Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(84)

Jack nodded slumping his shoulders as he slunk forward toward Ramsey. He stopped just before reaching him and said, "Hey man, you mind not telli…"

Ramsey's threatening glare cut him off. He could have pierced straight through him in that moment, and Jack knew it. "I think my sister is still waiting for you," he spat at Jack clearly disgusted.

Jack snapped his mouth shut. Whatever he had been about to inquire of Ramsey died on his tongue. He nodded his head resolutely and scurried from the security of the weeping willow. Lexi watched him go with resignation that soon she would be alone with Ramsey, and she would have to account for her inexplicable actions.

Lexi didn't have to be a genius to know what Jack had been about to ask though. It was pretty clear that if she hadn't wanted Ramsey to know…Jack sure as hell didn't want Bekah to find out. Ramsey and her weren't even dating anymore, but he was supposed to marry that detestable woman by the end of the week. The last thing Jack would want Bekah to know about was that he had been alone with Lexi. Lexi had gone to such lengths to keep them apart for the past year, and here they were again making the same stupid mistakes. No matter her present relationship with Ramsey, she knew that she didn't want him to know that they had been together. And Jack, no matter how much he seemed to not care that he was getting married when he was with her, still didn't want his fiancé to know.

She couldn't blame him for having been about to ask Ramsey not to tell Bekah. It was a futile endeavor, but she couldn't blame him for it.

Their predicament didn't exactly make sense. She had left him behind. He had agreed to marry another woman. After everything they should know better than to be alone together for any period of time. Now not only had she made the stupid mistake of agreeing to come to this wedding because of Jack, but she had been caught alone with him.

She just wanted to hit herself for her own stupidity. She wouldn't blame anyone for being angry at her. All she wanted to do was call Chyna and get yelled at to avoid the reprimand she was certain was coming from Ramsey.

Lexi took a deep breath in the near silence that followed Jack's departure. She still hadn't broken eye contact with Ramsey, and she knew that his emotions were close to boiling over the surface. She wanted to speak first…to explain, but she was lost for words. What could she possibly say? How could she possibly begin?

Ramsey began for her. "Look I know we're not together," he said closing off their exit and walking forward towards her. He ran his hands back through his honey blonde hair and scratched the back of his head as if in thought.

"I know that we have a lot of things to work out. I know that you're pretty pissed off at me. I just…I can't…I just don't understand. I just can't begin to fathom your reasoning." His words came out rushed and babbling and Lexi was struck with her first meeting with him when he hadn't been able to shut up. It made her want to smile, but not at this moment.

"I just…look there's no other way around it…excuse my way of asking this, but what the f**k were you doing?" he asked unable to keep his ever-present cool.

Lexi's mouth popped open at the statement. "Nothing," she piped up after a second of hesitation, devastation evident in her features.

"Nothing? You're going to try and come back with nothing?" he asked his eyes narrowing dangerously. If he had looked angry before it was nothing in comparison to the fire in him at her plea of innocence.

"Really Ramsey, we weren't doing anything," she squeaked gulping down hard.

He took a deep breath clearly trying not to just snap at her. "You left the party. When I got back from helping my sister at my father's request…no, demand you were just gone. When I asked around the only response I got was that you had left with Jack. That they had seen you take a walk together. That you were…" he took another calming breath but couldn't keep the bite out of his voice, "with Jack…alone."

Lexi couldn't find a response. All of that was true. She could hardly deny the facts that she had been an idiot and left with him.

"I don't know why you came here," he said gesturing to the weeping willow. "I don't even know how he knows about this place."

It was evident that this locale had more significance than Ramsey was letting on. She didn't know nor, at this moment, did she want to know what was special about where she was standing. All she could think about was the anger that he was directing towards her.

"Regardless," he grumbled leaning in closer to her, "Then I find you two together, against each other…holding each other. I just…I don't understand why you would…for Christ's sake, you even look guilty," he rushed out.

Lexi took a healing breath in hopes of calming her heart which was slamming around in her chest. "I know. I know," she muttered quickly. "That's probably because I feel guilty for being alone with him."

She couldn't deny that. She hadn't wanted to go for a walk with him in the first place. She knew the dangers. Yet, she had agree in the end anyway. Whether her intentions were clear didn't matter, because she had gone ahead and followed him to this place. She had stayed despite his advances, despite the gnawing feeling that everything that was happening was a terrible mistake. Sure they had resisted each other, but to what extent. He still had enough power and control to get her to leave with him, walk with him, follow him to the ends of the earth. She wanted to hit herself for being so stupid.