~
Billie
~
I wake up naturally in Lexi's arms, sighing happily to myself when I remember that I'm in my own room again. Though this probably won't be my own room for much longer, especially if the apartment viewing goes well today.
My eyes slowly open and I adjust to the light for a moment before looking down to see Lexi's tattooed arm draped over my waist. I gently trace her tattoos with my fingertips, lingering on the one I drew while I smile softly.
After a little while I roll over in her hold so I can see her face and smile wider when I see how adorable she looks while she's sleeping.
I reach out to gently trace her features the way she's often woken me up by doing. My fingers trail along her eyebrows softly then down the slope of her nose. From there I ghost my fingers along her cheek bone then finally brush across her soft lips.
Her eyelids flutter slightly then slowly open, and her lips twitch into an adorable, sleepy smile when her eyes adjust to see me.
"Morning, princess," she says in the raspy morning voice that I never grow tired of waking up to.
"Morning," I whisper and lean over to kiss the tip of her nose, which makes her scrunch it up cutely. "We're buying an apartment together today," I mumble and Lexi grins but then shakes her head.
"Don't jinx it, someone could get it before us. Or bid higher," she points out and pulls me closer by my waist.
"Superstitious much?" I tease and she chuckles.
"Only when the Dodgers are on the line. Or other big stakes things like buying the perfect apartment."
"It is perfect, isn't it?" I muse then roll over to grab my phone from the nightstand so we can look at the pictures again.
Lexi pulls me flush against her body and rests her chin on my shoulder so she can see the screen too. "I love how much natural lighting it has," she mumbles and I hum in agreement.
"We should make this room the studio," I say when we land on a picture of one of the three bedrooms, and Lexi nods.
"We gotta soundproof it then just go nuts with the equipment," she says excitedly and I chuckle.
"With who's money?" I tease and she pinches my side playfully.
"Asshole," she says lightly then nuzzles back into my neck. "I'm sorry I blew all my money renting out a supermarket for you."
I smile at the memories of that day and keep scrolling through the photos while Lexi gently and innocently strokes the skin under my shirt.
"I'm gonna go make you breakfast," she decides after a little while and kisses my neck once before pulling away from me.
"But I was comfy," I whine and pout at her as she gets out of bed.
"And I'm hungry so tough luck, baby," she says and slaps my ass before she walks away from the bed and towards the door.
I watch her go with a smile then shake my head to myself and go back to looking at the pictures and imagining turning it into a home with Lexi.
After we eat breakfast we shower together then change before walking across the street to meet the realtor who's showing us the apartment. Our hands swing between us as we walk into the building, both of us practically buzzing with excitement.
We meet the realtor in the lobby then get in the elevator and go up to the very top floor with her. The doors ding open and my excitement grows as we walk down the hallway that's beautiful itself until we reach the door on the very end.
This could be home.
She unlocks it and pushes the door open, revealing the living room first. Lexi and I both let out little gasps as stunning floor to ceiling windows that overlook the sprawling city that we both love with all of our hearts are revealed to us.
"God, it's even more beautiful than the pictures," Alexis mumbles as we walk in and I nod in agreement, too entranced by the view to respond verbally.
"The shades on all the windows are motorized and remote controlled," the realtor informs us as we walk closer to the windows to admire the view, but I'm barely listening to her.
"Out that window you can see Dodgers Stadium," she adds and Lexi practically sprints to the other window and presses her face against the glass.
"Baby, we have to buy this place," she says while continuing to stare through the glass, and I chuckle to myself as I watch her lovingly. She's so cute when she's excited. "I'm a simple woman. I see the Dodgers, I buy."
I snort at that and walk into the kitchen, which is recently renovated and full of beautiful modern appliances without being overly flashy. In fact the whole apartment is modern and on the larger side without being over the top. Three bedrooms (one of which we're converting into a studio), two baths, a little laundry room, a large living space with gorgeous views, and a beautiful kitchen off to the side.
An island separates the kitchen from the living room, and I smirk to myself when I think about how much space there is for Lexi and I to, well you know...without worrying about Finneas and Claudia walking in.
She shows us the bedrooms next, and by the time we reach the master bedroom I honestly feel ready to cry. I can really see myself here, and it's obvious that Lexi can too.
We stand in front of one of the large windows together, Lexi behind my with her arms around my waist and her chin on my shoulder, the same way we so often find ourselves.
"I don't even wanna look at the other places, this is perfect," she whispers and I nod with a hum.
"I know. I already feel like this is home but I hate saying that before we know for sure if we can make it ours."
She kisses my cheek then pulls away from me and lets out a nervous huff, "Alright, lets tell her we wanna make an offer."
We walk hand in hand back into the main living area where the realtor is looking over some paperwork, and she looks up with a smile when we walk in.
"So, what do you two think?" she asks and Alexis and I share a smile.
"We want to make an offer," I say and the realtor smiles even wider.
"Excellent, I just have some paperwork here that I'll pass off to the owner today," she says and takes some papers out for us to look over.
A little while later we head back to my apartment, but only for a little while before heading out again to go to the venue for the last show of my tour. Soundcheck runs smoothly, and then I'm whisked away by my team to do some interviews before the meet and greet. As much as I love preforming and meeting fans every night, all I can think about is how after this tour ends I get a few months to just focus on myself and the people I care about.
Months to focus on starting the next chapter of me and Lexi's life together in our shared apartment, months to focus on writing new music with Finn, and months to just take care of myself instead of worrying about pleasing other people.
Damn, I can't wait.
After my meet and greet I trudge tiredly back to the green room, but immediately perk up when I open the door to find Lexi sitting on the couch with Addy in her lap.
"Billie!" she screeches and wiggles out of Lexi's lap to charge at me.
I grin and lean down to pick her up, and she wraps her little arms around my neck tightly while practically vibrating with excitement and glee.
"Look! I'm a very important person!" she squeals and pulls away from the hug to show my her backstage pass while I keep holding her.
"You sure are," I say with a smile and poke her nose. "Are you excited to see the show soon?"
She nods eagerly and I look over at Lexi, who's watching the two of us interact with so much love in her eyes it makes my heart pound.
"I missed you and Lexi so much," she mumbles and nuzzles into my neck. "Mommy's boyfriend is so stupid. I wish I could be with you guys all the time."
"I wish that too, little one," I whisper and rub her back comfortingly. "But hey, now that we're back we can see you more. I didn't forget that we promised to take you shopping for a new ukulele," I remind her and she perks up again.
I keep holding her and walk over to the couch so I can sit down next to Lexi, who immediately scoots closer and puts her arm around me.
"How was the meet and greet?" she asks and kisses the side of my head.
"Good, I got a bunch of questions about you like usual," I say with a lighthearted eye roll and she grins.
"Are you surprised? I got fans," she says smugly. "What kinda questions this time?"
"A few 'when are you getting married' questions," I answer and see the way her smug look morphs into genuine happiness.
"Sounds like they want a wedding. Maybe we should give the people what they want," she says and I smile too.
"Maybe," I agree and we share a loving look until Addy starts whining for attention.
We spend the next chunk of time with Addy just goofing around and chatting, until we both get called to do things to prep for the show. Addy stays in green room with my parents keeping an eye on her and Alexis and I share a good luck kiss before I go to my position and she goes to her soundboard.
Even though I'm really happy tour is ending, I start to feel sad about it as the show starts and I go into stage mode for the last time for a little while. Now matter how many hundreds of times I do this, the rush I feel when I'm up on stage in front of thousands of people screaming lyrics I wrote back to me will never go away.
That's one of the few constants in my hectic life. My passion for preforming, the support of my family, and my love for Lexi;
That's all I really need right there.
The energy in the venue is insane, and I let myself go absolutely apeshit one last time for this tour. The set goes by in a blur, and before I know it, it's time for I Love You.
"So since it's the last show I wanted to do something a little special for myself," I say into the mic. "Usually it's me and Finn up here, but one time it was me and my girlfriend up here. And that was really special to me, so I want her to come out for this."
The cheers from the crowd are deafening and it makes me smile knowing that I still have such strong support from so many people after all these years.
I turn to look at the offstage area and it takes a moment but eventually Lexi emerges and walks onto the stage with a smile.
The crowd gets even louder when they see her, but when Lexi reaches me in center stage and I lean up to peck her lips they absolutely explode. She grins down at me and I grin right back then take her hand and lead her over to the bed, where Finn is already sitting with his guitar.
"I wanted you both with me for this one," I say as I clamber on and Lexi climbs right on after me.
"This is just like old times," Finneas says with a smile as he looks at both of us on the bed with his guitar and we all share smiles before I lift the microphone to my mouth again.
"This is I Love You," I say and the music starts as the lights change, and the bed slowly starts to rise.
I look into Lexi's eyes as I sing, and it's like my body and voice go into autopilot as I just let myself get completely lost in them. They're sparkling with love as she gazes back at me, and I get emotional as I think about how far we've come, both as a couple and individually.
Her hand finds my free one that isn't holding the mic and she intertwines our fingers. I look down as I sing to look down fondly at the familiar sight of her inked fingers laced with my own ring-covered ones. They fit together so well.
When I sing the last note and the lights go black I surge forward and press my lips against hers, taking advantage of the moment of darkness. The roar of the crowd gets tuned out as I focus on her lips, starting to sound more like white noise than 20,000 screaming fans. It's just me and Lexi right now.
I pull back just before the lights raise again and Lexi and I keep smiling at each other before I eventually force myself out of my trance.
"You guys sounded fucking beautiful," I say into the mic and squeeze Lexi's hand once before she gets off the bed and walks off stage again.
The rest of the set goes by in a blink and just like that I'm thanking everyone for an amazing tour. As I thank the crowd my mind flashes with memories of the last few months, and just how insane they've been. I've been through a lot, but I've come out on the other end feeling the happiest I have in a very long time, possibly ever.
And damn does it feel good.
I say one more genuine thank you then jog off stage, and like always I make a beeline for the sound table. Lexi is waiting for me with open arms and I crush her in a hug that almost sends both of us tumbling to the floor.
"Amazing as always, princess," she mumbles in my ear as she hugs me back tightly. "Thank you for bringing me up for I Love You, that was really special."
"Of course," I mumble back and pull back from the hug slightly so I can give her a kiss, which she happily returns while cupping my cheek.
"Ewwwwww," a little voice whines and we both pull away and look down to see Addy staring up at us with a scrunched nose. "You both have cooties now."
Lexi laughs and pulls away from me so she can bend down and pick up Addy. "Well guess what, little princess?"
"What?" Addy asks cutely and Lexi answers my peppering her face in kisses. Her cheeks, her forehead, her chin, her nose.
"Now you have cooties," she teases while Addy giggles and squirms in her tattooed arms.
God, I think I'm melting.
"Billie help!" Addy keeps giggling while Lexi starts tickling her so I step into action and take Addy from her arms playfully, holding her close protectively.
"What did you think of the show?" I ask and stick my tongue out at Lexi when she pouts at me for taking Addy.
"It was soooooooooooo good," she practically shouts and I laugh softly at her excitement. "I didn't like the spiders on the screen though, that was scary and mean."
"True," Lexi mumbles.
We hang out back stage with Addy for a long time while we wait for her mom to come pick her up. As the night drags on and she gets later and later we start to get worried, but at the same time have an amazing time just goofing around with Addy. We cuddle on the couch and watch videos, ride my old knee scooter around the arena when everyone but the staff leaves the venue, and pretend to do a show to no crowd on the now-cleared stage.
By the time her mom's boyfriend shows up to pick her up none of us want her to leave, but he very impatiently tells us he needs to get her home to bed.
"I don't wanna go," Addy sniffles and my heart breaks as I hug her and rub her back.
"We can hang out again soon, I promise," I assure her then pass her to Lexi so she can quickly say goodbye.
"And I'll be teaching classes again now that I'm home," Lexi reminds her and she perks up a bit while snuggling into her.
"Addy, come on, we gotta go," Logan says with a frustrated sigh and Lexi reluctantly starts passing Addy over, but she struggles out of her arms and walks over to him instead.
"Bye bye," she says quietly and we wave as we watch her go sadly.
"It makes me nervous how much she hates him," Lexi says honestly once they're out of sight and I nod in agreement.
"Me too. We should talk to her about it seriously next time," I reply and she sighs softly.
"Agreed."
With that we decide to head home and gather the things we came with then walk out of the back entrance hand in hand. There are a few fans still waiting so we spend a few minutes chatting with them about the show and the tour in general and a little bit about our relationship. They were kind and respectful and didn't cross and boundaries, so it was nice. They seemed to really like Lexi, and it made me happy because they saw what I see despite the fact the media is always trying to push a negative narrative about Lexi.
When we get back to my apartment we go to my bedroom quietly because we're pretty sure Finneas and Claudia are already asleep, as they went home way before us. We get changed and brush our teeth together like an old married couple I used to tell myself I'd never be like, then get into bed together.
"God I feel like the whole tour just hit me all at once," I mumble as I practically sink into the mattress.
I close my eyes tiredly and let out a happy sigh when I feel Lexi wrap her arm around my waist and pull me close.
"I know you probably want to sleep in after all this craziness, so you can say no, but I wanted to do something special tomorrow morning," she whispers and I hum softly in curiosity.
"What are you thinking?" I ask quietly and snuggle closer to her.
"I thought we could go watch the sunrise on that hill we used to go to. You know, like old times," she says quietly and I smile softly at the memories.
It does sound really nice. I thought about that spot a lot while we were away on tour, and there were more than a few times I wished more than anything that I could be there so I could clear my head. I'm absolutely exhausted, and sleeping in sounds amazing, but being with Lexi at that spot watching the sun rise sounds just a tad bit more amazing.
"Only if you carry me."
"Deal."
I can't see her with my eyes closed and my back to her, but I swear I can tell she's grinning like an adorable fucking idiot.
"Goodnight, Lexi," I mumble tiredly, knowing I should say it before I drop off in the next few seconds.
"Sweet dreams, princess," she whispers back, and I fall asleep with a smile on my lips.
~
"I forgot how steep this is," I whine and Lexi scoffs.
"Why the fuck are you complaining? You're not walking," she points out and squeezes my thighs to emphasize her point.
Okay, so I'm on her back, but that doesn't change the fact the hill is steep and the sun isn't even up yet and I'm exhausted.
"Still," I grumble and hold onto her tighter while nuzzling into her neck.
Waking up this morning was really hard. We got to bed really late last night because we were with Addy for a few hours after the show while we were waiting for someone to get their shit together and pick her up. By the time we got home it was probably about 1 in the morning, so we haven't gotten that much sleep.
Something just tells me it's going to be worth it though.
"If I'm gonna carry you, you should sing to me," Lexi suggests after a bit more walking and I think for a bit before I start to sing one of the songs she wrote for me softly.
"You remember," she says happily and I kiss her cheek.
"Of course I do," I reply then go back to singing quietly. "I know that I'll fall in love with you, baby. And, that's just what I'll do..."
When we reach the top I hop off Lexi's back and we both stare out at the view in a stunned silence. We came at a perfect time, and the sky is starting to lighten and change colors slowly.
Right now it's a stunning shade of reddish-purple. The lights of the skyline are starting to light up as the world slowly wakes up. The highways sparkle red with taillights and for some reason it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
"I'm glad we came here," I say softly and feel Lexi step behind me, one of her arms wrapping around my waist and gently pulling me back against her.
"Me too," she says softly and I lean back against her warm chest, feeling completely at ease.
"I have something for you," she says quietly and hear her rustling for a moment before her other hand comes around my waist holding an envelope.
I look at it for a moment then take it from her hand and scan the words on the front, finding that it's addressed to me.
"What's this?" I ask quietly flip it over so I can open it.
"I told you I read your letters in prison," she starts as I start to unseal the envelope. "But I didn't tell you that I wrote one back for every single one you wrote," she explains and I pause what I'm doing to look back at her.
"You did?"
She nods softly and gestures to the letter in my hands. "That's one of them, just read it."
I stare into her eyes for a second then look at the letter in my hands again and go back to opening it, eventually growing frustrated and just ripping it open instead of doing it neatly. Alexis gently pulls away from me as I pull the paper out and open it eagerly, my stomach fluttering as I start to read it.
Dear Billie,
This week might be the week I finally break and actually put one of these letters in the mail, because what you said in your last letter hurt my heart. "Sometimes I wonder if you even loved me in the first place." I've read that over and over since I got it in the mail, and it's haunting me. For you to think that I don't love you breaks my heart, because I love you more than anyone else and if I didn't make that clear to you, then I really hate myself. All I've wanted since I met you is to make you feel loved. I thought that cutting you off was the only way to make you truly happy in the long term, I only went dark out of my love for you. I still think this is best, which is why you'll probably never read this.
In hindsight, I fell in love with you from the second I saw you, but I never would've admitted or acknowledged that at the time. Couldn't have anyone thinking I'd gone soft, right? At most, I would've said that maybe I thought you were cute when I first saw you laugh, and maybe my heart fluttered a bit when you kissed me by the pool, and just maybe I wanted to scream when I thought about you being with anyone else the way you were with me. But now I'm ready to admit that even though I don't need anyone to complete me, you do it anyway. You got me whipped, I'm soft for you, all that shit. I don't care anymore, I just love you. Call me crazy, I know we're young and haven't been together that long, but I know you're my soulmate. And part of how I know that is because I know you'd beat my ass for being this mushy, and I'd agree with you and let it happen.
Please don't ever doubt my love for you again. It's what's getting me through this hellhole, just like it's what got me through my last few months with Jonah. If it weren't for how much I love you, I would still be his slave, letting him walk all over me. You helped me realize that I deserve better while also giving me something to finally fight back at him for.
I don't know how long I'll be stuck in here, but I stay sane by thinking about how when I get out and know everything is safe again, I'm going to win you back and make you mine again. If you'll have me, I'm going to marry your cute ass. I got a proposal plan and everything, so you better be ready.
But for now I'll just keep this in and, fuck, I'm so sorry that it hurts you. But nothing is worth putting your life in danger, and that's exactly what being with me does right now. Until the trial ends and I know my identity has been kept classified and the gang has been dismantled, I just can't take any risks. I love you too much.
I'm sorry it has to be this way. One day I'll make it up to you.
Love, Lexi
P.S. I can't believe you sold out MSG for your next tour? Twice? Well actually I can, you're amazing so why wouldn't you, but holy fuck I'm so proud. No one deserves it more.
I wipe my eyes and sniffle when I finish reading the letter and turn around to face Lexi, my heart dropping into my ass when I find her down on one knee with her hand clutching a little box nervously.
"I meant it then and I mean it now," she says softly and my shaky hand covers my mouth that I can't seem to close. "You're my person, Billie, and I wanna marry you more than I've ever wanted anything. Will you marry me, princess?"
I stare at her like an idiot for a few seconds before snapping out of my trance and nodding my head.
"You're nodding..." she says unsurely and smiles nervously. "Is that a-"
"It's a yes you idiot of course it's a fucking yes," I rush out and tackle her to the ground in a hug.
She falls backwards while wrapping one of her arms around me tightly, a laugh leaving her lips as her back hits the ground and I rest on top of her.
"Wait I need to put it on your fin-"
"Shut up." I cut her off and press my lips against hers eagerly, my hands coming up to cup her cheeks while she keeps holding me with one arm.
She kisses me back with a seemingly uncontrollable smile on her lips, and I smile into it too while resting my hands on her cheeks. She pulls away after a little while and I pout.
"Billie I can't wait any longer to put this on you," she says desperately and I giggle as I pull back and put my hand out for her.
She props herself up a bit and opens the box again, and even though I've already seen it I still gasp when I see the ring properly. It's just so perfect.
With a shaky hand, she takes the ring out of the box and carefully slips it onto my finger. I watch her face as she does, and don't miss the way she smiles so genuinely when she sees it on for the first time. I look down and smile too, my heart feeling completely full at the sight of it.
"Man, I've wanted to do that for so long," Lexi breathes out and wraps her arms around me again.
"Why didn't you send me those letters?" I ask quietly and she lets out a sad sigh.
"Because I wanted you to move on," she mumbles. "Well, I didn't want you to. The thought of you loving someone else hurt, but I also just wanted you to be happy. And I figured there's no way you could be truly happy if you were hung up on me in prison, and those letters wouldn't help you move on," she explains and my heart aches when I think about her going through all of this alone in a prison cell.
"I love you so much," I whisper with watery eyes and she presses her forehead against mine lovingly.
"I love you so much."
~Alexis POV~
As I gaze into Billie's eyes I'm filled with overwhelming happiness. Here I am with the girl of my dreams, who's just formally agreed to spend forever with me. All the daydreams I've had about spending every big moment with Billie will come true. Marriage, kids, buying our first house, career milestones, everything will be with Billie and I feel like I'm on top of the world.
"What are you thinking about? Billie asks softly.
"Everything," I mumble back then add, "Like what you're gonna look like when you're 90."
"Still gonna be hot as fuck," she says and I laugh.
"Everyone at the retirement home will want a piece," I joke and reach down to lift her hand up so I can examine the ring. "But you'll still be mine so they can fuck off and eat their prunes or whatever old people do."
Billie laughs loudly and makes that little snort noise that the end that always makes me smile, and like a soft ass bitch all I can think about is how I get to listen to that for the rest of my life.
The sound of my phone ringing cuts into my thoughts and I let out a huff as I reach into my pocket so I can silence it.
"Can't people tell I'm having a moment? Damn," I grumble and go to decline it but Billie stops me.
"Wait, answer it. It might be about the apartment," she points out and I perk up at the thought then accept it and bring it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Is this Alexis Ackerman?
"Yeah, who's this?"
"My name is Heather Halpert, I'm with Atlantic Records," the woman says and my eyebrows lace together in confusion. "I'm calling about a career opportunity."
"Oh, cool, I'm already happy at Ryker though so no thanks."
"That's nice, but aren't you just a sound engineer over there?"
"What are you offering that's any better?" I ask curiously and glance at Billie to see her watching, clearly intrigued.
"Well, we'd like to offer you a record deal."
End Book Two
~
A/N
5300 words
kinda edited for once!
BOOK 3 IS AVAILABLE ON MY PAGE
Thanks for the ride so far guys, but stay buckled because it ain't over!
Book 3 will be out within the next couple of weeks. Hopefully more like within the next couple of days, but I can't guarantee that with my schedule.
Now that book 2 is over, do you have a favorite chapter? scene? quote? predictions for book 3? General comments idk
Love y'all thank you so much for your continued support on this series. It seriously blows my mind how many people regularly read and comment on my stories, i never expected this. you guys really make my day with your kind words and hilarious commentary. hope you're well and taking care of yourselves
-Ri