Love Drunk: Chapter Thirteen

While things were going well for Charlotte and Drew, Ash and Erin were struggling with their secret relationship while Dexter made a rather huge sacrifice to make Lainie happy! David has been gone for four months and Lainie has poured herself into her work. Dexter has given her the space that she needed at the expense of his own feelings but he now feels that it might be time to finally declare his devotion...

The past four months had gone by rather painfully for Dexter Maloney. Rather than feel a weight off of his mind that David Green was now gone and Lainie was once again a free agent, Dex felt that she needed some time to herself before he confessed his undying love...so time is what he gave her, these whole four months of time to be exact! He had enjoyed this newfound confidant role that Lainie had given him. When she talked about David, it became apparent that the two of them had feelings for each other but they hadn't even kissed, nevermind agreed to be girlfriend and boyfriend. But Lainie was indeed very fond of him and it was sad for her to say goodbye. This comforted Dex knowing that their time together had only ever resulted in a deep friendship.

It was almost lunch time and Dex was heading down to the diner for some apple pie and ice cream. Lainie had baked him a nice vegetable quiche to eat in between painting, but he really wanted to see her, even though he wasn't into sweet food much it was an excuse to go down there. He'd managed to get another slot with the gallery and he'd even sold three paintings so far. He was now taking requests from Mr King's clients, portraits of families, dogs, landscapes...anything to pay the bills. He felt he needed to contribute as Drew made a lot of money with his gadgets and Ashton had been promoted again at the fire station.

As he left the flat, looking rather unkempt but desperate to see his freckles, he noticed someone hovering outside the girls' flat downstairs. 

"There's no one in right now!" he called to the young man with the worried look on his face as he looked up to see where the voice was coming from.

"Oh, right! I'm looking for Lainie Robertson?"

"She's downstairs working in the diner, business is pretty good right now so she's pretty busy!" Dexter eyed this handsome male warily, who was he?

"Thanks mate!" the man chuckled to himself, "She always did want to have her own diner one day! Downstairs you said?"

"Yeah!" Dex gave him a fake smile and headed for the stairs, "I'll take you to her if you like? I'm Dexter by the way, Dexter Maloney. I'm Lainie's neighbour!"

"That'd be great, I'm Alex Wilder. I'm the guy who let her get away once..." he smiled back but there was sadness in his eyes, "...but never again. I won't make the same mistake twice!"

When Dexter took Alex down to meet Lainie, she let out a little squeal when she saw him...

 "ALEX???" as Roxy looked on in horror.

"Hey Lainie! My gosh you've not changed a bit! Roxanne? Is that you? Girl you lost weight!" 

Lainie gave him a hug. "Neither have you! What are you doing here?" Lainie smiled broadly at him. 

Roxy merely scowled. She had lost weight over the past four months and felt better for it.

"I went to your mum and dad's place, they said you'd moved to Moonlight Falls! Your own diner huh?"

"Yep!" she beamed, "Oh...I see you've met my Dexy!" she winked at Dexter who blushed and replied,

"Yeah freckles, we've met!"

"Alex was my boyfriend at University."

"Yeah, the fool that chose a gap year over you!" Alex added and took hold of her hands as Dexter looked on, trying to hide the jealousy he felt inside. "So are you two..." Alex looked from Dex to Lainie and back again as they both spluttered,

"NO!" both Lainie and Dex looked at each other with embarrassment as Alex grinned and replied,

"Great! So you'll be free tonight then?"

"Where are you staying?" Lainie asked him, still looking at Dex who was hovering in the doorway looking rather uncomfortable.

"I'm staying with a friend across town, pick you up at eight?"

"Sure!" Lainie mumbled as Dex excused himself and slipped out the door.

Lainie and Roxy closed up the diner around six, but rather than go and get ready to meet Alex, Lainie went to visit Dexter. She thought she knew what was upsetting him. 

As he opened the door she blurted out "You don't have to worry about me Dexy! I've known Alex for over thirteen years!"

"I know freckles. But just because I know that doesn't mean I don't care about you!" Dex nodded, taking her hands in his and resting his forehead on hers.

"Dexy?" Lainie mumbled.

"M-hm?"

"Alex broke my heart. I haven't been serious with anyone since we split up. He was...special! And to think he came all this way to track me down..." 

Dexter sighed and gave her a light, tender kiss on the forehead,

"Just be careful baby! Or I'll have to kill him!" they both laughed softly as Lainie changed the subject.

"You finished my portrait yet?"

"Tomorrow freckles! I promise!" 

As Dex watched Lainie descend the stairs and enter her flat, his heart sank into the pit of his stomach. There was just something that bothered him about this Alex guy! Rob was a nut but harmless, David was a nice person but driven by his own dreams, but Alex? Something about him just didn't ring true...

Ash was out of sorts and Dex could see it a mile off. The truth was that Erin had returned after a few days at her parents, but never bothered to call him and tell him she was back. It made things rather awkward between them, especially after she'd been so opinionated about Ash's younger brother. She would show up at their gigs and then leave before the end. It was killing Ash not being able to hold her! He left so many messages, came knocking on her door a dozen times a week, and still she avoided him! Just another face in the crowd in a packed out venue.

He missed her! And the worst part was...

...he had no one to talk to about it!

Erin was equally out of sorts. She wanted to talk to him, she was just mortified. She'd been so mean about Dexter, how could she ever make it up to him? So she went to the gigs and watched him from afar. Only problem with that was Selena was always in tow! She still had a thing for Dexter and would follow the band everywhere. As the band finished their set, Erin made her exit once again. She wanted to talk to Ash but...

...she wasn't ready! As Ash watched her leave with an aching that made him mad, he wanted to take it out on somebody, and poor Dex happened to be that somebody!

As they arrived back at the flat, Dex seemed in a somewhat miserable mood. "I'm off to finish that painting, cuz you never know, if I finish it then it might distract Lainie from that Alex dude!" 

Ash felt the rage boil up inside him and he bellowed, "Will you just tell her already??? Jeez Dexter, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing about this!!!" Dex gave his brother a puzzled and hurt look,

"Ash!"

"No Dexter, I've had enough!" Ash growled and stormed off into his room, leaving his little brother lost for words.

"Hey, don't take that to heart Dex!" Drew patted him on the shoulder, "I think your brother has a lot on his mind right now."

"Really? Well it would be a lot easier on all of us if he shared what was on his mind, then maybe I could help him!"

"You and me both know that Ash doesn't do sharing when it comes to feelings and stuff!"

Drew was up early the next morning, he and Charlotte were having breakfast in the diner, the four star diner to be precise. After her review, Lainie's business was booming! Her friends and neighbours were only happy to support her. Plus it was an ideal place to discuss how they were going to find Charlotte and Rob's real father! It turned out that Arthur Kennedy wasn't their biological dad after all!

As they sat together, Drew was tempted to lean over and kiss Charlotte, but he had been reluctant to do so after she rebuffed him four months ago when they started seeing each other. The temptation was getting more and more intense, he loved to hold her and feel her next to him, but to kiss her...that would be bliss!

Charlotte always felt uneasy when Drew gave her that look, the puppy dog eyes and the goofy smile. She knew he was getting mushy, she knew he wanted to kiss her...but she wasn't ready! There were things he didn't know about her, things that he should know about her! As they ate their pancakes in silence, she thought about sitting him down and filling him in on the whole Lewis situation...

...but when they reached her door, she decided against it! And when Drew leaned in to kiss her, she recoiled and pushed him away. The hurt on his face was too much for her to take and she excused herself and disappeared into her flat...

...leaving Drew feeling frustrated, sad and extremely unattractive! Did Charlotte really like him? He was the one who told HER he loved her, not once in these four months did she say anything remotely like that! It really was a confidence killer when a girl ran away as you tried to kiss her. As he was about to go downstairs and take it out on some scrap metal, his phone beeped. It was a text from Charlotte!

"I'm sorry Andrew. I just can't right now. Please understand, there are things you need to know but I'm not ready yet. If you do love me you will be patient. Your Char. xxx" she never put kisses at the end, Drew sucked in a breath and sent her a message back...

"I told you before, we have all the time in the world! I do love you Char, and whatever it is you need to tell me, I'll be there when you're ready to let me in! x"

Dexter stood outside the diner looking tired. He'd stayed up all night finishing the painting of Lainie that he'd promised to do for the past four months! As he quietly entered to the laughs of Alex and Lainie, he noticed that Roxy was not impressed. He intended to get her alone and find out why she wasn't as friendly towards Alex as she should be.

Lainie's eyes lit up when she saw him and she called out to him, "Dexy!" Alex turned around and gave him a friendly nod,
"Alright mate?" he smiled at him, just as fake as the one Dex had plastered on his face the day before when they first met.
"Hey!" Dex replied very quietly.

"You want some coffee?" Lainie chirped and turned to the machine.
"Er no, no thanks freckles. I finished it!" Lainie spun around as her mouth flew open in surprise!

"You did???" she squealed, "Oh Dexy!" Alex looked confused,
"What's this?" he let out a laugh that was as fake as his smile.
"Dexy's portrait of me! It's done!"
"Oh! Well come on mate, let's have a look!" Alex kept the fake smile glued on his face.

Dexter took Lainie, Roxy and Alex upstairs to his flat to see the finished painting. 

As Lainie stood in awe of his work, trying to fight back her tears of joy, "Oh Dexy!"
"I know, it's a little weird looking, but I wanted you to feel comfortable with it so I took your modesty into consideration!" he blushed and looked down at the ground. 
"It's perfect!" she smiled, visibly touched by his effort!

Alex looked at Dexter's other painting of Lainie and scowled...

...and it was at that moment that Dexter knew his gut instincts were right...

...this guy...was trouble!!!

That's chapter thirteen! Next chapter it gets...very very interesting!!! Coming sooooon! XD