The Avoiding Series Boxset

by K. A. Linde

  “No,” Chyna said icily. “You got the dress. I got the boxes of goodies you shipped me. I got everything! The answer is fuck no.”

  Chyna had called Lexi one day last fall, crying her eyes out over a box from Marco that had shown up at her house. Apparently, it had every article of clothing she had ever worn at a shoot for him, every sex tape, all of the rolls of pictures, and then everything she had left in Milan. The only thing missing had been the million-dollar dress.

  Two weeks later, a giant desk had shown up in her apartment. Chyna had thought that Frederick had it imported without her knowledge, but then she had realized that, in fact, it was from Milan. It was a desk from the dressing room in the opera house where she had been the star of a gala. Lexi didn’t want to know how much that had cost. The guy was fucking crazy.

  Lexi hadn’t really wanted to know the next part, but a nude picture of Chyna had shown up at her doorstop every Friday for three months. But as far as Lexi knew, Chyna had never actually spoken with Marco. Then, in March, everything had just stopped, and Chyna hadn’t heard from him again…until now.

  “I don’t give a shit about fashion week. I don’t give a shit about your fucking company. I left you, remember? And then, you fucked me over. Even Corsa, who had already offered me a job, rescinded her offer…so fuck you, Marco. Go fuck with someone else’s life. It looks like Ravenna is enjoying it,” Chyna said, throwing out the name of the girl that Marco had replaced her with.

  There was silence for another minute.

  “No. I’m done with this conversation. I don’t care if you say you’ll lift the blacklist, you motherfucker. I will never work for you again—not at fashion week, not in Milan, not anywhere. Get it through your head, and stop acting so desperate,” she growled out.

  Then, she pressed the End button and tossed the phone back on the table. She was still standing…and she was shaking. Lexi didn’t know if she was shaking from rage or embarrassment or sadness because she’d had to give up her career a second time over the same man.

  “Chyna,” Lexi said softly, reaching out to try to comfort her friend.

  “What’s going on?” John asked, appearing at that moment with a wary expression on his face and the girls’ drinks in his hands.

  “That motherfucker messed with my buzz,” she growled. “Gimme.”

  She reached her hand out for the dirty martini in John’s hand, and he promptly offered up.

  “I’m going to need like ten more of these. ’Kay, thanks.”

  “Chyna,” Adam said gingerly, standing next to her.

  Chyna had already started downing her drink.

  “What was that all about?”

  He plucked the drink out of her hand, and she glared at him.

  Lexi was pretty sure they both knew what that had been about. Chyna had made it pretty clear while shouting back at Marco. Luckily, the club was packed, and the VIP lounge was equally as crowded. Only a few people had stared over at them while Chyna had berated Marco for calling her.

  “Run along for another drink,” Chyna said, shooing John.

  He stared defiantly back at her, like there was no way he was going to do her bidding.

  “Chyna, talk to me,” Adam said. He rubbed his hand along the small of her back and kissed her shoulder lightly.

  It must be rough, dating someone like Chyna—explosive, a little too stubborn, a lot too strong-willed with the tendency to drink, exaggerate, and be dramatic.

  “Marco asked me to be the star of his fashion week show. He’s coming to the States to oversee his Fifth Avenue boutique and begin production for the new line.”

  “Why now?” Adam asked.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I was too busy screaming at him.”

  “What does he gain from giving you a job and taking you off the blacklist a year later? It doesn’t seem to make sense,” Adam said.

  Oh no! Lexi saw where this was going. She was pretty sure Adam already knew the answer to that question, but maybe having Chyna admit it and getting it out in the open would help.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Chyna spat. She turned her head away from Adam and seemed to be staring off over John’s shoulder. “He wants me back. I’m the one who got away.”

  “Well, he can’t have you,” Adam said. He grabbed her around the middle and pressed her against his chest. “You’re mine. I don’t care who the hell this guy is.”

  “He’s actually a pretty nice guy. And he drives a Bugatti,” John said, placing Lexi’s drink down in front of her.

  Then, he took the seat next to Lexi. She was determined not to be fazed by his nearness.

  “And how do you know him?” Lexi asked.

  “I brought his clothing company to the States from Italy. He’s a Global customer,” John informed her.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah,” Chyna said, shaking her head.

  Lexi saw that Chyna had known that, and she wondered if it had something else to do with why Chyna disliked John.

  “Well, really, none of that matters,” Adam said. “It’s not like Chyna is going to be working for him anymore. It’s not worth it.”

  “No, it’s not,” Chyna said wistfully.

  Lexi knew how hard it had been for Chyna to give up the one thing she been pretty amazing at, and had also really, really enjoyed.

  “Whatever. Maybe we should just get out of here,” Chyna suggested.

  “Where do you want to go?” Adam asked.

  “We should go back to my place. I’m sure we could get our own party together.”

  Adam shook his head. “Why don’t we just take a walk? Central Park?”

  “At night?” she asked, scrunching up her nose.

  “We’ll stay in well-lit areas. It doesn’t close until one.”

  Chyna shrugged. “You want to?” she asked Lexi. Chyna clearly did not care about John’s opinion.

  “Definitely.” Lexi knew that Chyna needed to get away from what had just happened to her.

  Drinking away her problems had always been her coping mechanism, but Lexi knew it wouldn’t really help Chyna. Maybe just trying to get her mind off of it would be better.

  They finished their drinks quickly and then exited the crowded nightclub. Chyna’s town car was waiting for them. Lexi forced John into the front seat as she scooted in next to Chyna. John told the man where to drop them, and they were whisked away through the city.

  Chyna snuggled into Adam’s arm, and Lexi left them to their private whispering. She didn’t need to hear what they were saying to know that Adam was trying to cheer her up. Lexi stared out the window at the passing scenery. John glanced back at her once and smiled reassuringly. She shot her eyes back to the city lights and tried not to think about anything but the reason she was here…to hang out with Chyna.

  Things had been pretty hectic at work, and Lexi was really glad that she had gotten the time off to come visit. She wished Ramsey had been able to join her, but he had been so swamped at work. Sometimes, she felt like she saw Jack as much as Ramsey these days, which was so bizarre. It wasn’t really true, but Ramsey was unbelievably busy, working all hours of the day and doing everything he possibly could to get the medical wing up and running. Half of the time, she just wanted to tell him to take a break, to slow down. She hadn’t actually wanted any of this to begin with, and he was overworking himself to get it done. It made for a tense situation even if he hadn’t meant for it to come off that way. When he was always at the office in a tense situation, it was a struggle not to bring it home. Neither of them was succeeding at that. Though, they were trying to take it one day at a time.

  The driver pulled up to Central Park at East Seventy-Second Street and Fifth Avenue, and all four of them piled out. Chyna told the driver that they wouldn’t need him until later in the evening, and she would have Adam call to let him know when to return. As the driver left them behind, they walked down the well-lit entrance into the park.

  Chyna and Adam took the lead, and Lexi fell int
o step beside John. The park was pretty deserted at this time of night, and it made Lexi anxious, even on the lighted paths. She had heard horror stories of people getting abducted in the park. Thinking about that just then did nothing to ease her anxiety.

  “So, I didn’t know you worked with Marco,” Lexi said lightly.

  “I’m sure there’s quite a bit you don’t know about me,” John said. His answering smile was brilliant. It lit up his whole face.

  “That’s probably true,” she said, averting her eyes back to the path in front of her. “Like who the person is that is feeding you information about me. You always seem to know something…”

  “Like the Bridges Enterprise event tonight,” John said offhand.

  “Wait—what?” Lexi asked, turning to face him.

  “There’s some event for the upper-level employees of the whole company. I think, primarily, it’s a big schmooze to pat themselves on the back. I’m a little surprised that you’re not there.”

  Lexi stared up at him, stunned. Had Ramsey ever mentioned this to her? She couldn’t remember. The worst part was that it was entirely possible that he had, and she had brushed it off. She didn’t want to go to things if Bekah would be around. Not to mention, this week was Jack and Bekah’s wedding anniversary. It made her stomach twist, thinking about it, and she hadn’t wanted to be in town for the occasion. She had been pretty desperate to get out of Atlanta, so she must have just missed Ramsey telling her about this because he certainly wouldn’t have held this back. This was a big thing to hold back.

  “You did know about it, right?” John probed.

  “Yeah…I guess I just forgot,” she lied.

  “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a terrible liar?” John raised his eyebrows.

  “Plenty of people.”

  “I was surprised to find you here since that was going on. I thought your boyfriend would have wanted you there.”

  “Don’t talk about him. I’m sure Ramsey told me about it. I’ve just been busy, and I had this trip planned already…” She trailed off as his smile grew. “What?”

  “You always defend him.”

  “He’s my boyfriend.”

  “And he’s pretty shitty at the job.”

  “I don’t know why you have such a negative opinion of your boss,” she spat back.

  “He’s not my boss. I work for Global, and right now, I work with Jessica. Bridges Enterprise just happens to be a client of Global.”

  “Now, who’s acting defensive?”

  John chuckled. “You’re beautiful when you’re feisty.”

  That wasn’t the first time she had heard that either.

  “Um…thanks,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

  At least he didn’t know that was her telltale sign of anxiety.

  With a smirk, he pushed the other strand behind her ear for her. “No need to be nervous, babe.”

  She gaped at him. What the hell? How did he know that? She had not been around him enough for him to know little things like that.

  John shook his head and laughed again at her reaction. “Give me some credit, babe. I pay attention.”

  “It’s been a year since I broke things off. I don’t know what you’re up to, but you have to stop,” she whispered.

  She didn’t want Chyna and Adam to overhear the conversation or the earnestness in her voice. John hadn’t been pursuing her like she had expected him to. If he didn’t know so much about her all the time, she would say he had given up. But the gleam in his eyes and that cocky smile told her otherwise. She was a challenge. In fact, she had set forth the challenge for him, and he was trying to meet it. It clearly didn’t matter whether or not she wanted him to continue because he was going to anyway.

  “I’ll stop when your heart doesn’t skip a beat when you see me,” he told her confidently.

  Lexi opened her mouth to argue with him, but Adam cut them off. “Hey, you two. Come on.”

  They had reached the Bethesda Fountain in the center of the park. It was a gorgeous display. Two giant staircases led up to a bridge that overlooked the fountain area. The bridge had seven lit archways underneath it that opened out to the fountain with the famous Angel of the Waters statue atop it. Depicted as a beautiful angel, the statue represented the blessing of the pool and its healing capabilities as referenced from the Gospel of John. Past the fountain, the bricked walkway opened up to a lakefront view. During the day, the area would typically be filled with families and couples rowing about on rented paddleboats.

  “It’s so beautiful at night,” Lexi murmured, following Chyna and Adam to the lakefront.

  “It’s perfect,” Chyna said.

  A light breeze rustled Chyna’s black hair off her face, and she smiled up at her handsome boyfriend. They looked picture-perfect in that moment. John came to stand next to Lexi, and even though there were a lot of unanswered questions, they shared a moment where they were both happy for Chyna and Adam. Lexi had always wanted her best friend to be with someone who treated her like Adam did. Despite the differences between Chyna and John, he seemed pretty happy that his brother was so in love.

  “You’re perfect,” Adam whispered.

  He kissed Chyna softly on the mouth, and as he pulled away, he sank slowly down to one knee.

  Chyna’s hand flew to her heart. Lexi froze. John placed his hand on Lexi’s back to keep her steady, and she glanced up into his hazel eyes for just a second. He had known. He had known all along what was going on.

  “Oh my God,” Chyna breathed.

  Adam pulled a powder blue box from his pocket and opened it to reveal an engagement ring. “You’re the most perfect person I’ve ever known. You’re the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?”

  It was so simple in that moment. Everything fit together. Her best friend was getting married. Lexi never thought she would see the day.

  “So, this is what you’ve been hiding?” Chyna said. She nearly choked on the words.

  Adam laughed and nodded. “I’d never hide anything else from you.”

  “Well, are you going to answer him or what?” John joked.

  “Well, yes, of course, I’ll marry you,” Chyna said.

  She threw her hand out in front of her, and Adam slipped the ring onto her left ring finger.

  “I love you,” Adam said, standing, picking her up, and pulling her into him.

  “I love you, too.”

  John and Lexi watched them for a minute before turning to give them their privacy. They took a stroll around the fountain and then Lexi took a seat on the edge. John sat next to her and stretched out his long legs.

  “I can’t believe Chyna is getting married,” Lexi told him truthfully.

  “She doesn’t really seem the type.”

  “No, she doesn’t.”

  “Especially compared to her best friend who is still not engaged,” he said, nudging her in the ribs lightly.

  “You’re a jerk,” she said. She shook her head at him. “Anyway, it’s not like I even want to get engaged or married or anything. It’s just this weird thing, seeing it happen to your friends.”

  “You don’t want to get married?” he asked. “For someone who puts a lot of effort into her relationships, you sure act like someone who wants to.”

  Lexi shrugged. “Law school was my first goal. I didn’t care about two, three, or four.”

  “Would you tell him yes if he asked you?” John asked thoughtfully.

  “What? Oh, Ramsey…I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it,” Lexi said, coloring softly at the admission.

  “You really aren’t like other girls, are you?”

  “I guess not,” she said, standing and dusting off her dress. She didn’t want to continue having this conversation with John. “You don’t seem like the marrying type either.”

  He stood, towering over her, and gave her the cutest smile. “Guess we’re a pair, aren’t we?”

  Lexi laughed, pushing him backwar
d a step. It was not a good idea to have him that close to her. She couldn’t deny his attraction—not that she would ever be stupid enough to act on it again.

  “Keep dreaming.”

  “That’s where I always find you.”

  Lexi rolled her eyes. “Let’s just go find the lovebirds. Shall we?”

  They found Chyna and Adam still in a lip-lock. They were pressed so tightly together that not even an inch of space was between them anywhere. Lexi was glad the guest bedroom didn’t share a wall with Chyna’s. As it was, Lexi was afraid she might be able to hear what was going on through several layers of walls.

  She and John managed to pry them apart. They walked out of Central Park as the clock struck one o’clock, and the park closed.

  The car ride back to Chyna’s place was short and slightly uncomfortable. The physical attraction Chyna and Adam normally held back in public was gone for the night. Lexi couldn’t blame them. They were engaged now after all.

  Lexi just stared forward until they reached her doorstop. John pulled open her door and let everyone pile out of the car once more.

  “I know you’ll be devastated, but I’m going to head back to my place now,” John said. He leaned against the car and invitingly stared down at Lexi. “You want to join me? I can’t guarantee it will be any quieter than Chyna’s place.”

  “You know I have no intention of going back with you,” Lexi said, taking a step back.

  “Come on,” he coaxed. “You’ll have a good time.”

  “And no one will have to know?” she offered up with a shake of her head.

  “I’d rather everyone know—at least the entire floor.”

  “Oh my God,” Lexi said with a blush. “I have to go. Good night, John.”

  “If you change your mind, give me a call.” His eyes gleamed with mischief. He clearly enjoyed teasing her.

  Turning quickly, she followed Chyna and Adam back up to the apartment, trying to push John’s attempts to get her to go home with him out of her head. She knew all too well what a night in his apartment entailed. She had been there a year ago…and it wasn’t something she should dwell on when she was lonely.