Avoiding Temptation (Avoiding 3)

What had he said to Lexi about the girl he was seeing? She’s nothing like you. That’s why it’s not serious. As much as she looked like Parker, they were absolutely nothing alike. Lexi was strong where Parker was weak, confrontational where Parker skirted around arguments, emotional where Parker was stoic.

“Oh my God, you are,” Lexi whispered.

“You’re seeing John?” Ramsey asked, clearly surprised.

“Um…not exactly,” Parker said, averting her gaze and looking back at John. “I mean…it’s not serious or anything.”

No, of course it wasn’t serious—because John didn’t care about Parker. John was using Parker. Lexi couldn’t believe it when it hit her. She had always assumed that John had gotten all his information about Lexi from Adam, that it had trickled down from Chyna to Adam to John. She had thought that John was just nosy, and Adam was too good of a brother to deny him anything.

But now…

“She’s been the one feeding you information,” Lexi gasped.

“Feeding him what information?” Ramsey asked.

Lexi had never told Ramsey about John always knowing things about her. Every time it had happened, she hadn’t been with him, and then she had tended to forget that it had happened until the next time.

Parker looked genuinely confused for her part. “What are you talking about?”

“All this time, John has just magically known so much about my life. It’s Parker, isn’t it?” Lexi asked, unable to stop. Answers to the nagging question she’d had for the past year and a half were so close that she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She should have chosen another time and place, but she had to know.

“Have you been telling her stuff that I said to you?” Parker gasped.

John just shrugged, all nonchalant like.

Lexi’s eyes widened. He didn’t care. He had no shame.

“How long has this been going on?” Ramsey asked. His face was still a mask of disbelief.

Clearly, this had come out of left field for him as much as for Lexi.

“He’s known stuff since last October,” Lexi reasoned. “So, at least that long.”

“September,” Parker murmured softly. She actually looked scandalized by the whole thing.

“You’ve never said anything,” Ramsey said, shaking his head.

Lexi could see what he was thinking. How could he be around someone every single day for a year and a half and not know that she was hiding something? Then, Lexi had a terrible thought that she wished she could hold back. He had gotten a taste of his own medicine.

“It didn’t come up. And like I said…it’s not serious,” Parker said with a shrug and then looked away from Ramsey quickly.

“A year and a half isn’t serious?” Ramsey asked before he could stop himself.

“Just stop it,” Parker said. “Of all people, I’m the last person who needs your judgment.”

The group stood very still at that comment.

Lexi didn’t know what had happened, what had shifted. But Ramsey just nodded and then reached out for Lexi to try to get her to leave. John turned to go, encouraging Parker to follow him. Parker looked like she had more to say, but she couldn’t form the words. Then, Parker jerked out of John’s grasp and stalked down the hallway, far away from them all. Lexi stared after her, wondering if she was hurting more from John or Ramsey in that moment.

“I would just finish up your report and go,” Ramsey said to John viciously. “You’ve done enough damage here.”

John cracked a smirk and looked Ramsey up and down as if measuring him up. “I understand why you two are together now,” he said, his eyes shifting between Lexi and Ramsey. “You’re equally oblivious.”

Chapter 17

Chyna wasn’t even nervous.

How was it possible that Chyna wasn’t even nervous one bit about her own wedding? Most people were excited, but nervous jitters would usually set in about now. They were only minutes away from Chyna walking down the aisle, and the girl wasn’t even drinking. Chyna drank for everything.

Maybe she was freaked out enough that Adam had struck her sober.

“Are you sure you don’t want something to drink?” Lexi asked, staring at the unopened bottle of champagne. She was really considering opening the expensive bottle herself and downing the contents. She could walk in her heels slightly tipsy, um…drunk, right? Was it normal for the maid of honor to be nervous for the bride?

“No, Alexa, I’m fine. I don’t need alcohol today,” she said with a bright smile on her face.

Chyna looked positively stunning. Lexi had seen her modeling pictures, and nothing compared to her wedding day. She was glowing.

The makeup artist, who Chyna had fallen in love with on one of her last photo shoots, had artfully applied her makeup. The girls had hit it off during the hours of makeup sessions they had spent together, and Chyna had acquired her for the wedding. She managed to set off Chyna’s natural beauty without making her look overdone or even like she was wearing much makeup at all. Her eyes were lined, and her lashes were coated in thick black mascara that made her green eyes pop. Her lips were a gorgeous natural pink to match the glow of the blush and bronzer.

Chyna had been going to the same hairstylist for years now, and even though the man never left for private jobs, he had agreed to work on Chyna’s hair. Lexi was sure that Chyna had coerced him into it, but he seemed to be a miracle worker. Her long, pin-straight black hair had been turned into gorgeous curls. The front had been parted to one side and swept gracefully back into a half-up do, and her long bangs were tucked loosely behind her ear. Lexi couldn’t believe how insanely beautiful her already supermodel-gorgeous friend was. It was enough to make any other girl green with envy.

Still…Lexi couldn’t believe Chyna wasn’t drinking.

“I’d say something was wrong with you if you weren’t drunk by this time of night already, but it’s your wedding day, so I guess I’ll let you be right for once,” Lexi said with a laugh at the end.

“I appreciate it, chica,” Chyna said, rolling her green eyes skyward.

“Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day,” Lexi said.

Chyna smiled even bigger and shook her head. “Please. I didn’t let you. It was a necessity.”

“Well, either way, you look gorgeous.”