Avoiding Responsibility

by craziebabe45

  Maddie and Amber had fallen into fits of giggles over absolutely nothing. Or at least if they were actually laughing at something Lexi had been unable to discern where the conversation started and the laughter began. They had been holding onto each other for life support for quite some time. It seemed that they didn't even care that they were striking out with the guys who were attempting to hit on them. Every time someone ventured closer to them, one of the girls would say something nonsensical to the other, and the giggles would start up all over again. The guys would quickly back away, and the two girls were left with each other.

  Bekah was wobbling dangerously on her outrageously high heels. Lexi honestly couldn't even believe she was standing at all. She had restored to telling every person should could speak to in every bar that she was getting married. She wasn't always discreet about it either. The past couple bars she had just barged in and flat out yelled her upcoming marriage to the nearest group of people. This always resulted in a round of shots from whoever chose to listen to her.

  Listening to Bekah declare over and over her impending nuptials was grating to say the least. So on one hand she had wanted to get drunk to avoid having to care about Bekah's blatant enthusiasm. Yet, she had held onto composure and had ducked out of a handful of drinks that the crowd had attempted to force on her. She hadn't been able to avoid a few though due to the sheer fact that she couldn't hide from them. She was wearing the exact same outfit as three other people. She was too noticeable when she just wanted to disappear. And the very last thing she wanted to do was to get out of control tonight even if she had to listen to Bekah's cheers.

  Just as Lexi expected as soon as they approached the bar, Bekah began announcing to the closest groups of people that this was one of her last nights as a single woman. Several of the guys in the area cheered and told her they were buying her a round of shots. Lexi noticed a few sexual gestures that were made in Bekah's direction. One fratty type explained rather graphically what exactly he would do to her before her wedding night. Lexi gagged at the profanity and tried to block the images from her mind. She couldn't believe how grotesque some people could be. It probably didn't help that Bekah was one of the last people she wanted to think about anyone having sex with. So when a shot was pushed into her hand, she didn't think twice before downing it as fast as she could. And as soon as it hit the pit of her stomach, she regretted it.

  Tequila. That one drink was too much. It pushed her over the edge from tipsy to full out drunk. She could feel it from head to toe. Her head was suddenly heavy and she felt as if she were swimming. Her throat was on fire. How many drinks had she had? Three? Or had it been four? No, this might have been five. Shit. She honestly couldn't remember which was even worse for the feeling creeping over her body. Her stomach was doing cartwheels, and she suddenly wasn't sure if she was going to be able to keep that shot down. She scrambled for a lime to chase the drink down. That taste of the lime alleviated the burn down her throat and in turn the nausea that had come over her. However, it did nothing to keep her from feeling like she had lost all control.

  With her mind frazzled from the alcohol coursing through her system, it was a lot easier to feel young again. It also helped her to not care who she was with or what she was doing. This she knew was the most dangerous feeling of all.

  "So where are we on our list?" Bekah asked sliding her shot glass back across the bar. She pulled on Maddie's arm to steal her away from another giggle fest with Amber. Maddie's expression glazed over as she realized that Bekah had been talking to her. She stumbled forward a step before grabbing Bekah's arm and staring deeply into her face.

  "Whattttt?" Maddie asked clearly not having been paying attention.

  "The list. Where the fuck are we?" Bekah snapped sharply. Apparently even drunk she was bitchy.

  "The list. The list," Maddie squealed reaching into her purse, shifting around the contents exaggeratedly, and pulling out a now very crumpled piece of paper. Maddie stared at it for a second as if she were examining it. She flipped it over despite the fact that there were no words written on the back. "I can't read it," she finally announced shoving it into Bekah's hand.

  Bekah grumbled something unintelligible before flipping the paper back over to the correct side and turning it right side up. She smoothed the wrinkled paper out on the bar and looked at what was left to complete on their list. "Someone has to get boxers," she said reading each article carefully. Someone had been marking each one with a fat black check once they had succeeded in their task.

  "And…wait that's it!" she screamed holding the paper up in triumph for a second. She beamed at the group around her who the majority had no clue what she was yelling about. "We just need boxers. Since this is out last stop and I've taken a shot at every bar, I can mark that off," she told the crowd before slamming the paper back down on the bar, pulling out a Sharpie, and making a big show of marking off the ninth item on her list.

  "So who's going to get us boxers?" Bekah asked of the girls around her who were only half paying attention to begin with. When no one answered her question, she openly glared at her bridesmaids until they realized she had addressed them and quickly responded.

  "You should get them Bekah," Maddie said before unconsciously bursting into laughter and leaning into Bekah's shoulder.

  "I probably should," Bekah conceded almost too easily as if she wouldn't mind the idea of sliding some other guys underwear off.

  "Yeah girl," Amber crowed nudging Bekah's shoulder playfully. "You're the fucking bride. Any guy should feel lucky to give you his boxers."

  "Definitely," Maddie agreed.

  "Well let's start scoping them out," she said glancing around the room to see what guy would willingly give her their underwear.

  Lexi was glad she hadn't been volunteered for this one. After having to endure that phone call, her role in the bachelorette festivities had been greatly reduced. The girls had kept to themselves, sharing inside jokes and old stories that Lexi could never understand, and mostly acting as if she didn't really exist. The whole exchange between the girls kind of felt like a high school and college reunion for them rather than a bachelorette party. In truth, she felt more like a tag along to their adventures than anything. And though it was frustrating on some level to be dismissed so easily, it was also a huge relief. This way she didn't have to try to be included or fake her enthusiasm for a night out with the monsters.

  She still wasn't sure about Maddie though. The girl already had two strikes against her: one strike for the phone call and a second strike due to the fact that she had slept with Ramsey. Lexi was kind of curious if there was something more to that story though. Maddie kept giving her strange looks all throughout the night like she knew something that Lexi had no clue about. She wanted to just ask her what her fucking problem was, but as she was trying to keep a low profile that wouldn't have been the easiest thing to do. So the whole thing was discouraging to say the least.

  "What about him?" Bekah finally asked pointing out a guy to Maddie and Amber who was standing against the wall. He was pretty gorgeous with longer hair slicked back off his forehead and a rather defined jaw line. He wore a snug fit v-neck t-shirt and tight jeans.

  "He's gay," Amber said almost immediately.

  "There's no way. Just look at him," Bekah argued tilting her head to the side.

  Amber shook her head. "No for real. He's not straight."

  "So he doesn't count," Maddie told her.

  "There's nothing in the rules that says gay guys don't count," Bekah countered still staring at him.

  "No, but come on. He has to be straight and sexy. We don't want just any guy's boxers," Amber drawled.

  "Fine. Fine," Bekah grumbled gritting her teeth in attempt not to show her anger.

  "Well hey once you find him let us know," Amber drawled leaning into Bekah. "We're gonna go dance." Maddie stumbled forward careening around Amber and wrapping her arms around Bekah.

  "Come dance with us!" she squealed a giggle
escaping her.

  "You two go dance. I'll catch up," Bekah said shoving Maddie off of her.

  "Ok love ya," Maddie cooed dashing after Amber who had already begun to disappear into the mob of people.

  Bekah swiveled around to see who else was in the vicinity. Lexi really wished that she could disappear right then. She hadn't meant to be left alone with her, but she hadn't realized that Kersey had left during the discussion about the list. "Where'd Kersey go?" Bekah asked her taking a step forward and running into a guy standing at her side. She didn't even bother to apologize.

  Lexi just shrugged attempting to angle her body away from Bekah so that she would cease conversation. She hadn't really been directly addressed all night. And she didn't want to make polite conversation with Bekah. Lexi was here. She was drunk. She was putting up with them for the evening, but she wouldn't exactly say she was having a good time. And having Bekah talk to her wasn't high on her list of things she needed to do for the night.

  "Lexi?" Bekah asked obviously not getting the mental waves of rejection that were pouring off of Lexi.

  Not seeing any way to avoid speaking with her Lexi turned her body back to Bekah. "Yeah?"

  "Thanks for coming out tonight," she said a smile appearing on her face.

  Lexi's danger senses immediately started tingling. She had never been around Bekah when she was drunk, but she didn't think that automatically made her a human being. "Ok," Lexi stated carefully trying to fight the buzz that said to just let it go.

  "I mean since Parker is so busy it was great to have someone be able to fill in for her on such short notice," Bekah said. "She just has so much ahead of her. She's really going places."

  Lexi's hand clenched the edge of the bar she was holding. She didn't need to hear any of this about Parker. She knew she was going places. She knew she was smart and a brilliant doctor despite being one of the youngest in the profession. She didn't need Bekah to tell her any of this. And the alcohol was just making her feisty.

  "So thanks," Bekah said.

  "Sure," Lexi forced out turning her attention to the floor to keep from looking at Bekah.

  "And hey, I just want you to know that there's no hard feelings about what you told me last year," Bekah said smiling as sweetly as the first time she had met her at the Country Club.

  Lexi looked at her as if she had just sprouted wings and had begun to fly. How dare she ever bring last year up to her! Not to mention then claiming she had no hard feelings, as if Lexi hadn't been the one screwed over in the end by the sack of shit, lying, manipulative bitch in front of her. She could clearly remember her rage at first finding out about Bekah's diabolical plan. The anger might have subsided, but she wouldn't exactly claim that there were no hard feelings.

  "I know you were just saying all of that to get a rise from me and to make me jealous. But that's in the past now," Bekah said reaching out and grabbing Lexi's shoulder for support. She was still smiling that devious little smile.

  Lexi steeled herself for what she was about to do. She honestly could not let this continue. She had been the bigger person. She had attempted to put as much of the past behind her as possible. She was coming to their fucking wedding for Christ's sake. Then she had to go and bring all the old shit up.

  Lexi sighed and wished for what wouldn't be the last time that she hadn't taken that last tequila shot. "No I said all of that because it's true," she stated as firmly as possible. She hadn't lied to Bekah about anything that had happened between her and Jack. They really had been perfect for each other once upon a time, and he really did lie to everyone. She had thought she was exempt at the time…so it wasn't exactly a lie just a truth that she had come to realize.

  "Whatever you like to believe," Bekah drawled leaning back against the bar and feeling like the queen of the universe in that moment.

  "You can't possibly know our history better than I do," Lexi told her anger threatening to overflow her buzz.

  "I know that you're second best," Bekah slurred back forgetting all semblance of restraint.

  That stung and Lexi knew it was meant to. Bekah had always despised her relationship with Jack. No, she had always been jealous of what they had. So any kind of insult would just be coming from a jealous woman so Lexi kept her focus.

  She had been with Ramsey for nearly a year which Bekah had approved of just as much as she approved of Lexi seeing Jack. And even if they were on the rocks now, it didn't mean that she couldn't still hold her head high. Their relationship was built on more than Bekah and Jack's.

  "Not with your brother," Lexi spat back at her.

  Bekah gritted her teeth. She clearly didn't like to hear her talk about Ramsey. "And look at how well that's going…" she said looking her up and down as if she were some low life tramp.

  "You know nothing about my relationship," Lexi growled getting even more riled up.

  "Just that you're naïve," she stated whisking her blond hair over her shoulder. "You think the world revolves around you, which shows how little you really know about my brother. The only thing Ramsey has ever really cared about is himself. You are no different. I've been there his whole life. I will always know and understand him better than you ever could. You're just a fling among many," she said getting more irritated the longer they stood there.

  Lexi didn't even want to touch that line of conversation. Bekah would always think about Ramsey whatever she wanted. "Well I've known Jack much longer than you. So does the same logic apply?" Lexi asked a glint of victory in her eye. She knew that Bekah couldn't come back from that. She had used her own argument against her, and Lexi didn't care how brilliant Bekah was supposed to be that was a hard logic to get around.

  "Jack's different," she answered immediately unable to come up with another statement.

  "Of course he is."

  "I'm marrying him," she growled throwing her left hand out for examination.

  Lexi stared at the ring in front of her. Now that she had it so close she could see that it was in fact a duplicate. There was just something about the ring that was too…modern. The silver was too polished. The diamonds perhaps a bit too large for the enclosures. The shape just a bit too perfect. It was the delicate simplicity and raw original manufacturing of the ring Jack had given to Lexi that had made it so unique. This was not that ring. That much was finally clear to her. She had known all along after he had told her, but she had never really been certain until just then.

  And then she knew what she wanted to say in that moment as Bekah stood with her engagement ring for full display. The ring…the fake ring was just as much of a sham as their relationship.

  "It's fake," Lexi said never taking her eyes from the glittering diamonds. She had been thinking it but had never meant for the words to actually slip out.

  "What?" Bekah gasped pulling her hand back as if it had been burned.

  There was no turning back now. "It's fake," she repeated.

  "I am marrying him," Bekah said not fully understanding the gravity of her statement.

  "No. The ring," Lexi stated simply.

  "What about my ring?" she asked turning her hand over to examine it more closely.

  "You heard me. Your ring is fake," Lexi spat feeling a release of all the pent up frustration that one ring had caused her.

  "It's not a fake!" Bekah gasped.

  "Are you sure?" Lexi asked arching an eyebrow.

  "What you think I haven't had it appraised?" she asked revealing the true depths of her shallowness.

  Lexi scoffed at her statement. It would have never crossed her mind to get it appraised. The diamonds couldn't have been more real. A closer inspection was hardly necessary. It was pretty clear that it was an expensive engagement ring. "For quality and cost right?" Lexi asked.

  Bekah examined the ring on her hand for a second before answering Lexi. "Of course. The ring cost a fortune. Every diamond is authentic."

  "But what about authenticity?" Lexi asked knowing the she likely hadn't considered that for she
had never thought that he wouldn't give her the original ring.

  "Has that ring on your finger been around since before World War II?" she asked grabbing her hand and staring at the ring again. She knew it wasn't but her drunken state wasn't allowing her any discretion. "Has this ring survived Jack's grandmother as he always claimed it did?"

  "Of course," Bekah said with less confidence than before. She stared forward at Lexi who was still examining the ring.

  "No it hasn't because this isn't that ring. It's a duplicate," Lexi told her gritting her teeth against the reality of her statement. Because no matter how much this was going to hurt Bekah, this fact had already hurt Lexi more than ever before.

  "I don't believe you," she said yanking her hand back.

  "You don't have to," Lexi spat. "Just get the ring appraised and you'll figure it out real quick. The original ring doesn't belong to you and it was never meant for you."

  "How would you know any of this?" Bekah asked getting flustered and reaching out for the bar to steady herself. She was losing color in her face and getting more and more unsteady on her feet.

  Lexi wasn't sure she could answer that. How could she stoop any lower? How could she tell her that the ring was intended for Lexi all along? That would just fuel her fire. Lexi didn't have the ring so there was no point in pressing her luck and exposing anymore than was necessary. The real story was too humiliating anyway.

  "I just…know Jack unlike anyone else," she said with a sad smile.

  "No," Bekah said shaking her head from side to side. "You're just a liar. That's what you said Jack is good at well that's all you're good at. You're just lying to me. You want me to call off the wedding. You want him to yourself. He's not yours. Just wait until I tell Ramsey what bullshit you're spoutin' now. He'll never want you back."

  Lexi rolled her eyes. "Oh please, I'm not here to sabotage you. Don't flatter yourself. And try and refrain from thinking you know what Ramsey will and will not do. You're just his sister."

  Bekah glared at her ready to spit back at her. Just then Kersey ran up to them. "Let's go," she squeaked out wiping at her mouth quickly.