The Avoiding Series Boxset Read online

  “Two days after I threw it away, I felt terrible and fished it out of the garbage. The picture was still intact except for a few small tears from where the glass broke. I gave it to my mom.”

  Lexi forced the conversation to lighter subjects. She didn’t want to continue to suffer from long lost memories. She told him about school and her internship. He bored her with accounting information, and how his immediate supervisor was an older woman he couldn’t stand. They watched highlight reels from last year’s mediocre football performance from their Alma Mater. Luckily, the team was still ranked in the top twenty-five due to good recruiting. She listened when he told her about his Fantasy Football strategy for the upcoming season, and gave him pointers on who she thought was going to play well. He regaled her with stories from Seth’s bachelor party in Las Vegas earlier that summer. She told him about Chyna’s congratulatory weekend in Atlantic City when Lexi had been accepted into her internship.

  “This feels so familiar,” she breathed, leaning her head back against the arm of the loveseat.

  “Yeah, I suppose it does,” he agreed amicably.

  “You have a girlfriend.”

  “You don’t have a boyfriend,” he added.

  “I could have a boyfriend,” Lexi said popping her head up to look at him eyebrows raised.

  He laughed lightly. “You don’t have a boyfriend,” he said as a matter-of-fact.

  “How do you know?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “Lex, I’ve known you for a long time…years, in fact. You don’t have a boyfriend right now.”

  “Fine. I don’t have a boyfriend,” she conceded, “but I could.”

  “You could, sure. But you don’t. Either way, we’ve been here before.”

  “We’ve been everywhere before,” Lexi stated running her hands through her long waves and let them fall off the side of the loveseat.

  Jack coughed into his hand covering up a laugh that began to break through. “I wouldn’t say everywhere.”

  “Oh, Jack, stop it!” she exclaimed catching his double entendre. Hefting the pillow out from behind her, she threw it with full force across the room and into his still amused face. Shocked, he picked the pillow up off the white-carpeted floor and tossed it back in her direction catching her in the chest.

  She coughed upon impact, the weight of the pillow knocking the air from her lungs. She threw the pillow back in his direction with as much force as she could muster. He was prepared this time, and caught the pillow out of midair. Jumping up, he dove to the loveseat and smacked the pillow down into her shoulder. Lexi curled into a ball protectively covering her face.

  “Do you surrender?” he asked, holding the pillow high.

  Just before he was about to bring it down on her one more time, another pillow materialized her in hand. “Never,” she declared, swinging the pillow hard, hitting him full on in the chest. He teetered for a moment before regaining his balance and toppled his pillow down on her. When she didn’t even seem to register his attack, he bent down over her and began to tickle her between the ribs. She giggled uncontrollably, kicking out wildly with her feet, gasping for air.

  “That’s cheating. You’re cheating,” she squealed, attempting to pry his hands away from her. “Stop. Stop. Oh God, Jack, stop.”

  He paused, his body starting to register the position he had found himself in. Lexi had unwound from her fetal position and was sprawled across the couch. Her bare legs were slightly spread with her hands above her head. The silky material of her shirt did very little to hide her hard nipples underneath. His knee touched hers while his arms remained circling her waist in the same position where he had been tickling her. His body rested only a couple inches from her.

  As she recovered from his assault, her chest heaved up and down so hard she could almost touch him. Her chocolaty eyes were wide and wild, rimmed with tears of laughter. Flushed, her cheeks showed a splatter of red; her lips bare and showing slight signs of chapping. Even her hair was unruly and untamed, weaving curls and waves all across the sofa. All together, she was the epitome of uninhibited, unbridled beauty.

  Lexi’s eyes gazed back at him seductively. She could feel how close he was, and despite herself, despite it all, she wanted him closer. She licked her lips watching as his whole body seemed to relax into her. He was only a couple inches from her mouth at that point. So close, in fact, she could just reach her head off the armrest to meet him.

  In that moment, she knew. All that stuff about things being different had been bullshit. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted her.

  Lexi heard a gentle trill come from the direction of the bedroom. “I think that’s your phone.”

  His eyes roamed her face once more, and then glanced up at the clock. “Fuck, is it really 3:30?”

  She arched her body up, feeling herself press up against him as she got a good enough angle to read the red digital numbers. He hadn’t pulled away from her, and she could feel him easily through his basketball shorts.

  “Yep, that’s the time,” she said. sliding back down against the suede couch. His weight eased back against her as she moved. God, she wanted him. This was the reason she had promised Chyna she wouldn’t be alone with him. “Perhaps, you should go answer that.”

  “I can call them back,” he said automatically. Lexi felt as if she had traveled back in time six years, and Danielle would be on the other line.

  “You know, perhaps this feels a little too familiar,” Lexi said sitting up and pulling away from him.

  He coughed uneasily and righted himself on the sofa. “You’re right. Sorry.”

  She could tell he wasn’t. It didn’t matter though. He was doing the right thing. She was doing the right thing. For once.

  AUGUST—FIVE YEARS EARLIER

  Flashes of silver light careened around the open dance floor sending blurred, refracting images across the wide-eyed girls shaking their bodies in time with the rap beats blaring from the projection speakers. Saturday night at Chamber showcased incredible DJ spinning talent, and for the sea of wall-to-wall listeners nothing could get better. Several bartenders distributed lethal quantities of whatever one’s heart desired in alcohol. The medium-sized rectangular room was divided in two by sliding glass doors keeping the dance space and the more secluded lounge area separated. A raised platform designed in an L-shape was constructed against one wall and had a long bar against the open side.

  Beefy security guards in bright yellow Chamber polo’s remained stationed in precarious locations as a rather deliberate reminder for the drunkards to keep their cool. One too many customers had found themselves sprawled on their ass on the pavement outside after a fight broke out or the Fire Marshall deemed the building to be over the maximum occupancy.

  “I need six lemon drops, three Bud Lights, two Jager bombs, and an Amaretto sour,” Trina demanded of the tiny red headed bartender. The girl looked frantic pulling random bottles off the shelf and replacing them almost instantly. She grabbed several shot glasses placing them haphazardly on the bar before glancing up at her customer helplessly.

  “How many shots did you want?” the girl asked, her voice coming out mousy.

  Trina rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Honey, why are you working the busiest night of the week if you can’t take an order? I said six.”

  A blush crept up across her cheeks and down her neck. “I…uh…” the girl stammered not anticipating the harassment.

  “I mean really, what was Joe thinking hiring someone so incompetent?” Trina questioned her further leaning forward against the bar.

  Her eyes were locked with the mouse who looked terrified. Several of the surrounding customers glanced anxiously over at Trina. Some just looked angry that she was taking up so much time with the only bartender in the vicinity. A small blond girl standing to her right nudged her lightly in the ribs giving her a shut the fuck up look. Trina didn’t even register the jab. She was smiling, instead, at the girl behind the bar.

  “What’s your name sweetheart?�
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  “Mary,” she said fumbling with the bottle opener. Mary, getting even more flustered, managed to drop the metal opener. She quickly ducked down to retrieve it.

  Trina smirked at the girl maliciously. “Seems like you are better suited for church… Mary,” she said, dragging her name out. The girl just glanced up meekly, not even able to form words. Her eyes were beginning to well with unshed tears.

  “Trina, stop being such a bitch,” another girl said, materializing next to the redhead. The voluptuous bartender scooted Mary to the side with her hip and began expertly filling the order.

  Trina’s smile widened at the sight. “Chasity, I thought I would have to break your newbie before you got over here. What took you so long?”

  “I’d like to remind you that you are underage darling,” Chasity quipped, pushing the beers across the counter. “Might I also point out,” she said, thrusting the bottle opener into the back pocket of her micro-mini jean skirt and leaning into one hip, “that three-fourths of the people in the room know that.”

  Mary’s eyes bulged. “Oh my God, Chasity, I had no idea. I wouldn’t have served her if I’d known.”

  Chasity rolled her eyes at the girl. “We don’t ID at the bar silly girl, just at the door.” Mary’s blush returned in full force. “Anyway, you should recognize Trina here as one of our All-American gymnasts.”

  “Thanks for the introduction. Why not add a lemon drop to that order for yourself and little Mary too,” Trina said, fishing out her credit card and passing it to Chasity who stuffed it into her red bra strap. Chasity added two more glasses to the counter and began filling them with clear liquid. Trina held a shot over her head beckoning the couple off the dance floor.

  Lexi brushed her side-swept bangs off her glistening forehead as she made her way to Trina and the rest of the group. Trina smiled as she approached, a shot appearing in front of Lexi’s face. “For you, my dear,” she said, passing her the drink.

  Lexi reached forward to extract another shot from the bar and passed it to the guy standing behind her before diving back in and retrieving two sugar-coated lemon slices. The eight people in attendance smacked their glasses against one another and downed the contents feeling the familiar burn of vodka. Quickly inserting the lemon slice into her mouth, Lexi felt the dizzying effects of the alcohol, even stumbling a little. “Ugh,” she groaned, leaning back against the guy’s shoulder, “I can’t feel my legs. Is that bad?”

  He wrapped his arm around her tiny waist securing her in place. “Don’t worry. I gotcha.”

  “I know you do,” she said, nuzzling her nose into his neck affectionately.

  He jumped upon contact. “Damn. Your nose is freezing. How are you that cold?” he asked, breaking away from her. She shrugged leaning forward against Trina’s chair.

  “Who’s the new girl?” Lexi asked, nodding toward the red headed bartender.

  “Mary,” Trina said, cocking her head sideways as she studied the girl. “Chasity was just introducing her to me.”

  Lexi’s head shot up at the name. Her head swiveled around the bar expecting to catch a glimpse of very familiar dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. No matter how many times she came to Chamber, she had the same reaction at the mention of Chasity. After all, Jack had been a regular of hers at one point in time.

  “Hey, Lex,” Chasity said winking at her.

  Lexi’s heart skipped at the casual use of the nickname that she had never really allowed anyone else to call her after. “I was actually just chastising Trina for acting like a bitch to Mary here. You’re on the team, right? You should learn to keep her under control.” Chasity swirled her hips in time with the music looking all the more sensual for her adoring customers. She flipped a bottle of whiskey three or four times experimentally in her hands before tipping it upside down and emptying it into a glass brimming with cubed ice.

  “Oh no, I’m not on the team,” Lexi corrected hastily. “I just practice with them.”

  Last semester, Lexi had received an email from Krista, the captain of the gymnastics team, asking if she was available to attend a meeting with the coach. Lexi had thought it was a cruel joke. She had only told one person about her desire to be on the gymnastics team, and well, she hadn’t spoken with him since that fateful night in October. Her response had been dripping with sarcasm and questions in regards to the real sender. Krista had instantly responded that in no way was she joking about the offer, but that if she wasn’t interested then to forget it. As fast as she could get a reply out, Lexi apologized and agreed to the meeting.

  Krista met her at the entrance to the athletic training facility. She was petite, even compared to Lexi, with stick straight brown hair to her shoulders covered in red and blonde highlights. A distinct hole in her eyebrow, nose, and lip showed where piercings were beginning to close up. An old, destroyed, university, warm up shirt hung loosely on her tiny frame sliding off one shoulder and allowing her bellybutton ring to peek out from underneath. The elastic of her grey sweatpants had been cut off so that they barely hung on her narrow hips. Lexi liked her already.

  The meeting with the coach went surprisingly well considering the fact that the lady had been characterized as the epitome of bitchiness. Shortly afterwards, they had set up some time on the mat, and Lexi had wowed them into allowing her to practice with them. It had been like a dream come true. The only thing that could have made it better was if they allowed her to compete. She wasn’t going to hold her breath for that though.

  Lexi had been fortunate enough to begin training out that same week. The first day at practice she met the guy standing behind her. Spencer was a student athletic trainer for the gymnastics team that season. He frequently attended practices to prepare him for meets.

  After successfully completing her first practice, Lexi’s entire body felt physically assaulted. Seeing the amount of pain she was already in, Spencer had pulled her to the side and offered to do post-stretch work outs with her to soothe her aching muscles. At first, she had turned him down thinking she didn’t need it, but when she found she could hardly make it to the locker room, he had insisted. He nursed her over-used muscles making sure that she hadn’t done any serious damage.

  Then after proclaiming her fit, he had nervously asked her out that same day. Agreeing to the offer was a no brainer, and they had been dating ever since. Seven months later their relationship was still going strong.

  “No one can keep Trina under control especially if she is trying to make up for Krista’s absence,” Lexi said, leaning back from the bar and glancing up into Spencer’s warm chocolate-colored orbs staring lovingly down upon her.

  His dark blonde hair was buzzed so short it was almost military official with just enough in the front to spike up. Cheekbones were prominent against his pale skin; a strong square-set jaw line fit perfectly with the rest of his features.

  “And no one can make up for Krista,” Chasity said, flipping the tops off several beer bottles.

  “She’s probably glad to have graduated,” Trina commented. Lexi narrowed her eyes at her. Trina had been making similar comments since she had been named captain. “What?” she asked defensively. “I just mean that now she doesn’t have to take her piercings out every January.”

  The group laughed along at Trina’s joke. Lexi found she could only produce a forced half-smile. She really did miss Krista, and her spontaneous vivacious personality that seemed to light up any room. As soon as she had graduated, Krista had hightailed it out of town. She had ended up in Las Vegas and was now performing nightly at some Cirque de Soleil show. The team wouldn’t be the same without her.

  Lexi pulled her phone out of her tiny black purse to see if anyone else from the team had responded to her mass text. Sighing, she looked at the blank screen. “Guess everyone else is busy tonight,” she mumbled under her breath.

  Then, her phone vibrated in her hand. Lexi perked up and wondered who else was coming out. She flipped her phone open and stared numbly at the name tha
t flashed onto the screen: Jack Howard.

  Lexi quickly glanced backward at Spencer. He was occupied by Ashley, a blonde leggy gymnast in her third year. She had never mentioned anything about Jack to him before. Even if he had seen the name, it wouldn’t have meant anything to him. Despite that fact, she angled her body to block his view of the screen.

  She was unsure whether or not she should click the little green button to view the message. He had contacted her several times shortly after he had confessed to having a girlfriend. However, he had ceased his attempts at contacting her when she didn’t answer a single one. It had been difficult, of course. She had wanted to reply. After all, she had fallen head over heels for the boy, but she couldn’t share him.

  Just enough alcohol coursed through her veins that her finger fell on the button opening the message.

  “3 o’clock.”

  Lexi stared down at the cryptic text message, confusion written across face. Her brow furrowed together as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. The time was 1:30 in the morning. Was she supposed to meet him at 3 o’clock? If so, where was she supposed to meet him? No, that couldn’t be it. He would have said more if he wanted her to meet him, some explanation at least.

  3 o’clock.

  She stared off into space feeling the alcohol loosen her muscles and continue to cloud her judgment. Then, as if woken from a dream, she turned slowly. There he was. Sitting at the end of the bar, beer in hand, at her 3 o’clock.

  He raised his glass to her as if to say cheers. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He looked so good. She had almost forgotten how his shaggy hair fell messily into his eyes. The natural way he jerked his head to uselessly move it out of the way...only to have it fall back into his amazing blue eyes. The way his smile warmed her inside out.

  “Want to go back out on the floor?” Spencer asked, breaking her out of her trance. She averted her eyes and snapped her phone shut.