself to clap along with the crowd as the Ramsey, his father, and Parker stepped down from the podium and walked over to the ornate shovel. A series of pictures were taken with each of them scooping a bit of dirt into the hole. Lexi didn’t see the point since construction was already well underway, but it was a press release, and she didn’t get anything about that. The press took a few more shots of them all together and then split them apart for interviews. Ramsey and Parker turned to speak with one reporter, and Lexi just stared.

She felt the presence behind her before he spoke.

“You all right?” Jack asked.

“What do you mean?” She kept her voice light and airy. She wasn’t sure why she was even trying to fool Jack. It was pretty useless.

“So, no?”

She sighed. “I’m all right. Don’t worry about me.”

“You looked pretty sad for a minute during that speech.”

“You weren’t even looking at me,” she said. She didn’t even know why she was defending herself like this.

Jack smirked at her, and those blue eyes lit up. “I could feel your panic a mile off, Lex. I only needed a peripheral look to know what you were feeling.”

Lexi just shrugged. If he knew, then she wasn’t going to explain herself. There were too many eyes and ears around at the moment. For all she knew, Bekah was going to barge over and confront her any second—except Lexi knew that probably wouldn’t happen. Bekah cared for her reputation more than anything else, and she wouldn’t risk losing her sugary-sweet persona in front of the press and a long list of prestigious Bridges associates.

“What do you think of all this?” Lexi asked, gesturing to their surroundings.

“Pretty lame party if you ask me.”

Lexi giggled and shook her head. “No, the medical wing.”

“Ah. I’ll probably still go to Grady,” he said with a shrug.

Lexi crinkled her nose. Grady Memorial was not a well-liked hospital in Atlanta, known primarily for being in a bad part of town and being good at saving gunshot victims. She had been there most recently when her father had had a heart attack. She didn’t really ever want to go back again.

“Only if you have a bullet wound. I’m pretty sure you’d die from anything else there.”

“Right. Forgot about that,” he said, shooting her a smile. “What do you think about it all?”

Lexi opened her mouth to tell him, but she didn’t know what to say. On the surface, it was brilliant. A full-service medical facility would help put a more positive spin on the Bridges brand. It would make them look compassionate, like they were providing a benefit to the community. It added another layer to their motto, Bridge the distance between you and your troubles.

Yet, she had a terrible feeling about it. She was sure it had something to do with who was standing right before her eyes and a whole hell of a lot less to do with the actual medical wing.

Ramsey and Parker were standing side by side, facing the reporter. Both seemed relaxed and comfortable with what was going on. Lexi wasn’t that far away, so she could pick out what they were saying if she concentrated. They were just doing some introductions, and she could tell the reporter was trying to keep them relaxed even though he didn’t really need to. Ramsey was never uncomfortable, and Parker seemed at ease by his side.

“We should probably find something else to occupy your mind,” Jack whispered.

“What?”

“You’re staring.”

“I’m his girlfriend,” she said, breaking her attention and looking back up at Jack. “I’m allowed to stare.”

“They’re not together, Lexi.”

Lexi’s brow furrowed at Jack’s words. “I know!”

“Just thought you needed the reminder.”

“Well, I don’t.”

Jack touched her elbow softly when she turned away from him to stare at Ramsey again.

“Ramsey’s not stupid. He won’t fuck up, Lexi,” Jack said. “Trust me…he told me.”

Lexi’s mouth went dry. Instead of reacting, she closed off. She couldn’t hear that. It made her insane, like she literally wanted to hurt someone…primarily Bekah but just because she was a bitch. Lexi should like the fact that Ramsey had said he was never going to fuck up, but the audacity irritated her. He had already fucked up. He had fucking lied to her over and over and over again. He had built their relationship on a foundation of lies, and the worst one was currently standing at his side, giving an interview with him.

“This is a huge achievement for the two of you and at such a young age. What was the catalyst that triggered the decision to open a new hospital in the Atlanta area?” the reporter asked Ramsey and Parker.

Lexi listened from a distance.

“It’s something we’ve always talked about doing,” Ramsey said, “but after Parker graduated from medical school and started working as a surgeon, we knew that there would be no better time.”

Wait, wait, wait—Parker was the catalyst behind this endeavor? That was the story they were going with? Of course, in the back of her mind, Lexi knew that it was a better story to sell to the press. But the rest of her wanted to stomp right over there and give them the real story.

Lexi’s eyes narrowed as Ramsey placed his hand on the small of Parker’s back.

“She’s the mastermind behind the project. It’s all her.” Ramsey didn’t move his hand.

It was just for the press. It was just for the press. It was just for the press.

“Uh…maybe we should take a walk,” Jack said, grabbing her elbow.

“Did you fucking hear that?” she blurted out.

“Yeah. It might be best for you to walk off the steam blowing out of your ears right now,” he said.

“Fine,” she grumbled, still glaring at Ramsey as he easily chatted with the reporter.

She had stopped listening. It clearly wasn’t healthy for her to do so.

They turned together, Jack leading her farther away from Ramsey and Parker. He was right. She needed to get away from that. It was just a show, and really, it didn’t matter. Just a dumb ceremony—that was all.

“Lexi,” someone called as they veered away from the groundbreaking area.

John came into view, and she almost groaned. As far as she knew, he hadn’t met Jack yet. This was going to be fun.

“You aren’t leaving, are you?”

“No. I was just going to get some water,” she lied through her teeth.

Jack looked away and tried to hide a smile. She must really suck at lying. Well, after being out of practice for a couple of years now, that tended to happen. It was a good thing as far as she was concerned.

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” John said, holding his hand out to Jack. “John Ward. I’m one of the leads on the medical wing project through Global.”

Jack took John’s hand in his and squeezed. “Jack Howard. I’m a senior accounting executive at Bridges.”

Worlds collided.

Lexi wanted to run as fast as she could until her lungs burned, her legs shook, her breathing came out in gasps, and she literally couldn’t carry herself any farther. That would be better than standing here in this moment.

They released hands, but something had shifted in John. She didn’t know what it was, but she was sure she wouldn’t like it.

“Come on, Jack. I really need that water,” she said, pushing him in the opposite direction.

“Is this the guy?” John asked before she could run off.

Jack’s features screwed up at the question, and Lexi wished she could just keep walking.

“What?” she managed.

“The one I don’t compare to?”

Lexi groaned. Great. Her words were getting thrown back at her.

Jack’s head snapped to the side to look at Lexi, but she couldn’t even meet his eyes.

“Huh. I thought he’d be a little…bigger,” John said, sizing Jack up.

“John, just cut it out.”

“Lex, what is he talking about?” Jack demanded.

“I could take him,” John said offhand.

He smiled at her with that insufferably arrogant look on his face, and she just waited for a fucking fight to break out.

Christ! Neither of these guys were even her boyfriend! Her boyfriend was currently with his ex-girlfriend. Perfect.

“Jack is married,” she told John, surprised that she managed to say it without wincing. “In fact, he’s married to a Bridges vice president. Jack and I are just friends, and you’re acting like an asshole.”

“Oh, wait,” Jack said, like something had clicked into place. “You’re Adam’s brother.”

“Adam is my younger brother.”

“He’s the dick you fucked when you went back to New York?” Jack asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

John actually laughed at that.

Great! She was a big fucking joke right now.

“That is none of your business. None of this is either of your business,” she said, smacking John for laughing and then smacking Jack just as hard. “Both of you can fuck off.”

Lexi stormed away. As if she wasn’t already angry enough with Ramsey, those two had to have a fucking dick-measuring contest right in front of her. She couldn’t believe John had brought that stuff up about Jack right in front of him, and then Jack had laid out her dirty laundry where anyone could fucking see!

Jack caught up to her easily. “Lex, Lex, slow down. Come on, I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out for her to stop her in place. “I was surprised, that’s all.”

She slowed to a walk, and Jack fell into step next to her. He didn’t say anything else, and she didn’t really want to know what he was thinking. She wanted to get the fucking water she had said she was going to get and then get back to Ramsey. Maybe he would be done with Parker by then! She almost growled in frustration at the thought. What the hell had her world come to? She knew that this groundbreaking ceremony was going to be a bad idea. Too many people in one place.

Lexi sauntered into the conference building and grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge. She took a long swig with a sigh. Jack was staring at her, and she didn’t even care at this point. Maybe she should have just refused attending. That would have been the smart thing even though Ramsey would have likely objected to that.

“Hey, what was he talking about back there?” Jack finally asked.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You told him that he doesn’t compare to me?” He looked surprised by the admission.

“Please just drop it. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jack stood there silently for a minute. She wasn’t sure if he was pissed or just curious, but she didn’t care. Ramsey was out there with Parker. John had brought up all that bullshit with Jack. And Jack…why the fuck was she even angry with him? For laying out her dirt in front of everyone? For even just being here when he was fucking married to Bekah?

She shook her head and stared away from those blue eyes.

“Should I just leave?” he asked.

Lexi nodded, still looking away.

“You know,” he said, grasping her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him, “just because you’re pissed at Ramsey doesn’t mean you have to shut me out.”

“I’m not shutting you out,” she grumbled.

“Liar.”

“Just stop it, Jack,” Lexi said, shaking him off. “What do you want me to say anyway?”

“I just want you to stop acting like you have to go through everything alone. And, Jesus, I don’t think one question should set you off.”

His blue eyes were heated, and she just wanted to punch him…or maybe…

Nope. It was just Jack. Breathe in. Breathe out.

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“Do I need to call you a liar again?”

“You need to shut the fuck up.”

“I’m not the only one. You’re acting like an idiot when I’m trying to help you.”

“So, now, I’m an idiot?” Lexi asked.

“You are if you don’t calm down.”

Lexi swallowed and held her breath. She was angry and all riled up—not a good combination around Jack. He wouldn’t do anything about it, but damn, if she didn’t stop herself…she didn’t know if he would hold to that.

She was angry with Ramsey, not Jack. She didn’t need to take this out on him. It wasn’t fair to him. She had been taking out her frustrations on him for long enough.

As if he could sense her shift in mood, he chanced his luck. “Are you going to tell me what he was talking about or leave me wondering?”

“I broke things off with John last August after your…” She swallowed. She could say it. “After your wedding. He didn’t take kindly to it.”

“He seems like the type,” Jack said with a smug smirk.

She was going to smack it off his face if he didn’t keep it together.

“I told him that he reminded me of you but that he couldn’t compare…you know, with all of our history,” she ended softly.

Jack nodded. “Very few people can compare with our history…and maybe that’s a good thing.”

Lexi realized they were still standing close together, and she took a step back. She didn’t really want to breathe him in and fall back into that history. She wasn’t even sure how to interpret that last comment. Was he glad because so few people had ever been this affected by someone else like this or glad that others didn’t have to go through so much bullshit? She certainly wasn’t going to ask him.

“We should probably head back outside now that I have my water. I’d hate for people to come looking for us,” she whispered.

Irritation flashed in his eyes, but then it was gone, and he was ushering her out of the conference office. She didn’t even have a second to wonder what that was about because as they stepped outside, it was clear that people were already looking for them. She hoped no one got the wrong impression since, clearly, absolutely nothing even remotely sexual had happened between them. Even though Ramsey was supposedly becoming more and more comfortable with the fact that she had the beginning of this strange friendship with Jack, he still wouldn’t be okay with her wandering off with him. It made everyone look bad.

Ramsey caught her attention first. He looked like he wanted to stride over to her and steal her away from Jack—as if there were even a competition anymore. She tried to keep her face impassive. She was angry enough with him, and any confrontation could make her blow up in public—not a good idea. He had an image. His reputation was as important as Bekah’s at this point.

Lexi didn’t even say anything to Jack as she walked away and headed straight for Ramsey. Parker was still at his side, but she was talking to someone else. Her eyes flashed to Lexi as she walked closer, but then Parker’s gaze quickly darted away. Lexi was sure she would never figure out Parker. What was she thinking behind those haunted eyes?

Truthfully, it didn’t matter.

As long as she stays out of the way.

“Hey, baby,” Ramsey said with a smile that she knew he was faking for the press in the vicinity. “Where were you?”

His eyes asked, What were you doing with Jack?

“Getting some water.” She held the bottle up.

“We’re about finished here. Are you ready to head out?”

“I’ve been ready,” she said through a smile of her own. She was sure he had read the edge to her own comment, Before you were playing nice with Parker.

“Great, I’ll just be a minute,” he said.

“I’ll be right here.”

She knew she was acting a bit crazy, but that tended to happen when her boyfriend of a year and a half told the entire world that the medical wing he was working on with his ex-girlfriend was all on her genius!

Ramsey returned a few minutes later as promised, and they managed to duck out of the groundbreaking ceremony before she could run into any other unpleasant surprises…like Bekah.

The ride back to their place was tense and silent. Lexi stared out the window, unseeing. Ramsey was gripping the steering wheel a little too tight. She knew she should say something, but she didn’t.