“Yeah. I finished early with what I had to do today,” Brad said as he walked over to give the three of them a kiss on their cheeks.
“Good to see you take a break from your stupid work schedule,” Lexie said to him.
“Stupid work schedule? Compared to what you’ve been telling me about yours, mine’s relaxed. So I’m surprised that you’ve seen it fit to take a break,” Brad said with a hint of sarcasm as they walked down the path to Rick’s house.
“It’s Saturday,” she murmured.
“Seriously, Lex, are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, giving him a smile that she hoped looked genuine.
“I have a present for Rick here,” Brad said in a low voice. “Just tell me if he hurt you and he won’t get it. I’ll keep it for myself.”
She gave him a mock frown. “Is that all you’d do for me?”
“No. When you’re not looking, I’ll take him aside and give him a piece of my mind. I might even decide to give him a black eye or two.”
Lexie chuckled, dipping her head on Brad’s shoulder. “Thanks, Brad. But no need to do that.”
“Are you sure?” he asked gravely.
“Yes,” she said lightly.
“So why were you avoiding him? You didn’t even want to be here tonight. I’ve never heard you come up with so many pathetic excuses just to escape having to turn up to this party.”
She sighed. “Girls, what did I do to deserve such a nosy brother?”
Cassie chuckled. “Look on the bright side. You were offered tickets to an invitation-only cocktail party attended by famous people because the organiser had a crush on Brad.”
“What? I didn’t know about that,” Brad said.
Lexie scrunched her face. “That doesn’t count because I didn’t take the tickets. I didn’t like the woman and couldn’t imagine her being my future sister-in-law.”
Brad laughed. “And you accuse me of being meddlesome? She could have been my soulmate.”
“Nah. She was snooty and extremely high maintenance. Not your type.”
“Any similar stories?”
“I have one,” Erin said. “When we were in high school, there was this group of girls who wanted so much to be Lexie’s friends because her brother was so hunky.”
“Now you’ve done it, Erin,” Lexie said, rolling her eyes at Brad, who was grinning like a monkey. “You shouldn’t have stroked his ego like that.”
“Hey, is that why you became friends with Lexie, Erin?” Brad asked. “To get close to me? Have you been hiding the truth all this time?”
“Ha ha,” Erin said dryly. “No. I became friends with Lexie because she saved me from utter humiliation when she didn’t even know my name.”
“Now, I haven’t heard that story either. Tell me.”
“Can’t. Too embarrassing,” Erin said.
“Aw, come on.”
Lexie swatted Brad’s arm. “Stop it, nosy.”
“Okay, then. Let’s go back to my original question,” Brad said, his tone reverting to serious. “Why didn’t you want to come tonight, Lex? Actually, just answer this simple one. Has Rick been an ass to you?”
She stayed mum.
“He’s my friend, Lex. And you’re my sister. It may be none of my business but it’s going to keep playing in my mind. You know how I am when I’ve got worries stuck in my head.”
Lexie took a deep breath. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you.”
Brad looked at her expectantly.
“I’ve had a crush on Rick for a long time now,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “I thought there might be something between us so I told him how I felt about him. But I was wrong. He only sees me as a friend. So I didn’t want to come here because I’m still embarrassed by it all. And his rejection did sting a little.”
“Aw, sorry, sis,” Brad said softly, putting an arm around her shoulder.
“Thanks. So please don’t make a big deal of it, okay? And for heaven’s sake, don’t bring it up with Rick. It’ll be too awkward.”
“Okay,” Brad said, hugging her to him.
The front door opened just as they reached it.
“Hello, guys!” Shelley said, giving them a hug and a kiss. “Welcome to my brother’s birthday party that I organised all by myself,” she said proudly.
They chuckled and congratulated Shelley on a job well done.
Lexie plastered a happy smile on her face as she walked in to greet the other guests. She couldn’t see Rick, which was a bit of a relief. She needed a minute to compose herself after setting foot in his house again.
There was someone else missing. Aileen wasn’t around. Maybe she hadn’t arrived yet.
Or maybe she and Rick were together somewhere else—
She mentally shook her head, annoyed at herself. She couldn’t afford to let thoughts like that sprout in her mind.
“Lex.”
Her heart banged in her chest as she turned around.
“Hi, Rick,” she said, gulping. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
Her gaze got caught in his and her stupid heart danced like a live firecracker trapped in a box.
Stop staring, Lexie!
Right. Well, since it was his birthday, she should give him a hug. Yes. A hug would break this disturbing eye-to-eye contact. She reached up awkwardly for a quick one.
To her surprise, Rick squeezed her tight. “Glad you’re here,” he said gruffly before letting her go.
All she could do was smile, not trusting herself to speak. It was already taking all her effort to push away the sudden need to cry.
“Hey, Rick. Happy birthday,” Brad said from behind her.
Lexie breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking her brother for coming to the rescue. She should have known she wasn’t strong enough yet to be around Rick without having these ridiculous reactions. She shouldn’t have come.
She walked away, making a beeline for Lucas and Jade, who were chatting in one corner. Where they were was safe. Anywhere far away from Rick was safe.
“Hi, guys,” she greeted with a fake bright smile on her face.
The two gave her a tight, comforting embrace.
“How are you, honey?” Jade asked.
“I’m all right,” she said. “As long as I get to have some of Shelley’s—”
Loud gasps from the other guests interrupted them and they looked to see what had caused people’s reaction.
Lexie shoulder sagged. There was Aileen, looking stunning and carrying something big wrapped in layers of deep-red cellophane. It wasn’t hard to guess that it was food—probably a cake in the shape of something tall. The dark covering made it impossible to see exactly what it was.
“Hello, everyone,” Aileen said as she slowly walked to a small table that Shelley was hastily clearing. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Aileen. I don’t want to drop this thing, so please get out of my way.”
“Tackle her!” Simon called out, making others laugh.
“Don’t you dare,” Aileen said, concentrating on not dropping her fragile load. Finally, she reached the table and gingerly put it down, looking very pleased with herself.
Lexie filled her lungs and slowly exhaled. Of course, Rick’s girlfriend would be responsible for something as important as his birthday cake. She thought Shelley would have baked one, but with lots of people at the party, they’d probably decided to order.
“Can we have a look at it?” Marilyn asked.
“No,” Aileen answered. “We’ll unwrap it when Rick’s ready to blow out his candles.”
“Won’t it melt?”
“I was told it should be fine. Now where’s the man?” Aileen looked around and beamed when she found Rick. Then she trotted to him.
Lexie looked away. The last thing she wanted was to see Rick smooch Aileen.
“I’ll get you a drink,” Lucas said.
“Thanks, Lucas.”
Jade stood closer to her. “Have you two spok
en since the Blue Mountains?”
She shook her head sadly. A part of her still hoped they weren’t truly over. But that was her silly, stupid self who refused to let go of the belief that Rick was the one for her despite all evidence to the contrary.
“For what it’s worth, Lucas said that Rick hasn’t been himself lately,” Jade whispered. “And he’s been asking how you are.”
“Rick cares about his friends,” she said with a shrug. “Doesn’t surprise me that he’d want to know how I am after our breakup.”
“I suppose,” Jade said dubiously.
“Lexie!”
Lexie looked questioningly at Tristan, who had a playful look on his face.
“Looks like you’ll win the bet in this round,” Tristan said loudly from across the room.
Another layer of gloom blanketed Lexie but she forced a gleeful expression. “Lucky me,” she said.
Marilyn snorted, casting an incredulous glance at Rick.
“What bet are you guys talking about?” Aileen asked.
“Yeah, what bet?” Brad seconded.
“Nothing,” Rick answered, crossing his arms and frowning. “Tristan doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Hey, dinner is ready, people,” Shelley called out. “It’s buffet style, so please go to the formal dining room to get your food, then you can sit wherever you want. Out the back by the pool is the best place.”
“Yes, boss. Thank you,” Rick said, smiling gratefully at his sister.
Everyone started piling to where the food was, with Aileen taking Rick by the arm to lead him away.
Jade squeezed Lexie’s hand in sympathy. “Sorry, Lex. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” she said. “I suppose it’s a consolation that I’d get something out of this situation. Since I’m the only one who bet for Rick, I’d have some good money to hand to my favourite charity.”
“You’re not the only one. I bet for him, too.”
“Oh, Jade. You didn’t.”
Jade shrugged.
Lexie’s eyes watered. “I don’t think I can stay. I have to go home.”
“Lexie...”
“I’ll just embarrass myself if I stay. People are bound to notice my mood.”
“Cassie drove you and Erin, didn’t she? Can you wait another hour and a half or so? Drew’s running an errand, but I can ask him to come and drive you home when he’s done.”
“Oh, no. Please, don’t do that. I’d rather just take a taxi. Plus, I don’t think I can wait that long.”
Cassie and Erin joined them.
“Lexie wants to go home,” Jade informed.
“Oh.”
“I’ll call a cab. I’ll be fine,” she assured her friends.
“What are you gonna say to Rick and the others? And to Brad?” Cassie asked.
“I’ll tell Brad I’m going home. He’ll understand why. As for the others, please just say I’m not feeling well.”
“You won’t say bye to Rick?”
Lexie shook her head. “He’ll know why anyway. And the others won’t likely notice I’m gone until much later, when they finish eating.”
She pulled out her phone to book a cab through an app while her friends looked on in consternation.
“I’ll be fine,” she reiterated, placing her phone back in her handbag. “Do you know where I can put my birthday gift?”
“There’s a table in the dining room with all of his presents,” Erin supplied. “Why don’t you have something to eat while you wait for the cab?”
“It should be here very soon. I’ll just leave my present and wait outside. And guys, you’re making it harder for me by fussing. Please go get some food and enjoy the party. I’ll slink off quietly and talk to you tomorrow.”
The three sighed in unison and followed her to the dining room.
Lexie found the gifts table in a corner and headed over, glad that no one else was hanging around there. She pulled out a small gift-wrapped box from her handbag and placed it with the rest of Rick’s presents, taking a deep breath as she did so. No turning back now. She’d already decided she was going to give this to him even if she’d bought it when they were still together.
“Is that for me?” an achingly familiar voice said behind her.
Damn.
“Can I open it now?” Rick asked softly.
Her breath hitched. She would have preferred him to unwrap it in private, but he was already tearing the wrapper. Her heart pounded hard, glancing at the threshold and wanting to escape.
Rick opened the box, his brows lifting at the item inside.
“I didn’t know what to get you because you have everything you want and need,” she started nervously. “I was browsing in an antiques shop and when I saw the inscription at the back, I just had to buy it.”
Rick took out the gold pocket watch with a gold chain from its beautiful mahogany box and flipped it. His mouth dropped open when he read the message etched on the casing of the decades-old timepiece.
R,
It’s only a matter of time.
L.
“It’s only a matter of time,” Rick murmured, running his thumb on the words. “Were the R and L already there or did you have them added?”
“No, they were already there. I thought it was such an apt message for those moments when you feel trapped and can’t see when it will all end,” she said softly.
Rick took a deep breath, obviously touched. “Thank you, Lex.”
She smiled, feeling her emotions rise up. She got the pocket watch two weeks ago at the Blue Mountains before going to Todd’s house. When she’d bought it, she’d been thinking of her and Rick. She had hoped then that it wouldn’t take long before they found a way around the contract Rick had signed with Betty.
But they’d broken up on that same day. She’d debated with herself whether to still give him the watch or not. It had meant a lot to her when she’d bought it.
That it meant a lot was precisely why she’d decided to give it to Rick. Even though they weren’t together anymore, she still cared for him. Hell, who was she kidding? She was in love with him. And even though she was still hurting like crazy, she sincerely wished him well.
“Um,” she said, clearing her throat that had closed up. “You should go get your lunch. The birthday boy has to be one of the first to taste his feast.”
“Come with me.”
“You know what? You go first.”
“Hey!” Shelley called out, walking towards them purposefully. “You’re not supposed to open your presents yet. I’ll be taking pictures of you while you open them one by one later.”
Rick rolled his eyes. “Shelley, there’s no need for that.”
“Yes, there is. Come and eat first,” Shelley said, dragging Rick towards the food table.
Lexie took that opportunity to seek out Brad.
“I’m going home,” she whispered to him.
Brad stared at her, concern evident in his face.
“I’m fine,” she said. “But you know how it is.”
“How are you getting home?”
“I called for a cab. It should be arriving soon.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“No, Brad. It will make me feel worse. I want you and the girls to stay and party with Rick—make sure he’s enjoying himself. Please.”
Brad sighed. “Okay.”
Lexie took one last glance at Rick on her way out of the dining room. The last image she saw was Aileen putting something on his plate.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“I can get my own, you know, Aileen,” Rick said dryly as Aileen heaped food on the plate he was holding. Was he allowed to be rude to his guests at his own birthday party? He was feeling like it to this particular one.
He’d thought he’d succeeded in getting her to accept that things had been over between them for a long time now. Aileen had said she was totally fine with that, but that she’d love to stay friends. Well, her actions today went beyond the
friends-only boundary. Even Shelley hadn’t been expecting that Aileen would turn up with a huge custom-made birthday cake.
He’d need to sit Aileen down again and somehow drill it into her head that there really was no hope for the two of them. He’d been gentle in breaking the truth to her in the past, not wanting to hurt her more than necessary. But Aileen seemed to be being deliberately obtuse. The fact that she was unconsciously putting herself in harm’s way made things worse. He’d had to deal with that too.
But what got him really cranky was what Lexie might be thinking.
He glanced around, surreptitiously looking for Lexie. Where had she gone?
It was getting harder and harder by the minute to stay away from her. She was like a magnet that pulled him with her presence.
He missed her so damned much. The last two weeks had been absolute hell. It was a wonder he could still function effectively when it seemed that he’d done nothing but worry about how Lexie believed he’d discarded her for Aileen. That was killing him more than anything ever had.
He was dying to tell her he loved her, to let her know he was only pretending in order to ensure her safety. But he knew the risk in doing so was too great. The knowledge that there was a real and present threat to Shelley’s safety still scared the living daylights out of him. He’d be a total mess if Lexie became a target as well.
He put his hand in his pocket and touched the watch Lexie had given him.
It was only a matter of time. But how long before this nightmare was over? He could only hope it wouldn’t be too late for him and Lexie. He wasn’t free to stop her if she wanted to move on.
The thought sent fear running through his body and he had this pressing need to be near Lexie. Well, why the hell not? They were at his own home, with people he knew and trusted. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt if he sat and conversed with her.
He went to check the rumpus room and the living rooms where the guests had congregated in smaller groups. Lexie wasn’t in any of those areas.
“Hey, join us here, Rick,” a couple of his buddies called out.
“Sure. Later,” he said, waving and heading for the backyard.
He scanned every single corner, but there was no Lexie. Her best friends were there, though, and he couldn’t see a spare seat that they might be reserving for her. He frowned. Was she in the bathroom, perhaps?
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