Chapter 2 – Birthday Celebrations.
Saturday January 19th - Evening.
Today had been one of the hardest Lexi had ever faced. It was her birthday, her first birthday without her sister. The first birthday since Shay had been killed. Lexi couldn't say 'passed away' it made it sound like she had died peacefully in her sleep or something, she hadn't, she had been killed by a psycho arsonist.
Lexi had spent the day in her apartment, she had woken early, but lay in bed until way past midday. Unable to find a reason to get out of bed. Her phone kept chiming alerting her to messages or ringing but she ignored them all. She couldn't face people wishing her a happy birthday, it wasn't a happy birthday.
She had dragged herself from her bed at two p.m. read all the messages and listened to her voicemails but didn't respond to any of them. She hadn't received messages from Jay, Kelly or Gabby, Lexi knew that they would understand she didn't want to hear 'happy birthday' from anyone.
Lexi forced herself to go through the motions of showering and dressing in a zombie like state. She opened her dresser draw to take out a pair of socks and the light glistened off the silver chain that sat in the corner of the draw. She pulled the chain out, her engagement ring swinging on the end. The corners of her mouth twitched in to a sad smile and she ignored the tears that welled in her eyes before fastening the chain around her neck, the cold metal shocking her as it touched her skin. She lifted the ring and kissed it gently, thinking of Shay.
Lexi closed her eyes, imagining the huge grin on Shay's face as she stood beside Kelly in the shop as he handed the cashier his credit card for the ring Shay had chosen for her sister. Thinking about the excitement Leslie probably felt at the prospect of being able to help plan her sister's and best friend's wedding. A wedding that was never going to happen now.
A pang of sadness swept over her, today sucked. She wiped the wet tears from her cheek. The buzzer on her door chimed around the otherwise silent apartment startling her.
She slowly walked down the stairs to answer the door, not wanting to face whoever it was. She couldn't plaster on a fake smile for anyone today, couldn't pretend everything was ok, not today, she wasn't strong enough.
Lexi opened the door, Kelly stood staring at her tears already streaming down his face, his eyes red and puffy from the tears he had already shed. Neither of them spoke, Kelly crashed in to her, his arms fastening tightly around her waist as she clasped her arms around his neck. Kelly walked Lexi backwards his arms still secure around her and she pushed the door closed over his shoulder. Kelly buried his head in the crook of her neck and clinging on to each other they sobbed.
Eventually the ocean of tears ran dry, and Lexi led Kelly upstairs in to her apartment. She went to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face, trying to soothe some of the puffiness from her eyes, dripping water down her shirt in the process. She took it off exiting the bathroom.
Kelly sat on the end of her bed, noticing the chain around her neck he stepped in front of her abruptly stopping her in her tracks. He pinched the ring in his fingers admiring it. "I miss you both so much Lex" Kelly let the ring drop, staring up at the ceiling to hold in tears he didn't think he had left.
Lexi avoided watching him hold back more tears, looking around him. Her heart ached, her chest felt tight, she was physically hurting. Hurting because she missed her sister, felt pain because she was the reason her sister was gone, she hated the sorrow in Kelly's eye's, despised seeing Kelly cry. But she could help ease Kelly's suffering, that's one thing she could do. She put her hands on the side of his face and pulled it down to her, kissing his lips softly.
Kelly grabbed her hips and pulled her body against his as her tongue played with his. Her hands roamed down his body to the hem of his shirt, finding his skin she ran her hands up his torso, feeling his every muscle. Gripping his waist on either side she walked backward to the bed, she pulled her hands from his body and pushed his jacket off his shoulders.
Kelly growled against her mouth, gripped her waist tighter before pushing her away from him. "Stop, stop" Kelly said stepping back from her as the back of her legs hit the bed behind her. He starred down at her, breathing rapidly. "I want you Lex, I can't tell you how much, but not like this" he admitted shaking his head. "Not because you want to make me feel better"
Lexi nodded understanding, although feeling a little hurt at the rejection, she didn't just want to make him feel better; it would help her forget for a while too. Nevertheless, she understood he didn't want her to be with him out of pity, or because she wanted to feel something other than sorrow. "I'm sorry"
He blew out a long breath before pulling her in to a hug. "Will you come somewhere with me?" He felt her head nod against his chest.
"What are we doing here?" Lexi asked as Kelly pulled over outside their old apartment building and killed the engine. The apartment they had lived in with Shay, Kelly had sold the apartment back to the owner of the building when Shay passed away. The apartment held too many memories of Shay, too many reminders of his now broken relationship with Lexi.
"I wanted to go somewhere to feel close to Shay. To talk to her." Kelly explained. Shay had been cremated so didn't have a graveside he could visit. "This was the first place that came to mind. Whenever she had a bad day or needed to think she'd always be…"
"On the roof" Lexi recalled smiling fondly.
"The first time I went up there I instantly felt like she was there, like she was listening to me" Kelly reached in to his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, handing them to Lexi he continued, "I made a deal with the landlord, that I'd do all the fire safety checks for free, if I got to keep a set of keys so I could go up there whenever I wanted to. Come on"
Lexi opened the door and walked out on to the roof. The deck chairs and fire pit that Shay had purchased were still there. Shay had decorated the space with old, vintage looking solar powered lanterns on the walls, illuminating the roof space with soft ambient light. Lexi instantly felt like Shay was there, if she listened hard enough, she swore she could hear her voice in the wind. Kelly had been right, Lexi felt better, she did feel close to Shay up here.
She walked to the flat roof edge and looked out at the Chicago night. The roof top gave a clear view for miles, the clear night and lights were beautiful when you took the time to look at them, appreciate them.
Kelly sat in one of the deck chairs watching Lexi look out at Chicago. Silence surrounded them for almost twenty minutes both lost in their own thoughts.
"You remember the New Year we spent in New York?" Kelly reminisced smiling fondly. "Shay made a big deal about bringing in the New Year with people we loved, made Gabby and Matt come too even though they were going through a rough patch."
Lexi giggled as she sat on the deck chair beside him "You mean the one where she met a girl after about three hours of being there and disappeared for two days?"
Kelly chuckled "That's the one" he gazed up at the stars as if he were looking for Shay amongst them. "She appeared in the club next to us just as the clock struck midnight, looking like some magical fairy, wearing some big white wings and covered in glitter" They both laughed out loud at the memory. "That's how I remember her" Kelly acknowledged "smiling, happy, covered in glitter."
"Me too. But I also remember holding her hair back whilst she threw up all night too"
Kelly grinned humour sparkling in his eyes. "She blamed it on food poisoning"
"Of course," Lexi confirmed "there's no way it was the ten shots of tequila or random blue cocktails she had been drinking"
Kelly grinned, "I could use a tequila, or ten, right now" Lexi nodded in agreement.
Kelly walked ahead of Lexi across the parking lot of Molly's "Do I really have to do this?" Lexi groaned behind him.
He turned to look at her walking backwards "Do what?"
"Everyone's in there right," Lexi stated raising her eyebrows knowing she was right. "To celebrate my birthday, honour Shay?"
Kelly smirked and stopped walking "Nothing gets past you Detective."
"I don't think I have it in me to go in there." She declared sadness and a hint of worry in her eyes. She was scared to go in there, fearful of seeing everyone and breaking down.
Kelly stepped to her taking her right hand in his. "They're her family, they miss her too and they want to be there to support you." Lexi heaved a weary sigh looking up at him, Kelly smiled sympathetically continuing, "beside we should be celebrating her. We've cried and we've reminisced, now it's time to drink and celebrate that we got to have her in our lives" Lexi's mouth twitched in a small smile. "If it gets too much, you can bail"
Lexi pouted comically as she grumbled. "Do I really have to?"
Kelly crouched down "I didn't want to have to do this" he stated throwing her over his shoulder. "But you left me no choice"
"Kelly" Lexi shrieked laughing. "Put me down before you drop me" she protested as he carried her in to Molly's.
"SURPRISE" chorused around the bar as Kelly turned so Lexi was facing in to the bar and set her on her feet.
Lexi took in the scene, purple and silver balloons decorated the tables and walls, a banner reading 'Happy Birthday' hung above the bar. A framed picture of Shay in her dress blues stood on an easel at the far end of the bar. Friends and colleagues from the Chicago police department, fire department and med were in attendance. Lexi surprised herself and let the smile that bubbled up take over her features, Kelly was right, it was time to celebrate Shay's life.
"Happy birthday Lex" Kelly said kissing her cheek.
Lexi crossed the bar smiling at some Chicago Med nurses as she passed them to get to Gabby who was stood with Matt, Kelly, Cruz, and Brett.
Lexi nudged Gabby's elbow from behind to get her attention. "Thank you for all this" Lexi said embracing her as she turned around. "I know this is probably all your doing" she acknowledged kissing Gabby's cheek. "I didn't realise how much I needed it"
Gabby smiled tenderly "I love you Lex"
"I love you too" Lexi broke their embrace grinning fondly at her friend. Gabby and Shay had been best friends and Lexi was thankful Gabby had found space in her heart to let Lexi in after Shay's passing.
Gabby took Lexi's hand and looked at Kelly. "You ready?" she asked, he nodded his confirmation before stepping through the middle of the group to follow Gabby and Lexi. "Come with me" Gabby instructed leading Lexi by her hand to the other end of the bar. "Wait here" Gabby told her before disappearing in to the kitchen.
"What is she doing?" Lexi asked looking at Kelly. Gabby had reappeared before Kelly could respond.
"Here" Gabby said handing Lexi a small rectangle, black, velvet box. "It's not from me" Gabby explained quickly before Lexi could open the box. "It's from Shay" Lexi's gaze shot up from examining the box in her hand to Gabby for further explanation. "She'd had it planned for months, she had it specially made. She used Molly's contact details so it wouldn't get delivered to the apartment whilst you were there or something"
Lexi's throat constricted as she fought off tears, she didn't want to open the box, realising it was the last present she would ever receive from her sister. It had to be jewellery, she knew that much from the box. Gabby put a reassuring hand over Lexi's before walking away to leave her with Kelly.
Curiosity got the better of her, Lexi opened the lid to expose a diamond heart pendant, that could be split in two pieces, each side with a 'L' in purple diamonds amongst the white stones. The tears spilled from her eyes.
Kelly explained, "Shay said your Nan had a necklace the same and you both loved it. You couldn't decide who got it after your Nan passed so Shay had that made from the stones of your Nan's necklace, a half for each of you"
Lexi wiped her tears and took the left half of the heart from the box, holding it by the small hook atop it. "Can you put it on for me?" she asked Kelly showing her back to him and lifting her hair.
Kelly obliged unclasping and removing the chain she already wore, passing it to Lexi to slide the heart down on to it. The heart sat nicely next to the ring that already occupied the necklace. Kelly put the chain back around her neck ensuring it was fastened.
She closed the box on the other half of the heart and gave it to Kelly. "I want you to have it" Kelly started to decline the gift, but she interrupted him. "You loved her just as much as me."
Kelly smiled thankfully and took the box. "Thank you" he said leaning down to kiss her cheek.
The evening was drawing to a close and there weren't many people left at Molly's, which had had a sign on the door stating it was closed for a private function so there were no strangers allowed in.
Lexi was overwhelmed with the amount of love she felt, she had been hugged and kissed more times than she could count, wished a happy birthday, consoled on the loss of Shay again. No one had shed an unhappy tear, or they had managed to subdue them. Lexi had a sneaky suspicious Gabby had pre-warned or threatened everyone that no one was permitted to cry. It was to be a celebration not a mourning.
Lexi exited the lady's bathroom to see Jay leaning against the far wall obviously waiting for her, smiling as she caught his eye. "How're you holding up?"
"Honestly, it's been tough" she told him leaning her shoulder against the wall beside him. "But better than I thought"
"Good" Jay said turning to face her. "I haven't had chance to say happy birthday yet, kinda feel like you've been avoiding me" Lexi gazed down at her feet, she had been avoiding him. She hadn't known what to say, how to act after their conversation last night. He guided her head up to look at him, he inched his head closer to her, whispering "happy birthday Lex".
He felt her inhale as he closed his eyes in anticipation of kissing her. "Stop" Lexi demanded her lips brushing his as she spoke. Jay stopped moving and opened his eyes to look at her but didn't retreat. Lexi took a step back, she couldn't look at him, the hurt in his eyes she knew was there from her rejection.
Today had been hard enough, she couldn't deal with the are they or aren't they of it all right now. Jay kissing her would only complicate matters, did it mean they were back together? Did it mean he loved her? Was he just trying to make her feel better? She didn't have the mental capacity to deal with it right now.
She didn't want to put pressure on him and she wasn't asking him to decide about their relationship right now, but they couldn't fix whatever was wrong with a kiss and pretending everything was ok. Right here, right now, wasn't the time to deal with it.
"I can't…not right now…I'm sorry Jay" she advised stepping around him to re-join the party.
Sunday January 20th – Morning.
Jay sat in his car staring at Lexi's apartment door. The party had finished almost two hours ago. Jay had left along with everyone else leaving Lexi, Kelly, Gabby and Matt to tidy up. Jay had got in to his car, put the key in the ignition but couldn't find it in him to turn the key and drive away. He didn't want to leave; he didn't want Lexi to be alone tonight. If he was being honest with himself, he missed her, he wanted to be with her.
He had watched Kelly, Gabby and Matt leave Molly's about thirty minutes ago and he couldn't deny the fact he was so relieved to watch Kelly walk out and then see Lexi's apartment light up as she switched on lights.
Lexi and Kelly had been spending time together as friends, after her ordeal with Calvin Poe things hadn't been so hostile or awkward between the three of them. Jay understood Kelly had been a big part of Lexi's life, a part she shared with Shay, it wasn't easy for Lexi to just walk away from him. Lose someone else she loved. They had found common ground and could be civil to one another. Jay would have been lying if he had said it didn't cross his mind that Kelly would make a move on Lexi knowing she was currently single.
He wanted to knock on her door and tell her he loved her, that he wanted to work everything out with her but was now really the time?
The lights in her apartment began to switch off, she must have been going to bed, switching off the lights as she walked through the apartment. Movement caught his eye and he watched as Lexi stepped out of her front door.
Lexi faced the street putting her keys in her pocket after locking the door behind her. Jay watched her take a few deep breaths and close her eyes, like she was fighting with a decision. She took her phone from her pocket and chewed on her bottom lip. She had made the decision but was nervous about it. Lexi typed a message and Jay's phone chiming in his pocket surprised him.
He fumbled for his phone in his jacket and saw Lexi's name on his new message alert.
Lexi: Are you awake? Could use a friend.
Jay immediately pressed the call button. "Hey" he answered smiling.
Lexi smiled hearing the smile in Jay's voice. "Hi" she said softly. "I'm sorry if I woke you but I…"
"Look to your left" he instructed interrupting her reasoning.
Lexi slowly turned the phone still to her ear, she laughed as he waved at her before stepping out of the car. "Guess we both had the same idea" she concluded as he walked slowly toward her.
"Great minds think alike" he quipped as he stood before her them both putting their phones away. "You wanna talk about whatever it is that's on your mind?"
Lexi shook her head from side to side, no, she didn't want to talk about it, but she was going to. "Yeah I do"
"Well we gonna talk out here in negative ten temperatures?" Jay joked laughing when she didn't move "or you gonna invite me in?"
Jay thanked Lexi for the coffee she handed to him as she sat cross legged on the sofa beside him. Now he was sat beside her she felt ridiculous for having called him in the first place. She knew she had to talk about it though, had to tell someone how she was feeling, say the words aloud. Talk to someone she thought would understand, talk to someone she trusted, who wouldn't judge her. Lexi looked at the clock on the wall that read two thirty-five a.m. "It's officially no longer my birthday" she smiled sheepishly looking at the coffee mug she held on her lap.
"You made it" Jay joked nudging her leg with his arm. "You survived"
"I think that's the problem" she explained looking up at him tears pooling in her eyes. He locked eyes with her, yet she had to look away. She tilted her head back not allowing the tears to fall, she sniffed stifling the waterworks. "I've been having nightmares, a lot, the last few weeks" she described composing herself and placing her coffee mug on the table, so she was able to use her hands to run over her face.
Jay put a reassuring hand on her knee and watched as she stared through him, her eyes distant and unfocused. "What nightmares? What happens?"
"It's pretty much always the same." She continued "Calvin hurts Shay or you, my parents, Kelly. I'm always too late, I can't stop it. I want so bad to go after him, make him pay for what he's done" she couldn't hide the spiteful anger that bubbled in her voice. "But I don't. I stay, I try to help fix whatever damage he has done. Then I look down and it's me, I've caused the damage and by trying to fix it I make it worse. But it's never me, it's never me that's hurt, when I'm the one who deserves it most"
"You don't deserve it Lex. You don't deserve anything of what happened to you" Jay told her shaking her leg slightly trying to get her to look at him. It didn't work, she was lost in a memory, a memory of her nightmares.
Jay had to get through to her, had to make her see blaming herself wasn't the answer, she wasn't to blame. "A lot of horrible things happened when I was overseas." Jay began gaining her attention. She focused on him, gazing in to each other eyes, seeing each other's broken souls, seeing one another's internal scars. "The war was a part of my life. But it's not who I am. Just like what happened to you, what you did to Calvin, is a part of your life. Maybe it always will be. But it's not who you are Lex"
He searched her eyes for understanding as his words sunk in. The realisation that he was right took hold and her suppressed tears finally fell. "I can tell you exactly who you are" he said turning in his seat facing her. "You are kind, independent, compassionate, strong, loyal, stubborn" that earnt him a weak smile "honest, sometimes to a fault"
Lexi laughed aloud, it was true, she was sometimes too honest for her own good. "You forgot generous, sweet and funny" she quipped wiping her tear-soaked cheeks with the back of her hand.
"Humble too" he joked as she inhaled deeply. "You're one of the most beautiful people I've ever met, Lex, inside and out"
If that's who Jay thought she was, if that's how Jay saw her, then to hell with the rest of the world.
Lexi leant forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you" she whispered as he slinked his arms around her waist. Lexi began retreating from the embrace sooner than Jay was ready to let go of her, she kissed his cheek gently as she pulled away.
He tried to hide his disappointment with a wide smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I should let you get some sleep" he said standing up and stretching his arms over his head.
It was Lexi's turn to be disappointed, she had been hoping he would want to talk about them. Discuss their relationship, sort through everything. She stood from the sofa slowly. "Is that really what you want to do? Leave?"
Jay shook his head lowering his arms and looking at her. "No" he admitted without hesitation. "What I really want to do is kiss you and tell you I love you, but I get the feeling that's not what you want"
"It is what I want" she said, he took a step toward her, taking her words as an invitation to do exactly what he said he wanted to do, but she took a step back inching away from him.
Jay threw his hands in the air exasperated and then let them drop to his side again, "sure seems like it" he sat back on the couch running his hands over his head.
She heaved a heavy sigh watching him. She tried to speak three times and stopped herself wanting to ask the question on her mind the right way, she opted for; "Are we friends? Before anything else, before being partners at work, before we were together, we're friend's, right?"
Confusion clouded his features as he looked at her. His tone suggested how ridiculous he thought the question was. "Yes" he answered almost rudely wondering where this conversation was going.
"So why when you got the call to go to Vegas, why was your first thought to break up with me?" She asked, her voice conveying the hurt she felt. "To push me away? Cut me off?"
"I don't…" Jay tried to explain but couldn't find the words. "I didn't want…"
Lexi interrupted him thinking she had found the words for him. "Was it because you met someone and wanted to screw her without feeling guilty?"
"No" he said loudly standing up abruptly. "God is that what you think of me?" his shoulders sagged, looking at the floor. Looking in her eyes might give him an answer he didn't want, an answer he wasn't ready for.
Lexi shook her head her lips in a straight line. "I saw the pretty, brunette woman you said goodbye to. She was cute."
"She's nobody"
Lexi didn't quite believe him plus he hadn't denied he had slept with the pretty brunette. She didn't want to push it any further or fight with him. "I'm not looking for a fight, I'm just trying to understand"
Jay inhaled and exhaled slowly. He knew he had to give her something, try to make her understand or he would lose her, she would believe he had broken up with her just so he could sleep around. "Sykes was my Colonel" he informed her. "I'd had other Colonel's, but he wasn't like the others. He was always the first one out the door, last one home. Never asked us to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He was the guy I'd go to when I was having a tough time, missing home." Lexi studied him as his eyes glazed over, his mind going back to the day he was talking about. "On my second tour, we were on a recon mission, supposed to be a routine check of an abandoned village, make sure everyone had been evacuated safely. Only they hadn't, he saw the gun before I did, and he pushed me out the way. He took a bullet for me, if he hadn't it would have hit me square between the eyes"
Lexi's sharp intake of breath at the thought of Jay losing his life bought Jay back to the room and he looked at her. "He survived, but he had to take honourable discharge on medical grounds. Every time I spoke to him after he sounded different, distant, like he had given up"
Lexi crossed the room and hugged him remembering the sound of Jay's voice on the message he had left for her, the message that had sent her racing to Las Vegas. Maybe if she hadn't had gone when she did Jay wouldn't be there. "I felt, I feel guilty every time I think about it." Jay spoke in to her shoulder holding her tightly against him. "Being at his funeral bought it all back. I didn't want to be a burden on you."
Lexi pulled back to look in his eyes but kept her arms around him. "You're never a burden to me Jay, never. Why couldn't you tell me all this at the time?"
"You'd been through enough" Jay stated. "You were in a good place. Calvin was behind you, you were healing. I didn't want to ruin that"
"I was in a good place because of you Jay, because of us!" Lexi wanted to shake him to make him see sense, how did he not understand that she was better when she was with him. Why wouldn't he let her be that for him too?
"I love you Lex and I'm sorry" he told her speaking lightly. "I'm sorry I pushed you away"
Lexi leaned in and kissed him tenderly. "I love you too"
"Can we work this out? Can you forgive me?"
"I need you to promise me two things." She agreed "One, no more pushing me away, lean on me when you need me"
"I promise" he said kissing her quickly.
"Two, we both go to weekly therapy sessions. We'll find a group; we'll go together"
"Done" he nodded, she widened her eyes at him waiting to hear the magic words. "I promise"
Friday January 25th - Night
"Lex come on" Jay called impatiently walking in to her bedroom. "We need to be on the road already"
"Where are we even going?" She asked folding a pair of jeans in to the small suitcase that lay open on her bed. "You still haven't told me"
He wore a devilish grin as he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. "Somewhere you won't require that many clothes"
"Mmm, I like the sound of that" Lexi agreed as he kissed her neck softly.
He stood up straight pulling away from her. "You have five minutes to be in the car"
"Or what?" Lexi scoffed looking sceptical "what will you do if I'm not in the car in five minutes?"
He smirked motioning up and down his body. "I'll deny you all of this" Lexi laughed loudly throwing a pair of rolled up socks at him as he exited the bedroom.
Lexi sat on the dock watching the silver of the moon shimmer in the lake. Her legs dangling over the edge, not quite reaching the water below. Jay had surprised her, telling her to pack a weekend bag then drove them to his grandfathers' cabin.
They had eaten dinner at a diner stopping half way through the three-hour drive. They had arrived at the cabin about an hour ago, Jay had wanted to take a shower. It had been a long day at work, and he wanted to scrub off the day. A mischievous smile played on her lips as she thought about their earlier encounter in the shower.
Lexi couldn't believe how much had happened since she had last been at the cabin. How much had changed in such a short space of time. She had been broken and confused the first time she had been there. She had just suffered the loss of her sister, learnt of Kelly's cheating resulting in their breakup and kissed Jay in his kitchen.
Now she was in a better place, emotionally. She was happy, as much as it made her feel guilty to admit it, she was happy. She had Jay, her and Kelly were on better terms, friends even and she had avenged Shay's death. Nothing was perfect, far from it, she still had nightmares, still had moments she felt like curling up in to a ball to crush the pain she felt in her chest, to stop the heartache that overwhelmed her but she was dealing with it all, focusing on dealing with it one day at a time when she could, and one hour at a time when she struggled.
She heard the gravel crunch underfoot as Jay walked toward her from the cabin. She felt the pressure of the thick, heavy, blanket he draped over her shoulders. "Happy belated birthday" Jay said sitting down and offering his closed hand to her as he pulled the blanket around himself too.
Lexi held her hand out and he dropped his army issued dog tags in to her palm. "I want you to keep them for me" he explained closing her fingers around them. "I wore them every day whilst I served and for a long time after. Some days they were the only thing that reminded me who I was…who I was when I enlisted. I don't need the reminder anymore, I'm not who I was back then, I'm better, I'm the new and improved Jay Halstead and it's because of you"
Lexi was speechless, she knew the significance of him giving her his dog tags, they contained vital information, his name, social security number, blood type and religious beliefs. But that wasn't his identity anymore, he was more than that, more than the boy who went to war for his country, he was the man who came home. She kissed him passionately not being able to find the words.
Jay's cell phone ringing in his pocket interrupted them. Jay growled taking it out and checking the caller ID, "Abby" flashed on his screen before he declined the call. He apologised turning back to Lexi, "Now, where were we?" he asked reclaiming her mouth.