Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(65)
Author: K.A. Linde

"What are you doing?" Chyna hissed latching onto her hand and pulling her through the crowd. Lexi stumbled the few feet forward right into Ramsey. He reached out and slung his arm across her shoulder bringing her closer to the action. She glanced from him to Bekah to Jack. At the center of the table was a large sheet cake with blue frosting announcing Jack’s birthday. He had both hands on the table poised to blow out the flickering candles. Everyone was yelling for Jack to make a wish in the background, but all Lexi saw was the way the group was entwined. They were practically set up for the picture again, but this time when Jack’s head swiveled to the side, he locked eyes with Bekah before releasing his breath.

The crowd cheered as the lights went out one by one relinquishing the room into darkness. Lexi sighed heavily running her fingers through the soft curls surrounding her face. She felt as if she were about to combust. Way too many emotions kept clouding her mind. The rollercoaster seemed to be dragging her around each loop and bend without care. How could Jack be so secure in Lexi only a few nights earlier and obviously have strong sexual desires for her, but at the same time be here, like this, with Bekah. She knew what he was capable of…of course she knew. She was trying to be smarter about the whole situation by staying away from him, but she couldn’t stay away to her own detriment. She needed to talk to him. She needed to find out if he had just been lying to her when he had said all those things about wanting to be together. She knew Jack wasn’t a liar, at least not to her, but something about the whole situation felt wrong. Well everything about the situation felt wrong, and that’s what really worried her.

The lights flickered back on to a dimmer setting and suddenly the entire atmosphere of the party began to change. Loud music filtered through the club speakers, the bar instantly became crowded with eager patrons ordering hard liquor drinks, and dancing took up the majority of the room. More people trickled in as the party began to roll into full swing. All of them seemed to know either Jack or Ramsey in some capacity not that Lexi could keep up with any of their names. Her mind was filled with other more pertinent conflicts.

She let Ramsey lead her through a few dances despite her better judgment. He was such a good dancer though she couldn’t help but stay on the floor with him longer than she had originally anticipated. Her plan had been to dance a number or two with Ramsey, cut in with Jack, and then somehow get him alone so she could speak with him about what was going on. So far that plan was falling to pieces.

Ramsey was such an excellent diversion that she had completely lost track of where Jack had gone. Lexi’s gaze had followed him as he had the bartender pour two drinks filled with dark liquid. Then she watched as he finished the contents of one and brought the other to Bekah who was chatting with her bitchy friends. She had giggled as he nuzzled into her neck and whispered something into her ear. When she turned to face him, he led her out to the floor where they danced together like the perfect couple everyone thought they were. The sight of them rubbing up against each other in such a manner had made Lexi gag and turn her focus away for a split second, and then they were gone.

She cursed under her breath for losing them. It was getting late and she really needed to speak with him before she left. She would only be in the state for two more days, and if she didn’t speak with him now, she had no idea what would happen. Would all this time she had spent here and everything she had gone through be for nothing? Or would she finally get the happy ending she deserved? She was still on the fence about what was going to happen, but she did know one thing. She couldn’t stand around and wait to find out any longer. She needed to take action.

Lexi leaned forward on her tiptoes facing Ramsey. His eyes traveled down to her lips staring expectantly as they moved closer to him. She instinctively licked her lips unable to control her inner tease before turning her head to his ear and whispering, "Will you get me a drink? I have to go to the powder room."

"Sure what would you like?" he asked wrapping an arm around her thin waist to hold her tight against him.

"Surprise me, but no Jack Daniels," she prompted immediately.

"Or a Sex on the Beach," he responded.

Lexi stepped back automatically her mouth popping open in surprise. She couldn’t remember ever telling him that she didn’t like those. But yes that was always her next response. "Did I mention that to you?" she couldn’t help asking.

He smirked, his green eyes sparkling. "Intuition darling." He reached down and cupped her cheek sending chills down her heated body. His head dipped and he lightly brushed his lips across hers before disappearing to get her a drink.

Her head was spinning. Where had that come from? And why did it suddenly feel familiar?

She stared after his retreating back for a second before someone collided with her sending her stumbling back a few feet. The guy attempted to apologize, but Lexi remembered her desire to locate Jack by then. She rushed away from the man and began searching for the birthday boy. It really shouldn’t be that hard to find him since the entire party was thrown in his name. Lexi’s only concern was that she was going to find him in a precarious position. That was the last thing she needed to happen. She just couldn’t imagine what that would do to her in that event. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take from Jack, and didn’t want him to tip her over the edge.

The space wasn’t that large and she quickly realized he wasn’t anywhere noticeable. About to give up, she relieved herself, since that had been her excuse in the first place. As she was coming out of the women’s restroom, Jack exited from the men’s. A group of men called happy birthday to him as he began to walk back towards the party unaware that Lexi was directly behind him. She pushed past the other men her high heels clicking against the tile as she approached him. Lexi reached out and grabbed his hand before he entered the club again.

"What the…" he said turning around sharply.

"Jack," she cried stopping him in his tracks. His expression shifted quickly from surprise to delight to anger and then settled at indifferent. It all happened so fast that, had she not known him as well as she did, she certainly would have missed what was going on in his head.

"Lexi."

"Can we talk…privately?"

"Now isn’t really a good time," he said pulling her closer to him so they could speak without anyone else hearing. She hovered inches away from him.

"I think now is the only time," she muttered staring up into blue eyes.

"Why would you say that?" he asked his brows furrowing together.

"Jack, I’m just…confused. Please," she begged.

He glanced around the hallway checking to see who might notice them leaving together. He was an expert of becoming invisible, sneaking around, and not getting caught. All things she had been a source of in his past and now, she reluctantly realized, was forcing him into all over again. After he confirmed that no one was watching them, he said, "Fine. Follow me."

Lexi followed him around the corner and through a side door that led to a long concrete walkway. She had never been here in the past, but she assumed this must be the staff exit or even an exclusive exit VIP Braves members used while within the private 755 Club. Jack closed the door behind them and led her away from the door.

"Lexi. It’s my birthday. This couldn’t have waited until tomorrow?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest and standing before her. His stance made him appear distant and unapproachable…not the way she typically viewed Jack.

"No. I don’t think that’s such a good idea," she told him hesitantly.

"Well I do. I don’t have time for this right now." The words came out but he didn’t move. She felt as if he had said that he didn’t have time for her rather than time for this…whatever this was. He had no clue what she wanted to talk to him about unless he knew how she was feeling. But she highly doubted that, since he was the one screwing with her emotions.

"Well make time. I need to ask you some questions," she told him firmly.

"Now?" he whined. "It’s my birthday."

"It’s past midnight," she told him checking her watch just to verify. Actually, when she looked down, she noticed that it was twenty minutes until midnight, but she didn’t mention that fact.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Ask away."

"Is this still what you want?" she asked her voice trembling.

"Lex, baby," he murmured taking her in his arms and hugging her against him, "didn’t I tell you that you are what I want?"

She sighed against his body. She didn’t like that he was evading her question with another question. Why couldn’t he just answer straight up? "That’s what you said three days ago, but Jack I’m leaving in two days. What are we going to do after that?"

"We’ll work it out. I just need time. You have to understand. Bekah and I," he sighed trailing off.

"I do understand that you have been together for some time…without my distraction. But how can I be sure that I’m not just that…a distraction?" she asked her eyes pleading with him. She had never felt so rigid against his body. He wasn’t calming her as he usually was. In fact, the way his body language read, he was only causing her more grief. Even his baby blue eyes, which normally held so much warmth and desire when cast upon her, were almost icy. She didn’t know what was going on.

"You have to just trust me. I’ve never lied to you before," he muttered glancing towards the door.

"Jack, what’s wrong with you?" she whispered staring up into his blank face.

When he next looked back at her, the Jack she knew and loved had returned. His eyes looked hungry. It was a look she knew well. His body had relaxed into her even pressing her closer to his. She had to gasp just to breathe properly with how wildly her emotions were being pushed around. One minute he was icy cold and the next he was on fire. She couldn’t keep up.

"Nothing is wrong with me," he spat the words out.

"I just mean the way you were looking at me…" She shuddered.

"Lexi, really I don’t have time for this," he said eyeing the door again. "I really need to get back inside." He began to walk away from her back towards the door. She knew she had kept him out here too long, but he hadn’t answered any questions. He hadn’t done anything but shift moods too frequently for her to count.

"I thought things were going to be different," she muttered stopping him with his hand on the door. She just couldn’t help herself. She needed to know what was going on, and if the only way to do that was to elicit a reaction from him, then so be.

He turned and faced her. "Things are different."

"It doesn’t feel like it. It feels just like every other time." Hurt crossed his features at her accusation.

"Look just get off my case," he said turning back towards the door.

"You can’t even look at me," she cried knowing she was being completely unreasonable. She just felt as if she were about to burst. She couldn’t think of another way to get through to him. All she needed was some sort of answer one way or the other. A part of her knew that she wasn’t being fair. He deserved time to figure out what to do about Bekah. Another part of her thought she had given him enough time over the past six years to figure out if he wanted another girl or not and that she needed an answer.