Avoiding Temptation

by K. A. Linde

  An hour came and passed so slowly that Lexi felt like she was trying to run through shoulder-high water against a current. She ate something, but she couldn’t really tell anyone what it was. Jack had been just as high-strung during the break. He wanted it all to be over with more than anyone. He was the one who had been dealing with this for the past nine months and dealing with Bekah four years more than that. It would surely be a relief like nothing he had ever experienced to have this all over and done with.

  Lexi and Jack walked back up to the courthouse together. She hoped that she shouldered some of the tension for him—that was all she could hope for. As they got closer to the entrance, she noticed someone standing just outside with his arms crossed over his chest. Lexi squinted against the sun beaming into her eyes. She was sure that she was imagining what she was seeing. As she got closer, she realized that her eyes weren’t deceiving her.

  “Clark,” Lexi said tentatively in greeting. What was her ex-boyfriend doing here? “Hey.”

  Jack tightened his grip on her hand like he thought she might pull away, but she had no intention. She felt absolutely nothing for Clark anymore. If she hadn’t pulled away in front of Bekah, she certainly wasn’t about to for Clark.

  “Lexi,” Clark said, nodding at her. “Jack. Isn’t it funny, seeing you two together? No? No, not really, I suppose.”

  “Hey,” Jack said, just as tentative.

  “Are you in court today?” Lexi asked, trying to figure out why he was standing here.

  He was in business, but she hadn’t kept tabs on what he was doing. She hadn’t actually even known he was still in the city.

  Clark chuckled and shook his head. “No. I came to talk to Jack actually.”

  “What’s up, man?” Jack asked.

  Clark stepped forward and dropped his arms. Lexi had no idea what this was all about. The last time she had seen Clark had been at Jack’s wedding. He had been a total ass to her, and everything had just gone downhill from there.

  Clark stuck his hand out to Jack as if to shake. Jack stared at it hesitantly, like he was wondering what to make of it all, but then decided he had no real reason not to take the offered hand, so Jack shook his hand.

  “I just wanted to say that we’re even,” Clark said, squeezing.

  “Even?”

  “A long time ago, you took what was mine,” Clark said, completely calm, “and now, I’ve taken what was yours.”

  Jack dropped his hand and drew back. He cocked his head to the side. “What are you talking about?”

  “I knew she would never tell you because she’s as much of a coward as you were. So, I wanted to come and make sure you heard it for yourself. I’ve been sleeping with your wife for the last year,” Clark said evenly without a single waver or an ounce of remorse.

  Lexi stared in shock. She couldn’t even comprehend what had just come out of Clark’s mouth. Bekah had…cheated. She had cheated on Jack with Clark.

  “What?” Jack asked. He sounded as surprised as she felt.

  “We met at your wedding and ran into each other again probably a year after that,” Clark explained. “It took me only a couple of weeks to get her into bed. I really thought you would notice your own patterns when they were used against you.”

  Jack just stared. There was nothing either of them could say to what was coming out of Clark’s mouth.

  Clark chuckled at their dumbfounded expressions. “Did it ever occur to you? Think of all the times she was missing. Your beach trip? She was with me. After the medical wing opening? She was with me. Ever wonder why she hired so many divorce attorneys? That was the day she thought you might have suspected her. Why did she claim you had cheated, besides the fact that you probably did? The easiest defense is a strong offense. No one would ever suspect.”

  Jack glanced away with a sigh. Lexi could tell that Clark was looking for a bigger response. She sincerely believed he wanted Jack to swing on him. But Jack just nodded after a minute and turned back to look at Clark.

  “Then, it’s good I’m divorcing her,” Jack said, crossing his own arms. “Would you testify to this under oath?”

  Lexi felt her mind process what was happening. It was like the click a lock made after entering the right combination. If Jack brought forth Clark as a witness to Bekah cheating, then the prenup infidelity clause would pass to Bekah…and she could lose everything.

  “You won’t even have to say anything,” Lexi said quickly. “Just you being there will be enough to make her admit it herself.”

  “Why should I help either of you?” Clark asked.

  “You’re just weeding out the truth,” Jack said, reasoning with the man who had once been his friend.

  Clark had only ever cared about the truth. That was what he had wanted from Jack and Lexi when they had cheated. He couldn’t let Bekah get away with lying, too.

  “If you walk out now, she’s going to lie and say it never happened.”

  “Please, Clark,” Lexi said, hoping that somewhere in the broken man she was staring at, there was still some humanity left.

  He shook his head, but after a minute, he finally sighed. “I won’t have to say anything?”

  And they had him.

  Back in the courtroom, they filled Richard in on what had happened. The best part of all was seeing Bekah’s face drain of all color as Clark walked in behind Lexi and Jack. She covered her mouth and actually looked like she might be sick. Her eyes were wide and not with just fear, like Lexi had suspected…but maybe, just maybe, something else.

  Lexi wasn’t sure she would have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own two eyes—affection…love even. Bekah really cared for Clark. Holy shit! Lexi didn’t think that the Bitch had a heart. And now, they were about to stomp on it.

  How fitting.

  After the judge walked back in and gave his piece about the case, Richard made his move to step in.

  “Your honor, we would like to change our file of no fault to breach of the infidelity clause in the prenuptial agreements signed and witnessed by my client and Ms. Bridges. Recent evidence has been brought forth that Ms. Bridges herself has entered into a sexual affair with another man while married to my client. We have the man in question here to testify if Ms. Bridges deigns to deny the allegations,” Richard said smartly.

  Bekah opened her mouth to speak, but her attorney placed his hand on her shoulder, effectively silencing her.

  “My client was unaware of this new evidence, and we have not been given sufficient time to prepare for a defense. I would like to request that we postpone the case and reconvene at a future date.”

  Bekah slapped his hand away and sat up straighter. She looked indignant and maybe even a little bit like she had cracked.

  “Your honor, I never finished cross-examining the witness,” Richard cut in. “I believe we should get Ms. Bridges back up on the stand.”

  “Ms. Bridges, do you consent to return to the stand?” the judge asked.

  “No, she most certainly does not,” her attorney said.

  “Ms. Bridges?” the judge implored, bypassing her attorney and looking squarely into her bright blue eyes.

  It was like he could see that she was a cornered mouse and maybe even he didn’t want to see her get away with it either.

  Bekah glanced first at Jack and then to Lexi sitting behind him. She looked hollowed out and used up. She was trying to find a way out of all of this, but one wasn’t producing itself. There was no way out. Even if she waited out for another date, Clark had confirmed this story, and all they needed was the threat of him on record.

  That was when Bekah’s eyes found Clark. Lexi saw the look that passed between them, and she knew all too well what was going through Bekah’s mind. A love lost…a desperate, foolhardy love that Bekah had been stupid enough to fall for. Clark turned his face away from her, and the tender string that Bekah was holding on to snapped.

  “Yes,” Bekah’s voice rang out clearly. She turned back up to the judge. “Yes
, I’ll get back up on the stand.”

  Lexi was shocked. The girl was sending herself to the grave. It was like she had hit a breaking point. Her attorney collapsed back into his chair and threw up his hands. Lexi understood his concern.

  They swore Bekah back in, and on record, Richard asked her if she had had an affair with Clark. After a few minutes of prodding, Richard managed to pull the truth out of her. When the words left her lips, confessing that she had been sleeping with Clark for over a year, Bekah actually broke down into tears. Lexi had never seen Bekah cry. Lexi hadn’t believed Bekah was capable of it.

  And all Lexi could hear through Bekah’s sobs was, “I thought he loved me. He told me he loved me.”

  Lexi couldn’t get over the fact that Bekah was human. Despite everything that had happened, Lexi couldn’t believe that Bekah was able to show any emotion, except malice. It didn’t really make Lexi feel bad for her since Bekah had put her through too much for that, but Lexi did at least understand her in that moment. Lexi had done the same with Jack over and over again. The only difference was that Jack actually did love Lexi. And he was staring at her right then like he was never going to stop.

  The attorneys made their closing remarks, and then the judge made his ruling orally before everyone. He announced that Bekah had breached the infidelity clause in the prenuptial agreement. Due to this, all marital assets would pass to Jack, and Bekah would owe him a prearranged sum that made Lexi’s head spin with zeroes.

  Bekah looked like she was in complete shock, and her father looked ready to pummel her. She had broken the rules. She had done the exact opposite of what she had come here to do. She had not only humiliated herself but the entire Bridges family. And Lexi knew what kind of fallout that would have on Bekah.

  The judge kept the photograph for now, but he relinquished the dress back into Lexi’s protection. Clark had a few words with Jack before leaving, and Lexi was glad that Clark hadn’t tried to speak with her. She wasn’t sure what she would have been able to say to him. He had been unnecessarily cruel. Sure, it had been to Bekah, who deserved everything that was coming to her and more, but Lexi didn’t want to have to face him for that.

  Bekah’s father ushered her out of the courtroom in a hurry, and Lexi and Jack followed close behind them with a smile. Lexi could hear the hushed whispers passing between Bekah and her father as he berated her. Lexi only knew that was happening because she had been around the Bridges enough to pick up on their mannerisms.

  Jack stood at her side, a smile bright on his face. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We’re free.”

  Lexi smiled brighter.

  “I love you,” he said.

  Lexi looked up into Jack’s gorgeous face, and she knew without a doubt that a day had not passed when she did not love this man. “I love you, too.”

  They walked by Bekah and her father on the way out of the building, and Lexi heard the word bitch echo behind her. Lexi raised her eyebrows and stopped in her tracks.

  “Just give me a minute,” Lexi told Jack.

  He looked warningly at her, but she just gave him a reassuring smile and turned back to face Bekah.

  “What the fuck do you want?” Bekah snapped as Lexi approached.

  “Rebekah!” her father said. He knew that anyone could be listening. He was a pro at this.

  “I just wanted to say thanks for everything,” Lexi said, a glint in her brown eyes.

  She tossed the red dress into Bekah’s chest, and Bekah caught it instinctively.

  “I thought you could wear that since all you were ever good enough for was my sloppy seconds.”

  “You bitch!” Bekah snarled, lunging toward Lexi.

  Lexi’s eyes went wide, and she staggered backward a few feet out of Bekah’s reach. Bekah’s father grabbed her around the middle and held her back.

  Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.

  Flashes went off overhead, catching the entire thing on camera. A reporter appeared in her line of vision. It was clear a story was already forming in the reporter’s head.

  Bridges Enterprise Golden Girl, Bekah Bridges, Lashes Out At Ex-husband’s New Girlfriend. Father Restrains Raving Lunatic.

  Okay, so Lexi’s imagination had embellished the last part, but it would be a good headline.

  “You think you won?” Bekah snapped. “I fucking won. You don’t even know what I did. You and Ramsey will never be together. I ensured that when I planted that whore, Elisa.”

  Lexi gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth as the words sank in. Suddenly, it all made sense—how Elisa got into the party in the first place and why she was so eager to keep coming back to attack Ramsey, even when it was clearly a lost cause.

  The realization made Lexi feel so bad for Ramsey. They’d had to go through all of that for nothing because his sister was the devil. Lexi wished she had known from the beginning. It could have made all the difference in their relationship. She bit her lip and considered what Bekah had orchestrated. But in the end…it probably wouldn’t have changed all that much. It would have had the same outcome. Knowing it now though just made Lexi’s chest feel lighter. Ramsey was the man that he had always said he was. Lexi knew that for sure now.

  “That’s right! I helped her,” Bekah said, clearly teetering off the edge. “And I helped Parker find that paperwork. She came to me, wanting to prove that she was right, and so I proved that she was right.”

  “Did you manufacture the clinic paperwork?” Lexi asked, imagining how devastated Ramsey would be all over again to hear that. She couldn’t believe how low Bekah had stooped to put a wedge between Lexi and Ramsey.

  “I didn’t have to. My brother was an idiot,” she said.

  Her father tried to quiet her, but she just brushed past him.

  “I just knew the right person to ask to get the paperwork Parker had been looking for. And now, you don’t have him!”

  Lexi nodded. She didn’t have Ramsey anymore. And maybe part of that was because of Bekah and what she had done. But the pieces had already been in place. The cracks had already been there. Their relationship hadn’t fractured because of Bekah. They had just fallen apart. She hoped that whatever Ramsey did after this…he got the hell away from his crazy sister.

  “You know, Bekah?” Lexi asked, ignoring the reporters and stepping up to meet her. “I truly pity you.”

  “Don’t pity me. I have the world.”

  “You have nothing—at least nothing that really matters. The only things you care about are money, status, and your precious reputation. They motivated you and deluded you into thinking that you were happy. But all of these things can leave you in the blink of an eye. Once they’re all gone, what do you have? Nothing. Your brother despises you. Your husband left you. Your best friend can’t even trust you. And you turn to complete strangers for the attention you desperately crave, and you mistake that for love,” Lexi told her. “So, I’ll repeat myself. I pity you, and still, I think it’s more than you’re worth.”

  She felt Jack place his hand on her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

  Lexi shook her head at Bekah, knowing another sharp retort was coming. But Lexi was over it. She wasn’t marrying into the Bridges family. Jack was free of Bekah. Lexi had said her peace. Lexi would be happy to never see the Bitch again for the rest of her life.

  “Yeah,” she said, looking Bekah up and down with disgust. “Let’s go.”

  “Jack!” Bekah all but shrieked. “Here take this filthy thing.” She hurled the glittery diamond ring into his chest, and he caught it easily in his hand.

  He stared down at it for a second. “No, you keep it. It was made for you,” he said, tossing it uselessly back in her direction. “I still have the one that means something to me.”

  Bekah gasped. “You mean she was right? You gave me a fake?”

  “Oh, it's real, but you were never getting my grandmother’s ring.”

  Lexi covered her mouth to keep from laughing hysterically at Bekah, whose mou
th was just hanging open. Jack draped an arm around Lexi’s waist and guided her away. Bekah started calling out to them even as they walked back to Jack’s car.

  “What are you all smiley about?” she asked, her heart still racing from the confrontation.

  He chuckled. “You’re so hot when you’re angry.”

  Lexi couldn’t hold back her laugh. “At least that hasn’t changed.”

  “Never,” he said, meeting her gaze, his eyes turning crystal-clear blue. “And I’m ready to take my girl home and show her just what that does to me.”

  Lexi wrapped her caramel-colored knit scarf around her once more, trying to fight against the rapidly dropping temperatures. Early May in New York City had notoriously temperamental weather, and summer hadn’t quite broken through the clouds. It felt nice to be back on the NYU campus. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed the city and her old law school stomping grounds until she returned.

  After speaking with Chyna, Lexi had decided on a date to fly back to the city with Jack to visit. He had been there with her during that first winter in New York City, but she’d had so much more to show him this time around, and they had spent a majority of their time wandering the city and eating at all her favorite restaurants. It had been a totally different experience with Jack. After the past couple of weeks, she had been glad that she was able to share it with him.

  They had both moved out of their previous residences, and for the time being, they were living in his tiny one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta. The majority of their stuff was in a storage unit just outside of the city until they decided what they were going to do.

  Lexi had thought that Jack would keep his stuff in the house that he now owned outright, but as soon as the house had been moved into his name, he had met with a real estate agent to get rid of the property. He hadn’t wanted to keep it as a reminder any more than Lexi had. He was still waiting on the divorce money from Bekah to come through. While he was uncomfortable with that, the truth of the matter was that with the amount of money he would receive, they would be able to start over anywhere.