After cleaning up, Lexi fell back into Jack’s arms letting him hold her tight. He fanned out her hair letting it run loose between his fingers. “Better than the museum?” she asked playfully.

“Much better,” he said leaning down and kissing her on her temple. “Everything is better when I’m with you.”

She sighed heavily unable to believe that after everything they had been through and all the heartache and tears she had endured, she was finally getting the chance she deserved with Jack. So maybe they weren’t officially a couple, but at least they were something. She could deal with whatever came next as long as he was around. That would be good enough for her…for now. Then they could go past this, and work towards a real future together.

But right now, she was ready for round two.

CHAPTER 19

PRESENT

Lexi bounded into Jack’s room and quickly stripped off the band t-shirt he had loaned her. She looked longingly at the cracked bathroom door where steam was currently streaming from. She took one step forward, her heart racing with desire knowing that Jack was naked on the other side. She cautiously approached the bathroom door and peered into the room. Lexi could just make out Jack’s figure through the glass.

She had been so determined to barge in there even though she had just kept them from making the same mistake. She leaned her head against the doorframe and shut her eyes attempting to reason with herself.

Yes, Jack was naked in the next room.

Yes, he probably looked freaking amazing as the water ran down his body.

Yes, she wanted him.

All of these things were obvious to her, but she needed to keep a lid on her emotions. Just because she wanted Jack didn’t mean that she should have him. He was taken. Though she had never respected that in the past, she liked to think that she was a different person now.

As she was about to walk away, she heard soft humming over the drum of the water hitting the glass. The humming turned into a melody and eventually, Lexi could put the pieces together and make out the lyrics to Mae’s song The Ocean. She left her eyes shut tight allowing the lyrics to flow over her. She could have stood there indefinitely just listening to him sing so clearly over the water. His voice was mesmerizingly smooth and took her back to times when things had been easier. Or at least, she had thought they had been easier. In fact, they had been the calm before the storm.

She knew that if she rushed into that bathroom right now, it would be exactly the same. Jack would have all the control. It was hard enough turning him down twice in a twelve hour period. She wasn’t sure she was capable of doing it a third time.

The final note of the song sounded in her ears and the shower cut off. Lexi jumped from where she was standing, not expecting them to be timed together. She grabbed her clothes from his dresser and rushed into the guest bedroom. Scrambling into last night’s clothes, Lexi dashed for the exit. She didn’t want to be here when he got out. She didn’t trust herself enough not to succumb to his wiles.

Lexi hailed the first cab that she saw and had them whisk her to the airport. Flight time from JFK to Hartfield-Jackson was only two hours, and since Chyna was flying private jet it might even be less time. Lexi didn’t care how long she would have to wait. She couldn’t be around Jack right now. She needed her best friend. She needed Chyna to tell her that she was doing the right thing, because Lexi had never been good at that. And all she wanted to do was turn around and be back in Jack’s arms.

The cab stopped in front of the airport terminal. She threw some cash over the front of the seat and quickly exited the vehicle. The cabbie rolled the window down and called out to her. “Change?” She turned around and shook her head at him.

The wait was shorter than she had expected. She had passed the time sitting with her feet propped up across three chairs, listening to whatever was blaring through her earbuds, and people watching. New York was bad enough. She couldn’t believe what she had seen coming to and from an international airport. She shook her head at the remembered images and deposited the iPod back into her purse. Chyna had employed some poor sap to wheel her luggage through the airport for her. Lexi shouldn’t have expected anything less from her gorgeous friend. When Chyna caught sight of Lexi, her feet moved double time as she nearly ran in her rather impractical four inch heels to greet her best friend.

“Alexa, I’m so glad I’m here,” she squealed wrapping her arms around her neck.

“I’m glad you’re here too, Chyna,” Lexi told her.

“Let’s hope my town car is waiting,” Chyna stated grabbing Lexi’s hand and whisking her out of the airport.

A black town car was indeed waiting for Chyna’s arrival outside of the airport. After the baggage was secured in the trunk and the girls were in the backseat, the car whisked them away to the hotel in which Chyna already had a penthouse reserved in her name. Once the two were safely in the hotel accommodations, Chyna immediately went on a rampage. Lexi was only half listening to what she was saying as she stared in awe at the hotel room. She had seen impressive residences. Chyna obviously had a remarkable suite, but Lexi had been there so often she had become desensitized to its beauty. This place was completely different. Everything about the room was classy and elegant, drawn out in soft golden hues. An exquisite den area was set in dark oak and brown and cream suede. Through colossal double doors revealed a four-poster bed draped with an intricately detailed quilt comforter and at least a dozen throw pillows of varying shape and size. The sheer, gold-trimmed curtains opened to a sprawling balcony overlooking the city. From several dozen stories up, Lexi could really see the splendor of the place she had grown up.

Chyna cleared her throat. “Are you listening to me?” she asked grabbing Lexi’s wrist.

“Huh?” she asked turning away from the decorations to look at her friend.

“I was talking about what’s been going on with you,” Chyna told her unceremoniously.

“Yeah,” Lexi mumbled falling backwards in a large chair that she sank into on impact. “Things aren’t exactly going as planned.”

“You think?” Chyna asked sarcastically. “You were supposed to tell the girlfriend what happened between you two, and let that be the end of it. What about that was complicated?”

Lexi buried her face in her hands. “Everything,” she grumbled.

“No, it’s not. That’s what I was saying earlier. You get way too attached. Clean break is what you need. Just forget about him. Forget about whatever happened between you two. That’s what you were supposed to be doing here, Alexa. Tell me what happened to change that. I cannot fathom why you’d want to have anything to do with this scumbag again after what he did to you. I kind of want to go find him myself and cut off his you-know-what,” she exclaimed angrily. “He doesn’t actually deserve to have balls after everything that went down. I can’t believe I actually convinced you to come see him. I should have seen this coming. What was I thinking? He’s obviously the same pig-headed asshole he always was. He thinks he can waltz right in, take over your life, and leave you in pieces all over again. Well, I’m not having it alright? Do you hear me?”

“C, chill out. That’s not how it’s going to be.”

“You’re damn right that’s not how it’s going to be. Wanna know why? Because I’m not letting you near him again. I don’t care what you say, Alexa Mae.”