The Avoiding Series Boxset

by K. A. Linde

  Ramsey lightly stroked his thumb across her hand. “You know I love you, right?”

  Lexi jerked her head toward him.

  He was smiling, and his eyes kept darting over to her.

  “Of course I do,” she said.

  “You know I’d do anything for you.”

  “You’ve already done everything.”

  “And I’ll keep doing that and more, Lexi.” He brought her hand to his lips and softly kissed it. “My Alexa.”

  Lexi tried not to fret anymore about it. Ramsey was trying to ease her nerves the best way he knew how, and it would be better if she just let his soothing words sink in. His parents didn’t have a choice in the matter. She was marrying their son, and that was that.

  They drove through the gated entrance to the country club and down the long drive to the clubhouse. He parked his Mercedes in between two BMWs, and Lexi tried not to feel insignificant amidst the excessive wealth. This was how Ramsey had been raised, but it wasn’t Ramsey. This wasn’t her life, even if it would technically be her money.

  She shivered at the thought. It was strange to think that once they got married, half of everything would be hers. She didn’t want to know how many zeroes that would add to her net worth. Seriously, she needed to stop overanalyzing. This was stupid. Ramsey wasn’t his money, and he wasn’t zeroes in a bank account. He was just Ramsey, the man she had fallen in love with three years ago. She was acting like an idiot.

  Lexi waited for Ramsey to walk around the side of the car, and then after she got out of the car, she latched onto his elbow. It was only October, and she was already cold. She wished she could have worn jeans or something. That would have been better, but at least, she had her cardigan. She stuffed her hands down into the pockets of her cardigan and briskly walked across the parking lot.

  She traversed the familiar foyer plush with seasonal floral arrangements, down a long hallway, past the restrooms where she had she and Ramsey had first officially met, and across the main banquet space to the private Bridges’ dining room. Lexi’s eyes landed on the gold plate with the Bridges name on it. Would she change her name? Share a name with the Bitch?

  The thought had never crossed her mind. Mrs. Lexi Bridges. She frowned. Maybe she would hyphenate. She knew people who had done that. Mrs. Lexi Walsh-Bridges. She crinkled her nose at the thought. Professionally, her attorney license was still under her last name, Walsh. She wasn’t sure if she would want to fight to get it all changed.

  “You ready?” Ramsey asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

  “Uh…sure,” she whispered. Why was she having these stupid thoughts right now? She seriously needed to get herself under control.

  Ramsey pushed open the door to the private dining room, and Lexi took a deep breath.

  The room was mostly full when they arrived. Ramsey’s father sat at the head of the table, wearing a navy suit coat over khakis and a striped button-up. He was broad-shouldered and formidable. His mother sat to his left in a dark pink square-cut dress. She was petite with angular features and already holding a bloody mary in her hand.

  Lexi recognized a slew of other people at the table, but she didn’t remember any of their names. She was sure she had met all of them before, but they were business associates and friends of the Bridges.

  Sitting at the opposite end of the table in a navy dress that could have rivaled her mother for modesty sat Bekah. Her blonde hair had been curled softly, and her normally chunky bangs were swept back off her face. Her baby-blue eyes portrayed the innocence that Lexi knew she had not a single ounce of, and a haughty, superior smile played on her lips. Lexi wouldn’t give Bekah the satisfaction of seeing how much her presence still irritated her.

  Her eyes drifted to the other side of the table, and her own smile rose. Jack wasn’t seated across from Bekah in his proper place. Lexi’s eyes met Bekah’s, and Lexi tilted her chin up as she moved to take her seat. Bekah’s eyes narrowed at the gesture, and it was deeply satisfying to see that smile wiped off of her face, if for only a very short second.

  Lexi took her seat across from Ramsey, Jack’s absence leaving a gaping hole next to her. Surely, others would notice that he wasn’t there. By the look on Bekah’s face, Lexi highly doubted she had told her parents about the divorce yet. She wondered what they would think about it. Bekah clearly wouldn’t have done it if she had thought that it would damage the relationship with her money…erm, parents. Her reputation and the family name were the only things Lexi really thought Bekah ever cared about. Lexi would like to see how Bekah was going to get herself out of this one.

  “Lexi, so good to see you,” Bekah said.

  Her sugary-sweet voice made Lexi want to gag.

  “Hi, Bekah,” Lexi said curtly. She wasn’t exactly being rude, but she couldn’t even pretend to be happy to see Bekah.

  “Good to see you back in the club, Ramsey,” Bekah said, already turning her attention to her brother, which was fine by Lexi.

  “And it’s like I never left,” he said with a tight smile.

  Lexi would have laughed if she hadn’t been keeping such a tight rein on herself.

  Bekah gritted her teeth at the underhanded statement, which made coming all worthwhile.

  Just then, the wait staff appeared and began taking orders. Lexi requested a small breakfast, orange juice, and a coffee, and then she handed off her menu. Her stomach was already in knots from anticipation, and she didn’t want to fill it with anything else to throw her off-kilter. She didn’t know when Ramsey wanted to tell them about the engagement, and she was going to let him decide.

  Lexi twisted the ring on her finger under the table and sat there awkwardly as silence settled on their end of the table. She didn’t have anything to say to Bekah, and none of the Bridges’ colleagues seemed to have any interest in engaging her.

  Her coffee showed up, and Lexi sighed happily. At least she knew she would be able to make it through the afternoon now. She took her first sip when the door to the dining room opened.

  Lexi’s eyes rose to the door. They didn’t normally start brunch if they were still expecting someone. That was part of the privilege of having their own room—besides the privacy that came with it, of course. They made all the rules.

  Lexi swallowed hard when she saw who walked in—Parker. She had on a long black maxi dress and a light jean jacket. She smiled apologetically and closed the door behind her.

  “Sorry, I’m late,” Parker said, taking the last open seat next to Ramsey.

  “Get caught at the hospital?” Ramsey asked.

  Lexi felt a familiar pang stretch through her chest as he addressed Parker. It was always there—no matter how much she pushed it aside, no matter how many times she tried to forget that night this summer.

  Frankly, it didn’t matter, did it? She had a glittering diamond ring on her finger, and Parker didn’t. But it still made Lexi sick.

  “Do I ever leave?” Parker asked.

  Lexi heard the exhaustion in her voice.

  “If you didn’t insist on spending as much time in surgery as doing administrative work, you might leave more,” he said.

  It would have been a reprimand, but the way he had said it sounded more like an endearment. It was a habit Ramsey had never been able to kick.

  “I’d leave more if someone hadn’t seen me sleeping on the floor and insisted that I get this couch that I swear is more comfortable than my bed at home. I have no incentive to leave,” Parker said with a shrug.

  Lexi cleared her throat, and Parker’s face paled as if she had just realized what she had been talking about.

  “I think that sounds wonderful,” Bekah butted in. “Always nice to have somewhere to…relax when you’re stuck at the office for a long time.”

  “How many extra hours are you spending in the office right now?” Lexi asked, trying to match Bekah’s sugary-sweet tone as she stared at Bekah innocently.

  Bekah just shrugged, unperturbed. “Not too much recently. I’ve had some
things to take care of with my husband,” she said, dropping the word easily.

  Even though the woman was fucking divorcing him, she still used that word. It didn’t matter one bit that things had changed over the past two years. The rational part of Lexi knew that she shouldn’t care, but the irrational side really fucking hated that Bekah had won. Even more, Lexi hated that after taking her victory, Bekah was tossing it aside like week-old spoiled milk. Lexi didn’t even have words for the new level Bekah had reached.

  Ramsey quickly changed the subject to something more neutral, letting Lexi zone out of the conversation. It took a lot of effort not to just throw her left hand out on the table, like Bekah had done that day three years ago back in Jack’s office. But Lexi didn’t want Bekah to pull that kind of emotion out of her. Lexi wasn’t going to give away their chance to tell everyone about their engagement. Bekah didn’t deserve that right. It would be on Lexi’s terms. No one else but Ramsey got the privilege.

  Brunch continued without much more awkwardness. Their end of the table was blissfully quiet other than Bekah’s incessant droning on to a few of the family friends that Lexi didn’t remember. They talked about everything from business to shopping to their summer vacations and the weather. Lexi tried to tune it out, and only an occasional smile from Ramsey helped her keep her cool. He knew how she felt, and those smiles reminded her that he was on her side. He had always been on her side.

  Ramsey’s father cleared his throat, and everyone fell silent.

  “Thank y’all for coming out to Sunday brunch. Thanks to the nice weather, we’ll be moving post-brunch activities to my estate. Everyone is more than welcome to come out for an afternoon cigar and cocktail.”

  Conversation started up again with people explaining their way out of attendance or confirming their plans to attend. The waiters took that opportunity to clear the table, and people started filing out of the room.

  Ramsey walked around to Lexi’s side of the table and took her hand in his. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, “We’ll tell them when we get back to the house, okay?”

  “Sure,” she said, looking up into his green eyes.

  He smiled proudly and kissed her lips. It was a chaste gesture, but the contact in public made her heart flutter. Not that Ramsey was against public displays of affection, but he usually kept everything discreet at the country club. It was the rules of the game.

  They followed Ramsey’s parents out of the country club and into the parking lot.

  “I’ll see y’all there,” Parker said with a wave.

  “Oh! Can I go with you?” Bekah asked. “You can swing me back by here on your way out.”

  “Sure, Bek.”

  “See y’all in a minute,” Bekah said. She fluttered her hands at them and walked off after Parker.

  Lexi caught Parker staring at Ramsey, her eyes distant. It was a familiar look. Lexi wasn’t sure she would ever get used to the way Parker looked at him.

  “Come on,” Ramsey said, wrapping his arm around Lexi’s waist and pulling her away from the girls.

  Lexi opened the car door and sank down into her seat with a sigh. This was going to be fun. Now, they didn’t just get to tell Ramsey’s parents. They would have a full audience that included Bekah and Parker. She wished they could have just told everyone at brunch instead of waiting. It made her stomach twist.

  What was Ramsey waiting for? Surely, the right time wouldn’t materialize out of thin air. It never did with things she was involved in. It was better just to get it over with than to wait for the moment. Then again…Ramsey was a planner. He had found the perfect time to propose just like everything else in his life, and he would only move forward with this when he knew it was right. The tension at brunch had been so palpable that Lexi was sure it would never be the right time around Bekah or Parker. They both put her too much on edge.

  The Bridges’ estate was only a few minutes drive, deeper into the depths of the country club–gated community. Ramsey pulled around to the side of the house and into an open space in the massive garage. Parker drove her Range Rover into the space next to his, which Lexi knew was Bekah’s normal spot.

  Lexi had been surprised to find out that their parents had left garage space for their two children even though they had both moved out years ago. It led her to believe they had attachment issues, and that slightly terrified her.

  They piled out of the car and took the short route through the Bridges’ mansion, out the back doors, and down the stairs that led to the backyard. Their parents were already set up at the pavilion with the afternoon drinks and cigars, as promised. Some lemonade, sweet tea, and finger foods were also on display. Only one other couple from brunch had arrived. Likely, the others would go home and freshen up before returning.

  Ramsey picked up lemonade for Lexi while he poured himself a whiskey drink to match his father. She wasn’t sure how he had known that she wasn’t in the mood to drink…or maybe he had just known how much of a lightweight she was, and he hadn’t wanted her to get drunk in front of his parents. Ramsey’s tolerance was through the roof though, so she knew that whiskey wouldn’t do much to him.

  “Excuse me,” Ramsey said to the group as soon as everyone had a drink in hand. “I have an announcement to make.”

  Lexi’s stomach twisted as everyone turned to face him. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in closer. The silence before he spoke was like a hundred-pound weight on her shoulders. Bekah suspiciously looked at Ramsey, her eyes darting between Ramsey and Lexi, like she was trying to piece together the puzzle. Parker only had eyes for Ramsey. She didn’t glance at Lexi once.

  Lexi took a deep breath and waited.

  “I wanted y’all to know that I asked Lexi to marry me,” he said softly. His eyes found hers, and he smiled. “And she said yes.”

  She only saw him in that moment, and the emotions that had crashed down all around her the night he had asked her to marry him ripped through her again. She was very, very lucky to have found someone who loved her unconditionally, who put up with all of her indecision, and believed in her despite her own fears. She beamed up at him, lost in the moment, lost to this man.

  And then, the moment was broken.

  But not from the commotion she had been expecting. It was from the silence. She turned to face the small crowd they had around them. Various looks of shock crossed their faces, but no one moved or said anything at first.

  “We’re getting married,” Ramsey confirmed when still no one had said anything.

  “Oh, Ramsey,” his mother said, walking forward slowly, “that’s wonderful news.”

  “Congratulations, son,” his father said. He was as stoic as ever.

  Neither of them really sounded excited.

  His mother moved to Lexi and wrapped her in a hug. “So glad to hear, dear.”

  Parker opened her mouth and then closed it. She looked between them as if she didn’t even know where to begin, then she swallowed and walked up to Lexi. “Congratulations,” she said, hugging Lexi next after Ramsey’s mother. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy together.”

  “Thank you,” Lexi whispered.

  She hadn’t expected Parker to be so genuine, but she didn’t sound spiteful at all. Maybe Parker was a little shocked, but everyone seemed to be shocked.

  The other couple that had been standing with Ramsey’s parents came forward and issued their own congratulatory hugs and handshakes. They said something to Ramsey that made him laugh, and it seemed then, for a second, as if all the tension had broken.

  Yet, Bekah still hadn’t said anything. Lexi chanced a glance in her direction, and she wasn’t sure what she saw reflected back in Bekah’s baby-blue eyes. Was Bekah realizing that after everything, she was giving up Jack, and Lexi was still going to marry her brother? Was Bekah plotting a way to ruin it? Could she be that stupid? Lexi would never trust her to do anything less.

  “Jack and I are getting a divorce,” Bekah said, straightening visibly as the words t
umbled from her mouth.

  The silence that had been there at Ramsey’s declaration was now nowhere to be seen. Everyone spoke at once, and Lexi couldn’t even differentiate who was speaking and where the shouting was coming from. Lexi smacked her hands over her ears and hunched slightly at the uproar.

  Bekah’s announcement had shaken everyone to the core, and now, all the attention was on her—just like she liked it. Lexi glanced up at Ramsey, who looked furious. She figured it was because his sister had once again stolen his thunder.

  After all, no one had even asked to see Lexi’s ring.

  “Rebekah Caroline!” her father bellowed over everyone else. “Explain yourself!”

  He looked beyond furious. His chest was puffed out, his eyebrows were drawn down as he surveyed his daughter, and his hand squeezed the glass of whiskey so hard that Lexi was sure he was going to break it, like in a movie.

  “Daddy…” Bekah murmured.

  “Do not daddy me, young lady,” he growled.

  Bekah’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t look happy that everyone wasn’t already on board with this. They had only been married for two years. It was an insanely short period of time, considering her parents displeasure for each other. Not to mention, they had spent nearly a million dollars on a wedding that was now being broken so quickly afterward. Lexi couldn’t blame them for being pissed.

  “He cheated on me with other women while we were married. I can’t continue to be with someone who cares so little for our marriage…and for me.”

  In that moment, Lexi was glad that she had met with Jack, and she had already known this was coming because she was sure that she would have snorted with laughter at the comment any other time. As it was, she was already well aware of Bekah’s accusations.

  “Do you have proof of this?” her father asked.

  “Yes,” she said confidently.