The next eveneing, Lexi came home from re-recording a song in the studio. She was meeting Matt at a party that his baseball team was throwing. All the “bosses” in baseball were going to be there (whatever they are called) and all the players were bringing their wives and girlfriends, so even though Lexi didn’t really want to go, she was kind of obligated to. She put on a pair of black pants, a maroon tank top, a matching sheer shirt, and black heels. Just as she was about to leave for the party her cell phone rang. Expecting it to be Matt she answered it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Lex, it’s Richard. I’ve got to ask a favor of you.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“There was something wrong with the disc that we recorded on this afternoon, and the last verse of ‘I Come to You’ is totally messed up. Would you mind coming back really quick and recording the last part again?” Richard asked almost begging.
“Rich, I would but it’s 7:30 and I have to be at this thing for Matt at 8…”
“Can you please call him and tell him you’ll be a little late? It’ll only take 20 minutes tops, and you can say it’s my fault.”
“Rich…”
“PLEASE??”
Lexi sighed and gave in.
“Ok, but only 20 minutes!”
“Thank you so much, beautiful. See ya soon!”
When Lexi walked into the studio, only Josh, Richard, and the sound guy were there. Richard whistled.
“Well, don’t you look nice,” JC said.
“Thanks. Let’s do this.”
“I love a woman that knows what she wants,” Richard said.
Lexi laughed while she put on the earphones. Within 15 minutes she was done finishing the song, and was ready to leave.
“Thanks again for coming in last minute, Lex. I owe you one,” Richard said.
“You bet you do. I’ll see ya later. Bye, Josh.”
“Bye, Lexi.”
As soon as Lexi got in her car, she dialed Matt’s cell phone number. She knew that he was going to be upset, but he’d just have to deal with it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Matt, it’s me. I’m running a little lat…”
“Where the hell are you? You were supposed to be here half and hour ago.”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m calling," she aid sternly. "I had to go into the studio for a minute, but I’m on my way now. I’ll be there soon.”
“Fine. Bye.”
Yet again, he hung up before Lexi could say anything. Lexi couldn’t take it anymore. Something was going to have to change very soon.
At about 8:45, Lexi was parking at the hall where the party was. The minute she walked in she spotted Matt and he walked towards her.
“I’m sorry I’m late…”
“We’ll talk about this later. Come with me.”
With that said, Matt practically dragged Lexi by the arm to meet some of his teammates and other baseball ‘bigwigs’. After about 40 minutes of smiling and feeling like a fancy arm piece, she was fed up. She detached herself from Matt’s arm and stalked out of the room. Matt was quick to follow.
“Where are you going?” Matt protested.
“I’m leaving,” Lexi replied without remorse.
“Why may I ask?”
“Yes you may ask. For the past 40 minutes you have paraded me around like some type of trophy! I thought this party was a chance for us to spend some time together, but I was wrong. You don’t need me here, therefore I’m leaving.”
“Wait,” Matt said changing his attitude. “You can’t leave. My friend drove here so I have no way of getting home. Please stay a little longer? I wanted to spend some time with you...”
“No.”
“Fine, I’ll go with you then.”
Lexi waited, angrily, in her car while Matt said some quick goodbyes. The car ride to Matt’s place was silent. When they got to his apartment Lexi said goodbye and wasn’t going to go in, but Matt insisted. Once they were inside Matt began to kiss Lexi, but she stopped him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lexi protested.
“I’m kissing my girlfriend. Since when is there anything wrong with that?”
“Since you’ve been going from angry to apologetic in a matter of seconds!”
Matt began to get angry again. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, Lexi, but I don’t like it.”
“Ya know, I don’t like what’s gotten into you either. I hardly see you anymore, and when I do all we do is fight! I’m tired of having a relationship based on your mood.”
“Ya know what, Lexi? I’m tired too. I’m tired of competing with your ‘singing’. I can’t compete with your recording schedules and PRODUCERS…”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Matt?”
“You know what I mean, Lexi. When we do talk, it’s always about your record, and your singing, and that JC guy…”
“Singing is my life just like baseball is yours! What else do expect me to talk about? And what does Josh have to do with this?”
“Oh c’mon, Lexi. You always talk about him, you’re always having lunch with him…how do I know that you’re not cheating on me with him?!"
Lexi was about to explode.
“What! How dare you accuse me of that! I have never cheated on a boyfriend, and I certainly have no reason to start now. Besides, this isn’t about my friendship with Josh. This is about you always traveling and you not taking my singing seriously.”
“That’s not true…”
“Oh, but it is. Every single time you’re playing a game in town, I’m there. I don’t even like baseball and I go to all your home games! But it’s too much to ask you to go see me sing at the House of Blues. It’s too much for me to ask you to sit in on one of my recording sessions…”
“Lexi, you know I can’t get out of games and practices!’
“That’s bullshit, and you know it! I’ve gotten out of plenty of things to see one of your games and attend other events. What’s going to happen if I start touring arcoss the country and performing 7 months out of the year? What then?”
Matt chuckled. “Do you actually think that’s going to happen? You think that this little hobby that you have is going to turn out big? You’ll realize that this whole singing thing was waste of your time when a year from now you have a hit single and nothing more. You’re not going to make it, Lexi, and I’ve known that all along. It’s just not going to happen! Don’t you see that?! Are you that blind? People like you are a dime a dozen who are just going to end up in a desk job like all the rest!”
Lexi stood still, unable to speak. She never thought that Matt could say something that would render her speechless, but he had. Matt turned around to see tears welling up in Lexi’s eyes.
“Look, I didn’t mean that…”
Lexi simply held up a hand to silence Matt. This was the last straw. At that moment, Lexi realized that she had fallen out of love with Matt months ago. It just took those words for her to realize that.
“I think we need a break,” Lexi said softly yet strongly.
“Yeah you’re right. How about we go to Naples for a long weekend. We need to get away from all this…”
“No. I mean a break. A permanent break.” Matt looked at her like she was speaking an unheard foregin language.
“What do you mean a permanent break?”
“This hasn’t been working for a long time. You’ve had to of realized that. I guess I wanted it to work simply because we’ve been together for so long and that is was 'us', but now I know it’s time.”
“You’re just upset. Look, I love you and I know you love me and…”
“No, Matt.”
“No what?”
“I don’t love you anymore. Not the way I used to.”
“Lexi…I don’t understand…I…”
“Goodbye, Matt.”
“Wait! You can’t leave like this! I’m sorry that I said those things, but you can’t break up with me like this! I love you too much!”
“No you don’t. You can’t say things like that to someone you love so much. It just wasn’t meant to be. I’m sorry. Goodbye, Matt.”
“But…”
“Goodbye!”
With that last word Lexi slammed the door and went to her car. She drove home in a state of bewilderment. She came home to an empty house. Nicki and Jen were enrolled in school, so they were probably at a frat party or something. Lexi went upstairs to her room, laid down on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.