Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(87)

"Look I'm sorry," she murmured softly turning into his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her across the bench and onto his lap holding her tight. "I…we have a lot to talk about, but right now isn't the time or place. I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay," he said bringing his lips gently down onto hers. "We'll work it out."

Lexi had never really thought that Ramsey had such a strong pull on her emotionally…not like Jack. Their relationship had been so different than anything she had experienced with him that she had always separated the emotions she felt for the two men. Her and Ramsey always acted together…as equals. Their relationship developed slowly over time and she had been careful to guard her heart. Then when she had finally given it freely, he managed to hurt her anyway.

And still she couldn't deny her feelings for him…just like with Jack. She spent close to a year of her life with him in an uninhibited relationship. In a relationship that she truly thought was going somewhere.

She knew in time they would need to discuss what had happened, but she wasn't ready for that moment yet. She was still too angry…too bitter. But she wasn't sure if she was ready to get rid of it all. They just needed time.

"Are you alright to go back up there?" Ramsey asked standing and planting her lightly back on her feet.

Lexi nodded as she brushed off her dress where it had wrinkled from sitting in his lap. She swished all of her hair over one shoulder to try and catch a breeze on the back of her neck. This wasn't the first time she had forgotten how unbearably hot Georgia summer afternoons are.

Ramsey swept aside the branches of the willow and the oppressive heat hit Lexi full force as she exited back onto the trail that led to the party. Their anger subsided for the moment, the two walked side by side towards his parents. Lexi contemplated reaching for his hand, but let it stay at her side. No need to give more complicated signs than she was already giving.

The scene before them was as if nothing had happened. Jack was standing at Bekah's side smiling into her enamored face. Three women stood beside her, and Lexi was pretty sure she knew who they were. She remembered the last time she had been in proximity to Bekah's best friends, the Fearsome Four, as Ramsey had called them. She had nearly been sick listening to them talking in the 755 Club. It wasn't exactly a fond memory, and she wasn't looking forward to seeing them again.

As they approached, a glass of lemonade was thrust in each of their hands, and they were shuffled closer to the bride and groom. The closer they got, the louder Ramsey's father's voice rang in the afternoon air. It was clear he was making a toast.

"To honor my beautiful daughter…"

Lexi half-listened to the speech as her eyes moved back to Bekah's friends. They all had shining blonde hair in various stages of bleach. She wasn't certain if any of them were natural. Or perhaps they had been at one point, but they had now died their hair so often they couldn't remember if the shade was sandy or honey…or anything other than manufactured color that Lexi felt she needed sunglasses to even look at.

"and my soon-to-be son-in-law…"

The tallest one was easily the prettiest of the three. As much as Lexi hated admitting it, she didn't have Bekah's natural good looks and poise, but she was stunning in her own right. She couldn't place names with any of them since she had never been officially introduced. All that rang through in her mind was a terrible southern drawl talking about f**king in the middle of a crowded party where anyone could hear her…and Bekah encouraging her.

"I know that through their love…"

The thought turned her stomach as if she were still standing in the club hearing the words as she eavesdropped on their conversation. She assumed that the pretty one was the bitch with the drawl. Beauty and money tend to bring about a sense of self-righteousness. Not to mention the damn girl was wearing cowboy boots with her yellow sundress…a style Lexi still hadn't come to grips with.

"and devotion to one another…"

Lexi tried not to snort at the last statement as he eyes shifted to the one standing in the middle. She was a tiny little thing with a button nose and calculating, round, baby blue eyes. Unlike the other girls, her dress was loose fitting, and extremely conservative…even for a country club. Her demeanor oozed prude. If she hadn't been hanging around Bekah, Lexi would have thought she would be better placed in a church.

"they will have a marriage as fulfilling as any we've witnessed…"

The last girl seemed the most normal of the bunch…if that word could even be used about someone who was actually friends with Bekah. Her hair was cut short into a bob that curled up under chin with large sweeping bangs that completely covered her forehead. Her smile seemed genuine as she looked at Bekah's own happiness. Lexi wasn't sure if she could ever be friends with someone that Bekah had known for such a long time, but just based on appearances, this girl had to be the closest thing to a human being around.

"Saturday will be just the first of so many more wonderful moments in their lives…"

Lexi let her eyes shift back to Bekah and Jack. Their hands were lightly entwined as they stared up at her father. Every couple seconds they would sneak glances at each other. A pain shot through Lexi's chest from watching them interact together. One thing was obvious – Jack hadn't told Bekah anything. She looked so incredibly happy standing next to him, Lexi was having a hard time reconciling the situation in her mind.