The Avoiding Series Boxset

by K. A. Linde

  “Jack…” Lexi said, shaking her head from side to side. She didn’t know what to say or how to respond.

  “Let’s go find our seats,” he said quickly before walking away into the crowd.

  Lexi stood there, stunned for a second, before trailing after him. He just wanted her to be happy. Gah! What was she supposed to do with that?

  They walked all the way up to the front, and Lexi was getting close to hyperventilating as they approached the stage.

  “Third row was the best I could do on short notice,” he said apologetically.

  He was acting as if he hadn’t just told her that he had gotten them third-row tickets.

  “But I got us the end of the aisle, so you can poke your head out.”

  “Oh my God, I just don’t know what to say,” she said, taking the seat at the end of the aisle. “Third row…on the aisle…so I can actually see something around all the tall people.”

  Jack chuckled softly, and she tried not to think about how perfect that sound was. Why…why…why was he doing this? She wanted to ask him so badly, but she couldn’t. She was just going to enjoy the concert. He hadn’t tried anything. That was what she had prepared for. She had prepared for the elevator daydream in her head but not for Jack just being…nice. Her well-built wall didn’t know how to process this new information.

  They sat in their seats and chatted about mindless things during the opening act, Holeshot. They were good, but they weren’t the D-Bags. She told him all about her new job and how excited she was to actually work at something substantial after being in school for so long. They talked about the fact that Seth was going to be a father and how terrifying that was to both of them. Not to mention, Seth had just told everyone he was having a girl. Knowing the kind of person he had been in college made that all the more terrifying. Just as she started telling Jack about what Chyna had told her about Milan, the lights went out, and the crowd erupted all around them.

  Lexi and Jack jumped to their feet and started clapping and cheering with the rest of the crowd. The lights careened around the room, dropping onto the stage briefly before flashing out toward the audience. After a couple of minutes, the lights returned to center stage, and she stared up at Kellan Kyle, who was no more than thirty feet away from her. Holy shit! He was about a thousand times more attractive in real life than he was on TV.

  If she thought the crowd had been loud before, it was nothing compared to what it was now that the audience realized the guys were onstage. Kellan took the microphone in his hand like he owned it, the stage, and the audience. And he did.

  “Good evening, Atlanta!”

  The crowd managed to get louder, and Lexi just cheered along with them. When he raised his hand, she silenced and heard the cheers die down marginally. Kellan introduced the band, and then they moved right into their first song. Mesmerized, she watched his fingers fly across the guitar, and then his voice broke through the speakers.

  Her heart fluttered. That, right there, was the sexiest singing voice she had ever heard. They were so much better live. She wasn’t even sure she was going to be able to articulate this experience when it was all said and done.

  She felt Jack’s eyes on her, and she turned to face him with the biggest smile on her face. He wasn’t even watching the show as the D-Bags were killing it onstage. Lexi threw her arms around him and hugged him close. Jack hesitated with his hands out to his sides, like he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. She wondered if Ramsey’s warning was ringing in his ears. But then, his arms were around her waist, and something clicked together like a puzzle piece.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “You’re welcome, Lex,” he said, his voice strained. He released her quickly with a faint smile before returning his attention to the stage as their favorite band played.

  She tried not to give it any thought. Her heart hammered away to the tune of the music and the sway of Kellan’s vocals. They played through their set with the crowd singing along to almost all of the songs.

  The first chord to the second to last song struck her to her core. They were going to play “Good-bye.” Oh my God! She thought she might faint. She thought she literally might faint. This was her favorite, Jack’s favorite, song. The band was good, but the way Kellan sang those lyrics made them great. It felt like he was singing directly to her, calling out to her, begging for her to feel. It was so emotional, and watching Kellan sing the lyrics brought tears to her eyes. She wet her lips and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to unleash. Breathing deeply, she sniffled and felt her throat tighten. She didn’t even know where these feeling were coming from or what her mind was remembering that made her want to cry, but Kellan managed to draw it out of her.

  She felt Jack’s hand brush against her own, and then he was holding her hand, sharing her pain, allowing her to feel. She took another shuddering breath as the Good-bye song came to a close. She swallowed hard, wishing that all of these emotions could all just pass over her. Jack squeezed her hand again, and it felt like strength. She let it envelop her as the D-Bags moved into their final song.

  They closed their set to deafening cheers, and Lexi watched Kellan’s amazing body leave the stage. The lights flickered back on as the stage crew worked on the setup for Sienna’s act, and Lexi hastily dropped Jack’s hand. In the light, everything came crashing back on her.

  “Good-bye” song. Saying good-bye. Second…third…fourth…fifth chances. The ring. The wedding. Ramsey. She loved Ramsey.

  She hadn’t even done anything with Jack. It might have been the most platonic moment they had ever lived through together, but still, a heat had pressed against the boundaries. She was sure the concert had something to do with it, but it was still there.

  Jack and Lexi cheered through Sienna’s set even though neither of them was really all that interested in her. They only stayed for the end of the show to see the duet she sang with Kellan. It was unbelievably hot and catchy. Lexi heard it every time she turned on the radio. The tension between Sienna and Kellan onstage was palpable, and Lexi was starting to believe the rumors. She wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to get with Kellan Kyle.

  The concert ended in a haze. Lexi was shocked to see it was almost midnight. She felt like they had just gotten here, and then already, it was done. The crowd pressed against her on all sides, and she had to latch on to Jack’s shirt to not lose him. They made it up to the front, but she yanked on his shirt to get him to stop.

  “Restroom,” she said, motioning in that direction.

  He nodded and followed her in that direction. There was a pretty long line for the women’s restroom, but it was moving quickly. She did her business, washed her hands, and then ran them back through her unruly hair. She pulled the long tresses into a high ponytail to keep the strands off her neck, and then she turned to exit.

  She passed the person washing her hands next to her, and she wondered why the girl looked familiar. Before she made it to the exit where a line of women waited to use the restroom, she realized who it was. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, and she felt her fingers tingling with anticipation. Should she say something? What point would there be?

  But still…

  “Stella?” Lexi asked in disbelief.

  She couldn’t be sure that was who was standing before her. She hadn’t seen or heard from Stella since the night that Jack had slept with her in New York…the day he had left Lexi.

  The girl turned around, her big green eyes wide with confusion. Then, they landed on Lexi’s face, and they widened even further with alarm.

  “Lexi?” she asked like she didn’t believe it herself.

  Stella was four or five inches taller than Lexi with platinum-blonde hair cut short, framing her angular face. Lexi noticed with self-satisfaction that it looked like Stella had gained some weight.

  “What are you doing here?” Stella asked. “I mean, not the concert…Atlanta.”

  “I’m from Atlanta.”

  “Oh,
right,” she said awkwardly. “I forgot.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “My husband got relocated to Atlanta for his company,” she said softly.

  Then, Lexi noticed the glittering ring on Stella’s finger. Lexi felt sick.

  It wasn’t fair. It was stupid. This girl had ruined everything…and she still had married someone before Lexi. How could the universe allow this to happen? It just didn’t make sense!

  “Congrats,” Lexi said through gritted teeth.

  “Lexi,” she said, biting her lip, “I’m really sorry.”

  “Really?”

  “I never got to tell you, but I am really sorry about what I did. Jack was drunk, and I was so jealous of you two. You were perfect, and I…I was a thief. I wanted what you had, so I took it. I shouldn’t have seduced him that night. He said no like five thousand times—”

  “Wait…what?” Lexi asked, scrunching her eyebrows together. Her body shivered at those words. “He said no?”

  “Of course he did. Didn’t he tell you?”

  “No,” she breathed. “No, he didn’t.”

  “Now that I’m with the man I love, I can’t help but think back to that night and how stupid I was. If someone had done that to my husband, I would hunt her down and kill her. You have every right to hate me,” she murmured.

  Lexi shook her head in a daze. Jack hadn’t wanted to sleep with Stella. It hadn’t just been some fluke. Stella had gone after him that night.

  Lexi couldn’t process this. She couldn’t erase more than three years of assumptions in the blink of an eye.

  PRESENT

  Lexi spent the next month trying to keep a promise that she had never made to Ramsey. She gave Jack the information about the attorney, and then she took a giant step back. If he called to ask her something about it, she would always reroute him back to the attorney. She wanted to help and be there for him. But at what cost? Ramsey didn’t like the idea, and she was marrying him after all.

  So, she spent her weekend hanging out with Chyna and Adam, celebrating her engagement and getting rip-roaring drunk. Chyna was basically the best friend Lexi could have in this situation. She was supremely supportive and anxious to already get started planning a bachelorette party.

  Lexi hadn’t even thought of the details. She had been so wrapped up in work, Jack’s divorce, and telling everyone she was engaged that she hadn’t even considered—like she assumed most girls did—all of those minute details about planning the wedding. Where were they going to have the wedding? What kind of dress did she want? How many bridesmaids?

  Her head spun with all the questions she had never even though about. Ramsey jokingly said they would just hire a wedding planner, and Lexi laughed it off.

  She didn’t need a wedding planner. She could do this on her own. She had plenty of time.

  When Ramsey came home from work a week later and told her he had booked a meeting with a wedding planner, Lexi blew up on him.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” Lexi asked, jumping up from her seat and planting her hands on her hips. “You didn’t even consult with me about this. Do you think I can’t do this on my own?”

  “Whoa!” he said, striding across the room. “I didn’t say anything like that.”

  “But you didn’t even ask me about a wedding planner. What if I don’t want one?”

  “Lexi, I’m not sure you know how much work has to go into this.”

  “I don’t want it to be a big thing.”

  Ramsey shook his head and closed the distance between them. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders. “Lexi, where is all of this coming from? I mentioned getting a planner when Chyna was in town. You didn’t seem to care then.”

  “I didn’t think you were serious!”

  “You have the Bryant case to finish up. I’m running the medical wing. Neither of us has the time to plan a wedding. I’m trying to make this easy for both of us. If you hate the planner and decide you want to do it all by yourself, we don’t have to hire her. Okay?” he asked, staring down into her big brown eyes.

  Lexi took a deep breath as his words sank in. All of this wedding stuff put her on edge. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to someone else about it. “How much do wedding planners cost?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “You let me worry about the money, all right?”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “That’s because you don’t like spending money, and to have a wedding, you have to spend it. So, just ignore the dollar signs in your eyes. I’ll cover it. It’s your day. That’s all that matters,” he said with a smile.

  Another week passed, and now, it was the big day, and she was a mess. She had been buried nose deep in the Bryant case, and she hadn’t even given the meeting with the wedding planner any thought. The damn meeting had just snuck up on her. What was she even supposed to wear to it? She blankly stared at her closet. She had nothing to wear.

  “Hey, are you ready?” Ramsey asked, poking his head in a few minutes later.

  She was still standing there in her bra and thong with a pile of dresses at her feet. “I don’t have anything to wear,” she whispered.

  “You have a million things to wear.”

  Lexi turned her head to the side and looked out the window. How could she explain this to him? She had to look nice—no, perfect. She had to look absolutely perfect. This was supposed to be the best time of her life, and she didn’t even have something to wear to it.

  Ramsey checked his watch, which made her cringe. She was going to make them late—all because she couldn’t figure out what outfit to wear.

  “How about purple?” Ramsey said. He walked through the closet and pulled out a deep purple dress and handed it to her.

  It was a bit dressy, but he looked so cute, holding it up for her to take.

  She just smiled and grabbed it. “This is perfect.”

  His smile grew as she tossed the hanger to the ground and yanked the dress over her head. She slid her hands down her sides and held in her sigh. The material hugged her perfectly, but it wasn’t so tight that she felt like she would be better fit for the club. Ramsey certainly appreciated it.

  Tugging on a pair of knee-high brown boots and grabbing her jacket, she followed Ramsey out of the house. They drove across town and into Buckhead. Lexi was already squirming. Ramsey might be covering the cost of this, but just the fact that the wedding planner’s office was in Buckhead meant it was going to be expensive.

  They pulled up to a small boutique called Happily Ever After with its crisp, clear design work and nondescript entrance. So, this was it. Lexi took a deep breath and exited the car. Ramsey walked over to her side to walk with her inside.

  The interior was gorgeous and modern, set in all blues with baby blue cushioned chairs and a navy blue coffee table. A receptionist sat behind a white desk, and a large spread display of the company’s work was on the wall behind her head.

  “Welcome to Happily Ever After. I’m Eve. How can I help you?” she asked, placing her hands demurely in her lap and staring up at them.

  “We have an appointment,” Ramsey said. “It’s under Bridges.”

  “Ah, Mr. Bridges, of course. Let me contact Sherri,” the woman said before pressing a number on the phone and letting Sherri know that they were here.

  A woman about Lexi’s height or maybe even shorter with insanely straight blonde hair to her shoulders and a soft look to all her features walked out of the back of the office. She wore a black pencil skirt with a pale blue blouse and all gold jewelry.

  “Ramsey Bridges,” she said with a bright smile. “Pleasure to finally have you here.”

  “Sherri,” he acknowledged, shaking her hand carefully, “it’s great to see you. I’ve heard such great things.”

  She waved him aside. “Don’t flatter me. I’m just doing my job. Now, introduce me to your beautiful bride-to-be.”

  Lexi stood stoically through the entire conversation. She had never wondere
d how Ramsey had selected the wedding planner. Did he know her personally? They sure seemed to know each other, but Lexi didn’t know how they were acquainted.

  “Sherri, this is Lexi,” Ramsey said, drawing Lexi closer to him.

  “Hello,” Lexi said politely. She extended her hand out, which Sherri took.

  “So nice to meet you. You are positively stunning!”

  “Thank you.”

  Lexi could tell that Sheri was trying to assuage whatever nerves were floating around inside Lexi, but that wasn’t likely to happen.

  “Please, come back into my office. I’m so excited to work with y’all on your special day,” she said.

  They followed her down the hallway and into the back area of the boutique.

  Sherri chatted away the entire time. “I don’t normally work with the grooms as well. It’s a real treat to have you along to help plan. You know I would do anything for the Bridges. After working on your sister’s lovely wedding, I am just thrilled that you contacted me for this.”

  Lexi froze in place in the middle of the hallway. Bekah. Ramsey had selected Bekah’s wedding planner. That was how they knew each other because Ramsey had been in Bekah’s wedding—the wedding he had walked out of with Lexi.

  Ramsey’s hand slid into hers, and he urged her to continue walking, but she stayed rooted in place. There were a million planners in the city, and he had chosen the one who had worked with Bekah.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  She could see in his eyes that he knew what she was asking.

  “She’s the best. You deserve the best.”

  “But Bekah…”

  “That was two years ago, Lexi. Bekah can’t dictate our choices.”

  “Yet, you selected her planner.”

  “I’m having you meet with the planner that she used, yes. She’s so popular that she books out two years in advance. Just the fact that she is meeting us is out of her normal schedule. But she likes me, and she likes my family.”

  “Why does it always have to be about who you know?” Lexi asked.