It Takes More

“I just wanted to thank you all for coming tonight. It means a lot to have you all here celebrating with us. We definitely couldn’t have gotten here without you, especially you, Lee. Without you, this album wouldn’t be near half finished.” Alex smirked from the stage, sending a wink my way. “Now! Let’s get this party started!”

He raised his beer in the air as everyone mimicked the action before taking a long sip. Then he jumped off the stage and made his way through the crowd before wrapping his arms around my waist and placing a kiss on my temple.

“You two are sickeningly cute,” Marla complained. “Why don’t I have a love-y dove-y boyfriend?” She pouted.

“Hey!” Jack exclaimed from her side. “Who says I’m not love-y dove-y? You know I love you, boo.” He pouted, his head cocked to the side.

“Yes, Jack. I know you love me,” she clarified before pointing in our direction. “But you don’t make sweet gestures like that.”

I smiled as I leaned my head against Alex’s shoulder. He tightened his grip on my waist, as he spoke, “Jack just doesn’t have it in him.”

“I do, too!” Jack protested. The three of us laughed at Jack’s expense as he crossed his arms over his chest childishly.

“So, Lee,” Alex caught my attention once we were by ourselves. I could sense the hesitancy in his voice, but didn’t question it as I tried to decipher his expression.

“Yes, Alex?” I asked mockingly.

“I was, uh, wondering…”

“Yes?” I prompted when he didn’t continue.

“Well, I was thinking that it’s going to be lonely without you, when we leave for tour. I feel like I just got you back. I don’t want to leave you. Goodbyes are just too hard,” he confessed, avoiding my eyes as he pulled me into his side.

I made an effort to see his face. “I’ll miss you, too.” He bit his lip, seemingly thinking something over in his head.

“What if…?” he started, leaving the preposition hanging in the air.

“What if what?”

He turned be to face him as he blurted his thoughts. “What if I didn’t have to leave you, what if we didn’t have to say goodbye?”

“Alex, you have to go on tour. It’s your job and you love it. I couldn’t ask you to give that up.”

“I’m not saying I wouldn’t go on tour. I’m asking if you’ll come on tour with me,” he clarified, his voice so small that I had to strain to hear it clearly.

“Alex.” I sighed. “What about school? My job? My apartment? I can’t just leave her alone in L.A. And I can’t just quit school or my job.”

“You can go to school online,” he reasoned. “And you don’t need a job. And Marla will be fine on her own.”

“I do too need a job. How else will I pay for school, online or otherwise?” I frowned as I thought over his obviously pre-planned proposition.

Alex shook his head. “Easy, you wouldn’t,” he answered.

“Alex…”

He held his index finger over my lips to stop my objection. “I’d pay for it. If I’m asking you to leave everything else behind just so I won’t be lonely, it’s the least I can do.”

“Alex, I can’t let you pay for my school. That’s just not right.”

“Please, Lee? I want to.” His lips slipped out of the pout they had formed as they slowly slid into a smirk. “It’s either that, or I don’t go on tour,” he stated nonchalantly with a shrug.

My mouth hung open as I glared at him. “You are so not fair, you know that?”

His smirk grew into a full on grin. “Who said life’s fair?”



“I can’t believe you are leaving me,” Marla whined as I folded a pair of jeans and placed them in my duffel bag. “This is so not fair!”

“I know, Mar. And I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not,” she mumbled. “You get to go off gallivanting with your boyfriend while I’m stuck in Sunny Haven, working at the diner and fending off creepy low lifers.” Her lip jutted out as she ended her rant. “Why didn’t Jack ever ask me to come on tour with him?” she wondered aloud.

I shrugged, not knowing the answer to her question. “Hey, no pouting. It’s my last day in L.A. and we’re going to take on the town. “Let’s show ‘em what us Marylanders are made of!”

Marla laughed despite her bad mood before jumping into full on party girl mode. “Time for the L.A. nightlife to say goodbye to Elena Barakat! ‘Cause this girl’s got a man, and she ain’t about to lose him!” Marla proclaimed.