JUST OLD FRIENDS?? – Part 5
By – Ashleigh

Lexie was sitting downstairs eating breakfast with Duncan. "So Dunc, any future plans for you and Jess?" asked Lexie. Duncan looked confused…"How do you mean Lex?" he asked. "To get married or have children ya dafty" lexie laughed. "Well…since you mentioned it" whispered Duncan "I was thinking about proposing to her on her birthday" he finished. "When's her birthday" asked Lexie. "It's in 3 weeks, and I have a plan, but I can't tell you yet. So don't say anything to Jess" said Duncan looking very happy with himself. Just at that moment Tom walked in…."Good mornin Duncan and Lexie" he said. "Eh, Duncan can you leave me and Tom for a minute, I need to speak with him" said Lexie. "Sure Lex" said Duncan getting up and leaving. "Lex wanting me alone are we" he laughed. "What did I tell you, if you weren't out within the hour Id have…"Golly throw me out yes yes I heard you" said Tom reaching for some toast. "Well it's been more than an hour, so get out now!" said Lexie. "Well you see Lexie….I don't have to do as you tell me. I can stay as long as everyone wants me to stay, and that doesn't have to include you" he said. "Well I know once Archie finds out what you're doing, he won't want you to stay and neither will anybody else" said Lexie screwing up her face. "Well that blonde one, um what's her name Jess yeah, she wasn't complaining" smiled Tom. "WHAT" shouted Lexie, "What are you on about; Jess would never do anything to hurt Duncan". She said. "I know, did I say she did anything?" said Tom turning and walking away. "Come here Tom, now" shouted Lexie. She didn't know what to say or do, should she talk to Jess or Archie first. Lexie sat with her head in her hands. "Lex" said Paul. Lexie jumped. "Paul, what do you want" said Lexie. "Well I was coming for something to drink but you looked unhappy I thought you might need someone to talk to". "Listen thanks Paul, your great but I really need to talk to the people involved ok?" smiled Lexie. "Ok then Lex, no problem but im here if you ever need to speak to me ok" said Paul. Lexie looked up at him and smiled again. She liked Paul, he was always there for her and she knew she could talk to him and knew he wouldn't say a word to anyone. Lexie got up and walked outside. She could see Duncan hugging Jess. 'Why does everything have to happen to this family' thought Lexie. She turned and went inside.
Archie and Paul were chatting in the office. "Have you talked to Lexie today" asked Paul. "No why? What's wrong with her" said Archie. "I went into the kitchen and she looked really upset, so I asked if she wanted someone to talk to and she told me she had to speak to the people involved" said Paul. Archie looked at Paul, "Could that mean me?" asked Archie. "I don't know Arch" said Paul picking up some papers and looking at them. "Well I'll go now and talk to her ok" said Archie. "Yeah ok" answered Paul. Archie walked up to his room and knocked on the door then went in. Lexie wasn't there, so he tried the other rooms until he came to the bathroom. He knocked on the door then opened it but it was locked. "Lex, sweetheart are you there?" Said Archie. "No dear, it's me" said Molly in a confused voice. "Ah sorry mother" said Archie. "You haven't seen Lex have you" he asked before he left. "No dear, everything ok?" asked Molly. "Yeah fine" said Archie walking away.
He sat in the library and looked out on to the loch. He spotted something small; he reached over for the binoculars and looked through them. There was Lexie sitting in a boat in the middle of the Loch. He smiled to himself and walked outside. "LEXIE" he shouted. Lexie turned her head. "COME HERE LEX" shouted Archie. Lexie nodded. About 5 minutes later she was back on dry land. "Are you ok Lexie, Paul said you looked really upset this morning" said Archie. "No Arch im not ok, it's Tom" she said. "What about Tom?" asked Archie. "Well when he came here, I kissed him. Only once ok and it meant nothing. Now he keeps making rude comments to me and saying that he's staying and will make my life hell, and this morning I told him to leave and no one wanted him here. He said that Jess wasn't complaining" said Lexie. Archie looked at her and then hugged her. "Lex im not mad at you ok? But you should of told me" said Archie. "Im sorry Archie, I don't know what to do now. Shall I talk to Jess?". "No let me talk to her ok" said Archie. "Ok then, but I want Tom gone" Lexie said hugging him tighter. "Don't worry he will be" said Archie kissing Lexie on the head.
Later that evening Archie went to speak to Jess. "Hey Jess, can I have a word" asked Archie. "Yeh Archie" said Jess. She sat down. Archie looked at her, 'she looks awful' he though to himself. "Do you want a cuppa?" asked Jess. "No ta, Im here to speak to you about Tom" said Archie looking at her sympathetically. Jess suddenly looked really frightened. "What about Tom" she asked…….
TO BE CONTINUED