Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(24)

Krista met her at the entrance to the athletic training facility. She was petite, even compared to Lexi, with stick straight brown hair to her shoulders covered in red and blonde highlights. A distinct hole in her eyebrow, nose, and lip showed where piercings were beginning to close up. An old destroyed university warm up shirt hung loosely on her tiny frame sliding off one shoulder and allowing her bellybutton ring to peek out from underneath. The elastic of her grey sweatpants had been cut off so that they barely hung on her narrow hips. Lexi liked her already. The meeting with the coach went surprisingly well considering the fact that the lady was the epitome of bitchiness. Shortly afterwards, they had set up some time on the mat, and Lexi had wowed them into allowing her to practice with them. It had been like a dream come true. The only thing that could have made it better was if they allowed her to compete. She wasn't going to hold her breath.

Lexi had been fortunate enough to begin training out that same week. The first day at practice she met the guy standing behind her. Spencer was a student athletic trainer for the gymnastics team that season; though his ultimate goal was to become a physical therapist. He frequently attended practices to get more comfortable in his role. Lexi's entire body felt physically assaulted after successfully completing her first practice. After seeing the amount of pain she was already in, Spencer had pulled her to the side and offered to do a post-stretch with her to soothe her aching muscles. At first, she had turned him down, but when she found she could hardly make it to the locker room, he had insisted. He nursed her over-used muscles making sure that she hadn't done herself any serious damage. After proclaiming her fit, he had nervously asked her out that same day. Agreeing to the offer was a no brainer, and they had been dating ever since. Seven months later their relationship was still going strong.

"No one can keep Trina under control especially if she is trying to make up for Krista's absence," Lexi said leaning back from the bar and glancing up into Spencer's warm chocolate colored orbs staring lovingly down upon her. His dark blonde hair was buzzed so short it was almost military official with just enough in the front to spike up. Cheek bones were prominent against his pale skin; a strong square set jaw line fit perfectly with the rest of his features. A crisp black and red polo fit snug on his broad shoulders; black cargo shorts and Reef flip-flops adorned the lower half of his body.

"And no one can make up for Krista," Chasity said flipping the tops off several Dos Equis bottles.

"She's probably glad to have graduated," Trina commented. Lexi narrowed her eyes at her. Trina had been making similar comments since she had been named captain. "What?" she asked defensively. "I just mean that now she doesn't have to take her piercings out every January."

The group laughed along at Trina's joke. Lexi found she could only produce a forced half-smile. She really did miss Krista and her spontaneous vivacious personality that seemed to light up any room. As soon as she had graduated, Krista had hightailed it out of town. She had ended up in Las Vegas and was now performing nightly at some Cirque de Soleil show. The team wouldn't be the same without her.

Lexi pulled her phone out of her tiny black purse to see if anyone else from the team had responded to her mass text. Sighing, she looked at the blank screen. "Guess everyone else is busy tonight," she mumbled under her breath.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her hand. Lexi perked up excitement running through her. She flipped her phone open and stared numbly at the name that flashed onto the screen: Jack Howard. Lexi quickly glanced backwards at Spencer. He was occupied by Ashley, a blonde leggy gymnast in her third year. She had never mentioned anything about Jack before to him, so even if he had seen the name, it wouldn't have meant anything to him anyways. But despite that fact, she angled her body to block his view of the screen.

She was unsure whether or not she should click the little green button. He had messaged her several times shortly after he had confessed to have a girlfriend. However, he had ceased his attempts at contacting her when he realized that she refused to answer a single one. It had been difficult, of course. She had wanted to reply. After all, she had fallen head over heels for the boy, but she couldn't share him. All or nothing. She hadn't heard a peep from him since February, when she had begun practicing with the gymnastics team.

Just enough alcohol coursed through her veins that her finger fell on the button opening the message.

"3 o'clock."

Lexi stared down at the cryptic message, confusion written across face. Her brow furrowed together as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. The time was 1:30 in the morning. Was she supposed to meet him at 3 o'clock? If so, where was she supposed to meet him? No, that couldn't be it. He would have said more if he wanted her to meet him; some explanation at least.

3 o'clock.

She stared off into space feeling the alcohol loosen her muscles and continue to cloud her judgment. Then, as if woken from a dream, she turned slowly. There he was. Sitting at the end of the bar, beer in hand, at her 3 o'clock.

He raised his glass to her in a cheers fashion. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He looked so good. She had almost forgotten how his shaggy hair fell messily into his eyes. The natural way he jerked his head to uselessly move it out of the way...only to have it fall back into his amazing blue eyes. The way his smile warmed you inside out.

"Want to go back out on the floor?" Spencer asked breaking her out of her trance. She quickly averted her eyes and forcefully snapped her phone shut.