A Greek Odyssey - Jason Fic

CHAPTER 51

The door slammed shut with a loud and final bang. Lexi slid down the door, her back sliding against the wood as she did so, her heart feeling like it had shattered into a million pieces as she sat on the doorstep. Her knees were pulled up to her chest. She leant her forehead against them and cried hot, silent tears like her heart would break. They soaked through the knees of her jeans, so that they clung damply to her skin.

On the other side of the door Jason had managed to reach his bedroom before his temper overtook him. He felt a white-hot anger wash over him and with a gutteral yell punched the wall as hard as he could. It didn't make him feel any better, in fact his knuckles now hurt so much he suspected he'd broken them or at the very least bruised them badly as he inspected the damage to them.

He curled up on the bed on his side, pulling Lexi's pillow to his chest hugging it to himself as he inhaled her delicate perfume which still lingered on it. The tears rolled unchecked down his face, splashing onto the pillow case and soaking the soft cotton.

Lexi pulled herself up off the doorstep and softly knocked on the door. She knew that if she could speak to Jason she might be able to make him see sense, but she needed him to listen to her first.

Jason could hear her knocking on the door and wavered slightly. He couldn't get the image of her stunned face out of his mind, but the voice in his head kept telling him that the only person who could have done this was her, once she'd got the money for the tape she obviously planned to talk about their relationship. He crawled into the bed and pulled the quilt over his head, still holding the pillow to himself feeling like he wanted to stay there and never come out. His heart ached like hell, because despite what he thought she had done he still loved her, but he knew he had to find a way to freeze her out of his heart.

Lexi heaved a deep sigh, tears still rolling down her face. She couldn't believe that Jason had accused her of trying to make money out of their relationship. Surely he knew she loved him more than anything in the world? Picking up her mobile she rang his mobile phone, knowing that if he would just speak to her then maybe she could try to get to the bottom of it. His mobile went straight to answerphone.

'Jason, please speak to me. You have to know I love you more than I've ever loved any other man. How can you think I would try to make money from us? If you don't want me then I'm going to go home, but I want you to know I love you with all my heart and I would never, ever do anything to hurt you or us. Please ring me.'

All the way home Lexi tried to ignore the glances which were shot her way from other travellers on the Kings Cross to Cambridge train. She knew she must look a fright but she didn't care, she just wanted to feel Jason's arms around her telling her that he loved her and everything was alright.

Jason lay in bed for what seemed hours mulling things over in his head. He knew he should get something to eat, but he couldn't face the thought of getting out of the bed and the cocoon he felt it was. He didn't want to face reality that Lexi was gone and that their relationship was over.

Lexi arrived home just before dinner to find her parents at home already. 'You're home early!' Anna called out, as she heard the front door slam shut and saw Lexi walk in. She stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Lexi's devastated face. 'Whatever's happened luv?'

'It's over mum!' Lexi dissolved into fresh tears as her mum folded her in her arms like a baby. Anna sat her down on the stairs and held her as she cried, making shushing noises to try to calm her. She desperately wanted to take the hurt away, but knew it wasn't going to be that easy. She loved her daughter with all her heart and would have done anything to spare her daughter being hurt.

'So what happened? You seemed so happy and in love at Jason's party!'

Lexi filled her in on how Jason had turned up at the shop and what had happened in her office. She took a shuddering breath noticing her mum's expression at what they'd done in her office. She then continued on to tell her that someone had deliberately re-started the video tape, stolen it and then tried to sell it to the press.

'Jesus Lexi, how could you be so stupid as to be doing something like that in your office in the first place?' Anna shook her head at her daughter's stupidity.

'Mum, it just happened. We hadn't seen each other for what felt like ages and I guess we couldn't help ourselves. It's so hard to explain mum. He just makes or should I say made me feel like no-one else I've ever met before.'

Anna released Lexi and looked at her. 'So what are you going to do about it then?'

Lexi shrugged her shoulders. 'Nothing. What Can I do? He obviously believes I had the tape and tried to sell our story. I can't prove him wrong and do you know something, I don't want to be with someone who thinks that of me. I don't need him.'

Anna looked at Lexi like she was crazy. 'You really mean that Lexi?'

Lexi nodded and squared her shoulders in defence. She stuck her chin up and pulled herself off the step. 'It's how I feel mum. I've just got to get on with it and stop myself from loving him. As she walked up the stairs Anna saw a look of devastation cross her face which Lexi swiftly hid from her as quickly as she could. It was too late, Anna had seen the look and knew that whatever Lexi said and how strong she acted, inside she was quietly grieving for Jason.

The following morning Jason woke at 8am and for a minute everything seemed ok until he recalled what had taken place the day before. He had hardly slept at all and had eventually fallen into a fitful sleep at around 5am, his dreams were full of Lexi. He sat up and shook his head trying to get her out of his sub-conscious. He knew he had to forget her and get on with life. He gingerly stretched his swollen fingers out to check they weren't broken and was relieved to realise he'd just badly bruised and grazed them.

When he arrived at the photographic studio Mark took one look at him and knew instantly something awful had happened. 'What the fuck's happened to you?' He asked, taking in Jason's grey pallor and the lack of sparkle in his eyes. 'You smell like shit too!'

'I threw Lexi out.' Jason muttered and walked away, heading towards the trestle table on which cups, saucers and tea were laid out.

Mark followed him over. 'You dickhead! Whatever did you do that for? She's the best thing that ever happened to you!'

Jason filled him in on the previous days events leaving nothing out. Every now and then Mark interjected, asking him to repeat parts now and then to check his understanding.

' Bugger me Jay, how stupid are you fucking her at her workplace? You were asking to get caught. So what does Lexi say about it then?'

'Well of course she says she doesn't know anything about it and she doesn't know who got hold of the tape. She's going to say that though isn't she?' Jason pulled a face to indicate he didn't believe a word of it.

Mark tried unsuccessfully to convince Jason that things might not be as they looked and eventually gave up. He didn't know what else to say. He thought to himself how much he'd liked Lexi and couldn't believe that she was capable of something that Jason obviously thought she was capable of. He knew Katrina was going to be disappointed too as she'd really liked Lexi.

The day didn't go well at all. Jason knew he looked like shit and he really didn't want to make the effort to look like he was enjoying himself. He was glad when the shoot was over and done with so he could go home and go straight back to bed and be with his own thoughts.

Lexi had gone back to work as if nothing had happened. Freya tried to talk to her about Jason's party and Lexi replied tersely that the relationship was over and that he could go to hell as far as she was concerned. Freya was shocked to the core at this news. After seeing the photo of Lexi and Jason in the paper looking so happy this was the last thing she was expecting. She tried unsuccessfully all day to try to get Lexi to talk, but to no avail. It was like talking to a brick wall and Lexi was acting like she wasn't bothered at all. Freya was worried because she'd known Lexi long enough to know that this wasn't like her, it was almost as if she'd put an invisible wall up around herself and around her heart to protect herself.

They worked together all week like this. Freya intermittently trying to speak to her about Jason and Lexi saying she didn't want to talk about it. Anna was having the same problem with her. It was like having a robot living at home with them. She ate, she went to bed (but she hardly slept), she went to work but she never smiled. Her heart just felt numb all the time and she wanted to feel normal again.

The lads were also getting increasingly frustrated with Jason behaving in much the same way. He attended photo-shoots, he went to the odd function as required but there was no enthusiasm. It was like his spark had disappeared. He felt every day like he was swimming against the tide and was missing Lexi desperately, but he tried not to think about her and what she was doing.

By the end of the second week Freya was worried sick about Lexi. She seemed no better and Freya was wondering what was going on in her head. She also looked awful - she didn't bother to do anything with her hair, apart from scrape it back in a ponytail. She didn't bother wearing any make-up and she looked like she'd lost a heck of a lot of weight. Freya guessed it to be near to a stone - an amount which she couldn't afford to lose given her slim frame.

The third week dawned and Freya had had enough. She waited until Lexi popped out to get a sandwich which Freya knew she wouldn't eat anyway and she quickly grabbed up Lexi's phone. She hurriedly dialled Jason's number, tapping her fingers on the desk as it rang and rang. The line went dead, so she re-dialled and each time she got his answerphone. She realised he obviously thought it was Lexi ringing as it was probably showing as Lexi's number on his phone and he didn't want to speak to her. She left a message anyway, saying it was Freya and she needed to speak to him urgently.

Jason was at the gym when he saw Lexi's number flash up on his phone so he let it go to answerphone. He waited a few minutes and then deleted the message from Freya without even listening to it. He thought it was Lexi and he didn't want to hear anything she had to say for herself. Over the last few weeks he felt like he was dying inside and couldn't bear to hear her voice, knowing it would hurt too much.

Freya sat there for a couple of minutes thinking what else to do. It was fairly obvious Jason didn't want to speak to her, but she couldn't bear to see Lexi like this any longer. She scrolled down the names in Lexi's contacts hoping to find one of the lads listed to try to speak to one of them. She was sure she'd be tongue-tied if she ended up speaking to Gary or one of the other lads, but it was worth it if it meant she could get the old Lexi back. None of the lads were listed, but she came across the name Katrina on the phone and was sure Lexi had mentioned that Mark's wife was called Katrina and that they had got really well. She rang the number and left a message saying that she was called Freya and was Lexi's best friend and was really worried about her. She hurriedly left her mobile number as she heard Lexi's voice filtering through the door as she walked back into the shop with her lunch.

Freya looked up, hoping that her face didn't look as guilty as she felt. 'You ok?'

'Yeah, why shouldn't I be?' Lexi replied, painting a forced smile on her face to hide how she was really feeling.

'Oh, no reason Lex. Do you fancy coming to mine tonight for a Chinese and a girly video night in?' Freya asked. She was hoping that maybe if she could get Lexi to relax she might be able to break down her barriers.

Lexi hesitated. She really didn't fancy going out. In truth she wanted to just go home and to her bedroom to get in bed and have a good cry in the privacy of her own bedroom, where no-one could see just how deep her despair ran.

'Oh, go on....' Freya persisted, giving her a winning smile.

Lexi heaved a deep sigh. 'I suppose so,' she replied, thinking that maybe it would do her good to have a girly night with Freya. Just as long as Freya didn't ruin it by trying to pry.

They left work a couple of hours later with the plan that Lexi would go home and get changed and then pick up a Chinese on the way back to Freya's. Freya said she had already got a video which would be great for their girly night in.

She was in her bedroom  getting changed when she heard the sound of loud voices wavering up the stairs from the front door. She was curious to see who James was shouting at as it was unusual for her usually placid brother to lose his temper. She could hear him telling the person to go away.

She went to the top of the stairs to have a nosy to see who it was. 'Who is it James?'

'No-one, just a cold-caller trying to sell us something.' James replied, frantically trying to shut the door. Lexi knew he was lying just by the expression on his face.

She came down the stairs and went to the door. James tried to wave her away from the door but Lexi sidled past him and opened the door to see who it was. Her mouth dropped open in surprise to see Michael standing outside. 'What the hell are you doing here?'

'Hello Lexi. I came because I saw you in the paper with that bloke from Take That. It hurt! It hurt so much to see you with someone else and I realised I still have feelings for you. I came back to see if you'll forgive me and to see if you'd be prepared to give it another go?'