Love Drunk: Chapter Twenty Two

After a rocky road, Lainie and Dex seemed to finally make progress. But their disbelief that they were both feeling the same way meant they skidded to a halt once again...they ran out of gas! Will they ever get their act together and admit to each other that they're in love??? Lainie has discovered something that will definitely put a spanner in the works...

 Today was July 25th! Today was a big day! Today Lainie Robertson turned 34! But rather than be excited about that, Lainie Robertson had more pressing matters to worry about! Three months ago she was back together with her boyfriend from University, three months ago he cheated on her, three months ago was the last time she...

 ...she had to wait! These things took time! As she sat in the bathroom, glued to the stopwatch on her phone, Roxy began banging on the door and yelling.

"LAIN!"

"WHAT?" she yelled back.

 "You've been in there a long time honey! You okay?" Roxy called, a little quieter than before.

"Yeah..."

 "...I'll be out in a minute!"

 "Now or never!" she sucked in a breath and picked up the little plastic contraption from the sink...

...looking down at it, she didn't realise she was holding her breath as she studied the lines...

 Roxy waited for at least five minutes, when Lainie still didn't appear, she called again, "Lain? You sure you're okay?"

Lainie fought back the panic that threatened to erupt inside of her and shouted back, "Yeah...positive!"

"So are you gunna go give it to her? Or are you gunna look at it some more?" Ash shoved his brother playfully.

"Stop it I'm nervous!" Dexter blurted out and rubbed his hands down his jeans.

"It's just a birthday present kiddo! Not a marriage proposal!" Ash chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

Dexter remained silent. What was the point? He'd never understand! He didn't know how it felt to get so close to the girl who stole your heart only to be knocked back down to the bottom rung, the friendship rung! He hated to admit it, but Dexter Maloney had been friend zoned!!!

If only the brothers would sit down and actually talk, they'd realise just how much they had in common with their love life! Ash was still struggling with being "just friends" with Erin!

In fact, that very day he had arranged to teach her the drums! They'd talked about it a lot over the past three months. When she arrived, she was surprised that Ash wasn't smuggling her into his room unseen. "This feels different!" she remarked.
"What?" Ash didn't seem to get what she meant.

"You don't mind if your flatmates see me!"
"No, why?" Ash looked confused.
"Nevermind!" she sighed as he sat her down at his drums.

"Now you really should feel privileged!" he looked down at her with a frown, "Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, gets to touch my drum kit! Not even Dexter!" 

Erin smiled and raised the drumsticks in the air. "Okay, show me what these babies can do!"

Dexter saw the pretty girl with the green streaks in her hair come into the building and go upstairs. He knew she was the pretty girl that Ash was so crazy about! She didn't look as mental as Selena, but then again, one could never tell with these things! 

All he wanted was for Ash to be happy, and if this girl could do that, no matter how much younger she seemed, then maybe he needed to accept that! After all, Dexter really wasn't in a position to judge! He'd slept with Selena who was 12 years younger than he was!

Dex knocked on Lainie's door, no answer. It was her birthday, surely the diner was closed for a day?

When he headed down in the lift, remembering that night three months ago, he felt a dull ache reverberate from his gut to his chest. 

Three whole months and she was standing on the other side of a chasm so wide and so dark he couldn't reach her! And he so wanted to reach her, to hold her, kiss her once again! If he'd known that would be the last time their lips would touch, he'd have savoured it, he'd have let the kiss last forever!

He entered the diner through the back, and there she was in the kitchen, staring into space. "Happy Birthday Freckles!" he greeted her cheerily, but she didn't respond.

Roxy popped her head through the door from the front and gestured for him to follow her.

"Hey!" he gave her a confused nod, "What's goin' on?"
"Maloney whatever you do, DON'T mention her birthday! She's super grouchy today, it could be you know what or it could be..." Dex held up his hands and shook his head.

"Whoa there, you know what? I know squat! Throw me a bone here blondie!"
"You know, women's...stuff!" She looked around the empty diner and mouthed "Time of the month?"

"Ohhhhhhh!" Dex screwed up his face, "Sorry I asked!"
"Anyway don't..."
"Yeah, mention her birthday? Kinda already did!" Roxy's eyes grew wide.
"Maloney! You total div!"

Dex retreated back to the kitchen to see Lainie once more, but she had hardly moved. "Freckles? You okay?"
"Fine!" she snapped.
"Really? Cuz it sure looks and sounds the opposite!"

"I said I was FINE!" she growled. "What do you want anyway? Don't you have things to do or something? Isn't there a scrap of paper and a box of crayons with your name on them?" her words stung his heart, and it burned. She might as well have plunged a hot poker through it!

"Yeah, you're right Evelyn I do have better things to do than stay here and be insulted by someone I THOUGHT was my friend! Have a nice birthday!" Lainie realised what she'd done and called after him,
"Dexy wait!" he stopped but did not turn to face her.

"I'll see you later, at your gig?"
"Don't do me any favours!" he shot back and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry!" she whispered, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Ash was allowing that girl to play his drums when Dex got home. She wasn't exactly Phil Collins, but then again she wasn't too bad either. He looked over at them and sighed, the noise threatening to bring on another headache. 

Since the accident he got them a lot, but not as much as he did when he first got out of hospital. No seizures, so he was thankful for small mercies. Sore heads or epilepsy? He'd got the better end of the deal.

He looked at Lainie's birthday present sitting on the table and felt the rage and frustration begin to boil up inside of him. What was wrong with her? Why was she being so mean? That dig about his art skills, the crayons? That really hurt!!!

He headed for his room to lie down as his head faintly thumped, the beginnings of a migraine no doubt! He had to be fighting fit for the gig that night. So he left his brother and his lady friend to it.

When the drumming stopped about an hour later, Ash came in to check on his brother. "Dexter? you okay?"
"Yeah!" he mumbled and sat up.
"Sorry about the noise, Erin wanted to...uh...learn!"
"Sure bro!"

There was a short silence, then Ash spoke again, "What do you er...what's your opinion on...um..." Dex laughed softly at his brother's behaviour and spoke over him,
"I think she's very nice Ashton! Pretty girl! If you wanna be with her big brother, then be with her!"

"I dunno, she might have moved on! She might have a boyfriend by now..."
"You must always try dear brother, there is no shame in failure! Only the lack of action!"
"I was...I was a total jerk to her Dexter!"
"We've all behaved like jerks from time to time! If you don't try Ash, you'll never know! Let my doomed love for Lainie be a lesson to you! Carpe Diem bro! Seize the moment! For tomorrow you may be dead!"

"Wow, who said that?" Ash smiled at his brother's powerful, yet brief statement.
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer!" he chuckled and lay back down to rest his head. Tonight was going to be tough and he needed all the rest he could get!

When he did emerge from his room that afternoon, Ash and Drew were in a heated discussion. "Dexter!" Ash called to him, "I've got an idea!"
"He won't go for it elder Maloney!" Drew cautioned him, but that didn't deter him one bit as Dex sat down and joined them.

"Yes?"

"We've got five hours until this gig, and your head's been takin' a pounding lately so..." 
"Get to the point Ashton!" Dex muttered irritably, remembering Lainie's mood earlier as his stomach lurched.
"Well, I was talking to Rob a couple of days ago about our lack of keyboard player?"
"This is not a good idea Ash!" Drew warned him again.

"Rob plays keyboard! Drew has been jamming with him a few times, our set! Our songs Dexter! He can play for us!"
"Ashton!!!" Drew was still warning him to back off as Dexter's expression was impossible to read.
Eventually Dexter replied, "Okay!" and shrugged nonchalantly.
"WHAAAT?" Drew bellowed, "You're not serious baby Maloney?"
"Yeah why not?" he shrugged again looking sleepy. "Can't hurt man!"

"Excellent!" Ash shot up and got out his phone, "We need to practice, I'll call Rob and..." as Ash babbled on and punched the keys of his phone, Dexter felt a numbness all over his body. It was only a gig!

His attitude changed after the practice and Drew left with Charlotte to go bowling for a couple of hours. She had said in passing about meeting Lainie and Roxy in the lobby so they could all go to the gig together, his heart swelled, she was really coming!!!

Drew thought of himself as an experienced bowler. His gramps had taken him every Friday to watch his team compete. Winston Mitchell had been a bus driver in Moonlight Falls for over forty years and he and his colleagues were in a bowling league! One day they were one man down and Drew filled in, he'd been bowling ever since! So today he would go easy on Charlotte, it was the gentlemanly thing to do!

But he was surprised at her own skills and struggled to keep up with her. As they chatted about the gig that night and other things, Charlotte announced that she had a birthday cake made for Lainie and that after the gig, they should present it to her. 

"I think it would be nice Andrew, because she's not been herself lately! Lainie is usually such a bubbly, friendly girl and I've not really been able to see much of that recently!" Drew agreed, Lainie had been acting funny over the past few weeks or so! Dex thought it might be because she was missing Alex, little did he know that it was actually HIM she was pining for! Charlotte had the power to see things that others didn't and she'd told Drew that she could see how much being "just friends" with Dexter, after their night in the lift, was hurting her!

"Because you know Andrew, they're meant to be together it's..." Charlotte frowned as a look of concentration emerged on her face, "...oh what's that word..."
"Kismet?" Drew piped up as Charlotte smiled in surprise.

"YES Andrew! Destiny, kismet, serendipity! They are Castle and Beckett, Brennan and Booth, Murdoch and Ogden, Fred and Wes..."
"Um Char? Fred and Wesley are not a good example!" Drew raised his eyebrow.

"Why? Their love was pure and sweet and..."
"Fred was killed when a God named Illyria took over her body and Wesley was killed by a warlock still grieving over Fred's death! Not a good example! But I get what you mean sweetie!"
"Thank you! All I'm saying is, they're inevitable!" she smiled and threw the bowling ball as hard as she could.

"HA! Hole in one Andrew!" she beamed and hopped up and down. Drew groaned, but was secretly happy that Charlotte had beaten him.

"Where I come from we call it a strike Char!"
"And where I come from, the winner gets a kiss!" she winked, and he was more than happy to oblige...

...what he had with Charlotte? Was worth getting beaten at his favourite past-time!

It was a packed audience and Rob was looking a bit peaky. "You okay dude?" Drew gave him a concerned look.
"Uh...huh!" Rob took in deep breaths.

Lainie and Roxy were standing in the crowd with Charlotte and a young girl with green streaks in her hair. Charlotte had introduced her to the girls as Ashton's "friend". "Erin, this is Lainie..." Charlotte began as Erin smiled and said,
"Yeah, Dexter's girl!" Lainie blushed and spluttered,
"No, just friends!" as Roxy giggled under her breath.

"What's taking so long?" Roxy muttered, "They're usually out by now, they don't keep their fans waiting it's just not their style!" Charlotte and Lainie stared at her with surprise.

"What? So I've been to their shows before! No big deal! I happen to like their music!" she too began to blush as Lainie's look of surprise turned to disappointment.
"You never told me!"
"Well you've not exactly been approachable lately Lain!" Roxy hit back, "I'm going to see what's keeping them! What? I know the events organiser!" she rolled her eyes and left the girls in the crowd.

When Roxy got to the back she was met with the boys arguing at the top of their voices. Dexter was ranting at Ashton, Drew was trying to talk to both brothers and it looked like something big had happened. 

"What's the commotion?" she shouted as the boys stopped bickering for a minute.
"Rob's got cold feet, he ran out on us, apparently it's too crowded!" Dexter huffed and glared at his brother.

"Okay okay, you guys need to get out there without him!" Roxy exclaimed, "You've done it as a trio for long enough..."
"But we haven't practiced as a trio for a little while Rox! We're a bit rusty" Dex shook his head. "Ash why do I even listen to you???"
"HEY don't blame me! I didn't know he was a wuss!" Dexter let out a booming laugh,
"WHAT? This is the guy who nearly broke Lainie's ankle and cried about it for a week!" he shook his head in disbelief as a very loud, high pitched whistle reverberated around the room.

All three of them turned to Roxy as she stopped whistling. "Right, here's how it's going to go down!" she said with confidence, "I'll take Rob's place!" the boys all gasped, then laughed.
"No offence darlin' but you kinda need to know our stuff?" Ash gave her a patronising look as she answered him back unfazed...

"No offence DARLIN'! But I do happen to know your stuff studly!" Ash blinked numerous times before replying,
"How..."
"I've been to see you a few times, yeah I'm a fan! Don't make it a thing! Now, are we doing this or what?"

The crowd were growing restless as Dexter appeared on stage alone. He stood at the mic and began to address the audience. "Hey! Sorry about the wait but our new keyboard player has taken ill and we had to find a replacement at really short notice so..."

Lainie and Charlotte wondered what had happened to Rob and why Roxy wasn't back yet as Dexter announced "...tonight, Sweet Cacophony will consist of myself on vocals, Drew Mitchell on the guitar, Ashton Maloney on drums and Roxy Harmon on keyboard! Now be nice to her, she's never been on stage before and she needs to feel welcome, okay?" the crowd cheered as the band took their places...

...Lainie was so surprised, yet so proud of her best friend as she played along with the band.

The gig was a success, as was Roxy's performance. Ash took Dex and Drew aside, he had another idea. "Now don't go bitin' my head off but...Roxy!"
"What about her?" Dex rolled his eyes and scanned the now empty venue for Lainie.
"Let's bring her in! Rob was a big mistake, I know that now but Roxy...she's the bomb! Isn't she? I mean a girl in the band...it can be done right?"

Dex looked at his brother, he was right! Rob was a mistake, but Roxy??? He'd never thought of a girl being in the band before! And she was pretty good on that keyboard, possibly better than Dex himself...and Jeremy! Finally he smiled and said "If she agrees, why not?" Drew shrugged and added,
"I'm in!"
"YO ROX!" Ash yelled and chased after her, "I have a proposition for ya darlin'..."
"DO NOT CALL ME DARLIN'!!!" was all Dex could hear, and it made him laugh!

Finally he spotted Lainie who was looking a bit green around the gills. "Hey! You enjoy the gig?" Lainie furrowed her brow as beads of sweat appeared on her face.
"It was okay!" she muttered, nonplussed. Dex could feel that hot poker twisting into his heart again. That was the second time she'd insulted or belittled his talents and it hurt! She was always so supportive, she'd never behaved like this before!

"Just okay?" he stammered and took a step back, "I guess it's not your kind of music then huh?"
"I guess!" she replied and turned her back on him, "I gotta go Dexter. I'm not feeling very well!"
"But..." as she left him standing he called to her "...what about your present?" and she was gone.

Charlotte was standing with the rest of the gang and the cake in front of her at a booth, "Where is she? Should I light the candles?"
"She's gone home Char!" Dex said sadly, "I didn't even get to give her my gift!"

That night Dexter couldn't sleep. He got up to get a glass of water and checked the time, it was only 1:30am, not exactly late but late enough!

Standing by the sink he heard voices outside, distressed female voices!

Standing on the landing looking down, he saw three figures at Lainie's door. Lainie, Roxy...

...and ALEX???

He could see the girls were very upset as their raised voices echoed around the lobby and Charlotte stepped out of her own flat with Drew in front. "What's up?" Drew murmured sleepily.
"Nothing, go back inside!" Dex hissed, "I got this!"

Dexter leapt down the stairs, two at a time, and raced to the girls' aid. "Why won't you even answer my calls Lainie???" Alex yelled in her face, he was drunk and it seemed he hadn't showered in a while either!
"Hey, leave her alone!!!" Dex shouted as Alex spun around and sneered.

"Oh look! Here he is, Lainie's knight in shining armour, well...a twit in tin foil at least!" he sniggered and staggered forwards.
"Go home Alex, she doesn't want you here! Look! You're scaring her!" Dex replied calmly.
"Oh really? Well..." he slurred, "...I guess you're gunna have to make me get lost huh painter boy???"

Alex lunged for Dex as he stepped out of the way, but he only turned and grabbed hold of him.

The two of them pulled and pushed back and forth until Alex muttered something to Dex...

...he felt a rage erupt from inside him and hit Alex right in the face!

As Alex lay on the floor, a little stunned and bloody, he gave Dex the dirtiest look he could muster and spat, "You two deserve each other!!!"

Roxy saw a look exchanged between Lainie and Dex, thinking it was best to leave them to it as Alex stumbled out the door and down the steps outside, she too retreated into the flat.

It was Dex who spoke first as Lainie looked down at the ground, "I'm sorry freckles, I didn't mean to...hit him I...he called you a...a little whore! I saw red...it made me so mad! Nobody EVER calls you names! EVER!!!" he shook his head and studied her face, willing her to look at him. "Freckles?"

Suddenly she flew into his arms crying her heart out. "Oh Dexy!" she managed to say in between sobs.
"Hey, hey! He's not worth it baby! I told you before! You're way too good for him, you're so better off without him, believe me!" Lainie looked up and sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's not that...it's..."
"Whatever it is freckles, you've always got me! I won't ever let you down! You can tell me anything you know that, why have you been so grouchy? Are you mad at me for something? Did I do something wrong? Talk to me baby!" Lainie began to cry again, looked at him with shame in her eyes and replied...

"Dexy I'm pregnant!" And then he understood why she was so grumpy and snappy, he understood why she was not herself...

...and he was completely lost for words!

Uh-oh! Lainie's going to be a mummy??? What does this mean for her and Dexter? Will Alex ever go away? Or is he now fixed in her life? Is she going to keep the baby? Have it adopted? Wait and see...

***AUTHOR'S NOTE***
The idea for Roxy becoming part of the band was actually Pylia's. We were talking one day and I told her I intended to bring a fourth member into the band, originally Rob, she asked me if it was Roxy and it just was so much more fitting! So I did bring Rob in but thought up the idea that he got stage fright and Roxy filled in, was so good at it that the boys wanted to keep her and ta-da! So I really want to thank Pylia for that, she's not only a wonderful person and a great friend, but she's pretty dang clever too! She also made the amazing bowling alley! Read her awesome story here: http://gnomerealm.blogspot.co.uk/ 
You won't regret it!