by K. A. Linde
And then, the party started.
Lexi was swept around the room, introduced to an array of people from Ramsey’s life. She smiled and laughed and joked, and somewhere in there, she breathed. She knew that an engagement party was supposed to be more low-key than the wedding itself, but it still scared her. This felt anything but low-key, and maybe that was because Chyna wasn’t here, and a lot of her friends from college and law school lived out of town. She couldn’t expect them to come into town twice.
Ramsey’s old roommates, Jason and Brad, were making jabs at him, and Lexi was deep in conversation with her old gymnastics captain, Krista, who lived in the metro-Atlanta area. She was pregnant with twins and already showing. It was crazy to see the small athletic woman who had barely any fat on her body to have a little baby bump. Lexi had thought it strange when Krista’s hair had been all one color, and now, she was having kids! At least, her hair was red with blonde underneath it now.
“I just can’t believe you’re marrying Ramsey Bridges,” Krista said, staring down at Lexi’s ring again.
Lexi laughed. “Yeah.”
“I mean, I seriously always thought that you and Jack…” Krista trailed off, glancing up to make sure Ramsey wasn’t looking over here. “And you mean that you and Jack are literally just friends?”
Lexi always forgot that Krista and Jack had been friends in college and that Krista was the person Jack had gone to when he had gotten Lexi on the gymnastics team after she had stopped talking to him.
“Just friends,” Lexi confirmed.
“Crazy. I mean, I guess no one expected me to end up with my college boyfriend. If I had, then I never would have met Matt, who I love something hard.”
“Exactly,” Lexi said, her gaze shifting to Ramsey.
Then, the front door opened.
Lexi wasn’t sure why she even noticed it over the noise of the party and the DJ playing party music, but it drew her attention. She felt like she was watching Gone with the Wind when Scarlett walked into the party wearing the iconic red dress after having been caught with Ashley. Her eyes landed on Parker at the front door, and Lexi held her breath. Of course Ramsey would invite her. They were business partners, but still…
Parker was dressed in a long-sleeved, cowl-necked sweater dress in a deep burgundy color and black boots. Her hair was piled high on her head, like she had been in a rush. Who was Lexi kidding? Parker was always in a rush. She was wringing her hands together as she sought out Ramsey in the crowd. Lexi knew that was what Parker was doing before they even locked eyes across the room.
“Who’s that?” Krista asked. “She kind of looks like you.”
Lexi breathed out through her nose. Of course she did. “That’s Parker. She runs the medical wing with Ramsey,” Lexi explained.
“Weird. You do know she looks like you, right?”
“Yes,” Lexi said as she watched Parker veer through the crowd right toward Ramsey. “I know.”
“Strange coincidence.”
Coincidence. Ha!
“Something like that,” Lexi said softly.
“Fuck, I would kill for a drink right now,” Krista said, eyeing the bar sadly. “And my husband won’t stop drinking. If I have to drive home, I might kill him before these babies pop out.”
“You will not,” Lexi said, laughing.
“I love him, but I want to kill him daily. You’ll understand when you get married,” Krista said, patting her shoulder.
Lexi glanced over at Ramsey and cocked her head to the side. “I’m pretty sure I already get it.”
“Lexi,” Ramsey said, motioning her over.
She took a deep breath and walked toward them. “Hey, Parker.”
“Hey,” she said shyly. “I, uh…brought you this.” She shoved a bottle of wine and a flat rectangular box into Lexi’s hand.
“Oh,” Lexi said, embarrassed. “Thank you.”
She hadn’t expected gifts. The engagement party Ramsey’s parents were planning was where she anticipated small gifts but not at the party they were throwing for their friends.
“It’s not much. I wasn’t sure what y’all wanted since you aren’t registered yet, but I kind of felt like I should bring something,” Parker said softly.
“Well, wow, um…thanks. We didn’t get any other presents.”
Parker’s cheeks turned bright pink. “Oh…really? I thought…isn’t that etiquette?”
Lexi shrugged.
Ramsey jumped in. “It is. Thank you,” he said with a smile, taking the wine out of Lexi’s hand.
“You can open it now, if you want. It’s not much, but I thought you could…I don’t know. It’s up to you,” Parker said.
“Go ahead, Lexi,” Ramsey said encouragingly.
“All right,” she said.
She untied the silver ribbon, tore back the white and silver paper, and popped the lid on the box. Inside was a wedding planner with individual tabs for each thing she would need to accomplish, and the front read, Lexi and Ramsey’s Wedding, in a swirly silver font.
Lexi smiled up at Parker, feeling completely genuine about it for the first time. The planner was truly a nice gift. “Thank you,” Lexi said graciously.
“I know that you hired Sherri, but I thought it’s never a bad idea to have your own planner. I didn’t know if you already had one.”
“I don’t. This will be a big help.”
“Well…well, good.”
They both stood there awkwardly for a moment, the knowledge of how close Parker had come to being in Lexi’s shoes weighing them down.
Ramsey shifted from one foot to the other. “I think I’ll go put this away,” he said, hefting up the bottle of wine.
The two girls watched him walk away, and silence fell between them like a brick wall. What did she have to say to Parker that Parker didn’t already know? It wasn’t that Parker was an inherently bad person. Lexi just couldn’t be around her without seeing Ramsey all over her. The man he had been, the things he had sacrificed, the desperation had shown to make things right—it made her heart ache.
“So, um…what do you think about the divorce?” Parker asked.
Oh, for fuck’s sake!
“About Bekah and Jack?”
“Yeah…it’s kind of weird, right?”
Lexi eyed her suspiciously. “Why do you think so?”
“I just know that, growing up, Bekah was in love with weddings, and she always said that once she got married, that was it. I’m surprised to see her breaking it off so soon just because he cheated on her. I mean…he’s done that before,” Parker said, biting her lip and looking away.
“How do you know that he cheated on her?” Lexi asked.
She filed away the information about Bekah. It made her want to gag, and she would look at it another time when she could process.
“Oh…well, I don’t know. I’m just going off what she said.”
“He didn’t do it,” Lexi said.
She wasn’t sure why she had to defend him in that moment. For a while, she herself had been debating whether or not it was the truth, but with the words tumbling out of Parker’s mouth, Lexi just couldn’t let her think that about Jack. He hadn’t done anything with Lexi when he’d had chances…so she highly doubted he had with anyone else. She hoped she was right.
“Well…if he didn’t, then it’s even stranger,” Parker admitted.
“She hasn’t told you why?” Lexi asked, arching an eyebrow.
Parker shrugged. “I know a lot of people don’t like Bekah, but she’s not all bad.”
“You mean, her heart is black. It’s not missing?”
Parker actually cracked up laughing at that. When she did, Lexi could almost see the girl who Ramsey used to love. It was a strange feeling in that moment. She had seen Parker laugh before. It was like her guard was down for a split second. She didn’t look so tired, overworked, and disheveled.
“Bekah and I aren’t as close as we once were, but I don’t think she would divorce Jack i
f he hadn’t actually done something. So, if he didn’t cheat on her, then what did he do?”
Then, what did he do? That was a good question. Lexi had a few theories herself about that situation, but she wasn’t sure if Parker was the best person to try them out on.
“I don’t know,” Lexi answered with a shrug.
Parker looked off in the other direction, like she was thinking about something else, when Brandon snuck up behind Parker and grabbed her around the middle.
“Hey, you!” he cried.
Parker jumped and turned around in surprise. Her smile dropped marginally when she saw who it was, but then she recovered and smiled slightly up at him again. “Hey, Brandon.”
“Oh, aren’t you just excited to see me?” he said dryly.
“It’s good to see you.”
Brandon glanced at Lexi and gave her a look that said, She’s fucking lying. “What were y’all lovely ladies just discussing anyway?”
“Bekah and Jack’s divorce,” Parker told him.
“Ah…the Bitch,” he said, nodding.
“We were just discussing what we thought the real reason was for Bekah divorcing Jack,” Lexi said, smirking at his comment.
“Lexi doesn’t think that Jack cheated,” Parker said.
“Because Jack would never do anything wrong,” he said sarcastically.
“He didn’t cheat on her,” Lexi repeated.
“So, what’s your theory then, honey?” Brandon crooned.
Her theory? Eesh. It was probably not the best time for any of that, but they were both staring at her now.
“Personally, I think Bekah put in all the effort in the beginning while they were dating. She saw it as a competition. She saw it as just another way to win. She did everything…and I mean, everything to keep Jack, even when it was pretty clear that no one else knew why. Then, they got married, and she won,” Lexi said softly. “So, she had nothing left to fight for. Jack started putting in the effort to make the marriage work…to salvage the heap of shit that they walked into. She had nothing left to put effort into though.”
Parker and Brandon stared back at her in surprise. Neither of them spoke.
“The game was over.”
AUGUST—ONE YEAR AND TWO MONTHS EARLIER
Chyna latched on to Lexi’s arm as she stumbled forward. “You will not believe the things Adam can do with his tongue.”
“I don’t have any desire to know what he can do, Chyna,” Lexi grumbled.
“No, seriously, Alexa.” Chyna giggled as they walked forward out of the restaurant.
“Please spare me the details of your love life.”
“I never had to spare you the details before. You’re getting boring now that you have a job,” Chyna complained.
“Boring? Are you kidding me right now?”
“I can’t help it if your job and boy toy are turning you all domesticated. When you’re with me, chica, you get raunchy details, and we’re going to party like you never left. Have to make up for the lost time,” Chyna said just as her driver opened the door to her town car.
They both stepped into the onyx car, and he closed the door.
“So, we’re supposed to be meeting Adam at the usual spot. He’s already on his way,” Chyna informed her.
At the moment, it seemed she had forgotten about the story she was telling. Lexi was happy to allow her to forget. She leaned her head back against the black leather interior and sighed. It was so nice to be back in New York. She knew so many people who liked the city, but they needed to be far enough away in the suburbs, in the country, out in the fucking cornfields to feel like they could breathe. But Lexi felt the exact opposite. It was like the three years that she had lived here had been instilled into her very existence. Atlanta was a big city, but it had a different energy than New York. And through the smog, the traffic, the noise, the smoke, and the waste—she felt like she could breathe. Every time she visited, it felt more like coming home than it did when she went back down South.
Chyna’s driver pulled up in front of the club they always frequented, and they glided out. A mile-long line was already wrapped around the building, and Lexi was reminded of the first night when she had met Chyna. Lexi had been one of those girls waiting to enter the club, and Chyna had yanked her out of line after Lexi had bitched her out. Lexi had been sure Chyna had heard it a million times before, but it had been different somehow. And now, they were best friends and had been for four years.
The bouncer recognized Chyna in an instant, and he swished back the rope to let her in. Lexi heard the venomous threats sent their way as both girls squeezed through the door and into the crowded nightclub. They took the stairs to the VIP lounge on the top floor where Chyna winked at the bouncer as he smacked her ass to let her through. Lexi only shook her head. Chyna would always be Chyna.
Chyna pointed out Adam across the room, and they veered toward him. As they approached, they saw another body plant two drinks down before turning to look at the girls. A smirk crossed his face, and Lexi could see those hazel eyes staring straight through her in that moment. He was too damn attractive for his own good.
“What is he doing here?” Chyna asked, crinkling her nose.
“I don’t know. Adam probably invited him.”
“You didn’t?”
“I don’t talk to him,” Lexi told her.
Except when she had to talk to him, when he was helping with the medical wing. She saw him at least once a week, but it wasn’t the same. He knew way too much about her life, and she had no clue who was filling him in.
“Must have been Adam then,” Chyna grumbled. “If he fucks with my buzz, I will end him.”
Lexi laughed and continued behind Chyna toward Adam and John. Chyna rushed right over to Adam, who promptly stood and wrapped her up in his arms. Lexi smiled at her friend. She was so happy for them. It was nice to see Chyna in some sort of a normal relationship. They had been going steady for over a year and a half, excluding their short time apart. Lexi knew a bit too much about what had happened when Chyna had been in Milan to completely discount that time, but neither of the girls tended not to bring that up.
“Hey, babe,” John said, standing and offering Lexi a seat.
“Hey,” Lexi said softly.
“Vodka cranberry, right?” John said, shifting past her.
His hand brushed against her arm as he passed, and she shivered.
“Yeah. How did you know?”
He just smirked at her once more. “Chyna, dirty martini?”
Chyna glared at him. “Go fuck yourself.”
“I’m not really into that.”
“I bet your hand gets a pretty good workout,” she grumbled.
Adam tapped her lightly on the arm and whispered in her ear.
John just shook his head. Lexi could read all the thoughts swirling through his mind. She remembered what had gone down between John and Chyna so long ago. Chyna had a hard time letting go of grudges. It was clear the grudge with John was still perfectly intact.
“Dirty martini, it is,” he said. “I’ll be right back.” He reached out and squeezed Lexi’s hand, his thumb running along her palm, before he walked away.
“I wouldn’t let him touch you, Alexa. Don’t know what you might catch,” Chyna said, glaring after him.
“Chyna, back off. Jesus!” Adam said, pushing her into a seat. “He’s still my brother.”
“And he’s still disgusting. Why did you invite him here tonight?”
“I was hoping you would be able to grow up for one night,” he shot back.
Chyna shrugged. “I guess not.”
Adam shook his head and took a seat next to her. “You’re insufferable. It’s a good thing I really fucking love you.”
“You mean that I really fucking love you,” she shot back, almost as a challenge.
“If you guys start making out, I’m leaving,” Lexi said, plopping down next to Chyna.
Chyna shrugged. “Where’s your boy toy tonight a
nyway?”
“I already told you that he had to work.”
The new medical wing was set to open in just two months’ time, and Ramsey was working around the clock. Considering that fact, Lexi was a little surprised that John was here at all. Lately, he had been in Atlanta nearly as often or maybe even more than he had been in New York.
“That blows. It would have been nice to sit here and watch Ramsey beat John for eye-fucking you when we walked in,” Chyna said.
“He was not eye-fucking me!”
Chyna rolled her eyes. “Whatever, chica.”
“Chyna, your phone is ringing,” Adam said, holding up the small clutch in his hand.
“Ugh! Who is calling me at this hour?” she demanded. She fished out the small phone and stared down at the number. “That’s strange.”
“What?” Lexi asked.
“It’s international.”
“Is your mom abroad or something?”
“My mother doesn’t call me,” Chyna said, staring down at the number curiously.
“Just answer it,” Adam told her.
Chyna shrugged and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
All of the color drained out of her face in the split second it took for the person on the other end of the phone to respond. Lexi had never seen Chyna look so mortified in her life. There might have been a twinge of green to her face in that moment.
“What the fuck do you want?” she demanded, her voice like ice.
Lexi and Adam both stared at her very carefully. Adam rested his hand on her thigh. Neither of them knew what was happening on the other end of that call.
“Are you fucking serious right now? It’s been a year! A motherfucking year! And you have the audacity to call me after what you fucking did to me!” she nearly screamed into the line. Chyna stood up swiftly and started yelling louder, “You fucking blacklisted me, Marco! I haven’t had a goddamn modeling job in a year!”
Lexi’s and Adam’s eyebrows rose in equal proportion. Marco. Now that was a name Lexi had not heard in a long time. He was the illustrious fashion designer and photographer that Chyna had worked for and become lovers with during last summer when she had been in Milan. He had made her a supermodel and had taken it all away when she had left him high and dry, taking the million-dollar dress she had worn at her spotlight gala with her. Their falling-out had shaken Chyna’s world after he had blacklisted her from the modeling world for theft.