“Oh, good. I’m glad you didn’t develop an aversion to my touch while I was gone.” She laughed lightly at the joke that wasn’t really a joke. “But it’s all right. I learned to dress more sensibly while I was out there.” During the summer it hadn’t been so bad, but the oncoming chill of autumn had her wishing she’d thought to steal one of the space heaters from Sing Sing’s storage before they left. Not that that would’ve done much good in a place that had no electricity.
She was aware of the distance between them, not just physically but emotionally. She hadn’t forgotten what had transpired between them before she left; how she’d essentially left him behind to deal with the aftermath of what they’d both done. For a brief moment, Lexi indulged the possibility that he’d become embittered towards her, but it passed just as quickly as it came when he hugged her. She held on for a few seconds, selfishly taking comfort from familiarity even if that familiarity had dimmed during the time she’d been gone.
Slowly, regretfully, she released him and took a step back. To prove that she’d taken him seriously when he told her that talking would be the only thing that would happen during this meeting. And maybe part of her was still reluctant to manipulate him, but she didn’t want to admit that hesitance to herself. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” was her simple explanation. No, not simple; there was a glimpse of hopelessness in her tone that she tried to mask with a small smile.
Lexi shrugged when Brandon asked if she was back for good. “I’m not sure. Back for a while, at least. There are a lot of fences I need to mend — if they can be mended.” After what happened with Rae and the information she’d gleaned about David moving on, Lexi wasn’t sure if mending fences was wholly possible. “I’d like to start with you, since I sort of left you in a bind. You and George seem to be the only two who actually seem to be all right with the fact that I’m back.”
“Did you have to deal with much while I was gone?” An angry Elliot, probably. Possibly even an angry David. “Or did people just forget about it completely as soon as I left?”