Текст книги "Avoiding Temptation"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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Текущая страница: 18 (всего у книги 27 страниц)

She tried to swat his hand away, but he grabbed her wrist. She started panicking. This was not good.

“Um…yes, I can!”

He leaned down toward her and smiled devilishly. “No, you can’t. You never could.”

The door swung open then with John hovering only inches above her lips, his hand gripping into her wrist, and the other, she hadn’t even noticed until then, was pressed into her waist.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Ramsey asked, glaring daggers at John.

John released her slowly but kept that insufferable smirk on his face. He was clearly in no hurry.

Lexi didn’t even know what to say. Ramsey looked livid. His eyes were on fire. His body was rigid, and his hands were balled into fists. She had only ever seen him this angry that night on New Year’s so long ago. It was a white-hot fury, uncontrollable and unstoppable.

“I’ve only ever set one rule,” Ramsey said, walking into the room with slow, measured steps. “I don’t care who she’s friends with. I don’t care who she hangs out with. I don’t even care if they want to fuck her or love her or marry her. You just can’t touch her.”

And then, Ramsey pulled back and rammed his fist into John’s jaw.

Lexi shrieked in shock. Where the fuck had that come from? Holy shit!

John took a staggered step back on impact, but Ramsey wasn’t letting up. He slammed his fist into the other side of John’s face, then into his gut, and then another into his ribs. It wasn’t until that last one that John truly grasped what was happening. He blocked Ramsey’s next hit and sent his fist into Ramsey’s kidney.

“Stop!” Lexi cried, tugging on Ramsey’s suit. “Stop! Stop!”

It was like they didn’t even hear her or feel her trying to get between them. They were set on each other, and she could already see blood running from John’s nose. Fuck!

“It’s Chyna’s wedding! We still have pictures! Are you guys fucking stupid? Cut it out!” Lexi yelled, placing herself in between them and pushing Ramsey back with both of her hands.

He didn’t budge at first, but then he seemed to let the anger slide off him, and he sagged backward a few steps.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” John said, holding his nose. “Do you see what you’re marrying, Lexi? Do you believe me now?”

“Just get out of here, John. Go have someone look at your nose,” she said, pointing her finger to the door. “Fuck.”

John stormed out of the room in a fury, and Lexi was sure she would never hear the end of this with Chyna. How the hell were they supposed to take pictures now when John had a busted nose? And it was all because John had cornered her when she had been freaking out, and Ramsey had jumped to conclusions. She had been trying to push John away, and she had wanted him to leave but not like that.

“What was that, Ramsey?” she asked, shaking her head and pacing back forth. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I know you said that you would kill anyone who touched me, but I didn’t think that was a literal statement! I thought that you would just scare the person to get him to leave me alone.”

“He’s scared now.”

“Oh, stop talking. Just stop talking!” Lexi breathed in and out sharply, trying to keep her calm but finding no serenity from which to draw from. “Boys and their stupid fighting! As if this solves anything! It only makes everything worse!”

“I was coming to find out what was wrong with you at the ceremony. Don’t think it slipped by me that something was going on with you. Then, I come back here and find you like this? Is this what the problem is? Is it John?” Ramsey asked.

“No! It’s you!” she spat and then covered her mouth in horror.

Lexi jogged down the beach in nothing but a purple bikini top, short black hot pants, and running shoes. Her breathing was heavy, and her long brown hair was whipping around her face at her quick pace. This was her favorite place in the world—sand beneath her feet, expansive ocean as far as the eye could see, breathing in the salty sea air.

She was close to the beach house already, and her wanting to turn back around and run another couple miles had everything to do with the desire to soak up some more sun. It had nothing to do with the fact that the only reason she was at the beach at all was because she was on vacation with Ramsey’s family.

The one week she was allowed off during the year, and they’d had to use it to spend the time with his family who hated her. Okay, they didn’t all hate her, but it was never a pleasant experience. As if it wasn’t bad enough that she had to spend time with his parents, Bekah, Jack, and Parker had tagged along for the occasion. Parker was practically family with the Bridges since opening the medical wing with Ramsey…and maybe even before then. It didn’t make any of this any easier.

Lexi slowed to a jog and then a walk, letting her heart rate come down. Sweat glistened on her in the late afternoon heat. She wasn’t sure how long she had been gone, but by the direction of the sun, she would guess she had been running for at least an hour, if not longer. How far had she run? She would have to map it when she got back.

Her feet carried her away from the ocean and through the loose sand, back up to the massive beach house Ramsey’s family owned on the Florida coast. Ramsey had his own house, but they had decided to go to his parents’ place because it was a bit bigger. The only benefit was that their room was far enough away from everyone else that no one could hear them, and she couldn’t hear anyone else.

Jack was sitting on the deck with his feet propped up on the balcony, reading a beat-up paperback. He didn’t glance up until she was climbing the short flight of stairs. His eyes traveled her tiny form wearing practically nothing while she was coated in sweat and sand, and he smirked. She smiled shyly, reading his mind.

There was nothing she could do about him being attracted to her, and she wasn’t going to go running on the beach in more clothes with the off chance that she might see him.

And him sitting around in nothing but blue swim trunks didn’t help her much. His dark hair was shorter, and his eyes…those blue eyes were as bright as ever as they stared at her.

“Have a good run?” he asked, flipping the book over and resting it on his leg.

“Yeah. It’s nice to be back on the beach,” she told him. “What are you reading?”

“Oh, this?” he asked, flipping to the front. “One of the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan.”

“Do you like it?”

Jack looked so relaxed. She couldn’t see him focusing on anything without enjoying it thoroughly.

“Yeah. Not usually my preference, but the guy can tell a story. We’ll see if I make it through all fourteen books.” Jack shrugged. “What are y’all doing tonight?”

Even though they were at the same house as everyone else, they hadn’t all been spending a lot of quality time together. Lexi hadn’t wanted to see any of them, and Ramsey had been happy to spend more alone time with her. It still didn’t feel quite like a vacation, but it was better than being at work.

“Not sure we have anything planned. You?”

“Bekah is meeting some friends from college who live in the area, so I’m by myself tonight.”

“She doesn’t want you to go with?” Lexi asked, remembering the time that she and Jack had been at the beach together with all their friends. She would have never thought of not including him, but then again, they were mutual friends.

“I didn’t really want to go, honestly,” he said with a laugh. “Her friends are a bit much for me. I’d rather sit here and read all night than listen to the constant chatter.”

“I get that.”

“So, if you guys are doing something, just let me know. Otherwise, I’ll be here,” he said, holding up his book.

“Will do,” she told him. “Right now, I think I need a shower.”

“Probably for the best.”

“I’ll let you know about tonight,” Lexi said, turning and walking into the quiet beach house.

Ramsey’s parents were around here somewhere, so she hurried to the back bedroom. She had been avoiding them all week when she could. And she didn’t really want them to see her like this. She felt grimy, and she was already anticipating the feel of the shower washing away the grit.

Lexi opened the door to the bathroom that also connected to their room. She pulled out a towel and set it on the counter for her to use. She was about to turn on the shower when she heard voices coming from the bedroom.

Odd.

She reached forward for the handle to open the door to find out who Ramsey was speaking with, but something held her back. Her fingers brushed against the doorknob, and then she let her hand drop back to her side. Moving forward, she pressed her ear to the thin wood and strained to hear the conversation on the other side.

“Are we having this conversation again?”

Lexi was just able to make out that Ramsey was talking. He hadn’t raised his voice, but she could tell he sounded irritated.

“I’m not sure why we’re having this conversation again, but I’m going to keep having it until it gets through to you,” Parker said.

Lexi’s stomach dropped. She knew that she shouldn’t be eavesdropping. She didn’t know what they were talking about. She didn’t want to know what they were talking about. She just wanted to know why they were having a private conversation in the back bedroom.

What she should have done was back out of the bathroom, retrace her steps back to the living room, and catch her breath. Then, when she was composed, she could return and knock on the door.

But she didn’t move from her place behind the door.

“It doesn’t change anything that has happened between us,” Ramsey said gruffly.

“I’m not asking for it to change your mind. I get that you’re with her. Don’t you think I get that by now?” Parker asked without a trace of hesitation.

This wasn’t the meek, quiet girl who Lexi normally saw around the hospital. She didn’t have to hold back with Ramsey.

“Good. You should get that.”

There was silence for a minute. Lexi wished that she could see what they were doing. Was Parker pissed? Was she frustrated? Was she happy? She immediately discounted the last thought based on the conversation at hand.

They were talking about her. Eesh!

“I’m not stupid. I have a medical degree. I’m a surgeon and a businesswoman. You don’t have to lay things out for me as if I’m not aware. I was there when you grabbed her and pulled her away from John at the hospital. I see the way you look at her. You don’t have to throw the words back in my face,” she said evenly.

“I’m not throwing Lexi in your face.”

“Ugh! This conversation isn’t even about Lexi. You’re happy with her. I get it. This is about false assumptions sitting with you for too long now.”

“They’re not assumptions,” Ramsey said in frustration.

“One day I’m going to prove you wrong.”

“I doubt that. You have no proof,” he bellowed. “You’ve never had proof. They’re just words from you, Parker. It’s why we never worked.”

Lexi heard Parker draw in a sharp breath, and she wasn’t sure if she had done the same thing. He was talking about the fate of the unborn child. Years had passed, and he was still hung up on it. He would never really find out whether or not Parker had had an abortion or a miscarriage. Why did he even bother having this conversation? How did it even come up?

“We worked,” Parker said just loud enough for Lexi to hear. “We worked for years. We were everything…everything. Just because you didn’t trust me enough to believe me, just because we were young and stupid and threw away the best thing that had ever happened to either of us so easily doesn’t mean that you can defile that memory with lies. You were going to marry me, Ramsey Bridges. And don’t you damn forget that.”

Lexi imagined him running his hand back through his neatly kept blonde hair, considering what she had said, debating on how to respond. She saw the anger further welling inside of him. She wondered if he would blow up on Parker.

“You’re right,” Ramsey said softly.

Lexi gritted her teeth. She was right? Just like that?

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you. The whole thing just pisses me off.”

“That’s because you’re a fool, and you messed up,” Parker said with such conviction that it sounded like it had to be the truth. “I wish you would just believe me.”

“I can’t. I can’t be over it…”

Lexi’s breath caught, and she took a step away from the door. She couldn’t hear any more of that. He wasn’t over it.

Did he mean Parker or what had happened to them or just the abortion-miscarriage fiasco? In any case…it wasn’t an appropriate thing for him to say…not with Lexi right in the other room. Sure, he didn’t know that, but there shouldn’t be any secrets between them. Wasn’t that what she had said from the beginning?

She stumbled back a few more steps, wanting to distance herself from what she had just heard. It made her chest tighten and her throat close up. After almost three years together, he still wasn’t over Parker.

No.

Okay, he hadn’t said that.

He just wasn’t over the fact that Parker had had an abortion. Sure, he didn’t have proof and that made it more difficult, but Lexi didn’t have proof about whether or not he had slept with Elisa, and she believed him. She had put it behind her. And she hadn’t needed years to get over it.

Sure, it still aggravated her. It still made her cringe to think of the bitch, but Lexi wasn’t hung up on it. She hadn’t left him over it. Why couldn’t Ramsey move past what had happened with Parker? Didn’t he love Lexi enough to move on?

Dwelling on it just allowed it to eat Ramsey alive.

What the hell was she supposed to do with that information? If he wasn’t over that, then maybe he wasn’t over Parker. It had been years, but they had opened the medical wing together. What had Jack said to her all those years ago?

On some small level, you don’t think that working in close proximity together every day is going to rekindle something that was once there? Imagine if we had to work together every day. What would it be like?

She had told Jack then not to try to make her doubt Ramsey. But maybe she always had. From the first day that she had found out about Parker, she had just reasoned that if she could get over Jack and become friends with Jack, then it only made sense that Ramsey would be over Parker. That was why Ramsey was with Lexi now after all. Right?

Was she just an idiot to not see it happening?

Lexi ground her teeth together. Fuck that! She didn’t have to deal with what was happening on the other side of that door.

She wrenched open the door to the bathroom and rushed out. She slammed the door shut behind her, and it was loud enough that she was sure Ramsey and Parker would hear it. All she wanted to do was turn back around and keep running down the beach like she had wanted to from the beginning. If she had done that, then she would have avoided this moment. Maybe it wasn’t for the best in the long run, but right now, it sounded like a better idea than being anywhere near them.

Her feet stilled in the middle of the hallway, and she took a breath. Chyna had always said that she ran feet first in the opposite direction of her problems. Maybe she was overreacting. It took a lot of willpower to get her to stop and consider that maybe she had just walked into a bad conversation. Maybe he was over Parker. Maybe she was wrong.

Just as she turned around and started to walk back down the hallway to face Ramsey and Parker, the door popped open, and Ramsey hurried out of the room. He came up short when he saw that Lexi was walking toward him and not away.

“Lexi,” he said. He looked guilty.

Was he wondering how much she had heard? Was he deciding how to twist this? Would he lie? Was he going to try to cover it up?

God, she hated herself for thinking it.

Lexi just stared at him. She couldn’t open her mouth. She didn’t trust what would come out of it.

“I didn’t know you were back from your run,” he said hesitantly. “Were you in the bathroom?”

Without saying a word, she let him stand there. He shifted from one foot to the other. Man, way to look guilty.

“Do you want to talk?” he finally asked.

“With Parker still in our room?” she asked, her eyes accusing him.

“So…you were in the bathroom.”

Duh! She just wanted to yell at him, but she couldn’t let loose her anger. It had been a slow buildup from the very beginning. If she let loose now, then she couldn’t guarantee that Ramsey would get a word in edgewise…or if they would end up together in the end. It was better to remain silent and wait.

“I think we should talk.”

Lexi just gritted her teeth further. Her hands were in fists at her sides. She felt foolish for putting all of this stock into their relationship and then seeing the seams unravel in the course of one afternoon.

“Are you going to say anything?” he asked.

“Are you sure you want me to say anything?” she managed to get out.

“Yes. Yes, of course, I do. I don’t, uh…I don’t know what you heard, but it’s not whatever you’re thinking.”

Lexi arched an eyebrow. Oh really?

Parker appeared in the doorway. Her face was so pallid in that moment that her freckles stood out in sharp contrast. She looked shaken and maybe even a little bit scared but definitely a little bit guilty. It was clear she hadn’t wanted Lexi to hear anything that she had said.

Well, he probably shouldn’t have said things that he didn’t want anyone else to hear!

“Lexi, I’m sorry,” Parker whispered. “I didn’t know you were standing there.”

Hold it together. Lexi took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“You should go back in there,” she said, snapping her fingers and pointing toward the bedroom.

“Lexi, I—”

“Now.”

Parker’s eyes narrowed, but Ramsey put his hand on her shoulder, and Parker held back whatever retort was on the tip of her tongue.

“Fine,” she said, turning and walking back into the room.

“It’s not her fault. It’s mine, so be angry with me.”

“Oh, I am,” Lexi said.

He ran his hand back through his hair, just like she had expected him to do when she had been listening in on their conversation. He was flustered. She was sure he was about to start rambling to try to get his thoughts together. She used to think that was cute, but if he did it right now, she was going to shut that shit down.

“We were just talking about work, and then the conversation took a turn for the worse. It doesn’t mean anything. I don’t want you to overreact or think it’s more than it is. It’s just Parker. We’ve known each other for a long time, so sometimes, we end up talking about things that—”

“Please stop talking,” she said, holding her hand up. “I really don’t need to hear it.”

“Lexi, come on.”

“You said you weren’t over it!” she yelled.

That stopped him. He just stared at her with his palms up. There wasn’t anything he could do because he couldn’t take it back.

“So, don’t come to me and say that you were just talking about something…that it doesn’t mean anything. If it didn’t mean anything, then you would be over it. You would just be friends…coworkers. You wouldn’t be having a hushed conversation in our fucking bedroom.”

“We weren’t having a hushed conversation in the bedroom. Christ, that’s not what this was, Lexi,” he said, walking toward her.

She took a step back. “The door was closed. You were talking about your relationship with Parker. She brought up marriage and told you not to forget that. Have you so easily forgotten that, Ramsey? She did just tell you not to.”

“That was years ago! I’m nowhere close to marrying Parker.”

“Lord, let’s hope not,” she said with a sarcastic drawl.

“Stop acting like this!” he bellowed. “There’s nothing going on with me and Parker.”

“Then, why aren’t you over it?” she asked, not even raising her voice. “Go ahead and try to explain it to me. I’ve explained Jack for what feels like a hundred times. So, try to explain Parker to me. Explain why you still find yourself in situations like this. Explain why I’m standing here a couple of weeks away from our three-year anniversary, having to deal with the same shit that we were dealing with two years ago. I don’t deserve this. I was able to fix things with Jack. Why the fuck can’t you fix this?”

Ramsey glanced back toward the bedroom, and his brow furrowed. “Let’s go somewhere to talk about this. We don’t have to do this standing here.”

“What? You can’t talk about this in front of Parker?” Lexi demanded. “You can’t explain your relationship around her?”

Ramsey seemed to deliberate but didn’t find an out. She certainly wasn’t going to give him one.

“You already know the story, Lexi. The fact that you’re blundering forward with this is just insane. Are you that insecure about our relationship?”

Lexi’s mouth popped open. Had he just said that? Was he trying to blame her?

“You’re going to blame me?” she gasped. “You were the one in there, talking to your ex-girlfriend about how you’re not over her! We broke up two years ago because you couldn’t seem to tell me the truth about your relationship. First, you never dated someone, never loved someone. Then, there was a girlfriend…who looks like me. Then, you were madly in love and going to get married but were quite tragically ripped apart. And, somehow, you think it’s my fault that I’m confused about what’s going on? You think I deserve to get the blame for this bullshit? I told you how I felt about Parker last year, and you said there was nothing you could do about it. Well, I’m starting to wonder if maybe you just didn’t want to do anything about it!”

She shook her head. She had said her peace and now, she needed to get away from there to think about what she was going to do.

Lexi turned to walk away, and Ramsey took a few steps toward her.

“Just leave me be,” she said.

But he moved forward and grabbed her arm. “You’re not leaving.”

“I need to get away from here. I need to think. I can’t be near you,” she said, tugging on her arm.

“No. You have the wrong idea.”

“Ramsey Bridges, stop it! Stop trying to dig your way out of this hole. I’m so sick of it,” she said, smacking his chest and trying to pull away.

Ramsey released her, and she stumbled a few steps.

“You drive me crazy when you’re angry. Can’t you see reason?”

“You drive me crazy when you lie! Can’t you just tell me the truth?”

“Fuck, Parker!” he cried and then froze.

Lexi’s mouth dropped open. Had he just called her Parker? Oh, fuck no!

“Lexi. I meant, Lexi,” he corrected quickly.

Lexi shook her head in horror. “I’m leaving.”

“Lexi, please…”

But she didn’t hear what he said next because she turned on her heel and bolted from the hallway. She was still dressed in her running gear, and she needed to be anywhere but there in that moment.

He had called her Parker! Oh God, she couldn’t breathe. It infuriated her! She thought she might combust.

Her hands were shaking, and her heart was thudding loudly. Who was she kidding? Her entire body was shaking, trembling, practically convulsing. She didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or anger. Maybe it was a little of both. All she knew was that she wanted to just run. She wanted to get far away, hit that point of exhaustion, that point where she wouldn’t feel anything anymore.

She pushed open the door to the deck, and Jack glanced up at her from his book. When he saw her distraught look, he put his book down on the table and stood.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern coming through every syllable. “What happened?”

Lexi just shook her head and jogged past him, down the steps, and back into the sand. She heard the door crash open behind her and heard her name being yelled out, but she didn’t slow down, and she certainly didn’t stop. She couldn’t go back there and face Ramsey right now. She needed a chance to clear her head first.

She looked over her shoulder once, just to make sure he wasn’t following her. She saw Jack had his finger in Ramsey’s chest, and then he was yanking on a shirt. Lexi turned back around to see where she was going. She didn’t know how far she was going to run, but she would go until her legs stopped moving.

A second later, she heard feet pounding in the sand behind her. Great. She was going to have to tell Ramsey to leave her alone—again. Couldn’t he see that she just needed to be alone? He could only do more damage by following her.

But when she turned back around, she didn’t see Ramsey at all. It was Jack chasing after her. Despite everything, a small smile touched the edges of her mouth. Wasn’t it just perfectly ironic to have Jack chasing her?

Jack was much taller than her, so she knew that he would catch up soon enough, but he didn’t try calling out to her or asking her to slow down. He just made headway, and when he caught up to her, he matched her pace and jogged alongside her. He didn’t say anything. He just let her run away from her problems…away from everything.

Everything but him.

Her breathing was jagged, coming out in uneven gasps and pants. Her side had a stitch in it that stabbed her with every breath. Her hair was matted, and her body was coated in a layer of sweat and sand that had only gotten worse with her second run. Her feet and legs were starting to feel heavy, and she knew she was slowing. She wasn’t going to be able to keep up this pace for much longer. She was feeling a bit woozy, probably with dehydration, but it had the added benefit of clearing her mind.

Jack was breathing heavily next to her, but he didn’t look as out of it as she did. This must not be a hard pace for him, and he hadn’t just come from a run in any case.

Lexi stumbled and fell onto her bare knees in the sand. Her hands landed roughly down to catch herself, and she groaned as her legs finally stilled. Her whole body was humming alive with the adrenaline coursing through her. Her chest heaved as she stared down at the wet sand, and her vision dipped and blurred. She slammed her hands down again and again on the sand, wanting to make a difference in the shape of the world, but her hands just pushed the sand out of the way, not really changing it at all. It was just an act of displacement…not change…never change.

“Hey. Hey. Hey,” Jack said, sinking into the sand next to her and grabbing her hands.

She fought against him, but he held her tight, keeping her from continuing her assault.

“Lex,” he whispered, “it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” she said through tears that she hadn’t even known were spilling down her cheeks.

“It’ll be okay,” he said, pulling her in close to him.

She resisted him. “Stop. I’m disgusting.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m covered in sand and sweat.”

“You’re still beautiful, and you still need me. So, I’m not going to stop,” he said, drawing her into him and cradling her against his chest.

“You’re not allowed to think I’m beautiful,” she said through her tears.

“Shh…” He stroked her back softly. “I’ll never stop thinking that.”

“Don’t be nice to me. I want to be angry.” Tears were falling so hard now that she could only speak through the hiccups.

“Then, be angry. I’m not going to stop you.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Not even on my worst day, and I’m far from that, Lex.”

“Did you sleep with those girls?” she asked.

Jack stiffened. “What girls?”

“Your secretary…the attendant at your old apartment…other people…”

“No,” he said softly. “No, I didn’t.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” The question had been eating at her, and in her delirious state, she wanted to think about anything but what she had left behind at the beach house.

“I didn’t say anything because…no one would have believed me. It’s like how I tend not to discuss politics because people argue with me, and I’m not going to change their mind…but that doesn’t mean I don’t disagree with them.”

“It was stupid.”

“Very. I’ve done a lot of really stupid things, but I don’t think you’re trying to punch a hole through the sand because of me.”

Lexi sagged in his arms at the reminder of why she had run miles away from the beach house. Ramsey had called her Parker. Even if it was just in anger, he had still called her by the name of his ex-girlfriend…the one they were arguing about in the first place. How could he be that stupid? And was he really still that hung up on her?

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jack asked.

“No. Not really.”

“Do you want to just walk then?”

“Okay,” she mumbled, shifting away from Jack.

He stood up first and then offered her his hand. She let him haul her up off the ground. Her legs were still shaky, and she grabbed on to his arm to keep herself steady.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere. Not back,” she admitted.

“Me either.”

Jack nodded his head toward the direction they had been running in. They set off across the mostly deserted beach. Lexi hadn’t wondered at the time if anyone had seen them together in the sand, but she thought about it now. She wondered who had been witness to her meltdown. Granted, it didn’t really matter because the only person who would remember it was Jack.

In the distance, they could see a large public pier, and with a knowing glance between them, they headed toward it. When they finally reached it, the sun was already falling on the horizon. They wouldn’t be able to stay long, or they would never get back in time before nightfall.

Lexi walked out to the end of the pier, leaned her elbows on the railing, and stared out across the ocean. Jack followed, and they stood there, watching the waves rise and fall.

“I never thought I’d be with you on a pier again,” Lexi said.

“The first time was pretty memorable,” he said with a smirk.

“And we’re both still with other people while we’re here.”

Jack just shrugged, keeping his eyes forward. “Ramsey didn’t tell me what happened. Are you going to?”

“He called me Parker,” she spat out.

Jack hissed between his teeth. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

“How the hell did that happen? Ramsey doesn’t seem the type to confuse you two. I mean, y’all are so different. I don’t even think you look that much alike.”

Lexi laughed. “Yes, we do. I thought we were twins when I first met her.”

“I guess,” Jack said with a shrug. “You don’t look or act enough alike for me to ever confuse you…ever.”

“Well…he was in the bedroom, talking to Parker.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose at that. “In your bedroom?”

“Yep. They were talking about why they had broken up. She reminded him that they were going to get married, and she wanted him to just believe her, but Ramsey said he couldn’t…and that he wasn’t over it. We got into it, and I guess he got mad and mixed us up.”