Chapter 24: Lexa

About thirty minutes later, we pull into the Honda dealership. I smile at Ash, "Are you trying to butter me up by going here first?"

She says, "It depends. Is it working?"

"That's to be determined." Suddenly my phone rings and I don't recognize the number. I answer it on speaker, "Hello."

"Hello, is this Lexa Trikru? This is Dana Whiter"

"Yes, this is Lexa. What can I do for you, Dana?"

He says, "I hear you have agreed to help me out by stepping in to fight Jewel. I wanted to touch base with you and work out the details. Is now a good time? Do you need to call me back when you are with your agent?"

"Nope, I have my agent right here on speakerphone with us. Her name is Commander Ashley Fletcher, but I make my own decisions."

Ash looks at me in confusion, whispering, "What the hell?"

I just shrug, "So Dana, what's the deal?"

He says, "Raquel tells me that you want to bring your own doctor and want some ringside tickets for some friends. Is that right?"

"Yes, and she told me I was guaranteed $50,000 for showing up. Is that correct?"

He replies, "That is correct."

"What's the payout if I win? She also said something about passing a physical."

He chuckles, "Yes, you'll need to fly down to our Institute in Las Vegas and get checked out by our medical staff. If they clear you to fight, then you'll need to be in LA on Friday afternoon for the official weigh-ins. I can book you and your agent a flight to Vegas for Wednesday, then go from there."

"That won't be necessary. Just let me know what time I need to be there on Wednesday, and I will be there. I can tell you that I won't have a problem with the physical, so what do I need to know as far as to fight gear and what is expected of me outside the ring?"

He answers, "We will take care of all your fight gear for you. We can have it to you before you leave Vegas if you are cleared to fight. After the weigh-ins, there is a short fan meet and greet that you are required to attend. Other than that, you just need to show up at the arena on fight night. How does that sound?"

"That sounds good, I will see you in a couple of days, and we can discuss more about the payout after I pass the physical. I look forward to meeting you, Dana."

He says, "I look forward to meeting you as well, Lexa."

I look at O and Ash, "How do you both feel about a day trip to Vegas on Wednesday?"

They both laugh, answering together, "Sounds like fun!"

"Okay, let me text Morrigan to let her know so that she can have the chopper ready and file the appropriate paperwork. Then I will text Reed and make sure he has the crew prepared for a late-night party on fight night. Crap, Ash, what time is the cookout on Sunday?"

She laughs, "It's not until 5, so we should be okay. Now let's go see about a motorcycle."

As I am looking around, I see a guy with a tall blonde looking at a Honda civic. The guy looks awfully familiar, so I ask O, "Does that guy look familiar to you? The one in the baseball hat and the khaki shorts who is now kissing the blonde he's with."

Octavia looks over at the couple, "Yeah, it kinda looks like Finn, but it is hard to tell with the sunglasses and ball hat. I can tell you one thing, that definitely isn't Clarke."

"Should we try to get closer so we can find out if it's actually him? I mean, he just had his tongue down that girl's throat, and I feel like if it is him, we should let Clarke know."

Before we have time to get closer, Ash walks by him. She does a double-take, then says, "Hey, you're Finn, right?"

O and I ducked behind a car to watch his reaction. He looks startled, "Um, yeah, and you're Ash. We met at the club the other night, right? You're with Lexa."

Ash replies, "Well, we aren't together, but yeah, we met at the club. I thought you were dating Clarke?"

O looks at me smiling while snapping a few pictures with her phone. I can't believe that the girl actually puts her arm around him, kissing him as Ash asks about Clarke.

Finn calmly replies, "Clarke and I date, yeah, but we have a very open relationship, not that it is any of your business."

Ash says, "Yeah, sorry. I was just…you know what, never mind. I'm going to let you get back to whatever you are doing. See you around, Finn."

When Ash walks off, she notices us hiding behind the car and asks, "What are you two doing?"

I smile, "Hiding from that jerk while listening to your conversation. I don't think what he said about Clarke is true."

O says, "No, they've never had an open relationship. A couple of us had suspicions that he was a cheater, but we could never prove it, but now I have pictures."

Ash says, "Will Clarke believe you even with the pictures? Is it worth getting in the middle of their business?"

I reply, "Wouldn't you want someone to tell you if you were being cheated on?"

By the time we made it back to the Untouchable, it was dinner time. I had a brand-new Honda Fire blade motorcycle, a new comforter, sheets for my bed, an outfit for my date with Allie, and many new clothes. I had also ordered all the equipment I wanted for my home gym. Ash stayed for a quick dinner, but then she took the jeep and headed home. She said she would text me later about if Asher and Callie were going to the fights.

Once Ash left, I call Reed asking if he and Jose are free. The four of us spent the next couple of hours talking and drinking. I told Reed and Jose the story of Callie and Asher and why Ash and I were taking a break. I told them how Ash and Callie were high school sweethearts and planned to get married after Callie finished college. Ash was expected to join the military, which is how she became a Navy Seal, but the plan was to serve her four years while Callie went to college. After that, they were going to get married and have kids. Ash's best friend Robby was supposed to be looking out for Callie while Ash was away.

While at a party during Callie's senior year, she was raped and became pregnant. When Ash went to her graduation, she was surprised to find Callie was pregnant and thought she had cheated on her. Long story short, they worked it out, and Ash was going to raise the kid as hers until Callie didn't show up when Ash came home to stay. Everyone, including Callie's parents, thought Callie and Robby had eloped. Ash went into a downward spiral and joined the CIA for undercover operations. Ash recently found out that Robby had kidnapped Callie and held her captive until she could finally get away after Asher was born. While Ash was working the deep cover opp, Callie and Asher stayed with Amelia, Ash's mom. When Asher started asking questions, they told him Ash was his other mommy. Now Ash is confused about everything, so we decided to pause our relationship until she could figure out things with Callie. So that's where we are now. I'm just going to have fun, and if it is meant to be, then it will be.

Reed said, "According to Petrona, the two of you looked like you were very much in love last night. Her words, not mine."

I laugh then tell them about last night. O said, "Damn, no wonder you said you're confused. Why do you let her play with your emotions like that? Can she not see how it's confusing to you?"

Reed said, "I agree. How can she expect you to be okay with being her side piece while she plays house with Callie and their kid?"

"Guys, it isn't really like that! I know she has feelings for me. I'm almost positive she wants to be with me, but at the same time, she has been put in an impossible situation. Plus, it's not like I didn't start it last night."

Reed replies, "That may be true, but how are you supposed to get over her if you keep having sex with her?"

"That's the problem. I don't want to get over her. I want to marry her!"

Octavia spit out the sip of margarita she had just taken, "What? Are you fucking kidding me? You are only 20, and you are in the prime of your life. You should be out there hooking up with whomever you think is hot, not trying to get married to the first person you ever fucked. Excuse my language here, but I mean really, Lexa! Imagine all of the chicks that will fall all over you once you win the fight on Saturday. So why settle for Ash right now. See what's out there, and then if you still want her, so be it."

"O, I don't think I'm made for one-night stands… But, I don't know."

Jose finally speaks up, "Lexa, I know that you love Ash, and the two of you have been through some pretty traumatic stuff together, but I'm with Octavia on this. You need to get out and experience life and the freedom you fought so hard for. Think about it; less than a year ago, all we knew was fighting. We didn't really have friends, lovers, even family. All we had were the soldiers we were forced to fight beside; other than you and Reed, I didn't trust any of them. Now look at us; we have somehow found each other again. You two are the closest thing to family I have, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you should enjoy life for a while now that you have the freedom and opportunity. You have plenty of time to settle down and get married one day but right now, enjoy life. If you and Ash are meant to be together, you will find your way back to one another just like the three of us did."

Octavia says, "No offense, Jose, but I think that is the most I have heard you say like ever. I agree 100% with you, and with incite like that, you should speak up more often."

We all laugh, "Thanks guys, I don't know what I would do without the three of you. Reed, Jose, I don't know if you are aware, but I've been offered the opportunity to fight in the UFC in LA. I was wondering if you two would like to go?"

Reed says, "I don't know if we both can. I mean, one of us should probably be here to make sure everything is ready for the celebration party that night, and I'm sure there will also be people aboard for the cookout on Sunday evening as well…."

I interrupt him, "Reed, Captain Miguel is still here. I will make sure he knows that you and Jose have the night off if you would like to go. You should probably take advantage of this while he is still here, although I'm sure I can always find someone to step in from time to time so you can enjoy yourselves."

He says, "In that case, hell yeah, we are in!"

I look at O, "I feel like going dancing. Let's hit the Dragon's Den and send a text to the crew for them to join us." An hour later, we're at the table with Jess, Angie, Finn, Clarke, etc. I formally introduce Reed and Jose to everyone before I ordering shots for everyone. Then hit the dance floor. I couldn't stand being at the table with Finn knowing what he had said earlier about Clarke's relationship. Octavia said she was going to approach the subject with Clarke, but I don't know when. So, I decided to dance instead of worry about things I can't control. Soon the DJ said it was karaoke time. I went back to the table and ask O what karaoke was. She explained what it was and said we should sign up.

I reply, "You mean like I had to do the other night? I think I'm going to need to be a lot more intoxicated before I get up and sing in front of everyone."

Her answer was, "That can be arranged, but you've already done it once." So we proceed to take a few shots until I had a good buzz going. The only problem was that when I have this good of a buzz, I tend to say things that I usually wouldn't. It's like my mouth loses its filter, and words just come tumbling out before I can stop them.

Finn excuses himself to the bathroom, and I look at Clarke, asking, "Clarke, I have a question, but I don't want you to take it the wrong way. Do you and Finn have an open relationship?"

She looks at me confused, "What? Why would you ask that?"

O comes back from signing us up to sing and sees the look Clarke has on her face asks, "Lexa, what did you do?"

"I just ask Clarke if she had an open relationship, that's all."

Clarke looks at O, "Why is she asking me this?"

O says, "I was going to talk to you about it later, but I guess she felt the need to ask now while she is drunk and has no filter. We saw Finn today at the Honda dealership with some tall blonde." She shows her the pictures. "We hid from him, but Ash didn't know any better. She called him out on it, and his response to her was that it was none of her business but that you all had an open relationship."

Clarke turns red, "Well, this is the first I'm hearing of it, but I have noticed things being off with him lately. I guess I need to talk to him. I had my suspicions, but I just haven't had the time or energy to deal with him after his fit the other night. He's become increasingly easy to anger lately, but he won't tell me what's wrong. Plus, I have been so busy at the hospital we don't really have a lot of alone time."

I look Clarke in the eyes, "You know I would never treat you like that. If you were with me, I would treat you like the Queen you are."

Before she could say anything, the DJ called my name, and I walk away. As I did, I hear Clarke say, "Octavia, what did she mean by that?"

As I walk onto the stage, O catches up to me, "What the hell was that?"

I just shrug, "The truth. Can we sing Break Up with Him by Old Dominion?"

She looks at me, smirks telling the DJ what song to play. The music starts, I look directly at Clarke while singing. 'Hey girl, what's up?/I know it's late, but I knew you'd pick it up/Naw, I ain't drunk/Okay, maybe I do have a little buzz but/That song came on and I just thought/What harm could/ come from one little call?/I know you say you're taken/But I say girl you're taking too long' Octavia comes in and sings this part with me. 'To tell him that it's over/Then bring it on over/Stringing him along any longer girl/It's just wasting precious time/Girl, you know it can't wait/Rip it off just like a band-aid/The way you look at me, girl, you can't pretend' Then I take it away again, 'I know you ain't in love with him, break up with him/I know, you don't wanna break his heart/But that ain't no good reason to be keeping us apart, look/Just tell him, it's you, it ain't him (I add…even though it definitely is)/And maybe you can lie to him/And say you'll still be friends/Whatever you got to say/To get through to him that you ain't in love/C'mon you can't deny that you and I/Kinda fit like a glove/So tell him that it's over/Then bring it on over/Stringing him along any longer girl/It's just wasting precious time/Girl, you know it can't wait/Rip it off just like a band-aid/It ain't my business to be all up in/But I know he ain't in love with you/Break up with him/I know that you so done with him/Break up with him, break up with him/You oughta hung up by now/If you weren't thinking it too/No pressure, whatever, just do what you gotta do/But if I was you/I'd tell him that it's over/Then bring it on over/Stringing him along any longer girl/It's just wasting precious time/Girl, you know it can't wait/Just rip it off like a band-aid Yeah, I know I said it, but I'll say it again/I know he ain't in love with you/Break up with him/The way you look at me, girl, you can't pretend/I know you ain't in love with him, break up with him/Just break up with him.' When the song is over, I look at Clarke, "Please, just break up with him."

As we walk off the stage, O looks at me, "What the fuck was that?"

"I don't know, it just felt right, and you all said not to just wait around on Ash. I just want her to know that she doesn't have to put up with his shit. I need her to know that I want to get to know her better, that I would never treat her the way he does. She deserves better."

"What about Ash? How would it be any better for Clarke if you got with her, but then Ash decides she wants you? How would it make Clarke feel when you drop her to go back to Ash? You need to think about that before you go any farther because she does deserve better."

I start to speak but then think better of it. What if O is right? What if Clarke and I create something only to have Ash want me back? I would be a complete ass to bring Clarke into the middle of Ash's and my complicated relationship, but what if…what if Clarke is the one for me, not Ash. How will I ever find out? This is too much to think about right now…I need another drink.

When we get back to the table, Finn is still not back, but Clarke is bright red. I look at her, giving her my trademark half-smirk. She grabs my arm, pulling me away from the table, "What the hell are you doing, Lexa?"

"What do you mean? I'm trying to tell you that you can do better than him."

She shoves me, "You're drunk. That's what is wrong with you; otherwise, you wouldn't be doing this."

"Sure, if that's what you want to think…that's fine, but YOU deserve better. I'm going back to the table and have another drink. Speaking of Finn, though, where did he run off too?" I say and then turn and walk away.

I find O and say, "I think it is time to go home."

She smirks, "Yeah, I think I agree. Before you do something, you can't take back."

We say goodnight and head out the door only to run into Finn kissing a redhead. I shove him, "Really, you have so little respect for Clarke that you're making out with someone else while she's inside the club. You are a real asshole!"

He jumps up in my face, "I don't know what you are talking about. This is my cousin; I was just saying hello. Do you think she is going to believe you when you are this drunk?"

I pull my fist back, but O grabs me pulling me away. She tells me that if I want any chance whatsoever with Clarke, I need to chill out and let her figure things out on her own otherwise, she's going to resent me and think that I am making things up just to break them up. At this point, I realize that I am pretty drunk and have already probably ruined my chance anyway, so I just follow O and walk away as he laughs.

The fact that he laughs at me really pisses me off. So I spin around, walk right up to Clarke and kiss her. I know she will say that it is because I'm drunk but, I…Whatever, when my lips meet hers, fireworks explode all around me. All the hair on my arms stands up from the electricity flowing between us. I pull back quicker than I would like and then walk out the door, purposely bumping hard into Finn on the way out.

As soon as we are out the door, O says, "What the fuck are you doing? I thought we talked about this earlier."

"I know…I know…he just pissed me off, and I reacted. But, O, that kiss was…I don't know. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. There were fireworks, electricity, and heat. It was the best kiss I've ever had, and there wasn't even any tongue involved."

O, looks at me like I'm a crazy person, but I don't really care right now. Then she says, "I think you need to go home and get some sleep. Hopefully, when you wake up in the morning, you will have come to your senses."