***Chapter8 – Redemption
A weak knock on the door woke Jackson up, his arm was stretched out underneath Lexie's head. He tried to gently pull his hand out without waking her up, but a little louder second knock on the door woke her up as well. He kissed the top of her head "Go back to sleep, it's still early" He said and got up to open the door. When he opened it he saw Alex with his hand raised about to knock again. Jackson lightly shoved him two steps back and closed the door behind them "What do you want?" He crossed his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at Alex in suspicion.
"I came to talk to Lexie" He said as he tried to pass Jackson and reach for the door. Jackson shoved him again, more firmly this time.
"You're not getting anywhere near her" Jackson warned as he raised his hand in Alex's face.
"Come on, I just want to apologize" He took a step forward and when Jackson blocked his way he took a step back "Ugh" He groaned in despair.
"What did you do anyway?" He crossed his arms across his chest again.
"Lexie didn't tell you?"
Jackson shook his head "She was too upset, thanks to you" He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw in anger "Well?" He raised his eyebrows and gestured with his hand for Alex to answer.
"I don't know maybe she didn't say anything cause she doesn't want you to know" He shrugged, trying to look innocent.
"Cut the crap Karev!" He raised his voice as he was getting impatient.
"Fine" He rolled his eyes and put his hands on his waist "Just don't yell, I have the worst hangover" He furrowed his brow.
"Well you deserve it, now talk!" Jackson ordered.
"I… Eh..." He stuttered "I… Eh..." He shrugged and gestured with his hand as if he didn't know what to say "Well, I Eh… I basically called her a slut" He finally blurted out in one breath.
Jackson's eyes opened wide "You what?"
Alex nodded slightly and shrugged, he then looked down at his shoes and lowered his voice in shame "I also might have tried to…" His voice trailed off as he gestured with his hand for Jackson to figure it out by himself.
"To what?" Jackson couldn't possibly imagine what he was talking about.
"You know"
"No I don't know"
"To mess with her" He could see that Jackson was still not getting it "You know, have sex with her, well more like screw her senseless" Jackson's face reddened, he was furious "Everything is kind of vague, but I'm quite sure nothing happened" He said when Jackson shoved him against the wall and raised his fist up in his face ready to punch him. Alex held his hands up in surrender "I'm a jerk, I know it, you can punch me if you want, I deserve it, but come on just let me apologize to her, she doesn't deserve it, she's been nothing but good to me" He pleaded and Jackson took a deep breath and stepped back.
"Ugh!" Jackson said in frustration "I feel like killing you right now!" He clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth, holding himself from hitting Alex "You're such an ass, no wonder she was so upset" Jackson shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I really am" His tone of voice was sincere "Come on man, let me talk to her"
"Well don't hold your breath" He reached for the door "I doubt it if she will want to see your sorry ass" He entered the room leaving Alex waiting outside.
"Hey" Jackson said when he found Lexie sitting on her bed with a nervous expression on her face "Why aren't you still asleep?"
"He told you didn't he?" She stared at her feet and nervously twirled her hair around her finger, he quietly sat beside her and she looked him directly in the eyes "He told you what happen" He nodded in reply and she went back to twirl her hair and stare at her feet.
"Look, he doesn't remember everything so I just want to know if he hurt you" She looked at him "Physically" He added cautiously, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "You want me to kick his ass, I'll kick his ass" She shook her head and forced herself to chuckle "Cause I really want to kick his ass" He said passionately, emphasizing every word, and she chuckled for real this time. "Good. You're smiling again" He said fondly as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, he then kissed the top of her head "Lexie" She looked at him "Karev is still here" She tensed "He is waiting behind the door"
"Well what does he want?" She pulled back from him just a little and he loosened his hold on her.
"He just wants to talk, you don't have to say yes, but he wants to apologize, and I will be right outside if you need me" His hand gently rubbed her back up and down to reassure her.
"I don't know" She shrugged "I kind of denied the fact that I'll ever have to see him again" She looked at him "It's stupid I know" She sighed in sadness.
"It's not stupid" He said sympathetically "I can understand that you don't want to see him again, but…" He was trying to complete the sentence but she interrupted
"But eventually I will have to" She frowned a little and he nodded in reply.
"Better to deal with it sooner than later?" She asked, waiting for his approval.
"It's your call" He said softly.
She took a deep breath and sighed heavily "Okay, sooner it is"
He got up and walked towards the door "Are you sure?" He asked when he reached for the doorknob.
"Nope, but I don't think I'll ever be" He clenched his jaw and looked at her in sorrow "It's okay, I'll be okay" She reassured him and he gazed at her for a few moments as if to see that she's not changing her mind before he opened the door.
"Lex" Alex rushed to get in when Jackson opened the door.
"Not so fast" Jackson grabbed him by the arm stopping him to get any further "No funny business" He whispered since he didn't want to stress Lexie out.
"Ha ha, I'm sober now!" Alex rolled his eyes and Jackson eyed him carefully.
"I'm right outside" He made sure they both heard him before he got out of the room, leaving the two to talk.
"Lex" He stood in front of her "About last night, about what I said, I didn't mean it" He shook his head.
On one hand she was very angry at him and wanted to scream at him, and on the other she was nervous and felt the need to flee from his presence. Instead she just sat there for a few moments until she found the courage to open her mouth "It sure sounded like you did" She said with a shaky voice.
"Lex" He sat beside her "I'm a jerk, we both know that" She glanced at him "You shouldn't listen to everything I say, besides I was completely wasted, I'm not excusing what I did, but you really should not take seriously what a drunk man say" He nervously scratched the back of his head.
"Why?" She looked at him "Why are you like that? What do you get out of it?" Her eyes were moist. He didn't look at her, he just shrugged. "I never could understand you, even when we were together, I never knew why you make such a big effort to push everyone away from you, it always seemed that you want everyone to believe that you are this selfish bastard"
"Maybe because I am"
"I don't believe that" She said without hesitation.
"God! You never cease to amaze me" He shook his head and smiled at her "After what I did to you last night, after all the nasty things I said to you, you still believe there's good in me" He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.
"I do" She said "I just don't get it, I don't get you, I don't get why we never worked" The moment she finished talking she regretted her last words, she regretted that she mentioned their relationship, she didn't want him to think that she is still stuck there, still thinking about him in that way, because she wasn't, she only felt the need to have some closure.
"Lexie" She looked at him "Normally I wouldn't admit it, but you deserve to hear it, I couldn't possibly take our relationship seriously because whenever I think of a future with someone I always get kicked in the teeth, I'm an emotional train wreck" He chuckled at himself.
"What about…" She wanted to ask about Lucy but he fiercely shook his head so she stopped.
"Look, last night, I wanted to get away from everyone, and then I saw you and Jackson and I got jealous of what you have" She raised her eyebrows in surprise "And Lucy just dumped me, but not before that bitch"
"Alex!" She interrupted him, scolding him for using that language.
"Not before that bitch stole my job in Africa!" He continued.
"That bitch!" Her eyes widen and they both laughed.
"I'm really sorry I took it out on you" They looked at each other "Being the only one I've ever been in a relationship with that didn't screw me over, you definitely did not deserved that" She nodded in understanding. "I'm gonna go now" He patted his knees and got up "Before I return to my old ways and say something stupid that I completely don't mean" He pressed his lips together and nodded, midway to the door he turned around to face her "I really am sorry"
"I know" She reassured him, and he opened the door to leave. When the door opened Jackson jumped up from the floor, where he sat and waited for them to finish their conversation.
"Don't mess this up like I did" Alex said when he quickly brushed past Jackson on his way out.
A/N: Reviews are always welcome
