I Got Your Picture I'm Coming With You

LEXIE'S POV

To say my mom was surprised to see me back so early would have been an understatement. But she didn't question it, not when she saw the red eyes and tear stained cheeks. She just pulled me into a hug, and held me as I cried tears that I'd thought I had run out of. After a while she sat me down with Ben and Jerry's ice cream and we watched some horror film. I really hated chick flicks after a break up, they just reminded me of something I couldn't have.

"So, do you wanna talk about it?" my mom asked.

I looked over at her. "He broke my heart, so I broke his."

She looked at me with a pained expression and pulled me into another embrace as I cried even more.

"The worst part is...he didn't even know it," I whispered through some more tears, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I was loved by my mother. I guess every cloud has a silver lining.

***1 Year Later***

After that day last year, I had started to pick myself back up. Jack kept trying to reach me for the first few weeks, so I had to get a new phone. I know I probably should have heard him out, but I couldn't. I couldn't face him, even if it was a phonecall. I'd had to end my Hustler Club account, because either he or the fans were trying to reach me and get me to come back to him or at least talk. I received letters in his writing. I didn't know when he would stop.

So I arranged to move. I went to live with my aunt in Dingle in Ireland. Mom was kind of upset about it, but she would rather I was happy, and if I believed this would make me happy then she was fine with it.

My aunt is wonderful. She's one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out. Okay I say aunt, but she's really my great aunt. She was my grans sister, they used to live together when grandpa passed away, but then gran died too so now it's just Auntie Molly. I love her to pieces, and that Irish accent of hers is just so adorable. She's a lovely speaker.

I had a good year with her. We laughed a lot, more than I had before, and slowly but surely she helped me heal my heart. Living in a slow town really helped me out. Everything was so easy. I even started playing the guitar. Now and again I would do a few shows in local pubs, and soon enough people started asking me to play and booked me for parties and gigs and stuff. It was incredible.

I did do a lot of All Time Low covers. Even with everything that had happened...I still loved their music. And at least Jack never did lead vocals. Their music was helping me through my heartbreak...how ironic.

I was just practicing my guitar and singing along to Never Be What You Want by We Are The In Crowd when Aunt Molly knocked on the door. She just came right in anyway, she knew I wouldn't mind.

"Sausage and mash okay for tonight dear?" she asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Aunt Molly, you ALWAYS do sausage and mash on a Tuesday night, it's fine."

She smiled at me, and made to leave the room. Then she remembered something. "Oh, Alex, love, there's someone downstairs for you. He says he wants to talk to you about producing an album."

That took me by surprise. "W-what? Really? But I've never...I mean...what?"

"Just go on down dear, he can explain better than I."

I didn't waste any time. I flew down the stairs into the small front room filled with nick-knacks and photographs of days gone by. We had two small couches and an ancient tv, but we didn't really watch it much anyway. There was a nice log fire and a coffee table. That was all and it was fine. It was simple. It suited us.

The guy was stood inspecting some photographs over the mantle piece, one of them was of me and Jack. I couldn't throw away every memory.

"Erm, you wanted to see me?"

He turned around, and smiled. He had dark hair and hazel eyes. He was dressed not so much for Irish weather, especially as we were on the coast. He wore just a plaid shirt and skinny jeans, and vans. He had an American air about him really, but so did most young guys nowadays, all trying to be the best. "You're Alex? Yeah?"

Yup, definitely American. "Yeah...erm, my aunt said something about an album? Is she right?"

The guy laughed. "Oh yeah, she is most definitely right. We really wanna sign you."

"But how do you know me? Or my music? Especially when I've never played outside of Ireland! I mean I've played a few big shows in Dublin, but not enough to warrant an American coming to sign me."

"People put videos on YouTube, links all over the internet, I believe some even have your songs on download sights already, including your covers. And we have scouts all over the world, so when they saw you, they obviously thought enough of you."

I nodded, still slightly baffled. "So...what's your name?"

"Dan. I'm from Hopeless records." Oh. Too good to be true then. I knew there had to be a catch.

"Look, I'm sorry, and I know you probably don't get this often but...well I can't sign with you. Not if you're with Hopeless. All Time Low are with you guys too, and I have...history..."

Dan shook his head. "Oh no, we know all about that. And that's not why we're offering this to you. You have an amazing voice, and you play extremely well. We want you, you're unique."

"But...what if I was like somehow made to be with them? I can't have anything to do with them..."

"We can assure you we won't make you do anything you don't want to do with any band or artist. Please? I mean normally I would be out that door the second you said no, but there's just something different about you and my boss said if I didn't come back with a record deal then I had better say goodbye to my manhood, which I really like having by the way. Please. Look, just play the reading and leeds festival with our label that some of our bands will be playing in the summer. In the meantime, come to America with us, record a demo and you can tell us what you want to do then. No strings. Please?"

After a moment of staring at him, I gave in and sighed. "Fine. But no strings?"

"I promise."

Later that week I packed my bags and headed back off to the one place I said I never would. My aunt was sad to see me leave, but I promised I'd come back, and she was happy to see me make something of myself. If I wanted to, that is. At least I wasn't going back to Baltimore. It was only LA so that was okay.

Literally the morning after I arrived I had a bang on the door telling me it was time to leave for the studio.

Dan was there again, so that made me feel a little better. He had promised no strings and I was intending to make him stick to that promise.

"You ready girl?" he asked from the other side of the glass. I nodded. I would be singing one of my own songs. I took in a deep breath, strummed my guitar, and sang.

"Just another broken heart that cannot be
Another person you will never see
Just some more time to throw away
Here's to one more loveless day

And it's too damned late
To take it all back
And it's too damned late
To give you another chance
One day I swear that I'll break
Watch me break

I walk the lines and I fall off
I try to be someone I'm not
I make out my heart is whole
Here's to another unforgettable mode

And it's too damned late
To take it all back
And it's too damned late
To give you another chance
One day I swear that I'll break
Watch me break

Take the bruises over with a smile
I can't cry, feel like I gotta hide
But I know my wings can't fall if I wanna fly

There's just a road stretchin out
Don't know where I'm goin
There's so much for me to doubt
(are you all knowing?)
Won't you figure it out? (Let me figure it out)

Quietly now
What's holding me back
What's making me stay
What's holding me back (are you holding me back)
Why can't I get away (let me get away)
There's too much at stake (so much yeah so much)
I'm going to break yes I'm going to break
(watch me) Watch me break

And it's too damned late
To take it all back
And it's too damned late
To give you another chance
One day I swear that I'll break
Watch me break

Today"

I strummed along to the last word, let the music pour out of my heart, and opened the eyes I hadn't even realised I'd closed.

"So...how was it?"

All the guys on the other side were silent for a moment, then a smile escaped each persons lips. I found myself giving a little smile too.

"Can we please, please sign you now?" Dan asked.

I laughed. "Why the hell not?"