Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

"We've been out of touch up until recently," he admitted hating how much information Ramsey was capable of weasling out of him. "You don't mind if I get some coffee?" he asked hoping to put some distance between them.

"Not at all," Ramsey said watching him enter the kitchen and reach for an already full mug of coffee. "Why are there two mugs?" he asked curiously immediately glancing around the apartment as if a stranger were about to jump out at him.

Jack smiled as he brought this coffee back into the living room. "That was from last night," he improvised quickly.

"Alright," Ramsey said not convinced with pretty much anything Jack was telling him, "So, ya'll just recently got back in touch. I'm surprised Bekah's alright with this."

"I'm not sure why you're giving me the third degree. I love your sister. Lexi is just an old friend. That's all," Jack announced to Ramsey.

"Well that's good to hear especially since we went out the other night," Ramsey added nonchalantly. All the while, he kept his eyes locked onto Jack. The reaction elicited was almost uncanny. Utter shock seemed to sweep his body starting at this clenched fists and racing up his arms into his tensed shoulders. His breathing quickened with bursts of hot air escaping his nostrils. Jack's jaw tightened with the growing anger that sent through him. His blue eyes were darkening by the second. Ramsey just wanted to laugh at how obvious he was being about his affections.

Jack obviously had feelings for Lexi that he wasn't willing to share with the general public especially with him or his sister. Ramsey had known that coming into the conversation just based on his reactions at his party Sunday night. Since he had been so intoxicated that night he hadn't been so sure, but he certainly was now. The thing he didn't know about was why his sister, his beautiful, talented sister, was putting up with it. She knew that Lexi was here, allowed them to hang out, and even went shopping with the girl. Was she out of her mind for putting up with this? Were they actually just friends?

After all, their date had gone over really well. Actually, it had gone over better than he had expected. Now that he knew just how Jack felt about her, he was even more curious to pry the details of her reason for coming to Atlanta out of them, because truthfully he didn't think that someone as amazing as Lexi could be just friends with anyone.

"You did what?" Jack asked hoping to keep his voice level, but knowing he was failing.

"Yeah I took her out for a picnic the other day."

Jack clenched and unclenched his fists a couple times. All he felt like doing in that moment was throwing his fist directly into Ramsey's smug face. Anger at the thought of Ramsey and Lexi together was taking over him, and he needed to get out of the situation before he did something he would regret. "Well…that's great," he finally said lamely breathing out as slow as he could.

"Yeah, so anything else I need to know?" Ramsey asked giving him a smug grin.

Jack shook his head. "She's leaving soon. So I wouldn't press your luck. I've known her a long time, and she doesn't really go for well…guys like you. No offense."

"None taken," Ramsey said amused at Jack's reaction.

"I just mean with your job and the people you associate with not to mention that you live in Atlanta, it wouldn't be best for her."

"Of course not," Ramsey said agreeing with him just for the hell of it.

"She's different than your other girls."

"How so?"

"Lexi's just special in her own way. She's smart…more like brilliant, and motivated. She's going to make something of herself. She'll know if you're playing her like you normally do," Jack told him his gaze focusing on the hallway where he knew she was listening in.

"I wasn't planning on it, but thanks for the talk," Ramsey said extending his hand out to Jack.

"Anytime. I'll see you around," he said thankful that he was leaving.

Ramsey took Jack's hand in his own and gave his hand a rather firm shake. "I'm not going to play her. She does seem rather special."

"She is."

Suddenly, Ramsey yanked Jack forward so only inches separated them. He set his gaze directly on Jack and growled lowly, "I hear the way you talk about her, and I can see how you feel about her. Don't even try to pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. Now if you ever hurt her or my sister, I'll find you." Jack gulped and attempted to avert his gaze. "Did you hear me?" Ramsey asked menacingly still holding his hand in a vice grip.

"Yeah man, I heard you," Jack snarled back at him.

Ramsey released him shoving him back a little harder than he had anticipated. "Well then have a nice day and I'll see you on Friday night."

Jack watched him exit his apartment in a raging fury. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so infuriated with anyone in his life. First, the son of a bitch had come into his house and interrogated him on his relationship with Lexi. Then, he had decided to share the information that he had dated Lexi. After all that, he'd still had the audacity to threaten him.

"Lexi?" he called down the hallway.

Lexi scurried out of the guest bedroom where she had been hiding. Her heart was racing with what had just happened. She couldn't believe all the things she had just heard through the door. She completely understood Jack defending their friendship to Ramsey, because the worst thing to happen right now would be for them to get caught all over again. She just couldn't fathom why Ramsey would tell Jack that they had gone on a date. She had planned on telling him, but things had been going so well that she hadn't found the right time. Not to mention she had assumed Jack would be angry, and from what she could tell Jack was furious.

"You went on a date with Ramsey?" he bellowed as soon as she was in front of him.

"Well yeah," she stated meekly.

"Why would you do that?" he asked attempting to control his anger at what had just occurred.

"What did you expect me to do when you just ditched me?" she asked him turning the tables on him. "You went off with Bekah and left me all alone while Ramsey was the only person there to take care of me."

"God, I don't know Lex. Go see your parents or something. I didn't expect you to go out with my girlfriend's brother. This is so f**ked up."