As Lexi pulled up to the gate that lead to Josh’s complex she slipped her sunglasses over her red, slightly puffy eyes. She rolled down the window to confront the guard.
“Name please?” the male guard asked politely.
“Lexi Morrow for Josh Chasez, please.”
The middle aged man wrote down her name on a clipboard, and asked her for ID. Lexi reached into her wallet and handed him her driver’s license.
“Thank you. One moment.”
As Lexi waited to be authorized, she touched the side of her face that had been slapped fifteen minutes earlier. She glanced into her mirror so see a red mark on her left cheek. What am I doing here? I shouldn’t be here. I don’t want to put Josh in an uncomfortable position, but I’m not sure where I should go…
While she was thinking all of this, she almost turned her car around to go home, but the security guard interrupted her thoughts.
“Here you go Miss Morrow. Have a nice day.”
With that the guard handed her the license and a print out of how to get to JC’s condo from there. She thanked him, and drove through the open gate.
As Lexi walked up to JC’s door, she considered leaving again, but some unknown source inside of her forced her to knock, and JC was quick to answer.
“Hey, Lexi! It’s almost 7:45, I thought you got lost! Come on in. I have the Chinese food waiting in the living room.”
Lexi slowly followed an energetic JC inside and shut the door behind her. He hadn’t realized the state that she was in because he was moving too quickly.
“Just have a seat on the couch, and I’ll be right in,” JC said as he stuck his head in the refrigerator.
Lexi nodded to his back and walked into his living room and sat down on the black leather sofa. A moment later JC came in with two bottles of water and sat down on the couch next to her. It wasn’t until then that he noticed that she had sunglasses on.
“Hey, I think we’re safe from eclipses in here,” JC said chuckling.
Lexi tried to push a fake laugh, but the pain radiating from her cheek halted her.
“What’s wrong?” JC asked suddenly slightly concerned.
“Oh, nothing. I just…”
JC cut her off by carefully removing her sunglasses. His mouth opened and eyes widened to the sight he saw.
“What happened?!”
Lexi began to cry again.
“I umm….I….”
Then Lexi broke down and began sobbing heavily. JC scooted closer to her and took her in his arms to console her. He held her there for about 5 minutes, and the only sound that could be heard was Lexi’s soft whimpers.
Finally, Lexi released herself from JC’s embrace and looked into his deep, blue eyes. Then she just started talking. She told him what happened from beginning to end without leaving one part out. When she was done, JC himself had tears in his eyes.
“I can’t believe that as…How could he…? How could anyone…?”
All Lexi could do was fidget with the zipper of her jacket and stare at the white carpet.
“Yeah, well…I should go...”
JC looked at her like she was crazy.
“What! Wh-where are you gonna go?” he stuttered.
“Home, I guess.”
“You can’t go home. What if he’s waiting for you?”
“I don’t think he will be…”
“…I’m not going to take that chance, Lexi. You mean way too much to me. I mean what if…” JC stopped himself before he could go any further.
“I know…I know, but where else can I go?”
“You can stay here.”
“What? That’s ridiculous. I can’t intrude…”
“Intrude?” JC said with a look of compassion in his sapphire eyes. “You are one of my best friends and nothing you could do could ever be intrusive, especially in a situation like this. Now it would make me feel better if you stayed here…at least for tonight.”
Lexi’s brain wanted to protest, but her heart wouldn’t let her. She was too physically and emotionally exhausted to make any further argument…even if it was a friendly one.
“Ok, but only for tonight,” Lexi said cracking a grin.
JC sighed in relief and lead her upstairs to the guestroom that had an attached bathroom.
“Consider this your room until when ever, ok?”
“Ok. Oh, I just remembered, I have some stuff in my car…”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Just some shampoo, some clothes…it’s in the Abercrombie and Fitch bag.”
“Oh, right,” JC said remembering her story. “I’ll go get it for you.”
Lexi reached into her purse and handed her car keys to JC.
“If you’re not back in two minutes I’m calling the police,” Lexi joked.
JC laughed, and then he began thinking. The police? We should really call the police, but I know Lexi. If she wanted to contact the police she either would’ve done it by now or asked me too. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…”
JC returned with the bag, and Lexi had taken off her leather jacket.
“Well, I’ll leave you to take a shower and get settled. If you need anything I’ll be right across the hall.”
“Josh?”
JC stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”
“Thanks. Not just only for today, but for the past few months. Our relationship means a lot to me, and I’m glad that we’ve gotten so close. I’m sorry if that sounds corny, but I mean it.”
JC smiled at a weary Lexi and said, “It means a lot to me too.”
They clasped in a long hug. They both felt something, but this obviously wasn’t the time or place to discuss that. When they finally released, JC turned to walk out the door. He stopped, turned only his head so his blue eyes were looking straight into Lexi’s.
“Ya know I’d do anything for you, right?”
With those words, JC closed the door behind him leaving Lexi to her thoughts.
Chapter Eleven
Go where ya came from!