Author note: Thank you for the reviews, much appreciated! Ooo look a new chapter to review...happy reading ;-)
Chapter 26 – Positive or Negative?
Jay sat at a table in Molly's with Adam, Kevin and Will. The bar had been busy, the Chicago Cubs had played a game that had finished an hour ago, so the crowd was beginning to dissipate. "Your round buddy" Adam said slapping Jay on the back.
Jay finished the last of his own beer and walked to the bar. "Hey beautiful" He said to Lexi as she walked to serve him on the other side of the bar.
"Hey handsome, another round?"
"Yes please" he leant on the bar and watched her begin to pour the drinks. "What time do you get off?"
Lexi looked up at the clock "Thirty minutes" she told him placing two beers on a tray in front of him.
"Wanna join us for a drink?" he asked as she placed the other two beers on the tray for him.
"Thanks, but I have a hot date with my bed!" Lexi grinned as she took Jay's money.
Jay took the drinks to the table and dished them out, taking his seat again he watched Lexi as she served the next customer. He laughed watching her try to stifle a yawn pouring a gin and tonic.
He took his phone from his pocket and sent her a message.
Jay: Late night last night? *yawning face emoji* x
Jay pressed send then watched her take her phone from her pocket, she smiled as he watched her type her reply.
Lexi pressed send and looked over at Jay, winking at him when she made eye contact. He looked down at his phone and read her reply.
Lexi: It was girls' night, I danced, I drank, and I got arrested! *winky face emoji* x
Jay gazed up at her, smiling his boyish grin. He watched Gabby approach Lexi, they had a short conversation ending with Lexi kissing Gabby on the cheek, then she began typing on her phone again.
Lexi: Bonus! Let out of school early! *fist bump emoji* x
Jay read the message and looked up to find Lexi gone.
Jay: Need me to come tuck you in?
Jay watched his screen for the tell-tale speech bubble to tell him she was typing a reply, but nothing appeared. He locked his phone and put it on the table, ready to engage in the conversation the boys were having about the game they had just watched.
Jay's phone chimed alerting him to a new message, but Adam grabbed it before Jay could. "Should have guessed" Adam said reading Lexi's name on the screen. "What's your passcode?"
Jay laughed "not a chance" drinking his beer a little smugly, Adam was never getting access to his phone.
"Try four, four, eight, eight" Will suggested. Jay's smile dropped, and he immediately tried grabbing for his phone, only to be stopped by Will grabbing his arms.
Adam input the suggested code and clicked on the unread message "DAMN!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide looking at the screen. "Man, you need to get your ass upstairs" Adam told him handing him his phone back.
Jay checked the screen to see a selfie of Lexi, sat on her bed, a slight peep of the purple lace bra she wore. The caption read 'Lock the door on your way up'. "Night guys" Jay said taking one last sip of his beer, grabbing his jacket he walked towards Lexi's apartment door.
"Go get her tiger" Adam called after Jay laughing.
Jay walked across Lexi's apartment in his boxer shorts. He looked in the fridge and cupboards for something to eat, they had worked up an appetite. He found peanut butter ice cream in the freezer, he took off the lid and found a spoon in the draw. He pulled himself up on to the counter top and began eating the ice cream as he heard Lexi's feet pad across the wooden floor. Jay watched Lexi as she entered the kitchen wearing his t-shirt and her underwear. "Hey" Jay furrowed his brow at her "who said you could get dressed?" he asked as she made herself a glass of water.
Lexi took a sip of her water watching him the whole time. "You left me, I got cold" she said sauntering over to him and taking the spoon from him. Lexi had a spoonful of ice cream them gave him the spoon back.
"I needed to refuel" he told her licking melting ice cream from the spoon. Lexi leant against the countertop opposite him and held her hand out for the ice cream. Jay tapped his lips with the spoon indicating he wanted a kiss before giving up his ice cream. Lexi obliged standing in front of him, his legs either side of her. She kissed him slowly, before pulling away and stealing the ice cream from him in one motion.
Lexi turned around putting her back to Jay as she ate the ice cream. He kissed the top of her shoulder before putting his arms around her neck and leaning forward in to her. Lexi fed him some ice cream over her shoulder. "So, I've been thinking" Jay began
"Sounds serious" Lexi said scraping the bottom of the ice cream tub to get the last remaining mouthful out.
"What's your plan for when all this Calvin stuff is over?" He enquired, "do you plan on working at Molly's forever?"
Lexi shook her head putting the last spoonful of ice cream in her mouth "No. I've been looking in to a couple things"
"Do you have to be in Chicago to do those things?"
Lexi turn around in his arms wanting to look in to his eyes, she placed her hands on his bare legs. "I guess not, why?" she furrowed her brow at him not sure where this conversation was headed.
"What do you think about getting out of Chicago? I don't mean for a vacation I mean permanently. Just you and me, anywhere but here." He asked moving his arms from around her neck to rest his hands on her hips.
"Really?" Lexi asked him "What about work? And Will is here?"
"You said it at the cabin, and I stopped you because I didn't want you to leave me. But I don't care where we are if we're together" Jay began to rant, he was nervous about asking her to leave with him, he was speaking quickly trying to get his point across before she could say no. "We don't have to go far, we can just put a few hours between us and the city, so we can visit. I know you need to wrap up the Calvin business but…"
Lexi put her finger on his lips to stop him from ranting. "The whole Calvin situation may be over sooner than you think"
Jay nodded "Good"
"Are you sure?" she asked "have you really thought this through? You know what you'd be giving up"
"Yes" he smiled "I can be a cop anywhere, I just want to be with you and give us the best chance of being happy"
"Hang on, I thought we agreed to no pressure? Friends with benefits"
"You're not seeing anyone else, right?" Jay asked Lexi shook her head, no, "and neither am I and I don't want to so let's just call this what it is"
"Okay, what is this apart from amazing sex obviously?" Lexi questioned grinning at him.
He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Are you really going to make me say it?"
"Uh huh"
Jay shook his head laughing at her. "Fine. Lexi Shay, I love you, will you give me the greatest honour of being my girlfriend?"
Lexi pretended to examine her nails "Oh I don't know about that, maybe I should think about it, keep my options open."
"Your hilarious" he said leaning in and kissing her again. "We don't have to decide right now, I'm just putting it out there, it's an option"
Two days later.
Gabby answered the knock on the door to find Lexi shuffling from foot to foot "Did you get it?" Lexi asked
"Yes" Gabby said ushering her through the door. Lexi stopped part way in to the apartment looking around nervously only now realising Matt may have been there. "Matt's not here" she assured her. Lexi didn't move, she didn't know what to do with herself. "Bathroom go" Gabby ordered pointing the way.
Lexi walked following the directions Gabby gave her to the bathroom. Lexi entered and sat on the edge of the bath. "Pee in the cup" Gabby picked up the plastic beaker that was sat on sink ready to be used. "Put the white tab in, then we wait" Gabby instructed.
Lexi sighed as Gabby backed out of the bathroom and closed the door. Lexi did as Gabby had instructed putting the plastic cup back on the sink edge when she was done. Lexi washed her hands in the sink and looked at herself in the mirror above.
"I'm right here" Gabby reassured from behind the closed door. Lexi was so thankful that Gabby was there. She didn't want to be doing this alone. Lexi had asked Gabby to get a pregnancy test from the hospital, it was more reliable than ones you could buy at the drug store. Lexi opened the bathroom door and walked to join Gabby who was stood leaning against the wall facing the bathroom door. They both stood staring at the cup through the open door.
"I'm so stupid" Lexi began "how could I be so stupid?"
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself" Gabby told her walking in to the bathroom and putting the little white piece of paper in to the cup. Gabby joined Lexi against the wall again. "You've had a crazy couple of months, it's easy to forget to take a pill and totally understandable after what you've been through"
Lexi slid down the wall and sat on the floor. "I don't know what I'll do if its positive."
Gabby sat beside her. "I have to ask." She started "If it is positive, is it likely to be Jay's or Kelly's?"
Lexi put her head back on the wall, her elbows on her knees as she ran her hands over her hair. "I have no idea, there's literally like four weeks between them both." Lexi looked at her "I told you, I'm so stupid" she began to cry hanging her head.
"Oh Lex" Gabby said running Lexi's back trying to reassure her. "I mean it might not even be positive. You could just be late because of the stress". They sat for a few more minutes. "Want me to go check?" Gabby offered.
Lexi exhaled deeply and stood up, "do it" Lexi nodded wiping her tear stained cheeks. She was never going to be ready to find out, she just had to bite the bullet and find out.
Gabby entered the bathroom and checked the stick. She turned and looked at Lexi smiling. "Negative"
"What?" Lexi asked walking towards her "are you sure?" she asked looking at the little white stick.
"Yes, I'm sure" Gabby told her excitedly "I'm a paramedic, I know how to read a pregnancy test"
"Gabriela Dawson I could kiss you!" Lexi said grabbing her by the arms and kissing her cheek with a little too much enthusiasm.
They both laughed a little hysterically and started jumping up and down in the bathroom. "Wine?" Gabby offered.
"Oh god, yes" Lexi accepted following Gabby out of the bathroom.
Lexi sat at Gabby's breakfast bar with a glass of wine, Gabby stood on the other side holding her glass of wine. "Before we've had too many of these" Lexi said holding up her glass of wine "I need to ask another favour, but you can't ask any questions"
"Plausible deniability?" Gabby asked.
Lexi sometimes forgot she was a cop's sister, she wasn't stupid. "Exactly" she smiled "Can you get more medical supplies without getting in to trouble?"
Gabby didn't hesitate "Of course, I already have some stuff stashed away. What do you need?"
"Nothing in particular, just some basic supplies."
Gabby nodded "whatever you need, whenever you need it, I'm just a call away. But I won't help him" Gabby advised looking sternly at Lexi. "if that's what it's for, if it's to help keep the monster that killed Shay alive, that's one thing I won't do"
Lexi shook her head "It's not for that, I promise. It's just a kind of worst-case scenario"
"Okay, not a problem" Gabby said crossing the kitchen and clinking her glass against Lexi's.
Lexi took a long pull on the red wine in her glass and then sighed. "I feel like I could explode from relief" Lexi told her. Lexi was relieved she wasn't pregnant, and Gabby had agreed to help her.
Gabby chucked "please don't, that would be messy to clean up"
"What would be messy to clean up?" Matt asked entering the kitchen followed by Kelly. Gabby and Lexi both laughed without answering.
"Hey" Kelly greeted them both "What joke did we miss?"
"Oh, just my stupidity not catching up with me" Lexi remarked taking the last sip of her wine and standing up from her chair.
Kelly furrowed his brow at her not understanding. "Okay, care to elaborate?"
"Nope" Lexi said walking around the kitchen to put her glass in the sink. Lexi kissed Gabby's cheek. "Thank you for everything again"
"Anytime" Gabby told her as Lexi walked to kiss Matt on the cheek to say goodbye. "Maybe you should go buy a lotto ticket" Gabby smirked at Lexi.
Lexi laughed "you know I might just go do that" she agreed. "Can I talk to you outside?" Lexi asked as she passed Kelly.
"Sure" he agreed "I'll be back in a minute" he told Matt and Gabby before following Lexi through the house.
Lexi unlocked her car as she approached and opened the driver door. "Get in" Lexi told Kelly motioning towards the passenger side.
Kelly sat in the passenger seat, as soon as both car doors were closed Lexi asked, "Do you still own your Grandfather's old cabin by the lake?"
Kelly nodded "yeah, I gave up trying to restore it a while ago"
"Does it still have the old boat house?"
"Yes" Kelly said slowly wondering where this conversation was heading. "If it's still standing"
"Can I borrow it?"
"What's this about?" Kelly queried "It's not exactly a vacation spot so I know you're not asking to borrow it for that so what do you need it for?"
Lexi sighed, she didn't want to tell him the truth, to implicate him should she get caught. Although, he had a right to know what she would be doing. "I'm close to getting Calvin Poe…" Lexi began
Kelly interrupted shaking his head "No! Absolutely not" Kelly was done with the conversation he opened the car door.
Lexi grabbed his arm. "Kelly please"
Kelly looked at her, saw the anguish in her eyes and closed the door again. "Is this why you quit?" he asked his anger seeping through his voice. "So, you can kill a guy without feeling like you betrayed your oath?" His comment stumped Lexi for a second, Kelly really did know her. He watched tears pool in her eyes, she visibly inhaled and exhaled, composing herself. She took her hand from his arm and looked through the windshield. "You're not a killer Lex"
"Yes, I am" Lexi spat at him reaching his level of anger. "I've killed 3 people in the time I've been a Detective"
"To protect other people"
Lexi shouted looking at him again. "WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS FOR?"
"SO, IT'S NOT ABOUT REVENGE? MAKING HIM PAY FOR SHAY?"
Lexi spoke softly, lowering her volume. "I didn't say that" Lexi sighed breaking eye contact looking down at her hands in her lap.
"Shay wouldn't want this" Kelly reached over and put his hand over hers. "She wouldn't want you to do this"
"No, she wouldn't. But it isn't just about Shay, it's about what he did to Jay, to you. What he might do next" Lexi looked at him. "Kelly, I can't live like this. Looking over my shoulder, scared all the time, waiting for god knows what to happen."
Kelly sighed looking out at the street. Contemplating what she was asking him. "I don't want you to do this." He told her "it's too risky, you could get caught, or hurt. But I know you'll find another way if I don't help you"
"I won't get caught or hurt, I promise. I have a solid plan"
"Will Jay be with you?"
The way he asked the question Lexi knew he would feel better knowing Jay would be with her, helping her, watching her back. She nodded and answered without hesitation "Yes".
Author note: Here's a little preview of chapter 27 to get you excited for the next up date.
Next time on Trials, Tribulations and Triangles...
Lexi's phone vibrating on her night stand woke her up. She sat up in the darkened room and checked her cell phone, nothing on it. She was confused for a second still in the remnants of sleep, then she remembered the burner phone in her top draw. She retrieved the phone quietly and read the message she had received.
Cam: Go time. Pick you up in 10 minutes.
Lexi looked over at Jay who slept beside her, he had his back to her. The message nor the glare from the phone seemed to have disturbed him. It was time to end this, she would get justice for Shay, or revenge whatever you looked at it, it was time to make Calvin pay.