When it came to making choices, Lexi’s life was riddled with mistakes. But moving in with Violet Cromwell was not one of them. Honestly, Lexi had never felt happier. She loved the house, but that was not all. She and Violet were kindred spirits, and they were growing to be friends as well as roommates.
Lexi did not have many female friends growing up, and she definitely did not make any working in a competitive place like the Clamshell. There was no competition or drama when it came to her and Violet. They just naturally cared for one another and were able to talk to each other like they were family. As days went by, Lexi was becoming more and more confident in her ability to find a job and eventually re-establish some sort of relationship with her son and his father.
Lexi was surprised to learn that her new roommate was a published author, and she was eager to receive her assistance in constructing a résumé. They had stayed up late the night before discussing her job options and her vocational skills. Violet offered help, but not the kind that stems from pity. She seemed to truly like Lexi and had a genuine desire to help her get back on her own two feet. Ever since her encounter with Reggie, Lexi had had difficulty sleeping, and had awoken several times in the night screaming for help, begging an unseen phantom to stop hurting her. She and Violet had discussed the symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and Violet had comforted her, sitting quietly by her side until she slipped back into sleep. Violet confided in Lexi about her severed relationship with her husband and admitted that she had been having an affair with another man. Lexi was afraid to tell anyone about Michael or Elijah, but she did tell her nearly everything else. She even told her about the drugs and the unforgettable things she had to do for them. Neither passed judgment on the other, and they got along perfectly like a pair of long lost sisters.
Lexi loved the view from her balcony. She literally felt on top of the world as she appreciated an all-encompassing view of the town of Oaksdale. Michael and Elijah were out there somewhere, and the thought of them was comforting.
A Jeep screeched to a halt on the road below, breaking her trance and interrupting the peaceful quiet of the neighborhood. A man with raven-colored hair and piercing green eyes emerged from the driver’s side and cocked his head strangely to look up at her. “Oh, my God!” she gasped. “Michael!” Without a second thought, she raced down the stairs, taking two at a time. She threw open the front door and stared straight into Michael’s eyes.
Lexi reached forward to embrace him, but he placed his hands up, as though fending off an attack. “Don’t,” he said, “what the hell are you doing here, Lexi?”
“I live here now,” she explained. “The lady who lives here is renting out some space, and I wanted to be back here in Oaksdale, with you and Elijah.”
“With me and Elijah,” he repeated, scratching his chin and shaking his head silently.
***
Michael was dumbfounded. Here was this woman, a woman that he loved, a woman who broke his heart when she left him and their young son. He was speechless. Her returning had crossed his mind a million times, but he never actually thought it would happen. In fact, he had given up on that fantasy a long time ago. All he could think to ask was, “Now?”
“I am sorry, Michael. I know I was a piece of shit for leaving. I went to rehab and…well, I’m still working on some things…but I want to see him, Michael. I want to see you.”
Michael couldn’t believe this. Of all the times for this to happen, it had to happen right now.
“Why, Lexi? Why did you give up on us?” he asked, the pain of losing her all those years ago flooding back in like it had never left.
“I never gave up on my family,” she told him. “I just gave up on me.”
Michael was still at a loss for words. But finally, the words came to him, and as he spoke, they sounded like they were coming from somebody else. “I forgive you, Lexi.”
Lexi reached for him again, but again he pulled back. “That doesn’t mean you can see Elijah. And that doesn’t mean there can be anything between us. I’m on my way to the airport. I’ll be in Chicago for about a month. Get your shit together, and we’ll talk when I get back.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
Michael turned and walked away, still baffled by this most recent encounter. Violet, Penelope, and now Lexi. For a moment, he almost wondered if he was on some demented game show in which the entire premise was to torture him. He got in his Jeep and left the town of Oaksdale.
***
Lexi leaned against the doorframe and took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe what had just transpired. She didn’t have to go to Michael; Michael had found his way to her. It is fate, she decided, and in her heart, she just knew that he would choose to have her back.
Lexi fixed herself a glass of tea and sat down in a rose-backed, kitchen chair. Violet had gone to a meeting with her editor. Lexi felt bad for being less than honest with her new friend and decided that tonight she would tell her everything, including her real reason for coming to Oaksdale.