We Fought Like Tomorrow Was Promised

Light streamed in through the dusty, cream-coloured blinds, pouring over the two bodies that lay beside each other. A soft groan crept from under the covers and a heavy body slowly rolled over, sighing as they stretched. The second body shook with a chill, intertwining their legs with the comforter that threatened to fall over the bed. As it hit the ground, a scruffy head of hair shot up, staring at the fabric pooled over the carpet. He groaned and ran a hand through his tangled tresses, his familiar blonde highlights dyed over. He peered over at the tiny body beside his, slowly rising and falling at a timely pace. A smile tugged at his lips as one of her ivory hands rested at the nape of her neck, getting caught in the snarl of caramel perched on her head. He leaned over, gently planting a kiss on her shoulder, waiting for her to wake up. A moment later, she stirred, flattening the knot of hair that sprawled over the pillow. A pair of bright green eyes caught his gaze and he grinned, brushing his lips against hers.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"I love it when you call me that," she chuckled hoarsely, her voice still at rest. "I don't wanna get up."

He threw his legs over the side of the bed and scratched the back of his head, walking towards the bathroom. "Then don't."

"But I have to," she said simply, copying him. She rounded the room, searching for her favourite jeans and a shirt that didn't smell like her boyfriend. She slid the pants on, zipping the fly as he opened the door. "I have to get some groceries, replace the remote Jack broke yesterday and then I have to come back here and shower so that I don't smell like band boys for my parents' anniversary."

He coughed loudly the moment she said that. She spun on her heels and watched as he nearly spit up his tongue.

"You forgot, didn't you?" He batted his eyelashes innocently, hoping for the best. "For Christ's sake, Alex! It's my parents 25th anniversary! You promised to be there!"

"I know, Lauren, I know. And I'll try to be there, I will -"

The happy mood she had awoken with began to deteriorate as she stared at the man of a million failed commitments. "You always try. You never do. My parents love you, and they're always on your side when I tell them how you can't be there for something. Sometimes I think they love you more than they love me, but I can't do this to them. You promised them you'd be there, not just me." Lauren looked at Alex shamefully, holding back tears. "What in God's name could be more important than this?" She looked at her feet as he stood there in silence. "If it was really important, you'd tell me. You haven't said two words, so I'll simply assume it's nothing but a huge fucking waste of time."

Before he could say anything, she slammed the bathroom door behind her, cranking the shower. Alex snarled impatiently, furious with himself for being so stagnant. He could have said something - anything - to keep her from getting upset. She had every right to be, too. Alex missed family get-togethers because of touring, the guys, personal problems, public outings, signings, advertising; there were more reasons than he could count. Once when they had been fighting, Lauren had thrown the cordless telephone at him and called him a filthy liar full of excuses. As he had taken the direct blow to his chest, Alex had realized that she was right. Naturally, she had stormed off before he had had the chance to admit it, and now, he was quite simply at a loss for words. There was no way that after what she had just said that she would even consider talking to him now.

Alex went with his best bet. He dressed vicariously, not wasting a single moment to his worries. He threw on last night's clothes and reached for his cell phone before approaching the bathroom door. The shower had since stopped and the only sounds to seep through the door were soft sobs and sniffles. Each one broke Alex's heart a little bit more. He couldn't bear what he did to Lauren; he hated himself for it, but he just couldn't do anything about it. Hesitant, he tapped his knuckles against the wood, listening as the crying dissipated.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I'll be there tonight, I promise. I'll be sitting right beside you, holding your hand. Nothing'll keep me from you."

The silence on the other side of the door made Alex uneasy. He went to leave, but a soft voice stopped him. "Don't forget to pick up your suit at the cleaners." He smiled as she opened the bathroom door, her cheeks stained with tears. He pulled her close to his body, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I won't." Alex pressed his lips to hers and smiled before running out the door. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," she called out. Lauren could hear the car pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the street. She stood by the window, staring at the pavement for nearly ten minutes before putting on her shoes and walking the four blocks to the neighbourhood grocer.

-

"Thanks Kelly."

"Anytime, Alex. And give my best to Lauren!"

He grinned as he pocketed the small box and nodded. "I will. Take care!"

In nearly four hours, Alex had managed to drive halfway across the city to the most expensive jeweller in Lutherville-Timonium, purchase a ring that was worth more than the down payment on his apartment, avoid two speeding tickets and a parking ticket, and pick up his suit from the dry cleaners. By the time he had pulled into his reserved spot and opened the front door, Alex only had twenty minutes to get to Lauren's parents' house, which was far from twenty minutes away. To top it all off, if there was anyone who was more challenged with tying ties, it was Alex. Even Jack could get by with it, but Alex was just plagued by the thought of a Windsor knot. He was down to five minutes before he was in his car, the silk tie hanging from around his neck. He flipped open his phone and cursed as the ringing numbed his ears. He wanted to hear her voice more than anything right then.

"You'd better be pulling into my parents' driveway right now or I'm going to take your head and stick it so far up your ass, you're gonna be shitting your tonsils."

"I'm on my way."

She fell silent. "You're serious?"

"Yeah."

"You're actually in your car, driving down the street, on your way to 1458 Acadia Road?"

He chuckled. "Shocked yet?"

"I'm just trying to make sure you and I both understand the meaning of 'driving down the street'. You've actually got your foot on a pedal and two hands on the steering wheel?"

"One, actually. How do you think I'm talking to you?" Before she could respond, Alex continued. "Lauren, I'm on my way. I'll be there in about half an hour. See you soon. I love you."

"I love you, too. And Alex?"

He paused, his finger a moment away from ending the call. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorrier. Believe me."

He hung up and dropped the phone on the front seat. The driving continued for a few more minutes before he hit lanes of backed up vehicles. He groaned, smacking his head into the seat. "I can't fucking believe this. Jesus has it out for me, I swear," he muttered. As he waited for the traffic to clear up, his hand found its way into his pocket. He smiled as his fingers rubbed against the velvet of the jewellery box. Immediately, Alex thought of Lauren. He thought of her smile and the way her eyes shone in the sun. He thought of how she made him his favourite toaster waffles on Saturday mornings and watched cartoons with him. A loud honk made him realize that she would be furious if he wasn't there, and soon. He let go of the ring and placed his other hand on the steering wheel, leaving the lane he was in for the ramp off the shoulder. He raced up it, hoping to make up for lost time by taking a bit of a longer route.

Meanwhile, two districts away, Lauren was watching her parents from the loveseat in their suburban living room. She sighed, her eyes falling on the antique grandfather clock whose pendulum was practically lulling her to sleep. She was upset with Alex. He had told her that he would be there in half an hour and that should have been half an hour ago. He was so late that she had had to convince everyone to start eating before the food went cold. They had already finished eating and Lauren had been sitting in the same spot for over an hour, waiting for her boyfriend. He still hadn't shown up and he was going to have hell to pay that night; that she would make sure of.

Stray tears escaped the confines of her eyes and she found herself trying with all her might to keep her sobs from going noticed by her family. He just didn't understand how much it broke her to have to make up excuses for him. She hated the embarrassing feeling that her family's judgmental stares gave her. Even her parents' assurance couldn't console her. Outraged by his insensitivity and deceitful tactics, Lauren dialled his number and wiped away her tears, hoping they wouldn't be apparent through the phone. She reached his voicemail and burst into sobs, causing heads to turn from the dining room.

"You're the biggest liar this side of the Atlantic. Don't bother showing up, Alex. Just don't bother."

She didn't have it in her to be ashamed anymore, so she broke down. She fell to the floor in a heap, her head in her hands for the second time that day. She couldn't have any more faith in him, no matter how hard she tried. Instead, she let her father cradle her in his arms and when he promised her that she would be okay, for the first time in a long time, Lauren believed it.

Reaching over for his phone, Alex frowned when he saw a missed call from Lauren and a voicemail from the same number. He cursed loudly and raced down the street, knowing he was only a dozen blocks away. He dialled his voicemail as he swerved past cars and waited for his password to register with the carrier. He pressed the star button, once again finding himself anxious for the sound of her voice. He waited impatiently for the message to be processed, but he never got the chance to hear it.

As Alex confronted the oncoming headlights, the deafening resonance of metal against metal echoing in the night, he wondered if he could afford to break another promise.