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Taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, she nodded. "Yes."
"Yes," he agreed his eyes dropping to her lips.
"Let's walk Jack," she said taking that first hesitant step in a different direction.
She saw him visibly deflate from the exertion he had put into staying away from her. His hand moved to her lower back once again as he directed her towards a pathway. She wasn't sure why she was allowing him to steer her in a direction not only far away from the rest of the guests, but also to what appeared to be a portion of the land secluded by massive trees. Just as she was about to say something to him about how inappropriate their seclusion from the rest of the party was, he stopped in front of a large weeping willow. Pulling back a few of the extended limbs, he revealed a wooden bench in the shade of the branches.
"Come on," he said nodding his head towards the bench.
Speechless, Lexi ducked into the private enclosure that the tree had formed after years of life. "How…how did you know about this?" she finally asked taking a seat. She didn't really want an answer. Anything that he said would ultimately involve Bekah, and that wasn't something she particularly wanted to discuss at this moment.
For the first time in a while, she felt utterly and completely alone with Jack. It felt strangely familiar and also eerily different. He let the branches swing closed, the light now only coming in at uneven intervals through the leaves. The temperature was cooler as if it was dusk, and some of the humidity had dissipated in the shaded enclosure. Jack took the seat next to her, and breathed out a sigh of relief. He adjusted his tie allowing himself the freedom of being out of the spotlight, and just sat there next to her without a word not even answering her question.
She remembered what she thought was going to be her final farewell to Jack. She had been cruel, but not anymore than he had been with her. He had proposed to Bekah after everything that had happened between them that week. Her words were nothing in comparison. She wouldn't feel bad for them. She had meant every word, and she knew that she was still angry. She hadn't forgiven him. And she had wanted him out of her life.
Yet here she was, sitting under a weeping willow with him in complete silence. To anyone else this would have been the strangest thing in the world. Why would you run off with the groom at his own luncheon?
Yeah, she didn't think it made much sense either. But being in Jack's presence didn't feel weird or strange. She was angry with him for sure, but it still felt completely natural to be alone with him.
"Don't you think we should get back?" Lexi asked tugging on a long brown curl and letting it bounce back into place. She did this a few more times before pushing it behind her ear.
Jack shrugged noncommittally and looked into her large brown eyes. "You look beautiful."
"Jack," she said quietly into the dim lighting.
"I know," he told her not letting her add anything else. "I love the way you say my name."
"Funny, I hate the way you say my name," she quipped back quickly hoping to put some much needed distance between them.
"Don't lie, Lex. You're bad at it," he told her nonchalantly leaning backwards and putting his arms across the back of the bench.
"Jack don't call me that," she reminded him feeling the closeness of his arm to her back. She inched forward just a bit to avoid touching him.
He shrugged again as if he was never going to break that habit. He figured she liked it anyway, and he wasn't going to stop now after seven years of the same nickname. "I like the way you look at me."
Lexi sighed heavily. "Can we not?"
"We don't have to," he acknowledged, "but I do love how short of breath you get."
"Don't use that word so freely either," Lexi commanded.
Jack turned abruptly in his seat and stared directly into her eyes. Lexi sat motionless as he seemed to examine every pore on her face. She couldn't help but prove him right. As his gaze intensified, her breathing quickened. She could feel her body misbehaving again, and she tried to stifle the rising desire threatening to overtake her senses.
"You smell delicious," he muttered his free hand reaching up and seductively running his fingers through her long hair. Her breath caught at the slight touch to her ear as he drug the silky strands into their rightful place.
"Wh…wh…what are you a vampire now?" she asked trying to lighten the mood.
He cracked a smile at the comment. "I don't sparkle in the daylight, if that's what you mean."
Lexi giggled reflexively and he took the opportunity to move in even closer to her. She took a sharp breathe when she realized how close he was. "Oh God…" she murmured.
"That's something I've heard before," he said smirking.
"No," she told him scooting over an inch into the metal bar at the end of the bench. She groaned at his nearness. "You smell like sex."
Jack physically laughed out loud at her statement. "I haven't had any."
"So you're what…horny? Is this what this is about?" she asked angrily.
"What? No. I…I don't know. I hadn't planned this," he said careful not to move to further irritate her.
"Oh Jack…why did I just tell you that you smell like sex?" Lexi asked burying her face in her hands in horror.
"Maybe it's my cologne?" he asked playfully.
"Well obviously it's your cologne, but what's wrong with me? I'm not even supposed to be here with you," Lexi said standing abruptly. "I'm so pissed at you I can't even function."
"What?" he asked standing with her. "You were just telling me I smell like sex and now you're pissed at me?"
"Yes."
"Lex, that doesn't make any sense."
"Stop calling me that," she cried turning around to face him. "Lexi. Lexi. Alexa. Whatever you want to call me…just not that alright?"
"Whatever I want to call you?" he asked moving forward a step closer to her.
"Jack you're infuriating."
"I know," he agreed taking another step closer.
"You are getting married in less than a week," she reminded him.
"I know."
"You will be legally bound to another woman in less than a week."
