"Morning fam" Alexis asked the next morning. She was determined not to feel sad anymore so she'd woken up early and gotten herself dressed having decided to look for her own place. Her parents would not be happy about it but she wasn't going to tell them until she was ready to move out. She figured it would be the only way for her not to be haunted by her grandfather's memories.
"Morning. Going somewhere?" her dad asked while she bent down to kiss his cheek.
"Nowhere in particular. Which reminds me, where is my bike?"
"I hid it somewhere you can never find it. That thing is a death trap and that's why I never wanted to buy you one. You know that"
"Come on dad, I'm not a child anymore."
"I know that. But it doesn't mean I'll let you do whatever you want to. You'll never find that bike again Alexis"
"It's at Nick's house. Isn't it?"
JR chocked on his coffee "No. I'm not that obvious"
"You keep telling yourself that dad. Maybe you'll end up believing it someday" grabbing the toast on his plate she left. She didn't miss how JR scrambled to get his phone so he could call his friend and give him a heads up that she was going there. Too bad. Nick was easy to convince. All she had to do was glare at him or give him sad puppy eyes and he'd give in. Vince on the other hand wasn't so easy.
Nick's house was a walking distance from theirs so she didn't have to call a cab or tell Zach to drive her. After they'd gotten married, Her godmother and her husband had decided to move in next door to them claiming that it would be easier for them to have her parents near in case they had any questions about babies. And boy did they have a lot. Alexis still remembered how her mother used to literally kick the Harringtons out of their house when the questions became too much. They had a son Drake, who was two years younger than Jayden and twin daughters who were almost ten. It was funny how everyone grew up so fast when you weren't looking. What did people see when they looked at her now?
Walking in through the gates, she said hi to the guard without looking up. This had been their first destination with Jim until Drake was born. Then they'd resorted to camping out in Vince's house only Ray was always grumpy with Jasmine moving heaven and earth to try and make him happy. He was such a weird kid, one second he was happy and the next he was trashing his bedroom. Alexis had tried to befriend him but he'd given her the cold shoulder until she gave up. Now all he did was irritate the hell out of her. Instead of knocking on the front door, she went straight to the garage where the door was already open. Eager to get back her bike so she could leave, Alexis took the corner too sharply and bumped into a wall. Well a wall of muscles was more like it. A hand went around her waist to steady her and instinctively she put hers on his chest but didn't push him away. "Watch where you're......" she said looking up but stopped when she saw who it was. Ray.
"We meet again Princess. Howdy" he tightened his arm around her locking her in steel grip. She tried to wiggle and push him away but the action only rubbed their bodies together. "I'd stop doing that if I were you" he told her his voice having dropped an octave. She froze looking at him with wide eyes.
"Let me go you idiot" she didn't like the way he was holding her or looking at her. This was Raymond Lachlan and even though she didn't like him, she still saw him as a brother. Because to her Vince would always be a father figure so automatically his children were her siblings.
"Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?"
"What is wrong with you Ray?" she shoved him and he stumbled back smiling. "Why are you here anyway?"
"I'm supposed to take your bike and leave before you get here but that's just impossible since you're already here. Right?"
"Damn right you moron. Where is it?" Alexis tried to walk past him but he shot out his arm blocking her way.
"Not so fast Princess."
"Seriously I am going to punch you if you don't get out of my way"
"I'm sure you will. But I have a proposal. Take it or leave it"
"I'm leaving it. Move!" she said through gritted teeth. Ray moved but backwards to where her bike was next to Nick's cars. Mounting it he put on a helmet and she shot forward "What are you doing? Don't you have your own bike?"
"I do. But I'm under strict orders to get rid of this 'thing'" he quoted with his hands "And since you left my offer, I'm leaving with your bike. Now it's your turn to move Princess" Alexis speared him with a sharp gaze but he just smirked. This was Raymond, who had refused to be her friend when they were kids. He was possibly the only person she couldn't melt with her smile or persuade with her looks or pleads or anything. Whatever she did, he was going to drive her motorbike out that door and she couldn't stop him. God knew what plans he had for it. Maybe he was going to take it to a junkyard and dismantle it piece by piece imagining it was her, or maybe he would claim it as his then rub it in her face everyday for the rest of her life. No way. Think Alexis. Think. "Fine. What's your offer?"
"Climb aboard and let me drive this baby around town all day then in the evening I will give it back and tell your father you wrestled it from me."
"Okay. I'm so not coming with you wherever it is you're going but just promise to give it back in the evening"
"I want all or nothing Princess. It's either you come with or you don't get it back at all"
"I could just wrestle it from you, you know"
"I do. But then where would you get the keys from? And remember I'm not small like I used to be. Think hard and fast Princess. Time is running out"
Growling she got in behind him. "I fucking hate you"
"I know pretty girl. I know" he mumbled handing her the second helmet. She wondered what his problem was. In the past, he couldn't stand to be near her for five seconds and now he wanted to cruise around the city with her motorbike and spend the whole day with her? Something fishy was definitely going on. And she was going to find out what it was.
**************************************************
Raymond congratulated himself for thinking so fast. He was taking a chance by forcing Alexis to spend the day with him but he had to make her see him somehow. This date was the perfect opportunity he needed. She was a New Yorker but she'd been away for two years and a few things had changed. His first destination was his favorite place. An orphanage he liked to visit whenever he had a chance and spend time with the kids there. He was always grateful that his mother had left him a letter telling him who his father was or he would have ended up there himself.His parents had been high school sweethearts and they would have ended up married had it not been for his grandfather who had threatened her to leave. Not even once did he grieve for that man when he died. Sylvester Lachlan was the worst human being he'd ever known. Even after conducting a DNA test behind his father's back, he'd still
"Hey, the food's getting cold""What?""Food. Get off so I can too. I'm really hungry" Ray said trying to push her of the bike."Go eat alone. I have things to do""Oh no. That wasn't the deal Princess. The day isn't over yet""Come on Ray....""Don't even think about it. I'm not my dad who'll melt at your feet with just one look from those puppy eyes of yours. I mean it Alexis.""Argh I hate you""I thought we already established that already beautiful."Alexis stomped in to the restaura
"Hello""Hi. Oh my God the photos don't do you justice. You're like way hotter in real life. Look at those arms. Do you like work out? And that chest" she said fanning her face with her hand.JR blinked at the girl. She had to be around twenty years old, tall with red hair and brown eyes. He also noticed the suitcases behind her and wondered who she was. "May I help you?" he asked but she just gawked at him like she'd never seen a man in her life before. Deep down though JR was gloating because apparently he still got it. "Hayley" he called for her positive she would know what to do. Okay maybe he just wanted to show off to his wife that even after so long, he could still attract attention from other women. Younger, to be precise. It was just a harmless eye opening experience. Of course he would never look at anyone else because he
"She didn't? Wow I'm wounded Alexis. Why would you try to make this sweet girl hate me? Unless you like me and don't want anyone else to set their eyes on me"Having had enough Alexis stalked to where Marjorie was and pulled her towards the stairs. "My room. Now!""Wow. You women in this house are like super territorial over your men." Marj said stumbling because her attention was still on Ray."What do you mean by 'we women'?""You and your mom of course."Alexis groaned throwing her inside and locking her room. "Tell me you didn't try to hit on my dad""I didn't. I just told him he was hot and that had your mother unleashing her claws o
They stood outside the gates looking for the familiar face among the throng of students filing out of the college. Alexis had taken Marjorie's advice and slipped into a sexy number. A cream off shoulder figure-hugging dress with cut-outs at the waist and a slit that stopped mid-thigh. Paired with red pumps, she looked drop dead gorgeous if the looks people threw their way weren't obvious. She'd taken after her mother when it came to her physique. Well endowed was the term Marj had used that one time. Not that she hadn't tried to change how she looked.Like every teenager out there, Alexis had gone on diets, starved herself, lived on water just to look slim. Attempts that had all gone in vain because the weight always came back, almost immediately. At least that's what she'd thought. After countless times, she had given up and embraced her body. All because of Connor. He'd told her she was
Marjorie wished she had a Vudu doll that looked like Connor so she could stick pins in it and hurt him like how he was about to hurt her friend. Although Alexis couldn't see it, Connor was a lying, cheating, hypocritical, ugly ass bastard. It made her so mad that he was getting away with it. Worse? Alexis believed him. How could she?They'd met at an event and became friends instantly. And when her grandfather had died, Marjorie had been the one that suggested they go abroad to study so she could get away from the place that reminded her so much of Jim. He was a nice guy, who spoiled Alexis giving her whatever it was she wanted. Not that she was complaining. Her parents had bought a ranch just to accommodate all her pets. As kids who grew up in rich families, she knew what it was like to be dotted on. And just like Alexis, she was also the only girl at home with four brothers which is why
Seven years agoThere were people everywhere. Mostly their parents' friends but still, she hadn't known these many people would come to celebrate Ray's birthday. It's not like he had any friends because he just kept to himself. In fact, Alexis would go as far as to say the only friend he had wasJayden, her younger brother.They went around together even though Ray was twice maybe three times older than him. She didn't understand what they talked about but it was none of her business. Boys would always be boys.Walking in she placed her gift next to where the others were. She hadn't known what to buy him so she'd asked her father who had suggested something boyish like a watch or even cufflinks. She didn't understand why boys were so complicated. If this was his sister's birthday
Alexis looked at Ray from beneath her lashes. His eyes were so intense and they made her uncomfortable. She was sure he was taking a trip down Memory Lane just like she was. That day she'd stood there frozen not knowing what to do except kiss him back. He hadn't asked if he could kiss her or if it was alright to do so. But she also hadn't stopped him either. By the time he pulled back, her head had been buzzing and her lips tingling. He sure could kiss. For a while there she'd had a crush on him. He was after all her first kiss.Then two days later she'd seen him making out with another girl. Alexis had felt stupid for even thinking he liked her. He'd ignored her ever since they met so why had she thought that all of a sudden he liked her? She hated him for stealing her first kiss. How she wished it had been Connor or someone else but it was done. She also wasn't sure why Marjorie was bri