Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(44)

Her stomach dropped over from under her. Was he saying that he didn't want to see her anymore. Had she misinterpreted his statement? It hardly made sense with him bringing her up here to meet his friends. That wasn't exactly something you did when you decided you didn't want to date them anymore.

"I just mean that you know this back and forth isn't working for me. I don't like how this is all working out. It's too sporadic and hard to keep up with," he stammered out babbling on like the first time she had officially met him. It was always one of the cutest things about him.

"So what do you want?" she asked confused.

"I want us to be exclusive," he told her confidently. "I don't want to think that you're seeing anyone else. I want to see you as often as I can. I think about you all the time. I couldn't stand to be with anyone else with you on my mind, and I can't imagine you doing that. If I'm wrong, by all means, stop me from continuing, but if not then, please tell me."

"Oh Ramsey," she murmured breathily scooting forward ever so slightly and putting her lips to his once more, "I'm not with anyone else."

"Not entertaining the idea?" he asked cautiously.

"No."

"Then you're mine?"

She simply nodded basking in his gorgeous smile. The realization that she was in a relationship with someone, officially, for the first time since she had broken up with Clark during college hit her fresh. She was taking a leap of faith in Ramsey. As he melted her insides with adoring kisses, her mind filled with the joy of newfound happy memories.

And she didn't have one thought of Jack. Okay just one: he had never given her this.

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Thanks to all my awesome reviewers: Cupid's Psyche, LoveAlways03 (for reviewing EVERY chapter! you rock!), Kelly Rogala, smiling believer, hayleytibbs, Fierce . Imagination, Sure as the Dawn, XxSkyxLarkxX, stanhops, Lala, loveisadoingword, WyldeLoneStar (can't wait for the conclusion to Wayward Home!), helena33139, Ms. Vengeance, and Haley's Comet. Thanks so much for everything. You guys rock and I appreciate every single one of you. Also, I love everyone who has added me to a favorite story/author, all alerts, PMs...everything!

K.A. Linde

Persistence

One of these days maybe your magic won't affect me

And your kiss won't make me weak

But no one in this world knows me the way you know me

So you'll probably always have a spell on me...

-Rihanna and Neyo "Hate How Much I Love You"

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Chapter 7: Present

"I promise," Lexi whined sliding out of Chyna's embrace.

"You promise, promise?" Chyna asked sticking her with a fierce look.

"Yes. Don't worry about me," she groaned.

"Last time I said that you went off the deep end," Chyna chastised her smiling all the while.

"Yes, well I was a year younger. So blame it on my innocence and naivety."

Chyna scoffed at her response. "Were you ever innocent and naïve?"

"More than you'll ever know," Lexi told her becoming serious as she leaned forward and kissed her best friend's cheek.

"Now remember what I told you. If anything starts to look like drama, high tail it out of there. Feel free to call me, but please just try and get through this without murdering anyone," Chyna said shaking her head. Lexi could see the look of disapproval across her face, but she couldn't change anything now. She was about to leave to board the airplane. Jack's wedding was exactly a week away, and for some absurd reason she had agreed to accompany Ramsey.

When she had sobered up the next morning and remembered all that occurred, she had nearly died of humiliation. Of all the things she could have done, why she had agreed to go to Jack's wedding was beyond her.

Yes, she had been cornered by Jack and he had sounded so sincere. She had wanted so bad to give him what he wanted that night. And somehow in her state of drunken helplessness, she had still managed to push him away. She was pretty proud of that fact at least. She couldn't count how many times she had just given into him under similar circumstances. Yet, after completely pushing him away, she had agreed to go with Ramsey to Jack's stupid wedding without any coaxing on his part. And as stupid as she was, she had flat out told him it was because of Jack. She had smashed her face into the pillow and screamed until her lungs hurt that morning. It hadn't helped anything except to increase her killer headache.

Still now that she knew that the wedding was only a week away, she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She had known all along that if she had found out about the wedding, she wouldn't have been able to stay away. And here she was about to board a plane that would take her into the thick of things. Real smart Lexi.

"I'll call you."

"Lexi please," Chyna cried throwing her arms around her again, "don't get sucked into his trap again. I know how you are with Jack."

"Chyna I'm not going to," she said weakly.

"Ramsey too! Watch out for him."

"Stop mothering me," Lexi said taking a step backwards. "I'm going to be fine. I can handle Jack and Ramsey all by myself. Jack is insignificant. He doesn't even matter. I'm not there for him. I'm there to support Ramsey, because he needs me. Despite what happened, I think we may still have a shot." Chyna rolled her eyes. "I might be going crazy and I know you think I deserve better, but we'll give him a chance."