Pathfinder

Part 2 - 21

TWENTY ONE – LEXI

After the incident with Ronny Depew, Cammy had called me at Lucas's house to inform me that all was well. Ron had been arrested and was pending charges, Brody had been the one to safely take him down, and Ricky was fine. I'd thanked Cammy for letting me know and she'd thanked me for letting them handle it their way. After that phone call, Lucas had dragged the whole story out of me. When I finished talking, he was giving me a funny look and I demanded, "What?"

"So you spoke with Brody Vincent today for the first time in six years. How do you feel about that?"

"So you're not only an attorney, but you're now the counselor? Should I go lay on the couch and spill all of my secrets?" I asked him, flippantly.

He shrugged, "If you want to do that, sure. I just asked a simple question."

I sighed, "I know and I'm sorry. My feelings are all over the place, if you want to know the truth. I realized what I've always known. I'm still in love with the jackass. However, I know nothing about him anymore, so that's just stupid."

"He's not married, in case you were wondering."

"Oh yea?" I asked, trying to appear nonchalant, but inside I was doing cartwheels.

"He is dating Whitney Franks, however. For something like two years now." Lucas supplied.

"That bitch? Seriously? Whitney was a complete witch to me in high school, so of course he'd date someone like her." I said testily.

Leslie came into the room, hearing the tail end of our conversation. She shook her head, "They're not dating anymore. The story going around town is that he dumped her just yesterday. She interrupted him at work to gossip about you being back in town and he broke up with her in the same conversation. Coincidence? I think not."

I blinked, "What am I supposed to do with that information?"

Lucas smiled, "Lexi, you do with it whatever you want. If you want to get back together with Brody, I won't judge you. I never truly understood what happened to end things between you anyway."

I gasped, "I told you he cheated on me! I told you what I saw!"

Lucas nodded, "Yes, you told me, but I still don't get it. There is no way in hell that boy would have cheated on you. So either that chick drugged him or something made him do what he did, but I know love when I see it and that boy loved you. He probably still does. He went a little nuts after you left."

"What do you mean?"

"He turned down his basketball scholarship to San Diego State, for starters."

I gasped and choked on the word, "What?"

Lucas nodded, "We both know how excited he was to get to play college ball. He turned it down and went to college locally, getting some business degree, before he took over his father's company."

"So Martin Vincent got his way after all and if Brody is dating people like Whitney, then his mother got her way too. See what I mean? I don't know him anymore. The Brody I knew hated the thought of following in his father's footsteps. He hated the thought of dating or even marrying from a certain pool, depending on financial and social status."

"I get what you're saying, Lexi, but that's my point. The Brody we knew wouldn't do any of those things, so the fact that he did them...I'm telling you he went nuts. It's like losing you took all the fight out of him and he just let his parents take over after that." Lucas explained, patted me on the shoulder and then went out to the garage.

Leslie opened her mouth and shut it a couple times, before she finally said, "I know it's not my place to give an opinion. I never knew Brody, but Lucas has told me what went down between you kids. I think your brother is right to say that something happened to make Brody do what he did with that girl. If you want my honest opinion, it sounds like he did it on purpose, knowing you'd catch him. So ask yourself, why he would do that and if you can't come up with the answer, maybe it's time you demand answers from him. If you truly do still love him, then I'd say love is worth fighting for."

Leslie handed me a Kleenex and then exited the room. I sniffled, just then realizing that I was crying. See, this is why I had avoided coming back home. I'd barely been here two days and I was already in tears over Brody Vincent. The problem is, Leslie's words were taking root inside my heart and I felt hope begin to bloom. Could I confront Brody? Would he tell me the truth? Could or would I believe him if he did? If nothing else, I deserved answers, I reasoned. We'd made plans together, damn it, and I needed to know why he had suddenly tapped out. We were still kids back then, but we were mature adults now. I could handle the truth or, at least, I hoped I could.