Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(125)

Lexi leaned forward away from the bar feeling all the blood rush to her face as nausea took over her body. This couldn't be happening. Had she been this stupid? Could he have done this to her? She knew the answer was yes. He wasn't exactly strong on keeping his promises. The only exception being that he had never lied to her, and sometimes she wished that he did.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Ramsey asked wrapping his arm around her shoulders and hauling her back to a standing position.

"Um, yeah I'm fine," she mumbled putting one hand on her stomach and the other over her mouth.

"You don't like fine. Chyna look at her," he commanded.

Chyna pulled herself away from the hot bartender to give Lexi a cursory glance. "Oh, you do look sick. Maybe you should go get her some air," Chyna suggested.

"That's a great idea," he said supporting her as they began to cross the room towards the open balcony. The farther away she got from Bekah the easier it was to walk and not feel like her stomach was about to erupt. But dwelling on Bekah's words were completely counterproductive to any ease she might have been feeling.

"Ladies and gentleman, if you will join us over here, we have a bit of a tribute to the birthday boy over the years," Seth announced into the microphone. The crowd began to reassemble in front of a projection display.

"Will you be okay to watch this? I don't want you to get sick," he said anxious about her well-being.

Her curiosity stalled the feeling in her stomach. She stepped forward with Ramsey clearing the way for her to pass through. A series of pictures began to flash across the screen in quick succession. The first few she didn't recognize. She figured, from the looks of them, that they were bachelor party pictures. Coveted images that girlfriends were never supposed to see. As the slideshow progressed, Lexi started noticing more and more pictures. Suddenly, the film stopped on a close-up of her and Jack huddled together on the beach. They were showing off their tanned bodies. Lexi could vividly remember them goofing off that afternoon. It was the day before they had made love for the first time.

She gasped not remembering that there were still pictures out from that time of her life. Another series of photographs shot across the screen of her and Jack along with dozens of other friends. She was as much of a constant through the pictures as he was.

Her eyes scanned the room and landed on the baby blues that had already located her. The emotion that welled inside of her was completely different than what she had earlier been feeling. She was still angry, but with her past flashing before her eyes all she could see was Jack. Jack had been as much of a constant as she was to him. And they would get through this…whether or not he was currently sleeping with his girlfriend. They had gotten through everything before, and they would get through it now.

Lexi watched Jack snake an arm around Bekah's waist and pull her in close like she had felt him do to her so many times before. Bekah smiled lovingly up at him, and the same nauseating feeling began to creep over Lexi.

The only way things could be okay now is if she didn't watch them together like this. She grabbed Ramsey's hand and pulled him back towards the balcony. "Maybe I'm not feeling as well as I thought. I'd rather not be in here," she whispered to him.

"You don't want to watch the end? I think you're in the end," he told her.

She shook her head fiercely. "I think I better not."

"Alright," he said guiding her to the outside.

This time when she took one glance over her shoulder Jack wasn't there, and he wasn't watching.

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My awesome reviewers: Cupid's Psyche, Minzy, 1PitBullGurl, CaliBound, Sure As The Dawn and total romance. Thanks guys!

K.A. Linde

Meant To Be

Tell me what you thought about

When you were gone and so alone

The worst is over

You can have the best of me

We got older but we're still young

We never grew out of this feeling that we won't give up

- The Starting Line "Best of Me"

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Chapter 20: December One and A Half Years Ago

"Shush," Lexi cried for what felt like the hundredth time. "Guys, you have to cut it out and be quiet. He'll be here soon and then you'll just be embarrassing me...again."

Rachelle gave her a half-smile. She was just happy that Lexi might be able to get the other two to finally quit yapping. Elizabeth's freckled face darkened, but she couldn't keep from giggling. Her red hair was flying as she let her head tilt backwards with the laughter that was overtaking her. Claire, never too far from Elizabeth's state of emotions, ran her fingers through the thin blonde strands that curled under her chin. Her answering giggle only egged Elizabeth on.

"But I just can't wait for him to get here," Elizabeth muttered just to piss Lexi off.

Lexi's eyes narrowed. "He's here all the time. There's nothing special about tonight."

"Ah, ah, ah..." Rachelle interrupted. "Tonight is special. Finals are officially over."

"And we're going out with you," Claire added her dull grey eyes searching Lexi's face for a reaction.

"And Jack will be all dressed up," Elizabeth mumbled closing her eyes and imagining him in much less clothing.

The two girls had been badgering her about Jack since he arrived. Even though they saw him nearly every day for the past couple months, they couldn't stop their endless discussion of him. Lexi was beginning to think they did it just because it had started to get a reaction from her. And they hated that, despite their horrible finals preparation for the past couple weeks, Lexi had been in a state of euphoria.