Carry Me

Levia led Zacky through the mob of people, all of whom were trying to rush outside to see the departure of Matt and Addison. Zacky kept a tight grip on her, not wanting to lose her in the crowd.

Once outside the large hall, Levia let her eyes adjust to the night. Few lights shone bright enough around the building, and she found it hard to see. She did, however, spot the limo and ran towards it, unknowingly leading the rest of the wedding party through the large amount of well-wishers.

Matt and Addison stood near the limo, embracing and waving at everyone. Levia jogged up to them, Zacky allowing her to do so by letting go of her hand.

Addison let go of Matt and hugged Levia tightly, the two rocking back and forth.

“Take care while we’re gone, okay?” Addison said, pulling away slightly and looking Levia in the eyes, “you sure you’ll be fine by yourself for three weeks? I know how you hate being alone.”

Levia nodded, smiling at her sister’s ever present concern, “I’m sure. I have Brian next door if I need anything. And Zacky’s only a phone call away.”

Addison pulled Levia in for another hug. Truth be told, she was afraid to leave her sister. After not seeing each other for five years and then reuniting, Addison was afraid that if she left, Levia would be gone when she came back again. Just like last time.

Somehow, she knew this time was different.

Levia gently slid out of Addison’s death grip, knowing the newlyweds had a plane to catch. In the wee hours of the morning.

Only Matt and Addison would book a flight at that hour.

Matt gave Levia a small hug after he finished his goodbyes to his band mates and friends. Addison slowly went over to the group Matt had come from, wanting to say goodbye herself.

“Have a safe trip. And take good care of my sister,” Levia said. She was just as protective of Addison as the elder sister was of her.

Matt chuckled, patting Levia on the shoulder, “No worries. And you take care too, all right? If Zacky gives you any trouble, you just call me and I’ll make sure to kick his ass when I get back. That goes for Syn and Jimmy too.”

“I heard that, asshole!” Jimmy yelled, pointing a finger at Matt.

“He never misses a beat, does he?” Levia asked, amused.

Matt shook his head, “Never.”

Matt laughed as Addison joined him again, the two getting in the limo as Levia stood on, watching. Zacky came up to stand beside her, putting an arm around her waist. She smiled at him, pushing thoughts of Amber’s arms around him out of her mind.

“You be good, you too!” Matt joked, wagging his finger in the direction of Zacky and Levia.

Addison pulled herself over Matt, who was next to the rolled down window.

“Hurt her and your ass is mine, Baker!”

“She’s always so violent, isn’t she?” Zacky said loudly, purposely earning a playful glare from Addison.

Levia nodded, “Always.”

Addison blew a kiss, Matt mimicking her actions as the limo pulled away from the curb and onto the empty street. Levia and Zacky waved animatedly, as did the rest of the crowd, as the limo honked and Matt flipped everyone off with his hand sticking out of the window.

Levia smiled sadly, “I hate watching people leave.”

Zacky wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder, “So I’ve noticed. But it’s only three weeks. They’ll be back before you know it.”

Levia sighed, leaning into him, “I hope so.”

Brian ran over to the two, enveloping both of them in a hug, his arms around both of them.

“Let’s take this back to the suite! What do you say?”

Zacky looked to Levia, who nodded in conformation. Brian smirked.

“Operation ‘Trash Hotel Room Like Rock Stars’ has begun.”

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Light filtered in through the thin curtains, some of which hung off the hinges of the window frame they were attached to. Streams of early morning sunshine shone on the various bodies of the wedding party as they lay scattered across the rooms of the suite, covered in empty bottles of alcohol, discarded clothes, and ripped couch cushions. Only a couple were actually awake, though they remained on the floor, unmoving. One’s ears rose to attention as a light, feminine yawn was heard from the bed a few feet away from his position on the floor.

Levia yawned loudly, not enjoying the first stages of waking up. She squinted her eyes shut, hoping to go back to sleep. After about a minute of sunlight shining on her closed eyelids, she grew annoyed and opened them.

She wasn’t surprised to see Zacky laying across from her, facing her. In fact, she was downright relieved that she had woken up to him. She took a moment to observe him in his peaceful slumber, his lips parted slightly and his snakebites glimmering in the light from another window. She noticed he was still fully clothed in his tuxedo, and she was still in her half torn up dress. Their bodies were hidden mostly under the covers, and she faintly remembered helping a buzzed Zacky slide under them to sleep.

Levia reached out, gently running one of her hands along his face. His eyes opened a crack, and it was obvious he was not ready to wake up yet. When he spotted Levia, his eyes opened all the way, thought he still looked sleepy, and he smiled at her.

“Mornin’, princess,” he croaked, his voice hoarse and filled with sleep.

Levia bit her lip at his greeting, “Sleep good?”

Zacky closed his eyes and smiled, enjoying Levia’s attention, “Only because you were next to me.”

Levia shushed him, suddenly aware of the other bodies in the open room. It looked like the one by the bed was stirring and she hated to wake the person up. She could only see the lower half of whoever it was, so she was unable to identify them.

“People are still sleeping,” Levia told him quietly, running a hand along his scalp, messing up his already disheveled hair and lightly massaging his head. He closed his eyes again, and she assumed he was enjoying it.

“I wish I could wake up like this every morning,” he whispered, opening his eyes for a moment. His vibrant, green orbs bore deep into Levia’s, making her wonder what he was thinking about.

Levia scooted herself closer to Zacky, now realizing his had had been on her waist the whole time. Her hand continued to play with his hair, and he seemed to like it as much as Levia did when someone did the same to her.

“I wouldn’t mind that.”

Zacky moved his head closer to Levia’s, his lips brushing lightly against hers. She got goosebumps at the feeling of his cool lip rings, that she loved to play with so much, moving gently against her bare, warm lips as he spoke.

“Maybe you could move in with me, then?”

Levia licked over her lips, unaware that her tongue came in contact with Zacky’s mouth due to no distance being between them.

She gently slid her leg inbetween Zacky’s, “For how long?”

Zacky pushed his head back a bit to get a better view of Levia’s face, “As long as Matt and Addi are gone. You wouldn’t have to be alone.”

Levia subconsciously moved her head closer to Zacky’s, unknowingly closing the distance that had formed.

“What if I wanted to stay longer?” she asked softly, avoiding eye contact.

She was afraid that, by asking that question, Zacky would say no. She was waiting for him to come out and say he was only doing it because Matt or Addison had asked him to, or some other reason. Why else would he offer her to live with him?

Uh…maybe because he really likes you?

Clueless Levia.

Zacky chuckled, leaning in to meet Levia’s lips with his own, “I’d be down with that.”

Unbeknownst to the happy couple on the bed, the person Levia had seen stirring had heard their entire conversation. And he was a bit hurt, to say the least.

Of course, he knew that it would happen eventually. Even a blind man could see how bad Zacky had it for Levia.

Even a blind man could see how bad Jacoby had it for Levia, as well.

The only person who seemed not to know was Levia, as cliché as it was. Jacoby knew for a fact what a space cadet Levia was. It wasn’t her fault; she was just oblivious to others’ feelings about her. Addison used to be the same, Jacoby remembered.

“So, princess, would you like to move in with me?”

Jacoby felt his face harden. So now Zacky had come up with a nickname for her too, eh?

Levia tilted her pink face away from Zacky, enjoying his new nickname.

“I would love to.”

Jacoby could imagine them kissing right now, and he didn’t like it one bit. The jealousy he was feeling was so overwhelming. It was different than how he was used to feeling about people. He was suddenly reminded of his own words.

“All is fair in love and war.”

At the sound of the bed creaking, Jacoby frowned.

This war was far from over.

It was only just the beginning.