Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(157)

Lexi's hand rushed to her mouth unable to believe what he was telling her. "I knew Ramsey in New York," she murmured.

"So you admit it?"

"Yeah. I guess I do, but he never told me that he knew me," she said still in a state of shock. Why wouldn't he have told her? It wasn't like she had given him some reason to not to trust her. Sure she hadn't exactly been up front with him about her reasons for being in Atlanta, but she hadn't considered that something like this would happen.

"Right," he said in disbelief resting back against the corner of the desk and turning to face her.

Lexi quickly stood brushing the cobwebs out of her mind. She took a turn around the room trying to process what this new information meant besides the fact that it seemed everyone was lying to her in some way. What more could she find out to make matters worse? She finally settled her mind, walked back to Jack, and stood before him. "I don't know how we got onto this subject, but Ramsey is not the reason I barged into your office to speak with you."

Jack waited. "So what's the reason then?"

Lexi took a deep breath before starting. "I'm leaving tonight for New York and I need to know what's going on…with us," she said the last part unsure if she really wanted the answer. At the same time, she knew that she would never be able to leave Atlanta happy without answers.

Jack sighed heavily and buried his head in his hands. "Always back to this conversation."

"It's the only one that seems to matter," she said standing her ground in front of him.

"Lexi I have a whole life here. I have more than a few loose ends to tie up."

"What about everything you said?" Lexi asked her voice quavering.

"What do you want me to say Lex?"

"What about the goddamn truth?" she cried throwing her hands in the air. "Do you want to be with me? You said that you did. Was that all a lie too?"

"It wasn't a lie. I just…I want to be with you when I'm with you, but when you're gone I doubt everything. We have too much history, Lex. You know that. I don't know what's been going on with us lately, and," he took a deep breath, "I don't know if I can just leave my life behind."

"So this is it then?" she asked, their history the only thing keeping her from collapsing.

"I don't know…"

"No, don't f**king do that. Just make up your mind already," she cried rushing forward and pressing herself against his chest.

He instinctively wrapped his arms around her body and held her against him. She breathed into him pushing her hands up his chest and around his neck. "We just have to figure this stuff out."

Jack pulled back from her holding her face softly between his strong hands and staring into her confused brown eyes. "I know we do."

"I can't do this anymore," she told him closing her eyes as his thumb trailed down her cheek.

"Can't do what anymore?" a voice asked walking into the room behind them.

Lexi jumped back at the sound of the voice. Jack immediately released Lexi's face dropping his hands to his sides. She tried to hide the expression on her face, but there was no point. Bekah had to know something was up by now.

"Hey babe. When did you get here?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"Just a little while ago. Hey Lexi," Bekah said cheerfully.

"Bekah," Lexi said nodding her head in greeting.

"Are you here about the news?" Bekah asked smiling as politely as ever as she strolled into the room. Her naturally blonde hair had recently been highlighted and fell down to her chest as pin straight as ever. She wore a crisp white pencil skirt with a baby pink silk blouse that tied up around her neck and made a bow at the side of her neck. A white suit jacket was folded in half over her left arm. She looked like a vision of perfection and it made Lexi sick.

"Uh…news?" Lexi asked glancing between Jack and Bekah.

"Didn't Jack tell you?"

"Apparently not," she uttered anxiously.

Bekah held up left hand and squealed with joy. "We're getting married."

Lexi gasped as she looked at the cut of the ring in front of her. It seemed so familiar, but...it couldn't be. He wouldn't.

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Awesome reviewers: Cupid's Psyche (thanks for the lyrics suggestion! You're amazing!), cat10985, Munchlax (glad you read everything in one sitting and loved it :)), total romance., Jeivy, and cosmopolitan.

K.A. Linde

Closure

Every time you look you find a way

But I know every time you change your mind

Excuses fly by every which way

But lies grow 'til you can't find the truth behind

You say you love me, but you've got no clue

What it is or what the hell you're gonna do

-The Orkids "I Told You So"

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Chapter 25: Present

She was seeing spots.

Anger so fierce came over Lexi she couldn't even see properly. Every negative emotion that she had ever conjured up combined seemed insignificant compared to this feeling. She could remember a time when she thought things could be right with her and Jack. Now it seemed like that was such a very long time ago. How could she have ever told herself things were going to be alright? She now knew with every ounce of her being that there was absolutely nothing left of the man she had once loved.