Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(18)
Author: K.A. Linde

"No" she said shaking her head emphatically, "me turning you down was just showing me how much I need to let things go. And I know it’s probably stupid, alright? I know that. It’s just if you want me to go as your date," she took a deep breath trying not to think about all the reasons that she shouldn’t be around Jack or Ramsey for that matter, "then that’s what I want to do."

"So you’ll go?" he asked his brow crinkled together in confusion. He wasn’t sure if he had just won or not. For some reason, it felt like he had lost. She was coming with him, but how much of that was his doing and how much of it was Jack’s? He didn’t want to think about it.

"Yeah, I think I will."

* * *

K.A. Linde

Exclusive

You think I’m pretty without any make-up on

You think I’m funny when I tell the punch line wrong

I know you get me so I’ll let my walls come down, down

Before you met me, I was a wreck

But things were kinda heavy, you brought me to life

– Katy Perry "Teenage Dream"

* * *

Chapter 6: November Nine Months Earlier

Lexi stared upwards at the colossal white structure looming over Peachtree Street in the center of downtown Atlanta. The High Museum of Art with its crisp green lawn, succeeding circular edifices and blocky surrounding structures looked as modern art as the MET appeared to be a classical castle. Surprisingly enough downtown had not been as crowded as Lexi had anticipated on her way in from the suburbs. With Thanksgiving only three days away, she had feared that traffic would be a nightmare, and she would be hard pressed to find any parking. Luck had been with her and the interstate was congested for only a brief period of time as cars merged on and off the perimeter, and then it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.

Despite that fact, she had still arrived a bit behind schedule. She was rushing to button up her new, bright red pea coat and scale the hill in her knee-high, black boots. Lexi slid her hands in the pockets of her jacket and ducked her head against the brisk breeze blowing in. She could never figure out why Thanksgiving in Georgia was always so much colder than Christmas. Last year she had been able to wear a tank top Christmas Day, but Thanksgiving she had been forced into multiple layers to stay warm. It hardly made sense.

A man graciously held the door open for her as she entered the large white foyer. She thanked the man as her high heels clicked against the white marble floors. Not seeing her date, Lexi ducked into the nearest bathroom to check her appearance.

She smiled at her reflection enjoying the wind blown look her curls were acquiring. They cascaded over her shoulders and after brushing her bangs a few times with her fingers, framed her heart-shaped face. She narrowed her big brown eyes as she inspected the hint of auburn highlights now apparent in her dark chocolate locks. When she was satisfied with her hair, she dug her hand into her black leather purse and pulled out a tube of red lip gloss that she dabbed across her slightly chapped lips. Stepping back from the mirror, she turned to exit the bathroom.

Just as she let the door swing closed behind her, Lexi heard a familiar voice that made her eyes light up and a smile cross her face. She was just about to jump around the corner to surprise him when the topic of conversation piqued her interest. Against her better judgment, Lexi leaned back around the corner to hide from his view.

"Dad, I told you already I don’t want to talk about the wedding," Ramsey muttered into his Blackberry. Lexi strained to hear the other end of the conversation, but the phone wasn’t turned up loud enough.

"I know what Bek wants. She always gets what she wants." Lexi rolled her eyes dramatically.

"You want to talk about who I am bringing?" he asked in disbelief. "What does it even matter to you?" Silence ensued for another minute.

"Are you kidding? No, I am not bringing her. Absolutely not. We’re nothing. Nothing. Do you understand me? Can you try and drop it?" his voice was venomous.

After another minute, he responded, "I know who her family is. You don’t have to remind me. Honestly, why are we even still having this conversation? I know everything about her. I know how you and mom feel about her. I know how you feel about everything," he spat. He took another pause and Lexi could actually hear his deep breaths. She imagined his chest was rising and falling as he brimmed with anger.

"Just stop, stop talking. This conversation is over. We can discuss it more some other time if you are insistent," he muttered.

Lexi, realizing that the discussion had come to a close, kicked the swinging bathroom door with her foot to make it sound as if she had just left the bathroom and rounded the corner. He turned at her approach and a full smile filled his gorgeous face. "Lexi," he muttered huskily taking in every inch of her.

"Hey," she acknowledged him nodding slightly. He scooped her up into a sudden embrace lifting her effortlessly off her feet. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It’s great to see you. How was the drive in?" he asked setting her back on her feet and gesturing for her to proceed him.

She teetered briefly on the tiny heels attached to her boots before walking up to the ticket booth all the while explaining her brief encounter with traffic. Ramsey purchased the tickets and followed Lexi into the main entrance. "Well at least it wasn’t that bad. I would have picked you up you know?" he said smiling down at her.

"You told me," she reminded him. "But I just borrowed one of my sister’s cars. No biggy."

Lexi desperately wanted to ask him more about the conversation she had eavesdropped on. Of course, she didn’t really want to talk about the wedding. She was bound and determined not ever hear about it, but she couldn’t help but be curious. Ramsey had to attend that much was clear. Bekah was his sister. The thought made her cringe, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t change. He shared blood with that despicable woman.

But his necessary appearance at the wedding wasn’t what had aroused her interest. What she really wanted to know was who the woman was his father had suggested to him. Lexi could hear Bekah’s words about Ramsey being a player echo in the back of her mind. And though she knew Bekah was a compulsive liar, she couldn’t shake the feeling that some of the things she had said were true. It wasn’t like Bekah was the only one who had warned her off Ramsey.

She shook her head slightly trying to shake off the feeling of discomfort that was creeping across her temples. Sure she didn’t know Ramsey all that well, but so far he had been nothing but cordial. In fact, he had been a perfect gentleman. They had gone on at least a dozen dates since she had invited him to the engagement party and thus far, all they had done was kiss. She welcomed the change though. After practically throwing herself at him that night, she had vowed to give herself the time she needed to heal. Immediately jumping into bed with another man, Ramsey or anyone, was the worst idea she could fathom. So they were taking it slow, sometimes painfully slow.

In either case, it just showed that they weren’t really together. Not that she was in any way in the same position she had been with Jack. This was of her own volition and for her own good. Dating was perfectly acceptable. Though it did make her wonder sometimes if he was dating other people though. She had never had it in her to ask if he was seeing other people. She couldn’t imagine that he would only be dating her. They saw each other so infrequently and, sex…well it was something she willing to work towards, but that didn’t mean she was going to jump his bones in the museum.

She gulped hard at the thought of him with someone and tried to hide her discomfort. The last thing she wanted to think about was Ramsey with someone else. She knew that she had no claim to him, but they were just at the beginning of a relationship and the idea made her nervous. He had made it clear that he wasn’t bringing a girl that his father had suggested to the wedding, but that didn’t really mean anything. He didn’t exactly have the best relationship with his father. It didn’t seem likely that he would want to bring a girl that his father would suggest anyway, but it still made her curious.

"So what does your family do for Thanksgiving?" Ramsey questioned her breaking her out of the trance he had noticed she had fallen into. He wasn’t even sure she had looked at the last three exhibits. Something was on her mind, but he wasn’t going to pry. She would tell him in her own time.

"Oh nothing fancy," she said shoving a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Usually it’s just the five of us. My mom cooks and we all snuggle up in front of the fireplace to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But this year for some reason," Lexi rolled her eyes, "my mom decided to invite everyone to our house for Thanksgiving. So both sets of grandparents are flying in tomorrow. All of my aunt’s and uncles and their kids are here. It’s a mad house."

"Sounds nice," he said dreamily.

"Psh, nice," she muttered sarcastically. "What do you do? It has to be much better."

"When I wake up, I put on a suit to go have a formal breakfast with my father’s most prestigious business associates. They talk business," he stated dryly. "I’m expected to contribute now that I am older. From there every minute of the day is mapped out with things we’re supposed to be doing to help the business. The business this and the business that," he quoted sardonically. "My grandparents are shoved in their somewhere briefly, before we finish with a more formal dinner at the Club."

"Let me guess, they discuss business?" Lexi asked only half joking.

"Ding ding ding," he said raising his hand in the air.

A wave of compassion flowed through Lexi’s body. She knew that Ramsey wasn’t exactly fond of his father or Bridges Enterprise which he and his grandfather had built from the ground up, but she had never envisioned why. She had always assumed that he had everything, but she was starting to realize that like Chyna, there was much more to Ramsey than she had originally anticipated. "Ramsey I’m sor…"

But she was cut off. "Please, you’re the last person I want sympathy from," he said gently. "I shouldn’t have even mentioned it."

"No it’s alright," Lexi said averting her eyes and staring into a large mural of the ocean.

"I’m really not trying to play the poor little rich kid routine," he muttered disgust in his voice. "I guess this time of year just grates my nerves."

"You have every right to be upset about it," she told him gingerly dancing around the subject.

"Well there’s no point in discussing it," he said veering away from her and into the next exhibit room.

"I think talking helps," she murmured almost instantly regretting that statement. He could ask her a million and a half things that she had no desire to discuss. She knew he was curious about her, but she was hesitant to share too much information about herself. The more left unsaid the better. Her past wasn’t exactly picture perfect and she knew better than anyone. What she could share…what she had shared so far was just scratching the surface.

He would find out eventually the kind of person she had once been. She knew it was inevitable. Bekah knew such a large percentage of what had happened with Jack, not that she knew everything, but it was enough to put a chink in her armor. If Ramsey had any knowledge of what had occurred between them, he didn’t acknowledge it. And for now at least, she wanted to keep it that way.