Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(44)
Author: K.A. Linde

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 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. So 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. One was just supposed to be self-explanatory apparently. 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 indefinitely?

"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. She couldn’t believe she was actually about to go through with this in the first place.

"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 just 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 place. She had never been to the place, and she was dreading making this her first visit. The house was situated in a small subdivision just outside of the downtown area. Each house was a bright color ranging from yellow to pink to baby blue. Most were single stories, but the 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 standing on 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.

Lexi gulped and looked up into Kate’s enormous blue eyes. "Have a seat sweetie. What did you want to talk to me about?" Kate asked gesturing to the seat next to her on the sofa.

Taking a precautionary seat in the adjacent chair, Lexi shoved her hair behind her ears several times. She had no idea where to begin. She opened and closed her mouth several times before looking down at her fingers resting in her lap. She glanced back up at the oblivious girl, her heart going out to her for what she was about to do.

"Have you noticed anything different about Jack lately?" Lexi began.

"Different? Different how?"

"Uh…just anything."

Kate chewed on her bottom lip gloss covered lip seriously contemplating the question. "No I don’t believe I have."

This was going to be harder than she thought. "You haven’t noticed that he’s been missing a lot more than usual?"

"Well…I guess he has been missing, but not really more than usual. We’ve always had an understanding that we don’t have to be together all the time for our relationship to work. He can have his days or nights away from me if he wants and I have the same privilege. It’s just how we work. Not many people would be okay with that, but we are. Why?"

"Okay well, I don’t really know how to say this so I’m just going to dive right in. Jack and I slept together."

The silence that followed was unlike anything Lexi had ever sat through. She wasn’t sure if Kate was going to lunge at her or break down in tears. She looked shell shocked for sure. That had to have been the last thing she had been expecting. The tension could have been cut with a spoon. Lexi wasn’t sure if she should run now. Her heart was hammering in her chest with the anticipation of Kate’s response.

"Why would you tell me something like that?" Kate finally asked just barely above a whisper.

"I had to let you know and Jack wasn’t going to tell you."

"Why would you think I’d want to know something like that?"

"I just…thought you’d want the truth."

"I didn’t," she said shaking her head forcefully from side to side. "I didn’t want to know that."

Lexi just stared at her. She didn’t want to know. She had crushed her for no reason. "I’m sorry."

"Sorry?" Kate asked her eyes glaring at her. "For what? Fucking my boyfriend or for telling me that you f**ked my boyfriend."

"Uh…"

"Just…just don’t answer that. I don’t want to know. I don’t want to hear any of it. I just want to forget you. Forget you ever existed. Please leave my house."

"Kate."

"No, I don’t need any other information from you. Thank you. Have a nice day and a terrible life. Get the f**k out of my house," she said standing and pointing towards the door.

Lexi stood in complete shock at Kate’s reaction. "Are you going to tell Jack that I told you?"

"No I’m not telling him anything. Now leave."

"Why are you so calm about all this?" Lexi couldn’t help asking.

That question seemed to change everything about Kate. Lexi had never seen the girl anything but way too perky, but she looked damn well furious. "You think I didn’t know that he f**ked you? God, I am not stupid, you f**king whore." It was Lexi’s turn to look shell shocked. Kate had known all along, and she hadn’t said anything. "I knew the first day that it happened."

"You did?" Lexi couldn’t believe it. No one else had been out on the pier that day. No one else had known they were there. Kate certainly hadn’t even been awake that night. "How did you find out?"

"I was there. I walked into his house, because I have a key that he gave me. He had his bedroom door open and there you two were on his bed." Lexi’s mouth popped open. "I just loved Jack enough to see past that one incident."

"That wasn’t the first time," Lexi admitted to Kate the information she had withheld from Clark.

"What?"

"That was about a month ago right?"

"That’s what you were talking about isn’t it? You were feeling guilty and you had to let me know about it. Well, f**k you, I already knew that it happened. I knew and could get over the fact that he was unfaithful that one time."

"No. You have it all wrong. The first time was at the beach house."

Kate turned and stared at her. "That was in May."

Lexi nodded watching the news dawn on Kate. "That’s what I came here to tell you."

"No." Kate murmured falling back down onto the couch. "You guys have been sleeping together since May? Why is he with me then?" Lexi shrugged. She certainly of all people did not have an answer for that. "If you’ve been sleeping together since then, why are you just telling me now? Why are you telling me at all?"

"Clark found out, and Jack wasn’t going to tell you. I thought it was right to let you know."

"I just never thought he would do this."

Lexi rolled her eyes. Of course, he would do this. Then again, he probably didn’t reveal this side of himself too many people. Lexi had just happened to be on the wrong end of this scenario twice already.

"I mean, I’m a virgin."

"What?" Lexi squeaked. She steadied herself on the molding to the front entrance. "You’re a what?"

"I just thought that if it was one time he would get it out of his system since we don’t sleep together. We do everything else, but we don’t have sex. I didn’t think it was that big of deal, but this…this is different."

Lexi couldn’t do anything more than just stare at her. She’s a virgin. Jack had never mentioned that. Not once. The look a despair that passed over Kate seeped into Lexi. How had she done this? It was a question she couldn’t help repeating to herself. She had slept with Jack and Kate hadn’t. Jack and Kate had been together for years and never slept together. Lexi just couldn’t process that information. Jack had no self-restraint. He was completely incapable of it around her. Just like she had no control around her. How was he able to go years without sleeping with Kate?

"Just get out," Kate said. "I can’t stand looking at you. You took something that wasn’t yours, and you don’t even seem remorseful. If I ever set eyes on you again it will be too soon."

With that Lexi pulled the front door open and rushed out of the house to her car. She was so lost in what had just happened that she hadn’t even noticed the very familiar Maxda 3 pulling into the driveway. She tried to dart into her car before he would notice her, but she wasn’t quick enough. Jack hopped out of his car and sprinted to her side.

"What are you doing here?" he asked venomously.

"She is a virgin," was the only thing Lexi could get out at the sight of him.

"Oh God," he said running his hands through his hair. "What did you do?"

"She is a virgin."

"Lexi," he yelled grabbing her by the shoulders. "What did you do?"

Tears began to form in her eyes again as she looked up at the handsome face. "Why?"

"I came here to tell her."

"Why?"

"So we could be together."

"You didn’t want to be with me," she said feeling her weight sinking in his grasp.

"Lexi, I’ve wanted to tell you for so long."