Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding #1)(91)

Kate let her inside on the first knock and ushered her into the living room. Lexi had a faint idea based on Kate's appearance that Kate's family was relatively wealthy. As she looked around the townhouse, she realized this was definitely the case. An olive green couch sat on one side and two brown chairs occupied the other side. The television that was mounted on the wall fit the size of the room to perfection. Picture frames hung tastefully on the walls and standing on the oak side tables were filled with pictures of her friends. The most common face Lexi noticed other than Kate's was Jack. He was all over her house. Scattered in nearly every picture frame. A brown jacket she recognized as his hung on a hook at the front entrance. A Wall Street Journal, Jack's favorite newspaper, sat on the coffee table.

Lexi gulped and looked up into Kate's enormous blue eyes. "Have a seat sweetie. What did you want to talk to me about?" Kate asked gesturing to the seat next to her on the sofa.

Taking a precautionary seat in the adjacent chair, Lexi shoved her hair behind her ears several times. She had no idea where to begin. She opened and closed her mouth several times before looking down at her fingers resting in her lap. She glanced back up at the oblivious girl, her heart going out to her for what she was about to do.

"Have you noticed anything different about Jack lately?" Lexi began.

"Different? Different how?"

"Uh…just anything."

Kate chewed on her bottom lip gloss covered lip seriously contemplating the question. "No I don't believe I have."

This was going to be harder than she thought. "You haven't noticed that he's been missing a lot more than usual?"

"Well…I guess he has been missing, but not really more than usual. We've always had an understanding that we don't have to be together all the time for our relationship to work. He can have his days or nights away from me if he wants and I have the same privilege. It's just how we work. Not many people would be okay with that, but we are. Why?"

"Okay well, I don't really know how to say this so I'm just going to dive right in. Jack and I slept together."

The silence that followed was unlike anything Lexi had ever sat through. She wasn't sure if Kate was going to lunge at her or break down in tears. She looked shell shocked for sure. That had to have been the last thing she had been expecting. The tension could have been cut with a spoon. Lexi wasn't sure if she should run now. Her heart was hammering in her chest with the anticipation of Kate's response.

"Why would you tell me something like that?" Kate finally asked just barely above a whisper.

"I had to let you know and Jack wasn't going to tell you."

"Why would you think I'd want to know something like that?"

"I just…thought you'd want the truth."

"I didn't," she said shaking her head forcefully from side to side. "I didn't want to know that."

Lexi just stared at her. She didn't want to know. She had crushed her for no reason. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Kate asked her eyes glaring at her. "For what? Fucking my boyfriend or for telling me that you f**ked my boyfriend."

"Uh…"

"Just…just don't answer that. I don't want to know. I don't want to hear any of it. I just want to forget you. Forget you ever existed. Please leave my house."

"Kate."

"No, I don't need any other information from you. Thank you. Have a nice day and a terrible life. Get the f**k out of my house," she said standing and pointing towards the door.

Lexi stood in complete shock at Kate's reaction. "Are you going to tell Jack that I told you?"

"No I'm not telling him anything. Now leave."

"Why are you so calm about all this?" Lexi couldn't help asking.

That question seemed to change everything about Kate. Lexi had never seen the girl anything but way too perky, but she looked damn well furious. "You think I didn't know that he f**ked you? God, I am not stupid, you f**king whore." It was Lexi's turn to look shell shocked. Kate had known all along, and she hadn't said anything. "I knew the first day that it happened."

"You did?" Lexi couldn't believe it. No one else had been out on the pier that day. No one else had known they were there. Kate certainly hadn't even been awake that night. "How did you find out?"

"I was there. I walked into his house, because I have a key that he gave me. He had his bedroom door open and there you two were on his bed." Lexi's mouth popped open. "I just loved Jack enough to see past that one incident."

"That wasn't the first time," Lexi admitted to Kate the information she had withheld from Clark.

"What?"

"That was about a month ago right?"

"That's what you were talking about isn't it? You were feeling guilty and you had to let me know about it. Well, f**k you, I already knew that it happened. I knew and could get over the fact that he was unfaithful that one time."

"No. You have it all wrong. The first time was at the beach house."

Kate turned and stared at her. "That was in May."

Lexi nodded watching the news dawn on Kate. "That's what I came here to tell you."

"No." Kate murmured falling back down onto the couch. "You guys have been sleeping together since May? Why is he with me then?" Lexi shrugged. She certainly of all people did not have an answer for that. "If you've been sleeping together since then, why are you just telling me now? Why are you telling me at all?"