Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding 1)

"Fine. How about I call you tomorrow?"

"Sounds great sweetie," Bekah said happily. "Jack stop," Lexi heard her mutter playfully in the phone. She didn't even know if Jack was actually there or if Bekah was just being a bitch. She supposed it didn't really matter since it had worked. Lexi could feel her heart constricting and pain crease her temples. Her throat was closing up and she felt her body seizing at the thought of Jack being alone with Bekah. Lexi coughed uncomfortably and said a rushed goodbye before slamming the phone shut.

"What was that about?" Ramsey asked concern evident in his voice.

"You're sister wants to take me shopping," Lexi informed him pushing several strands of hair behind her ear forcefully.

"That's nice of her," Ramsey said. Though for some reason, he didn't really think it was. Thinking of Bekah only brought back memories of their conversation from the night before.

* * *

"What are you doing Ramsey?" Bekah asked scolding him before he could even utter a word. "You don't even know this girl. She's not just another one of your girls."

He stared at her in awe. His jaw had gone slack. "Why are you protecting her? I'm pretty sure that she can take care of herself."

"Yes I'm sure she is quite capable," she said her jaw tightening. "That's not the point. You just need to back off."

His sister never spoke to him like this. He'd done some pretty f**ked up stuff in his time and all the while she had been there for him. She supported him. Even if she didn't agree with him, she had always accepted his decisions. It was strange to be scolded by his younger sister for something this miniscule. He would have expected this type of treatment from their parents. After all, they didn't really expect him to care about anything outside of the Club, but not from Bekah.

That left him to believe one thing: Bekah was in on it. Whatever reason Lexi had for showing up in Atlanta to see Jack had something to do with Bekah as well. He wasn't sure the reason, but he wanted to know. Something was wrong with this situation. He could just feel it. Bekah had always confided in him with everything, and since she wasn't in this case, it only enhanced his concerns.

"I'll back off when you tell me what the hell is going on Bek."

"There's nothing going on," she said squaring her shoulders and tilting her head in the dignified way she had learned while practicing to be a Debutante.

He knew that look. It was the determination that characterized their family. It was that look coupled with brains that had allowed their family to succeed for generations. "Fine. Don't tell me what's going on. But I'm smarter than everyone lets on Bekah, and I'm going to find out. She has history with Jack that much you've told me. What I can't figure out is what you have to do with all of this." A muscle in her jaw twitched slightly while the rest of her body remained still. "What's the master plan, my mastermind little sister?"

She had recovered almost instantly from how sharp his intuition had proven to be. But it didn't matter to her. It's not like he was going to find out anything more. "There is no master plan. It's really simple. Lexi and Jack are old friends. Old friends do on occasion come and visit each other. Obviously, I would want to meet this old friend. That's it."

She was lying and he knew it. She wouldn't be worked up about the whole situation. She wouldn't be acting so out of character if there wasn't something more to this whole charade. He stared into her cold blue eyes and saw the resolute decision pass through them that she would say no more. He nodded in comprehension. "If it's just old friends, and neither of you care that much, then I think she should stay with me after all."

Bekah sighed seeing the same look pass from his emerald orbs. "Why do you want her here?"

"She's hammered. I don't think it would be intelligent to move her. How would you like her to throw up all over your car?" Two could play at this game. He wasn't going to go spill his guts about his instant attraction to Lexi, if Bekah refused to divulge any further information about why Lexi was here in the first place.

"Can we just compromise?" He raised an eyebrow allowing her to continue. "She can stay, but take her to a hotel afterwards. I don't want you to get any ideas," Bekah said looking him up and down.

"What do you think I'm going to do Bekah? Jesus."

"I know what you've done in the past," she said pointedly.

"Whatever," he said acknowledging her triumph. "Hotel it is, but you will fill me in on this shit right?"

Bekah's eyes narrowed. "It would be smarter if you just dropped it."

* * *

Lexi snorted bringing Ramsey back to reality. "Nice. Right."

"You don't have to hang out with her," he stated absentmindedly. He passed a sandwich to her and she reached into the basket to investigate the contents further.

"Yeah I know, but Jack wants me to," she said shrugging.

"Why is that?" he asked honestly curious.

Lexi shrugged again. "Beats me. We've known each other for a long time, and I guess since I'm here he wants me to get to know his girlfriend too."

Ramsey took a deep breath to keep from asking too many more questions. He had a million, but the last thing he wanted to do was overload her with them on their first date. If he had it his way there would be many more to come. "So how long are you here for exactly?"

"Well schools starts on Monday. So I guess until Sunday then. A week total." Lexi smiled at the grimace that crossed his face. She wasn't entirely sure if that was because she was staying too long or too short, but she was going to go with the later. She had found herself in quite an interesting scenario.

"I guess you'll be here long enough for Jack's birthday then," Ramsey said leaning back on his elbows and examining her reaction.

Lexi's mouth popped open in surprise. Oh my God. How had she forgotten his birthday? Of course, it was his birthday this weekend. And if she recalled this was a big one indeed. Twenty-five years old. Wow. A quarter of his lifetime gone by, and she had known him since he was just nineteen. She couldn't believe she had forgotten. "Oh yeah. What is he doing exactly?"

She couldn't believe she was asking Ramsey for information about this. Why hadn't Jack mentioned it? Had he just assumed she wouldn't come? Did he not want her to be there? There were so many questions she needed answers. At least now she understood why Bekah wanted to go shopping for Jack's big day.