Love Drunk: Chapter Thirty Seven

Last time Lainie announced she was moving to Bridgeport just as Dexter had arrived back from tour to tell her he wanted to be with her. After the revelation of Roxy's secret wedding and two very tender and loving kisses between Dex and Lainie, it seemed as though there were doubts. Dex accepted that Lainie was leaving while Lainie was having second thoughts and was considering staying and giving a relationship with the father of her child a go. But Ash and his big mouth finally brought a decision to her mind, she's leaving! Or is she?

Saturday. A year ago on this day, Keira Roxanne Robertson-Maloney came into the world and made Dexter and Lainie the proudest parents in Moonlight Falls. They loved their little girl, as did all of Keira's family. 

There were presents all over the floor that morning as Dex arrived with even more. He had hardly seen Lainie since he brought their daughter back the other night, after Ash had asked to use the diner for Keira's party. 

He had to admit, she was acting very aloof! As he snuggled his daughter and sang Happy Birthday to her as she giggled, Lainie was putting on a fake smile...he could tell!

"Okay freckles, what's up?" He demanded as he tickled Keira.

"Nothing, I'm fine!" She replied, but there was a nippy tone to her voice.

"Liar! Come on freckles we've been through way too much for you to lie to me!" 

Lainie sighed and left him alone with Keira as she headed to her room. Dexter was confused over her behaviour. It should be him that was huffy considering she was leaving in under two weeks and taking their daughter with her! 

Sometimes he just didn't understand women!

Roxy and Matthew were settling into married life well. Although Roxy found his choice of birthday present for a one year old rather...inappropriate! "I think it's neato!" Matthew beamed as she rolled her eyes.

"Matty? She is one! And she is a girl! Just admit it, you bought it for yourself really!" She chuckled and looked down at the robot on the table.

"Well, yeah but...hey I can show her how to work it and..." Roxy wagged a finger at him and interrupted,

"You will return it to the shop and get a nice soft toy or something! She always wanted that white unicorn in the window!" Matthew made a tutting sound.

"Unicorns are boring!" He whined, then seeing the look on Roxy's face he swiftly agreed. "I'll go do that now!"

As Matthew headed out, Dexter was about to knock on their door. "Oh hey Dex!" Matthew smiled.
"Hey, Roxy in?"

"Yeah, ROXY??? She's in bossy mode today!" he chuckled as Dexter raised an eyebrow and replied,
"Isn't she always?" A voice from inside the flat shouted,
"I HEARD THAT!!" as the two men laughed.

"Hey gorgeous, how's things?" Dexter hugged Roxy tightly. He'd become very protective of her since Paris.
"Hey Dexy! I'm fine!" she had taken to calling him Lainie's pet name, they were now very close, best friends even.

"How are you holding up?" Roxy gave him a sympathetic smile and cocked her head to the side.
"Oh you know...I'm not!"
"Dexy she's lashing out!"
"Why?"

Roxy sighed, "Because she thinks she can't have you!"

"She already has me! She has my heart, my soul...my everything! I belong to her!"
"Yes but she doesn't know that! There is only one person who can stop her from leaving..." she winked at him.

"...YOU! She'll stay for you because you're the boy of her dreams!"
"I don't know..." Roxy waved an impatient hand at him and laughed.
"If she knew for one minute that you two could be forever after, she'd jump at the chance! Don't give up! Fight for her!"

Charlotte had already given a big gift to Keira when was born, the little zebra. But she realised that she was far too little to play on that just yet and got her a playpen to put in Dexter's flat, she tried to escape a lot and one day she would end up at the bottom of the stairs! Charlotte now realised that it was a silly present, Keira was leaving for Bridgeport with her mother soon, but in her defence she had bought it before she went to Paris. She still reckoned they would be able to use it.

Drew came in and gave her a hug, "Penny for 'em!"

"I'm just sad about Lainie leaving!" She sighed.

"Yeah, it sucks! But maybe after today, the party and all of us together, she might change her mind?"

"Maybe!" Charlotte replied, not convinced. "It would be a lovely thing! A very lovely thing!"

Ash was extremely quiet lately too. Erin put it down to his anxiety over proposing, and she wanted to tell him it was okay, no pressure! But that would spoil things, it might even put him off wanting to marry her! As he sat in another world, she decided she needed to talk to him. This couldn't go on, it was making him ill!

"Ash?" 

"Mm-hm?" He was barely listening!

"Listen...if you're feeling...under pressure to..."

"Erin I have to tell you something! I have to tell someone or it'll eat me up!" Erin felt a wave of panic hit her.

"What is it Ash? You know you can talk to me! Tell me?" Ash sighed and screwed his eyes shut.

"I told Lainie about that French chick Dexter boinked in Paris!" Erin felt the panic turn to annoyance.

"You did WHAT??? ASHTON!!!" She growled and shook her head angrily.

"I just...I dunno why I did it! I was excited and nervous about Keira's party and..."

"Ash you do realise that Lainie is not talking to Dex right now and it's probably your big mouth that's the reason!"

"Yes!" He muttered, "And if I tell Dexter what I did, I'll lose my brother!" Erin smiled and patted his hand.

"No Ash, he'll be mad, but you won't lose him!"

"She was so hurt! I knew as soon as it left my...please don't tell another soul!" Erin nodded.

"I won't!" She reassured him, "As long as you don't tell another soul about what I'm going to tell you?" Ashton's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Promise me Ashton!"

"I promise!" He nodded as Erin let out a huge sigh.

"Lainie found Dexter's journals and she knows everything! And I mean EVERYTHING! I think that's why she's leaving. Because Dex can't find the courage to tell her he loves her and she doesn't think she's worthy of him. She never has!" Ash laughed uncontrollably. 

"Why are you laughing? This is not funny!"

"Oh yes it is! It's a mess, right I'm going to get Dex to confess once and for all! Let's end this!"

Ash took his brother aside and gave him a stern talking to that day. "You have to tell her you love her and you wanna be with her!"

"Hello? I've done this on numerous occasions!"

"But this time you're going to make her SEE it's true love!" Dex gave his brother an impatient glare.

"And how do I do that?"

"You'll think of something!" Ash shrugged as he surveyed the buffet Lainie had put out.

"You know, the day we got back? Lainie and I kissed, twice! It was intensely calming, if that's even possible!"

"You two need your heads banged together you know that right?" Ash shook his head with an amused expression.

"I felt something, she's my soul mate! Every time I kiss her it's like the whole world melts away and it's just us! I've never felt that with any other human being in my life!" Dexter smiled, remembering their closeness a few nights before.

"Dexter, you have to convince her to stay and you have to do it today!!!" Ash gave his brother a stern look and left him to think about what he'd just said.

Ash had successfully planned his neice's first birthday party with all of their friends and family present. Matthew had exchanged the robot for the unicorn Keira had her eye on every time they passed the toy shop. But her favourite present was a cuddly teddy bear with a rabbit outfit that her uncle Ash had given her and she was glued to it the moment she opened it up!

Erin hugged her hunky fireman. He was so good with his niece it made her want to give him a child of his own. She wanted to be with him forever. As they exchanged a look, Ash suddenly shouted...

"Guys? I have...something I..."

"Ash?" Erin blinked and gave him a worried stare.

"Hold on!" Ash got down on one knee and fumbled around in his pockets for something...

...when he found it he produced it in front of Erin and took a deep breath, "Erin Daley? Will you make me the happiest man alive by becoming my wife?"

"Ashton!" Erin squeaked as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"What do you say? Will you marry me?" Erin squeezed her eyes shut and giggled.

"YES! YES YES YES!!! I will marry you Ashton! I will!"

As he placed the ring shakily on her finger, she couldn't stop giggling as a wave of relief crashed over him. 

The gang all cheered as the newly engaged couple embraced, tears blinding both of them.

"Thank god you said yes!" Ash sighed, "I was terrified you'd tell me where to go!"

"Oh Ash!" She sniffed, "You were very brave! Very brave! But there really is only one answer to that question when you're asking me, isn't there?" She winked and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

Drew looked on with envy as Ash and Erin kissed and cuddled like teenagers at a high school dance. He and Charlotte were grinding to a halt very quickly and it was his own fault.

As she stood and babbled away to Lainie and Dexter, Drew thought about their engagement and how it could be a long one...even a forever scenario! 

It made him angry! Surely he had proved himself to her by now? He had even saved himself for that special person who turned out to be Charlotte, his next door neighbour!

Dexter glanced over and gave his best friend a concerned look. Drew decided it was time to confide in someone and gestured for him to follow him to the toilets.

"What's up?" Dex still looked concerned as Drew let out a huge sigh and shook his head.
"Man I have dug a hole for myself and...dude I do not know how to get out!" Dexter raised an eyebrow and muttered.
"Problems with Charlotte?" Struggling to believe that Drew and Char could be anything but blissfully happy.

"Yeah!" Drew nodded and could no longer conceal the anger.
"What's going on? You two were made for each other! It can't be that bad surely?"
"Yeah it is Dex! Before we went away I asked her to marry me and she looked horrified! So I compromised and asked her to be my fiancee and...well now we're one of those couples who are engaged INDEFINITELY!!!"

"Oh, but surely..."
"Dude she is NOT wanting to get married EVER!"
"So why did you get engaged if..."
"Therein lies the screw-up my friend!" Drew hung his head and groaned, "I wanna marry her! I do! She's the only woman I've ever loved, ever made love to! She completes me...but I can't live like this Dex!" Drew looked up to see the shocked expression on his best friend's face.

"What?"
"I...you'd never...until Char...you were a VIRGIN???" Dexter's raised voice and surprised laugh echoed through the room as Drew scowled at him and punched his arm hard.
"Shhh, dude not cool!"

"I'm sorry man, I didn't know!" Dexter looked at his friend guiltily, "You're right that was not cool of me! Why didn't you tell me you'd never...you know?"
"It wasn't anyone's business!" Drew shrugged, "Besides, what's the big deal? It's not a criminal offence is it?"

"No, no of course not it's just...you're a very handsome man Andrew! You had the girls falling at your feet when we were in high school AND university!"
"And I wasn't remotely interested!" Drew shrugged again.

"All I can say is this, you love her and she loves you! You got engaged over three months ago! There is still time for her to change her mind, and she will because like I told you..." Dexter winked...

"...you're a handsome devil Andrew Mitchell! No woman can resist your charms! Heck even I'm a little bit in love with you!" he chuckled as Drew shoved him playfully.
"Shut up! You are not!"
"Little bit!" Dex smirked and pulled him in for a friendly hug.

"Anyway I have something I have to do! And it's going to be hard, it's going to be painful but...I have to stop Lainie from leaving me!" Drew looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"Now YOU TWO were DEFINITELY made for each other!"
"I'd like to think so!"
"Dex? You had a child together and that was fate! She is single and so are you! Now is the time dude! Go get her pretty boy!"

"Don't ever call me that again!" Dexter screwed up his face in mock disgust.
"Was just thinkin' that myself!" Drew replied with an amused frown.

Dexter left his best friend with one purpose, to convince Lainie to stay! Ash and Erin could barely keep their hands off of each other, but he was over the moon for his brother. He really hoped he could finally be happy, and he was sure Erin was the right girl for him.

Keira was enjoying her party immensely as her grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles all made a fuss of her. After talks with both Ash and Drew, Dexter took Roxy, Drew and Ash's advice and had another go at convincing Lainie to stay.

Dexter gently took Lainie's hand and guided her into the kitchen...

...he couldn't help himself, as soon as they were alone he was kissing her so passionately that if he didn't control himself Keira would be getting a brother or sister very soon! Lainie, as always, didn't push him away despite her recent coldness towards him.

As the kiss began to develop into something more, Dexter pulled himself together and ended things before they got too heavy. After all, their friends and family were only in the diner out front and might come in and catch them "at it"!

Lainie was disappointed, but also relieved that they didn't let their emotions overcome them. Finally Dexter spoke, tasting her lip balm on his own lips was rather distracting and tempting to plant another kiss on her, but he soldiered on, "Freckles I don't want you to go! I know I said it before but..." she interrupted him...

"Dexy this changes nothing, we're still going!" Dexter's eyes widened and his heart came to an abrupt stop. Her demeanour had changed. She had gone from giving him the silent treatment to letting him kiss her and embrace her then back to being cold again! He couldn't understand what was happening, after days of being mad at him, for what he didn't know, it looked for a moment that she would gladly give herself to him again. But now this???
"Why? Why are you doing this??? Do you hate me that much???" It all became too much and he let the tears fall.

"No Dexter I don't hate you at all! It's for the best and you know it!"
"I can't handle this!" he cried, "I don't know where I am with you, one minute you hate me then you want me..."
"Dexter focus here! Why do you think I'm leaving?" All he could do was stare at her in disbelief.

"I honestly don't know freckles! Because when I was away I had an epiphany..."
"So did I!" she butted in, but it didn't stop him in the slightest from saying what he had to say.

"Being away from you for so long was actually good for me, it's been the best thing I could do because I realised a few things...well...ONE thing in particular..." she interrupted him again,
"Me too Dexy, it's been an eye opener!"

"Yeah..." his eyes brightened, did she really see where he was coming from?
"It's made me realise that as long as we're in each other's lives, we'll be forever tied to each other! It would never work between us no matter how much I want it to, we're just too different! Being apart made it so much better to deal with! Seeing you every day Dexy, it kills me!"

"So that's why I'm going! We'll never find true love with other people as long as we're around each other! And that's why I have to go and you can't stop me!" 

She turned to leave as Dexter grabbed her once more and kissed her even more passionately, she struggled in his arms, wriggling about and fighting to be freed but he didn't let go.

He eventually felt her go limp and released her as their lips broke free, reluctantly, from the kiss...

"Tell me that's not worth stayin' for! Did you feel that? We complete each other!" Lainie shook her head sadly.

"Dexy..." He pressed her against the wall and placed his hands on her face.
"Freckles we complete each other..."
"No..."
"...we belong together! We're forever you and me!"

"Tell me you don't want this! Go on say it!!!" Lainie's breathing was heavy and fast, tiny little sighs escaped her lips but no words would come out. "You can't, can you freckles? Because you do want it, you want me like I want you!" Planting several tiny kisses on her lips he whispered over and over "We complete each other!" Suddenly she slid from his grip. 

"No Dexy, we destroy each other! I've put my move forward..." Dexter felt his heart stop once more.

"...to a week's time!" And this time it had stopped forever!

Oh no, what are they DOING??? Next chapter is all about Laixter and what might have been had Dexy opened his mouth at the very start! Chapter thirty eight sooooon...