Previously on Mysterious Attraction…

RECAP

And this week…

Lexie settles into her office, and starts on some paperwork

A knock is heard at her door

Lexie: Come in.

Carter: Hey.

Lexie: Hi, (smiles getting up and walking toward him)

Carter: I noticed you rushed to get ready, you didn’t have time for your coffee…

Lexie: Ohhh you are a lifesaver…thank you, (takes the cup)

Carter: You’re welcome…besides I know you can’t function much without it so…I didn’t wanna subject the office to angry Lexie.

Lexie: Oh please angry Lexie is all they know at this point (laughs) But I am sure, they will thank you for putting me in such a good mood.

Carter: Yea well a little caffeine will do that.

Lexie: (laughs) I wasn’t talking about the coffee.

Carter: I know, I just wanted to hear you say it, (shrugs and smiles).

Lexie: Well…will you settle for me telling you how happy you make me?

Carter: That’s a start…(smiles..pulls her into a kiss)

Lexie: (pulls away and smiles) We have work to do.

Carter: I  am sure it can wait a few minutes… (tries to kiss her again)

Lexie: Carter…before this relationship goes any further….I need you to talk to Kelly. The more I fall for you, the worse I feel about this whole situation.

Carter: Trust me, I know the feeling. But I have to be with you.

Lexie: Hey I won’t argue, (laughs). But I just think that we should remain professional, until you sort things out.

Carter: Ok. I understand, and I respect that.

Lexie: Thank You.

Carter: Well look at us…we’re so grown up.

Lexie laughs.

Carter: So I’ll see you later?

Lexie: (nods with a smile) Absolutely.

Carter winks and opens the door to leave

Kelly stands there with a potted plant in her hands

Carter: Kelly?

Lexie’s face drops

Kelly: Carter.

Carter looks back at Lexie quickly, Lexie smiles nervously

Carter: What are you doing here?

Kelly: Well I just wanted to stop by to see Lexie…

Carter: Oh…I thought we said we’d do that someday soon.

Kelly: Yea but you said that last week, and you haven’t been home much lately so I figured I’d just drop by, myself.

Carter: Oh…

Carter looks at Lexie

Lexie: Umm, of course, please come in.  Would you like some coffee, or tea…water?

Kelly: No. I’m fine, thank you.

Lexie: So uh, what can I do for you?

Kelly: Oh nothing, I think you’ve done enough.

Lexie: I don’t understand what you mean?

Carter and Lexie exchange nervous glances

Kelly: You saved my life.

Lexie: Oh, (sighs with relief and laughs) I wish I could take all the credit but it was actually probably my fault that you were there in the first place…

Kelly: I don’t understand?

Lexie: It’s no secret that my family isn’t exactly known for their kindness. We have a lot of enemies, and because of some crazy misunderstanding, you were taken and I am so sorry for that…I’m sure Carter can fill you in…

Kelly: I’m sure he could, but he still hasn’t…which makes me worry he never will.

Lexie: Oh I think he will, won’t you Carter?

Carter: Yes, of course.

Kelly: You just…you haven’t been home much lately…

Lexie: I’m afraid that’s my fault, I um, I’ve been making everyone work overtime. I can be quite a workaholic… and I guess it doesn’t always dawn on me that not every employee of mine, feels the same.

Kelly: Oh don’t take all the blame, Carter doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to (glances at her husband).

Carter coughs nervously

Lexie: Is there anything else I can do for you?

Kelly: Yea…you can take this (hands her the plant). I know it’s not much, I mean you save my life and I buy you a plant, it’s not exactly an even trade but-

Lexie: It’s beautiful. Unnecessary.  But beautiful, thank you.

Kelly: Well I just wanted to show my gratitude. I may not know why everything happened, and Carter does a lot to avoid me asking any questions about his work, but I do know that if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here, so thank you.

Lexie: It was my pleasure.

Kelly smiles slightly and before she leaves she stops and looks at Carter

Kelly: Will you be home for dinner?

Carter: Of course.

Kelly: Ok good I’ll make your favorite, we can talk.

Carter: Sounds good, (forces a smile).

Kelly: Ok, I’ll see you later then, (leans over and kisses him).

Carter awkwardly kisses back and Lexie looks away

Kelly: Bye. Bye Lexie. Thanks again.

Lexie: No problem, (fakes a smile and a wave).

-Kelly exits-

Carter shuts the door behind her

Lexie and Carter both exhale in relief

Lexie: That was horrible…I literally thought I was going to stop breathing…

Carter: I’m so sorry, and I’m sorry I kissed her in front of you like that…I didn’t think that she’d show up here…

Lexie: It’s ok, she’s still your wife… it’s not your fault…do you think she heard anything…

Carter: I don’t think so.

Lexie: Really? I mean because some of the things she said-

Carter: Look, it’s gonna be ok, I’m gonna go home and I’m gonna tell her everything, and tomorrow, it’s gonna be a new beginning for us.

Lexie: I don’t think it’s going to be that easy Carter.

Carter: I know, but it’s all worth the fight.

Lexie: Is it?

Carter: Don’t Lexie. (starts pacing the room angrily)

Lexie: Look just hear me out ok?

Carter: No…you hear me out…hear me, when I say that we are happening. I don’t care what I have to do, who I have to hurt, it’s going to happen for us.

Lexie: So this is your ruthless side.

Carter: When it comes to love, I’ll be as ruthless as I can without completely losing who I am.

Lexie: I don’t want to be ruthless anymore. It’s not a life.

Carter: Neither is pretending to be in love with someone, when you aren’t.

Lexie: Did I ruin you? When we first met, you were so good.

Carter: Like you said, I thought I was, but I guess I’m not.

Lexie: No, I didn’t mean that. You are still good. I just think, I’ve corrupted you. I’ve made you think that our love can outweigh the love you had with Kelly and I think I may be wrong.

Carter: I don’t do anything I don’t want to, Lexie.

Lexie: Carter, if you do this. If you tell her. You may regret it. And I don’t want you to live a life with regret, trust me, it’s not fun.

Carter: So what are you saying, are you letting me go again? Because I have news for you, the pain of regret you feel for keeping us apart, isn’t going to even compare to any other regret you’ve ever felt before. We belong together.

Lexie: I realize that. But we can’t always get what we want. Sometimes it’s best to do the right thing. But I want you to be ok. I want you to be happy. And how can you ever be happy knowing you hurt the first woman you ever loved. I just think that what you have with Kelly is more than what we can ever have.

Carter: We won’t know until we try. Why are you so afraid that this relationship is gonna fail?

Lexie: Because it’s all I’ve ever known… every relationship in my entire life has failed. My own parents didn’t even stick around. I mean yea my father’s around still, but he and I lost whatever meaningful relationship we had, a long time ago.

Carter: Lexie, I’m not your parents, I’m not Joe, I’m not any other guy that walked out of your life, just because he could. I’m me, come on, you know me. You know my heart. And you know that it’s with you.

Lexie: Carter-I wanna be with you but-

Carter: Then be with me…stop trying to save me from myself, ok? I know what I’m doing.

Lexie: You’re gonna break her heart.

Carter: I know that, and trust me I’m not happy about how this has all played out, I don’t want to hurt her. But she and I both know, we aren’t working.

Lexie: You guys have had trouble in the past? You never told me that? I thought she was perfect…

Carter: No one is perfect. Don’t get me wrong, Kelly’s an amazing woman, and she once was an amazing wife. But something must have been missing, because after a few months of marriage, it didn’t take long for her to second guess me.

Lexie: What?

Carter: Kelly cheated on me 5 months after our wedding.

Lexie: (shocked) Oh my god… Carter I had no idea…

Carter: It was a long time ago.  And we got through it. But nothings ever been the same between us after that.

Lexie: How long ago was this?

Carter: About 3 years ago.

Lexie: Oh…

Carter: I want you to understand something…our relationship has nothing to do with that.

Lexie: How could it not? I mean your wife cheated, and then you did too. It’s tit for tat.

Carter: No. It wasn’t like that. I never had any intention of straying out of my marriage. Even after her infidelity, I fought like hell to make it work, because I grew up valuing marriage. I thought divorce wasn’t an option. And she begged for me to stay, so I stayed. But after countless apologies, screaming matches, and therapy you either learn to forgive and forget or get to a place of no return. And the night I saw you for the first time. Was the first time in my life, that I wished I had just let her go.

Lexie: You didn’t even know me.

Carter: No. But that didn’t matter, because I wanted to. And you weren’t some kind of payback, I swear. I just saw something in myself that I hadn’t in a long time. I felt alive, just watching you….  And that’s why I hated myself for it, because all the pain Kelly put me through had caused me to become numb and you changed all that with one small glance across a crowded room and then you smiled and I was a goner.

Lexie: You got all of that from one look and a smile?

Carter: It was a hell of a smile.

Lexie looks away confused

Carter: Lexie, look at me.

Lexie looks up

Carter: What happened between Kelly and I may have led me to you, but you are what made me stay. And you didn’t even have to ask.

Lexie: I get it. It’s like you said, the things that happened in our pasts shape who we are…but what I don’t understand is why you were so against our affair then? I mean you came up to me, you started the attraction-

Carter: It wasn’t about you. I was struggling with the idea that I was just as heartless as she had been. That as someone who went through being cheated on, that I could allow myself to impose that kind of pain on someone else, even if it was Kelly. That’s what scared me, it made me see myself as ruthless. It wasn’t about you, it wasn’t about your bossiness… to tell you the truth I kind of liked that part, (laughs). I just… the more you reminded me that I was married, the guiltier I felt, and the angrier I got at myself for feeling guilty. Because sure I had my values and I loved my wife and I thought I wanted to be committed to her and work things out, but she was the one who broke us. She got us here. And I was also angry because there I was falling in love with you, and you kept acting like it was just a fling. Which in turn made me pretend like that’s all it was. And that’s how this vicious circle we’ve created got so vicious.

Lexie: I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I made you think that we were ever just a fling. I’m sorry I ever made you think that I didn’t love you. But most importantly I’m sorry that you got your heart broken. Because it’s a really good one.

Carter: You think so?

Lexie: I know so.

Carter: Then will you please….just, be with me?

Lexie: Under one condition…

Carter: Anything…

Lexie: That  after you settle things between you and Kelly… that you and I have a complete conversation about all past, present and future experiences or mishaps, if you wanna get technical.

Carter: I think that’s a great idea. We may be a couple emotionally damaged people, but guess what those mishaps led us to each other so…maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Lexie: Maybe. (smiles)

Carter: Ok, I have a condition of my own, if you don’t mind?

Lexie: By all means…

Carter: I want you to leave the business.

Lexie: Carter-

Carter: Lexie I can’t take this whole soap opera mob story anymore, it’s too dangerous and I can lose you in a heartbeat. And I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

Lexie: Carter…I don’t like what I do, in fact I hate it, and I hate that you’ve gotten wrapped up in it too. I hate that anyone has gotten wrapped up in this hell. But I made my choices and now I’m stuck with them.

Carter: That’s not true. Lexie you have so much to offer the world.

Lexie: Oh yea like what?

Carter: You’re a great business woman, I mean you can negotiate with the best of them. And you’re an incredibly talented designer. I mean I know this whole clothing line is just a front for all the mob business that goes on behind closed doors, but in case you haven’t noticed, people actually love your stuff. Just take the business and fashion side of this and you’ll be good to go.

Lexie: I appreciate your faith in me, I do. But people tremble in fear at the mere thought of my name…no one would ever work with me.

Carter: Lexie have you ever actually killed anyone?

Lexie: Yes.

Carter: Other then in self defense? Or because your father ordered you to?

Lexie looks away

Carter: You’re not your father. You’re not ruthless. I may have said so in the past. But that’s only because I was dealing with my own crap, and because I didn’t know you. You’re amazing. You risked your life to save my wife.

Lexie: Yea from my own father…

Carter: Yea but you didn’t know that at the time. Don’t sell yourself short. You didn’t worry about how you were going to get out of there, you just focused on saving her, and protecting me.

Lexie: Well, she’s your wife, and I saw how worried you were. And I love you, I did what any person who is  in love with someone would do, I found a way to help.

Carter: You’re selfless. And once I realized that, I knew that you and I could have something really amazing together. Despite how much you may have protested it, I knew deep down that you had to love me, I mean no one can fake that kind of love (smiles). So promise me…get out, just get out of the business and we will figure it all out together.

Lexie: (stares at him, contemplating) Ok.

STAY TUNED!

Chapter 6 starts Next Week! Crazy stuff coming up!

(*Although I’ve made my own edits in this post, I do not take credit for the images, and don’t worry one day

when I get a new computer and better programs, they will get better! lol.*)

Happy Weekend!

-<3-