TENACITY

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Thursday, June 23, 2016
Trey's Security Base
20 weeks...

She sat still for almost a minute, looking right back at him. Except, it felt like she wasn't really there with him. He turned to look at Billy then back at Alexandra, taking her hand.

"Say something," he whispered.

She pulled her hand out of his and straightened in her seat, her eyes on Trey. "Explain exactly what you meant by that statement. I did not tell you that night at the wedding when you asked."

Billy pulled out a seat next to Trey, and her eyes flicked to his form briefly before she went on. "I only told Melissa. . ." He watched as her eyes went wide with realization and grimaced.

There were only two ways this could go—ugly, or okay—and things weren't looking up at all. "Melissa told you?" She stood sharply from her seat, walking away from the table.

He stood as well, and rounded the table, reaching for her. "Lexi listen—"

"Don't touch me," she warned, pointing a finger at him. "I trusted her." She swallowed harshly. "She promised. She promised she wouldn't tell anyone."

"She didn't tell—not really," he tried explaining. Melissa chose that time to enter the conference room with Mitchell and Samantha in tow.

"I let them in. Hope you don't mind," Melissa said, shutting the door after Sam had come through clutching her huge belly. When she looked up, she realized something was wrong. "Oh."

"You!" Lexi growled, charging towards her. Trey grabbed her by the elbow, struggling to hold her back as she tried to free herself from his hold, wanting to be free. "I trusted you at the expense of my reputation! I suffered from it after telling you!"

Lexi shoved at his chest, knocking the air out of him. Still, he refused to let go. "And you also told someone? After your promise? Don't you feel bad for me? Aren't you supposed to be my best friend?!"

"Lexi, calm down. It's not what you think," Trey said from behind her.

"I told you not to touch me!" she snapped in irritation. "I don't want to hear whatever excuse you made up either! I thought I could trust her after you broke mine, but now. . . You both really are siblings, aren't you?"

Melissa stood, unsure what to say. She'd known Lexi would find out some day, but she hadn't thought it'd be this soon. Trey could've given her a heads-up. She had no doubt that Lexi was hurt.

"Alexandra, you'll hurt yourself and the babies if you keep doing this," Mitchell said. "Just for the sake of the babies, relax."

She turned to glare at him through her tears. "You also know, don't you? All of you know, and I have to suffer for it alone!"

"Lexi, you can hate me all you want but leave them out of it," Trey said firmly. "It was all me. I tried to correct my mistakes by protecting you from afar."

Dustin knocked once and entered, pausing when he felt the tension in the atmosphere. Billy signaled him to close the door, and he did, walking further in without a word.

"Mitchell is a PI by career, so I hired him to look into the case and that's why he knows. With his help, we found that a jailed murderer had been freed and sent to him," he continued, nodding in Dustin's direction.

"His family was used over him as leverage, and that was the only reason why Ethan was able to get to you."

"Stop talking."