Carry Me

Levia loved looking out of the windows when she rode in the car. She let herself just daydream, which she loved to do, and it gave her time to think and admire nature and her surroundings.

Not that there was much for nature in Vacaville, but still.

Like Jerry had said, Jacoby was taking Levia to his place to meet his kids. As it seemed, Jacoby didn’t live far from Tony, which made it easy for all of the guys yo hang out often.

More convenient than when Dave was in the band, anyway.

Jacoby pulled up in the driveway of a decent sized house, much like Matt and Addison’s back in Huntington, and stopped. He shut off the engine, causing the Poison playing in the CD player to stop also.

Jacoby stared at the other car in the driveway and hesitated.

Levia looked at him, her handle on her car door, “Something wrong?”

Jacoby shook his head, his gaze still on the silver Saturn sitting in front of his SUV, “Nope. Let’s…go on inside.”

The two got out, Levia wincing when she stepped on her right ankle wrong. Jacoby furrowed his brows at her expression, but she waved him off.

Jacoby took a deep breath and opened the door, preparing himself. Levia looked at him, confused.

“Dad!”

Levia noted the bright smile that took over his face when the small voice was heard. Footsteps echoed and a small boy came barreling down the stairs and right into Jacoby’s arms.

Levia just wanted to stand there and ‘aww’ over the sight in front of her, but she felt kind of out of place.

The boy sported a small, brown mohawk and eyes just like his father. He was dressed in a blue t-shirt and blue jean shorts. Jacoby picked him up and twirled him around in the air before setting him back down again.

Levia thought the boy looked a bit like one of her half brothers, or at least around the same age as one.

Jacoby ran his hand through the boy’s mohawk, the smiles never leaving each of their faces.

“Lev, this is Makaile. Makaile, this my friend Levia.”

Levia waved timidly at the boy, who smiled back.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hey.”

Jacoby crouched down to Makaile’s height, “Where’s mom?”

Levia stiffened a bit, by tried not to show it. That must be why Jacoby was reluctant to go into the house. The mother of his children was here.

Oh boy.

“In the living room with Jag.”

Jacoby nodded and patted Makaile on the back, “Why don’t you go in there and I’ll meet you there in a sec, okay bud?”

“Okay.”

Jacoby watched as his son disappeared before getting up and turning to Levia, “My ex-wife is here.”

“So I guessed.”

Jacoby scratched the back of his head, “She really is a great girl. My high school sweetheart.”

Levia tilted her head, “If you don’t mind me asking, why’d you…break up?”

Jacoby shrugged, “We just wanted separate things for ourselves, for the kids, everything.”

“So…how long ago was it?”

Jacoby kicked a pebble off the top of the steps, “About two years.”

Levia felt bad for asking so many questions, but her curiosity was getting the best of her, “How old are your kids?”

Levia could see Jacoby’s eyes light up at the mention of his kids, “Makaile just turned seven and Jagger is four.”

Levia nodded. So Tony was right then.

“Care to meet Jag?” Jacoby asked, his voice still bright since one of his sons was being mentioned.

“Sure.”

Jacoby led her inside of the house, which Levia noticed was just as nice, if not nicer, than her temporary home in Huntington. Pictures of the band and family lined the walls of the staircases and hallways. It felt really…homey.

“Dad!”

Another boy, this one smaller and without a mohawk, ran up to Jacoby, who scooped him up in his arms and tossed him in the air.

“Hey, little man, how are ya?”

The smaller boy, whom Levia assumed was Jagger, giggled, “Good, Dad.”

“I hope you don’t mind, I used your spare key-”

The woman stopped when she saw Levia. She studied Levia, not in a judgmental way, but more in a ‘you seem familiar’ kind of way.

Levia decided to examine the woman also. Her blonde hair came down to her shoulders, a layer of reddish brown underneath. She appeared to be Levia’s height, though a bit curvier and more…voluptuous. Her blue eyes flashed in recognition and she snapped her fingers.

“You must be Levia!”

Levia, confused as to how this woman, who was probably Jacoby’s ex-wife, knew her, nodded slowly, “That I am.”

The woman smiled brightly, approaching Levia and sticking out a hand, “I’m Kelly.”

From her closer position Levia would now see that Kelly was actually a little short than herself, “Nice to meet you.”

Jacoby, who had let Jagger down to go run off and play with his brother, watched the two wearily. Kelly was a nice girl, yes, and the two were still practically best friends, hence why he was comfortable with telling her about Levia and how he…felt about her.

He forgot that Kelly loved to talk, and just hoped she didn’t let it slip.

Actually, knowing Kelly, she wouldn’t let it slip on accident, nor would she do it on purpose. She would, though, tell Levia if she felt that Levia should know, for whatever reason.

Jacoby didn’t feel that Levia needed to know just yet.

Kelly smiled brightly, “I’ve heard so much about you!”

Levia looked afraid, almost, since every other time she had heard that the things that had been told were things that her sister should have left alone. Levia’s worst and most embarrassing moments were the ones people usually heard about.

Jacoby nearly slapped himself in the face. Levia didn’t need to know the things Kelly knew about her. It’s not that they were bad. Oh no, they were definitely good things. They were just things that Jacoby thought that Levia…shouldn’t know.

They were man things.

Kelly sensed the apprehension of Levia and let out a small laugh, “Oh don’t worry, it was nothing bad.”

Levia had also heard that before.

Kelly let out another small laugh, “Really, they were good. If only you knew, you would be so flattered,”

Levia felt her face get a bit warm at the thought of what Jacoby could have possibly told his ex-wife. It seemed they were on good terms, and this Kelly seemed like a genuinely nice chick, but Levia was just a little…weary…of what Jacoby may have told her.

Levia smiled shyly at Kelly, “Why kinds of things?”

Jacoby sent Kelly a look, one that was almost pleading.

Kelly laughed, “Just about how pretty you were, and how shy and easily embarrassed you were. Don’t worry, I would never do anything bad. I’m actually the same way.”

Levia looked down at the floor, “The shy and easily embarrassed part is true.”

Kelly raised an eyebrow at Jacoby, who shrugged.

“He was right about the pretty thing too,” she added, picking up a lock of Levia’s hair and holding it between her fingers, “and he was right about you having amazing hair!”

Jacoby’s head shot up and Levia continued to stare at the ground.

“Thanks,” she said, thinking that Kelly was just being nice and not actually meaning it.

“No really,” Kelly said, backing up a step and looking at Levia again, “I mean it.”

Levia looked up to see Kelly smiling at her, and she knew that she really meant it. Levia ran a hand through her hair, “You’re much prettier than I am. And I really love your hair.”

Kelly’s smile broadened, “Thank you.”

Jacoby’s gaze switched between the two. His ex-wife and the chick he digs were actually getting along.

It made him…cautious.

He wasn’t weary about it because he thought Kelly or Levia would hurt the other. Oh no, that wasn’t it at all.

He was afraid they would plot against him.

Not against him in a bad way, but more in a…romantic way?

Jacoby shook his head. He was just being paranoid now. It was good that they were getting along and nothing would ever happen to make either of them dislike him.

Right?

“I bet poor Jacoby over there is feeling pretty ignored right now,” Kelly chuckled, turning the two girls’ gaze towards him.

Jacoby looked up like a deer in headlights. He had never brought a chick ‘home to Kelly’, as he called it, and actually have them seem to like each other before. He always felt that since he could trust Kelly and knew she had his best interest at heart, he could bring his girls home to her for her to…examine.

Not that Levia was his girl…

Yet.

Kelly sent Jacoby a knowing smile, “She’s nice.”

Jacoby nodded, “She is.”

Levia continued to run her hand through her hair in a steady rhythm, feeling strange that they were talking about her while she was still right in front of them.

Jacoby turned to her, “Well this was fun.”

Levia smiled at the sarcasm, yet sincerity, in his voice, “It was. You have a really great family.”

Kelly and Jacoby both smiled. Levia hoped that they knew she meant it, because she really did. Her family was nothing as nice as this.

She wished her parents got along as well as Jacoby and Kelly seemed to. Their kids would grow up well; she knew it.

“At least the kids can grow up with both of their parents getting along,” Levia said.

Kelly nodded, “I agree. I think it’s great for them. I really do. That and Jacoby and I, we’ll always get along. The spark might not be there, and that’s okay, but at least our kids will always know and love both their parents and never have to choose a side.”

Levia smiled, a hint of sadness showing through, “Exactly.”

Jacoby noted her change in mood and guessed that maybe she didn’t have that great of a childhood. She wouldn’t be the only one…

Kelly appeared to be thinking the same thing, and decided not to press on the issue, “I hear you have a sister getting married?”

Levia nodded, glad for the change of subject, “Yeah. A month away it is now.”

“It’s nice that you came up here to hang out with the guys for the weekend. I hear you’re a big fan,” Kelly said.

Levia’s face turned slightly pink, “Yeah, they’re one of my favorites.”

Jacoby grinned, making Kelly laugh.

“Don’t say that too loud. No need to inflate the man’s ego anymore.”

Jacoby pretended to be offended, “What ego? I have no self confidence! I need the praise of a beautiful woman or two to make me feel better about myself!”

Kelly playfully rolled her eyes, “Well you’re not getting any from this woman, you poor, poor dear.”

Jacoby turned to Levia expectantly and pouted ever so slightly, “Praise me? Please? My poor soul needs it.”

Levia rolled her eyes in the playful way Kelly had before, “You and your band are oh so great and magical. They make panties drop across the nation.”

Kelly let out a laugh and Jacoby smirked.

“You got that right, baby!”

Makaile and Jagger came wandering into the room. Makaile sent Levia a small smile while Jagger studied her.

Studying and observing people must run in the family.

Kelly knelt down to Jagger’s level, “Jag, sweetie, this is Levia. She’s a friend of mommy and daddy’s.”

Makaile turned to Kelly, “She’s a friend of yours too, Mom? Dad didn’t tell us that.”

Kelly sent a small smile at Jacoby, who shrugged, before smiling warmly at Levia.

“Well no worries there, buddy, dad just forgot. She’s a friend of mine now too.”

Levia smiled back appreciatively at Kelly.

She was going to get along with her just fine.

It relieved Jacoby, to a degree, that the two girls were getting along, and probably would continue to. It was also strange to him because he had no idea how to act when the girl he was into actually got along and might be friends with his ex-wife.

He would just have to wait and see how things went.

Jagger waved at Levia, “Hi, Levee!”

Levia laughed, “Hey, Jagger.”

Jacoby reached over and started to tickle Jagger, much to the boy’s delight, and causing him to let out a boyish giggle.

Levia giggled herself at the noise the boy made.

“Already trying to steal her away from me, huh? We’ll see about that!”

Jagger continued to laugh and giggle, begging his father to stop tickling him. Makaile smiled up at Levia.

“I think Dad likes you.”

Levia blushed and let her hair shield her face, hoping that no one saw it.

Too bad Jacoby did, if the smirk on his face indicated anything.

Kelly looked at Levia knowingly before turning to her oldest son, “I think so too.”