“I’m not acting. After the way you left my apartment last night, you look like a new woman. It’s very becoming,” he said eyeing her up and down.

“Well, thank you, but there is no need for your charade any longer,” she said taking a step back.

In typical Ramsey fashion, he followed her in a synchronized dance. “Why do you keep saying that?” he asked his eyebrows scrunching together.

“I know what’s been going on. They told me everything,” she said running her fingers through her hair and sweeping a strand behind her ear.

“They? Bekah and Jack?” he asked and watched her confirmation. “Those bastards.”

“So, it’s true?” she asked taking a step back in pure shock. She hadn’t really believed it until she looked into his face. For some demented purpose, he had played her. But it didn’t explain what he was doing here. “If it is true, then what are you even doing here?”

“If you don’t want to see me any longer, I would understand, but know that I still want to see you, Lexi. I didn’t know when I saw you again at the Country Club that you were my Alexa, but I figured it out pretty quick,” he told her using her first name rather possessively.

“I wanted to tell you, but there was never a right time, and I thought you might think less of me. I wasn’t really in a good place at that time of my life. I thought you would just see me as that guy who had gotten you drunk and tried to take you back to his place. And I knew you were better than that. I wanted to be that other guy for you,” he said rambling on like the first time when she had spoken to him outside of the bathroom at the Country Club.

“I don’t care about the fact that we knew each other that night. I was just using you to forget,” she steered clear of Jack’s name, “forget everything anyway.” Ramsey’s face changed in that moment. It was as if his worries about slipping up had fallen off of his shoulders. He even appeared taller which was really awkward for Lexi who already had to strain her neck to look up at him since he never left more than six inches between them.

“But they did tell you about that? I mean that would be it, right?”

“Sure, Jack told me that. I had the pieces in my mind already but I hadn’t knit them together. And I guess your explanation makes sense, but I would have rather you told me the truth.”

“You’re big on truth, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she stated simply thinking about how lying and deceit had ruined her life.

“Now that that is out of the way. When can I see you again?” he asked his full-watt smile reaching all the way up to his eyes.

She shook her head in disbelief. “Never. You’re a player, and you played me.” She tried to move around him to the stairs of the plane, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. He spun her around until she was facing him again.

“I…what?” he asked his lips parted and eyes stormy. “I’ve never played you.”

“You say that as if you are a player.”

He gulped. “Well, I haven’t played you.”

“Everyone was right when they said I didn’t know you and that you weren’t everything you seemed.”

“Is anyone ever what they seem?” he asked. “You have secrets. Everyone has them.”

“But I don’t try and ruin someone’s life for sport,” she spat at him.

“And you think I do?”

“As far as I can tell.”

“Who’s life am I ruining this time?” he asked staring intently into her eyes. “Please tell me what I’ve done, and why you are so offended.”

“You seduced me. You tried to fuck me. You would have fucked me,” she cried disgusted.

“What’s the problem with that? It’s not like you didn’t want me to,” he said stepping even closer to her. “You like me, Lexi. I know it. You know it.” He reached out to her, pushing his fingers up into her tangled mess of curly hair. “Why is that so wrong?”

“Because you fooled me into liking you,” she cried, futilely pushing him away from her.

He shook his head not budging an inch. “I never had to fool you. You just had to open up your eyes.”

She clenched her jaw angry that he wouldn’t let her back away. “You did it for your sister.”

This seemed to take him aback. “Why would I fall for you for my sister?”

“You did her bidding to get rid of me.”

“But I want you around,” he said smoothly, running his hands gently through her hair. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“She put you in my path so she could have Jack all to herself,” she tried to explain.

That did push him back a step. He released her hair and stared into her wild brown eyes. “This is always about Jack, isn’t it?”

“No, nothing is about Jack anymore. And if you come with that territory, then good riddance,” she muttered angrily.

“What if I told you that was all a lie?” he asked curious about her answer.

“Could I believe you?”

“Have I given you reason not to?”

“Besides not telling me that you knew me previously?”

“I did tell you,” he reminded her.

“Yes, but not about meeting in the club.”

“Is that really all that relevant?”

“Absolutely,” she told him staring him down. “Half-truths and hiding are still lying.”

“Then I apologize, but I had nothing to do with Jack. And I hope to God that I never will,” he said inching forward again. His hands came up and secured themselves against her narrow hips. He grabbed her with a tad bit of force and pulled her into him.

“Ramsey,” she whispered his name as he locked lips with her. She held still as long as she could before giving into his kiss. His sweet taste of peppermint overpowered her senses and she closed her eyes to breathe him in. His lips moved softly against her own, coaxing out her emotions not demanding them. She couldn’t help but give into his adoring affections.

“Yes?” he asked finally breaking away from her, but planting one more feather light kiss upon her plump lips.

“I…I can’t do this,” she murmured against his lips, the air around them super heated.

“Why? Is it Jack?”

“No,” she said quickly. Then sighed and broke away from him. “Yes. It is Jack.” He nodded accepting that without questions. “You shouldn’t want me. I’m not in a good enough place to be wanted.”

“But I do want you. At least, something with you, even if we start slow,” he pushed.

“You know how people say you crawl before you walk and walk before you run? Yeah, well, I need to learn to hold my head up before I can even think about crawling,” she muttered brushing her hair off her forehead.

“Yeah. I get it, but Lexi…”

“No,” she said pressing a finger to his lips. “This is the end of the road.”

She turned from him and began to climb the stairs to the jet. Chyna was waiting for her at the top. It was pretty obvious that she had been eavesdropping, but she didn’t look displeased. Lexi wasn’t sure if that was because Lexi was finally standing up on her own or because they were on their way home. It didn’t matter either way.

“Will I hear from you?” Ramsey called as she hit the top step.

She turned around and smiled at him. “When I can hold my head up high.”

“You ready to get out of here, chica?” Chyna asked pulling her friend into a hug. When Lexi pulled back, she already had a flute of Champagne stuffed into her hand.

“Very ready,” Lexi confirmed.

“A toast,” Chyna cheered raising her glass to Lexi, “to being free.”

Lexi shook her head. “No. To closure,” she announced clinking their glasses together and downing her first glass of freedom.

The End.

*****

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