Текст книги "Avoiding Responsibility"

Автор книги: K. A. Linde

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"Fine," Bekah finally muttered shrugging her shoulders. "Let's get out of here."

What surprised Lexi the most about the town was that it was perpetually changing. The city was built around a three by four block radius of shops, restaurants, and bars. Though the overall layout had remained relatively the same since the late 1700's when the town was built, the bars constantly changed names. Every generation that flowed through the university would grow up with a different set of bars and pubs to frequent.

Lexi could remember nearly all the names of the locations she had regularly visited and as they turned the corner, she could easily recall memories from each locale. Yet only a select few still held the same name. As they turned the corner, Lexi stopped and stared up at her once favorite hot spot, Chamber. It was now called Rage Bar. The girls moved to enter, but Lexi stopped them.

"I'm sure this is still a dance club, and unless you know the bartenders it's not fun until midnight. This should be the last stop," she instructed them.

They all looked at her speculatively. "Did you go here?" Kersey asked her mouth hanging open stupidly.

"Uh...yeah. Four years of my life," she muttered.

"I was told this place was great," Amber told her sticking out her hip.

"It is," Lexi quickly corrected, "just not until late when everyone's drunk. We should get drunk first."

"I second that," Maddie agreed pushing them away from the bar and down the street to a more low key venue to start out with.

Lexi walked farther down the street suddenly realizing where she her feet were carrying her. Her heart was racing as they drew closer. She knew exactly where they were. None of the girls knew the significance of the destination they were approaching. She gulped hard and tucked a lock behind her ear. She could do this. She could face down her past. These next few steps would be easy. It didn't matter that it had been over three years since she had been here. It didn't matter that she had more memories from this stretch of campus then anywhere else. It didn't matter that she had always held them most dear. She could break away from that now.

"What a cute coffee shop," Amber drawled staring into the glass-paned store front.

Lexi's breath caught as she stared through the front window. The same wooden tables were spattered throughout the room. The old comfy chairs and sunken couches had been replaced and booths were erected along the back wall. The fireplace was all closed up patiently awaiting the winter months. Any green reading lamps, which had once adorned tables, were nowhere in sight. Instead, several standing lamps were distributed around the room. Despite these differences, it still looked the same...it looked like home.

"Wow," Lexi breathed.

"Yeah, I think Jack used to work at a coffee shop somewhere downtown during college," Bekah said looking around to see if there were any other cafes nearby.

"How quaint," Kersey responded inching away from the place. She was obviously more of a Starbucks type.

"Jason's Coffee Shop," Amber muttered. "We'll have to see you in the morning."

"Wait Jason's?" Lexi asked nearly falling over herself to look up at the sign.

"Yeah why?" Amber questioned looking at Lexi strangely.

"This isn't Jason's," she murmured.

"It says so right here," Bekah pointed out.

"But it's been Corner Cafe forever," she moaned. "How could it be Jason's?"

"That's just business honey," Amber told her patting her on the arm tentatively.

"Did you used to come here a lot?" Maddie asked interpreting her overreaction.

Lexi stopped and looked at the four girls before her. How could she even begin to explain? It didn't even really make sense to her. A small part of her wanted Corner Cafe to still be there. It had to to still be there. It was the only part of the Jack she had once known that she had left. Without even this was he still out there?

She knew it was irrational to even contemplate him in this manor. After everything he had done to her, she shouldn't care for him with one bone in her body. But she knew him better, no, unlike anyone else in the world. She knew what he had been to begin with. She knew how sweet, kind, and caring he had once been. She knew him before he had hardened to the outside world, and before Bekah had used that hardness to her advantage and turned him cold.

But now even Corner was gone. The place they met. The place they spent hours together. The place it all started.

Without this place, she would have been someone else. She would have never met Jack Howard. She would have never led the life that she had lived. So on one hand, she was terribly sad to see the place go. Jack had meant so much to her for so long and it had all started right here...at that table.

But still she was happy. Perhaps this was just another way to close a chapter. If even their beginning together no longer existed, then as much as she had been pushing away from him...maybe this was good. The Jack that worked at this coffee shop no longer existed. It was only fitting that it also be closed...renamed...changed.

"Lexi?" Maddie asked waving her hands in front of her face.

"Uh yeah?" she asked snapping out of it.

"I asked if you used to come here a lot," Maddie told her.

"Right. Yeah sometimes," she said eyeing her study table through the glass.

"Is this where Jack worked?" Bekah asked pursing her lips. Her expression showed she was judging the establishment.

"No another friend of mine did," she stated wearily. "He moved away though and now is a really different person..."

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K.A. Linde

Surprise, Surprise

When you want it the most there's no easy way out

When you're ready to go and your heart's left in doubt

Don't give up on your faith

Love comes to those who believe it

And that's the way it is

-Celine Dion "That's The Way It Is"

Chapter 16: May Three Months Earlier

"Yes I'm sure I'm making the right decision," Lexi said into the cell phone just as the taxi pulled over onto the curb. "You've tried to convince me not to leave New York since I got the summer associate position."

"Why would I want my best friend to leave me when she's finally out of school?" Chyna pouted.

"I don't expect you to want me to leave, but I would like you to be happy for me," Lexi said opening her purse and pulling out cash. "Keep the change," she said to the cabbie as she popped open the door and stepped out.

"I'm happy for you darling. You're going to make a fortune which will be a nice change to you making nothing. I'm just going to miss my bestie. Perhaps I'm a little selfish," Chyna said adding a giggle in for good effect.

"You selfish? No," Lexi gasped sarcastically.

"Oh shut it!"

Lexi walked around to the back of the car and pulled open the trunk. "Well you'll have to come visit."

Chyna scoffed. "If I'm flying that far south, then I'm going to the Caribbean."

"Well make a pit stop and take me with you," Lexi told her lugging her bags out of the trunk and depositing them on the sidewalk. She stared down at the two bags before her. It didn't seem like enough for the next two months…maybe three if she worked her ass off. Her roommate, Rachelle, swore that she would mail her anything else she needed, but Lexi wasn't going to count on it. And anyway, she was going to be in California in less than three weeks. So if Lexi forgot something now, she would just have to do without it. Not to mention, the only other person who had a key to her place, Chyna was going to Milan for much of the summer for a photo shoot. Lexi couldn't be more jealous.

Lexi shuffled the bags to the foot of the stairs and decided that she would move them upstairs once she got the door open. No use hurting her back in the process. She figured the law firm she would be working for all summer would do enough damage.

"Maybe I will," Chyna said temporarily giving into Lexi's demands that she whisk her away to beaches far removed from the Atlanta smog.

"That'll be the day," Lexi sneered. "If I ever get

you into Atlanta again, it will have to be for something really special." Lexi didn't think she would ever get her here honestly. After what a catastrophe it was the last time she was here, Chyna had sworn off Atlanta. Too much drama in one place.

"True. The smog is killer and the traffic sounds are all wrong," Chyna said giggling.

"Well thanks for the support," Lexi said rolling her eyes.

"Alexa, I support you doll. I know you'll succeed at whatever you put your mind to," Chyna reassured her. "I just think you're picking the wrong town to succeed in. What happened to that amazing internship you had last summer in New York," she reasoned. "Ouch!"

"What was that?" Lexi asked bewildered.

"Nothing," she snapped quickly. "Sorry."

"Is everything alright up there?"

"Yes yes everything is fine," she said trying to sound convincing.

"Alright," she began hesitantly, "well that last internship didn't pay. I can't believe I found one that did. It's kind of amazing," Lexi told her.

"Yes well, at least you'll be close to home."

"True. But, hey, I'm finally here and I have a good deal of luggage to haul up these stairs so I'm going to let you go. I'll call you later chica," Lexi said hanging up the phone and stuffing it into her khaki shorts.

She pulled out the shiny key she had received in the mail only a few days earlier and slid it into the hole. Her heart fluttered as she realized the enormity of what she was doing. She was taking a summer associate position at a major firm in Atlanta doing exactly what she had always wanted to do.

And…she was moving in with her boyfriend. Her, miss lack-of-commitment was actually moving in with Ramsey. It was the biggest step she had ever made. She still couldn't believe that she was actually doing it. It was so unlike her. She could make rash decisions all day long when it came to Jack, but when it was really important she always hesitated. She knew Chyna thought it was too early for her to be moving in with Ramsey especially since they had only been together eight months. Lexi wasn't sure how much of her motivation was the fact that Lexi was leaving and how much of it was her concerns about Lexi living with Ramsey. But since she was going to be in Atlanta for the summer, Lexi thought it just made sense.

She only had the position in Atlanta for a definite eight weeks. This meant that she would have to sublease an apartment in the city while paying rent in New York at the same time since her lease ran through August. Even though she was getting paid, her student loans were astronomical. She would have to pay them off on top of two apartments. It seriously didn't make sense for her to get her own place.

When Ramsey offered for her to stay with him, she just couldn't think of a good reason to say no to him. She wanted to be with him, and she didn't have to pay a dime. It was the best of both worlds.

After all, she had spent eight months without him. The occasional time they had together when he could make it to New York or fly her down to Atlanta just wasn't enough. She wanted to savor every moment she had with him. The last thing she wanted was to get stuck driving back and forth between their places. She knew that time was nothing compared to the distance they had endured since they had gotten together, but still if they were going to be in the same city, she wanted them to be together. That drive time could be used for something much better.

So Lexi took the big leap.

She twisted the door knob and pushed open the door to her new place…Ramsey's place.

A chorus of congratulations and surprise assaulted her as soon as the door opened. Her hand flew to her chest and her mouth dropped open. Her eyes fluttered around the room quickly in astonishment. A banner hung across the room that read "Congrats Grad!" in large purple letters. She couldn't believe it. A surprise graduation party had been thrown for her.

Graduation had been the weekend before at Madison Square Garden. Ramsey had only been able to stay long enough for the ceremony before jetting back home. Graduation weekend was one of the busiest for him. And he had the misfortune of having to fire two of his key managers the week before. He had needed all hands on deck that weekend, and hadn't been able to celebrate with her in New York.

Now here he was surrounded by friends giving her the celebration he had missed. Ramsey stood at the front with a big cake that read "Congratulations Lexi" in purple letters to match the purple velvet she had walked in for graduation. He was smiling brightly at her and taking in her shell-shocked face. There was something about his face in that moment that was supremely adorable. It was like he was five years old again, and he was the one having the party not the one throwing it. The goofy grin on his face was priceless, and Lexi would remember his joy in this moment forever. He really did seem happiest making her happy.

Chyna stood next to him beaming like a school girl. She couldn't believe that she had just been on the phone with her talking about how Chyna was never setting foot in the city again, and here she was. Adam stood at her side with his fingers interlaced with her own. They looked just like the perfect couple they were.

Lexi was just thankful they had worked everything out. After she had showed up in New York, she had let Chyna blabber on and on about her argument with Adam. He had refused to speak with her for nearly a week. Luckily, he had finally agreed to meet Lexi, mostly because she had badgered him endlessly until he had agreed. They had talked over a light dinner, and when she was finished with him, he admitted that he still wanted to see Chyna. That he had been missing her over the past week. Since then, they had worked things out and were better than ever. Sometimes they were sickeningly cute.

Brad and Jason stood off to the side badgering their respective dates. Lexi recognized Brad's date as Katie who she hadn't seen since their karaoke performance in March. She was surprised to see that she was still hanging around Brad since Lexi was pretty much uncomfortable around him at all times.

Jason had a flavor of the week at his side, and Lexi was sure she would never see her again. Jessie's fire red hair was piled high on her head and not-too-surprisingly she wasn't paying attention to the festivities around her. Her eyes were glued on a rather handsome man standing to her left. Lexi wanted to just laugh. She had never done anything to the girl, but she certainly hadn't taken a keen liking to Lexi by any means.

Then Lexi saw someone she really hadn't been expecting. Parker stood off to the side smiling brightly at Lexi as she entered the room. Again, Lexi was struck with how similar they looked, but maybe the more time they spent together the more she would be able to look past that. Though at the same time, she hoped that she wouldn't be spending a significant amount of time with her.

Lexi noticed that Jack and Bekah were strategically absent. That was likely the best thing they could have done for her. And behind all of her friends were a group of other people who it appeared were here for the free booze.

"What's this?" she gasped shocked beyond belief. Her eyes traveled the large crowd against before resting on Ramsey's shining green orbs. He seemed to be enjoying this immensely.

"It's a graduation party silly," Chyna announced coming up next to her and kissing her on the cheek.

"You were just on the phone with me," Lexi cried staring at Chyna in disbelief.

"Yeah someone had to find out where you were," she said knowingly.

"But you sent me off on the plane," Lexi said trying to make sense of Chyna's appearance.

"Private plane doll. Takes you way longer to get here what with security and boarding and all that," she explained rather diplomatically.

"And you," she said rounding on Ramsey. He looked at her his smile waning for the first time. He seemed to realize for the first time that she might not actually enjoy a party the first thing after flying from New York. There could be...other things on her mind. "You did all of this for me?" she demanded.

"I missed your party and needed to make it up to you," he said simply setting the cake down on a platter and walking towards her. He looked spectacular that day. He wore a green polo that matched his eyes and a snug pair of jeans.

"You're a wonderful man Ramsey Bridges," she whispered flying into his arms.

He chuckled as he caught her and pulled her against him. "Don't you forget it," he whispered back kissing her shoulder as he held her close to him. She breathed in the familiar peppermint scent and nuzzled into his muscular chest.

"Alright, alright get a room," Chyna chimed in breaking up the happy couple. "Oh wait you have one." Her eyes drifted to the stairway.

"There will be plenty of time for that later," Lexi mumbled pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Really all she wanted to do was grab Ramsey's hand, pull him up those stairs, and have her way with him. But he had gone through all of this to surprise her, and she was going to revel in her party until she could weasel her way out of the festivities.

"I'm sure there will," Chyna muttered under her breath.

"Oh my luggage," Lexi cried realizing she had been too stunned when she had come in to go back and fetch it.

"No worries. I'll get it. Enjoy the party," Ramsey said kissing her forehead and exiting his apartment. As if on cue, as soon as Ramsey left the apartment, everyone broke off into groups and began chatting up their neighbors. The party had officially begun with her entrance.

"So how does it feel?" Adam asked extracting himself from the group. He stood just behind Chyna and draped his arm over her shoulders.

Lexi eased into her new environment. As everyone made the apartment feel more like a party atmosphere, she centered her attention on the friends in front of her. "Pretty damn good. Now I just have to pass the bar and I'll be a real lawyer," she said a big smile on her face.

"That's so great!" Chyna cried.

"And Ramsey," Adam added his golden brown eyes staring into her. Her smile faltered at his intense look. For some reason, she wasn't certain of the way he said that. Was Ramsey a good thing or a bad thing?

Lexi quickly broke his penetrating gaze and looked over to where her boyfriend was pulling her luggage through the door. There was really only one answer to that question. Ramsey was definitely a good thing. She wasn't even sure why she got a bad impression from Adam's statement now that her sights were set on Ramsey.

"Yeah exactly," she agreed hesitantly shifting her eyes back to Adam. He always seemed able to look straight through her. She gulped a little uncomfortably as their eyes met. His smile was light and friendly, but there was just something in his hazel eyes that she was never certain of.

"Well I'm…we're proud of you chica," Chyna said grabbing her for a big hug.

"Thanks. I just can't believe you guys put this all together for me," she said in awe.

Chyna shook her head and threw her hands up. "Don't give us any credit. This was all Ramsey."

Lexi turned back to stare at her handsome boyfriend dragging her suitcases across the room so he could put them up in the guestroom...her new room. She doubted she would spend much time there, but it was good to have nonetheless. She just couldn't believe him. She knew he threw parties for a living, but this just felt different. He had done this for her...just her. And he had completely surprised her. She had had no clue.

Of course, she had been disappointed when he had left New York so quickly after graduation. This was so important to her. She had spent three years working towards this. And she had wanted him to be there the whole time.

She had tried to understand. He had a business to run. Sure she didn't much approve of his job, but what woman would. He was surrounded by gorgeous women all day long. Not to mention they were all too eager to throw themselves at him. These women got naked and turned men on for a living…and she was a million miles away.

But those were her own insecurities talking. If he wanted any of those women, he could have had them when he used to sleep around. He was hers now though, and she trusted him to stay that way. After all, he had asked her to move in with him, and he had never done that before with anyone else...he had never even had another girlfriend.

Then this surprise party really topped it all off. He sure did know how to make up for lost time. "I'll give credit where credit is due," Lexi acknowledged tracking Ramsey's movements until he disappeared upstairs.

"Congratulations!" Parker cried coming up to Lexi from amongst the crowd. "I'm sure you're so proud."

"Whoa!" Chyna yelped. "You two are surreal similar."

"Uh..." Parker murmured awkwardly.

"Chyna!" Lexi gasped staring at her wide-eyed. "Don't be rude."

"You must be Parker," Chyna said extending her hand.

"Um...yeah. That's me," Parker said ducking her chin to her chest uncomfortably, and placing her hand lightly in Chyna's grasp.

"Sorry about Chyna," Lexi quickly apologized. The last thing she wanted to do was make Parker feel anything but welcome. Lexi had to admit that even though she had her suspicions and she knew some of their history, Parker had never actually done anything wrong. She had been perfectly nice to her at the beach. And if Ramsey said there was nothing going on, then there was nothing going. Despite the fact that Lexi didn't particularly want to get to know this girl, Lexi just figured she would be around now that she was back in Atlanta.

Parker looked up at her through long black lashes. "No it's fine. We do kind of look similar."

"Yeah. Yeah we do," Lexi agreed hesitantly. "And hey thanks for coming to my surprise party. I see you made it safely back into town," Lexi said deftly changing the subject.

"I did," she said beaming. "I just got back two weeks ago. I'm working the ER at Grady until some other plans I'm working on fall into place."

"Well Grady's a great hospital. I'm sure you're doing great," Lexi told her though she was curious about her rather vague comment about other plans. Hopefully, whatever her plans are take her out of the city. That would be ideal.

"Oh let's not talk about me," she said shaking out her long hair as she started to relax with the group. "Ramsey tells me that you got an associate position at a firm around here."

"He did, did he?" she asked apprehensively. So they had been talking.

"Yeah. You must be thrilled what with such a great opportunity just unfolding at your door like that," Parker said smiling sweetly.

"I know," Lexi couldn't help but gush. "It's almost too good to be true."

"Almost..." she murmured. "I know that these positions are nearly impossible to get lately."

"They really are. I couldn't believe it when I was accepted," Lexi gushed.

"Hello ladies," Ramsey said coming up next to them and interrupting the conversation. Both girls could see that he looked slightly uncomfortable finding them talking to each other, but it was clear that he was trying desperately to hide it.

"Ramsey," Parker said bobbing her head in welcome. "You've done a wonderful job here. I'm sure Lexi is very pleased with the result."

"Yeah I am," Lexi agreed letting her eyes drift to the beautiful party thrown in her honor.

"Good I'm glad and thanks," he said with a boastful grin.

"Ramsey I was just telling Lexi how happy I was for her to get the job at the law firm," Parker said, "and how proud you must be of her."

Lexi couldn't decipher the look that passed between them. She knew Ramsey. She had spent the better part of the year with him, but she just didn't know what he was thinking. Parker had known him their entire lives and it was obvious that something secret was being spoken between them.

"I am very proud," he agreed.

Lexi did notice that his uneasiness only intensified the longer they stood together. Yet, there was nothing about this conversation that should have made him uneasy. He was very very proud of her for securing such a good job for the summer and so wonderfully close to him. The only thing that could be a problem was the fact that it was coming from Parker. Their long lost fling clearly had something to do with the situation. Lexi just didn't have the strength to dig deeper. Even though in the pit of her stomach she knew that she should try to figure out the source of the uneasiness, she just let it slide.

"Obviously he's proud. He threw me this whole party," Lexi said as if it were commonplace.

"Obviously," Parker repeated, her words hollow.

"How about we get you to cut the cake," Ramsey diverted quickly. Parker smiled sweetly at the two of them and then quickly excused herself. She had only been able to get away from the hospital for a short while and she was sure that they would be needing her again. Lexi waved her off happy that she was gone and would no longer muddle her party, but also curious as to where their strange friendship might take them. After all, she had seemed truly happy for her and it had taken a lot of guts to come out to her party.

Or maybe Lexi was looking at it all wrong. She conceded the point that she might just be imagining the whole thing. Ramsey had been up front about them sleeping together. There was no need for Parker to feel any discomfort around Lexi since she had never been in her position. She had just been a thing of the past, and Lexi was going about this all wrong.

More comforted by this new train of thought, Lexi followed Ramsey over to the cake. She felt almost like it was her birthday, and the only thing she was missing was the candles. She took a small piece for herself, and then began to mingle with the rest of the group. Somehow Lexi got dragged into a conversation with Brad and Jason about the varying aesthetics of the female rear end. She should have known better than to ask what they were talking about. The conversation was beginning to go a direction she hadn't dreamed of them discussing in front of her. Once they started talking about the extra shape and structure of her own butt, she had had enough. She needed to get out of there.

She smiled anxiously at Ramsey's two roommates as she tried to insert an excuse to leave into the conversation. She finally squeezed in the remark, and quickly scurried away from them and out the back door. Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath of fresh air and checked her watch. She was stunned. How had the time gone by so fast? The party had been going on for hours, and she hadn't even realized it because up until the conversation with Brad and Jason she had been having an incredible time.

"Well this doesn't look like much of a party," someone said following Lexi out onto the balcony and closing the door and the noise behind him.

Lexi turned quickly and found herself face to face with the guy who Jessie had come with. She hadn't recognized him before, but now that he was facing her she realized she did in fact know him. Both times she had ventured into Bridges Enterprise she had run into him, and after her experiences with Jack and Ramsey, she stopped believing these occurrences were purely coincidence. People just gravitated to her at times and she was never quite sure why it happened, but here he was: Brandon Calloway.

"I think it's a fine party," she responded letting herself relax back into the railing. The afternoon heat hadn't quite subsided as night took over, but still it was better than being surrounded by people right now.

"It would be fine if the guest of honor was inside, but since you're out here I have to disagree, respectfully of course," he said with a charming smile. "So, I came to find the party."

She remembered his easy flirtations the last time she had been around him. He teased every girl in his vicinity and had likely been with just as many. His easy words were nothing to her, but she smiled nonetheless. Every girl enjoys a compliment. "Thank you. Thought I came out here for peace and quiet which I don't think is what you have to offer."

"I can be quiet," he said pushing his lips together with his fingers and leaning his body against the railing beside her. Instead of turning his head out to the lingering sunset, he kept his gaze strictly on her face.

"You're missing it," she said gesturing to the skyline. She feared his answer would be predictable and she couldn't keep from smiling bigger the longer his eyes bore into her.

He shook his head as if to show that he would still remain silent as she had asked. His hand came up and tapped her lightly on the nose. She turned her face back to him in surprise and she watched his eyes roam her face. She knew what he was saying without a word spoken from him. She was the view…not the sunset.

Suddenly, she couldn't hold back any longer and she giggled uncontrollably. His eyebrows knitted together as he attempted to understand the joke.

"You think that's going to work on me? Does that work on other women?" she asked incapable of keeping her giggles to herself.

Brandon gasped and clenched his chest as if wounded. "Of course it works," he said after a minute his cocky smile returning.

"Well not on me," Lexi said rolling her eyes.

"Perhaps," he conceded, "But I almost had you."

"Not a chance," she countered. "Anyway aren't you here with Jessie?"