Chapter 11
11
LEXI
L exi stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the soft glow of the city lights below. Her hand absently traced the rim of her coffee mug, the warmth offering little comfort against the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions spinning inside her. It had been weeks since the conversation with Josephine that had ended with her half-sister calling her a liar. Since then, Josephine had been avoiding her. Lexi had known it would be difficult, but the coldness in her sister’s eyes every time they crossed paths cut deeper than she’d expected.
Josephine hadn’t said a word about it. The silence between them was deafening, and Lexi hated it. She’d tried to reach out and bridge the gap between them, but Josephine’s silence said it all. It was a rejection of everything Lexi had hoped their relationship would be.
And then there was Catherine. The pull toward her had only gotten stronger in the days since their conversation at the café, a magnetism that Lexi couldn’t ignore any longer. She’d tried to bury the feelings to save herself from the inevitable mess they would cause. But tonight, she couldn’t fight it anymore.
Especially when Catherine was right here in her apartment. Lexi hadn’t expected Catherine to come tonight, but she was here.
Silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable, but charged—both of them knowing what was about to happen, knowing the consequences, but neither of them able to stop it.
“Lexi.” Catherine’s voice broke the silence, a whisper of uncertainty in her tone. “Are you sure about this?”
Lexi swallowed hard, the weight of the question settling over her like a heavy blanket. She should have hesitated. She should have told Catherine this was a mistake. But the pull between them and the way her body reacted to Catherine’s drowned out any reason. It was as if her heart had already made the decision for her.
“I don’t know,” Lexi said quietly, her voice thick with something that wasn’t just desire. “But I can’t stop thinking about you. And I can’t stop wanting this.”
Catherine stepped closer, her hand reaching for Lexi’s, and when their fingers touched, it felt like an electric shock sparking a fire in Lexi’s chest. Catherine’s eyes darkened, her breath coming in shallow bursts, and for a moment Lexi thought she might be able to hear the voice of sanity in her head, reminding her of what she was about to risk. But it faded quickly, drowned by her overwhelming need for Catherine.
Before either of them could say another word, Catherine closed the distance between them and pulled Lexi into a kiss. It was urgent, hungry, as though they were both starved for something they’d been denying themselves for far too long. Lexi melted into the kiss, her body responding to Catherine’s touch, each caress igniting something deep within her. Her hands roamed, pulling Catherine closer, and the moment felt like the beginning of something that couldn’t be undone.
They stumbled toward the bedroom, clothes falling away, but neither of them seemed to care. Everything was a blur of passion and urgency. Lexi’s heart raced, the weight of what she was doing setting in with each step. The worry was there, nipping at her chest, but it was burned away by the fire between her and Catherine.
Catherine’s touch was electric against Lexi’s skin, sending shocks of heat through her. Lexi gasped as their bodies collided, every inch of her aware of the woman beneath her. They kissed again, harder this time, as though the world might end if they didn’t give in completely. It was as if they were both trying to consume each other, their bodies moving together with a desperate urgency that felt right and wrong all at once.
They tumbled into the bed, limbs tangled and breathless as they moved together. Lexi’s body was on fire, each touch, each kiss, pushing her closer to a breaking point. The need for Catherine was a pull so strong that it consumed her. In this moment with Catherine, she was lost—lost in the passion, lost in the physical connection, lost in the storm of desire that had taken over her.
The fear of this ending badly surged again when Catherine’s hands slid lower, but Lexi silenced it, letting the warmth between them take over. It was reckless, and she knew it. It was dangerous, and she knew that, too. But she couldn’t stop herself. She grabbed Catherine’s wandering hand and kissed her palm before pinning it to the bed.
“Now who told you you could do that?” she teased, looking down at Catherine splayed out beneath her. In the haze that had filled her mind, she’d barely even registered undressing her, and for a fleeting moment was disappointed she hadn’t taken her time. But now she would certainly make the most of the beautiful woman on her bed.
She dove down, capturing a perky nipple between her lips and teasing it with her teeth as Catherine squirmed with pleasure.
“Ah ah. Be a good girl for me now.”
A petulant whine tore out of Catherine, which Lexi had to tamp down a laugh at. She really was needy.
Her fingers made their way between Catherine’s legs.
“Always so wet for me, aren’t you?”
She flicked her fingers across Catherine’s clitoris before softly slipping a finger inside her wet folds.
“So good for me. So needy.”
Tonight, Lexi wanted more than just sex. She wanted to pretend like Catherine was hers alone, that she didn’t have to share her with anyone else. She wanted her completely.
Sliding down Catherine’s body, Lexi positioned herself between her legs, as she began fucking her with her fingers. She pulled herself up onto her elbows and leaned forward. Catherine’s pussy tasted divine, so hot and slick. A spike of desire coursed through her as Catherine gasped and wound her hands into Lexi’s hair, holding her head in place. She sucked and licked in time with her fingers, driving Catherine right to the edge.
It was overwhelming, and when Catherine finally reached her peak, the rush of release was almost violent in its power. Lexi’s chest heaved as she collapsed against Catherine, her skin still tingling with the aftershocks of their connection.
“I love you,” Catherine whispered.
Lexi held her tight. “I love you, too,” she whispered into Catherine’s hair.
But as the adrenaline faded and the world slowed around them, the weight of reality crashed back down on Lexi. She lay beside Catherine, trying to catch her breath as her mind spiraled in a thousand directions. The silence in the room was heavy, thick with the consequences that both of them knew were coming.
Lexi’s eyes closed, and for a moment, she let herself pretend that everything was fine, that there would be no fallout, no broken relationships, no wreckage in her wake. But she knew better.
Lexi was still lying in bed beside Catherine, the warmth of their shared moment slowly fading as her mind began to race. Her body still hummed with the echoes of what had just happened, the intensity of their connection clouding her thoughts. But then, a sound shattered the calm—a knock at the door.
At first, Lexi thought it was just the remnants of a dream, but the knock came again, louder this time. It sent a jolt of panic through her. She froze, her heart hammering as reality snapped back into place.
“Who is it?” Catherine asked, her voice thick with confusion.
“I-I don’t know,” Lexi stammered, still struggling to regain her bearings.
When Lexi opened the door, Josephine was standing there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression hard and unreadable. The look on her face stopped Lexi in her tracks—this was not how she’d envisioned speaking to her half-sister again. It was only then that Lexi realized how much she’d been dreading this moment.
“Josephine,” Lexi said, trying to sound calm, though the knot in her stomach only tightened as Josephine frowned at her. “I wasn’t expecting?—”
“I wanted to talk somewhere private.” Josephine cut her off, voice cold, eyes flicking past Lexi into the apartment. Her gaze landed on Catherine, still half-dressed, and the air froze.
Josephine looked back at Lexi, her face tightening. “You know, I came here to talk about my father. To admit that I have no idea whether or not he cheated on my mom, and I’ve been distant because I have no idea how to have a sister…but I didn’t expect this .”
There was no anger in her voice—not yet—but the disappointment was evident in every word. Lexi felt her stomach tighten, her thoughts a blur, unable to find the right words.
“You had the audacity to make our father sound like a villain for having an affair,” Josephine continued, her eyes searching Lexi’s face as if trying to make sense of it all. “When you were doing the same thing…with Catherine Spencer ?” Her voice wavered slightly, but she quickly regained composure. “I just…I don’t understand, Lexi.”
Lexi’s heart raced. The situation was spiraling, and fast. Her throat felt dry as she looked between Josephine and Catherine, who was now standing behind Lexi, fully aware of what was happening. She wanted to explain, to apologize, but the words seemed to catch in her chest.
“I…this isn’t what you think,” Lexi finally managed to say, her voice shaky. “It’s…complicated.”
Josephine took a step forward, her eyes narrowing. “Complicated?” she repeated, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “How is it complicated, Lexi? You’re a surgeon, one of the best, and you’re having an affair with another surgeon. A married surgeon, no less.”
Lexi flinched at the accusation, the sting of her sister’s words settling into her bones. Josephine’s disapproval was suffocating, but Lexi couldn’t deny the truth in it—there was no easy way to explain how everything had happened, how one mistake had led to another. She’d never imagined being in a mess like this. But now that it was here, she didn’t know how to fix it.
Josephine stepped closer, her face hardening. “I’ve been avoiding this conversation, Lexi. I’ve been avoiding you because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to handle the fact that you’re my half-sister and I never even knew you existed.” She paused and took a breath, her gaze shifting to the floor before it returned to Lexi with a coldness that made Lexi’s heart sink.
“But now I know. And I’m not going to pretend I understand this…this…whatever it is between you and Catherine.” Her voice was quieter now, though the bitterness was still there, lacing every word. “I thought we could have a real conversation. Start over. But now I see what I expected back when I first met you.”
Lexi opened her mouth, trying to find the right words to explain, but Josephine raised her hand to stop her.
“No, Lexi. I’m disappointed in you,” Josephine said. “I thought you might be different. I thought you might actually care about this family, about what we’re building here. But clearly, I was wrong.” She shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “This…this is just like him .”
Lexi’s breath caught in her throat. Josephine’s words hit her like a physical blow. Just like him. Her father’s affair had destroyed so much of their family, had left Lexi and her mother both fractured in different ways, each of them carrying their own scars from the wreckage. And now Josephine was throwing that same accusation in her face.
“You’re just like our father,” Josephine spat, her eyes hardening. “Sleeping with a married woman. Running around behind people’s backs. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”
The words were venomous, each one more painful than the last. Lexi’s heart broke under the weight of them. Hearing this come from Josephine’s mouth—the half-sister she’d barely gotten to know, the one she’d hoped to build some kind of relationship with—was like a punch to the gut.
“I never wanted to be like him,” Lexi whispered shakily. The guilt was suffocating, but the need to explain herself was stronger than ever. “But I don’t know what you want me to say, Josephine. I never expected any of this.”
Josephine’s eyes were hard now, her face tight with anger. “What do you want me to say, Lexi?” she shot back. “You think I don’t know how hard life is? I’ve been running Phoenix Ridge Hospital for years. I’ve been carrying the weight of keeping everything together on my shoulders. I don’t need you making it worse.” Her eyes flicked to Catherine again, the judgment in them sharp. “I certainly don’t need you sleeping with a colleague, let alone one who’s married .”
“I never meant to hurt you,” Lexi said, her voice breaking. “I just wanted to get to know you. I never wanted to cause you any more pain.”
Josephine’s expression softened for a moment, but it was fleeting. She exhaled sharply, her shoulders sagging as if this was too much to carry. “Well, you’ve done a hell of a job so far, haven’t you?”
With one last piercing look, Josephine turned and walked away, her footsteps fading into the distance. Lexi stood frozen, the door still open, the silence between her and Catherine suffocating.
Josephine was gone. Now she believed she was Lexi’s sister, but the damage had been done.
And Lexi didn’t know how to fix it.