Come Wake Me Up

“Thanks again, Alex,” Cody calls as we walk out of the door.
“I don’t think you understand how much that meant to him,” Virginia informs me the second the door closes. She stops me and turns to me. “Really, Alex.” I smile and slide my fingers through hers. Her eyes tear up again.
“Babe,” I chuckle, pressing my lips to her forehead. “It’s the least I could do for the family that brought me an amazing woman.”
She lets go of my hands to lock her arms around my neck. I hold her tightly until she lets me go. “I’ll drive you back.”
“Stay the night?” I plead, sticking my bottom lip out in a pout. She glances at her house and then back at me.
“Alright,” she agrees. “Only tonight, though.”
I smirk. “Tonight’s all I need.”
She matches my smirk and grabs my hand, leading me towards the car. “Let’s go, then!”

Virginia curls up closer to my body, her eyes heavy and drooping closed. Her head rests on my chest, and my arm is hugging her close. My other arm is under my head, and I just stare at the ceiling. I can’t sleep. I can’t get over what everyone is saying about how much I’ve changed Virginia, and it makes me wonder what she was like before she met me or If they like the new her.
And her brother, how much his story reminds me of my own. Everyone saying they’re never going to make it big, and it sucks to hear especially from family. If they’re as good as I hear, maybe I can make a few phone calls.
Virginia stirs in her sleep a little, and I smile at how peaceful she looks. And I’m glad that it was me who got to save her rather than someone else. I don’t deserve someone like her, but my god, am I grateful it was me. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this girl, and Jack was absolutely right in saying I’m so in love with her.
I am.
My alarm goes off, startling me awake. Virginia groans and rolls over as I turn off the alarm. “What time is it?” she mumbles, her voice muffled by the pillows.
“Five am. Go back to sleep, babe. You can stay and sleep.”
“Where are you going?” Obviously, her mind is still asleep.
“To the studio to record some more. Sleep some, okay?”
“I want to come with you,” she insists, pulling herself from the mess of sheets.
“Are you sure? It’s so early, and we didn’t get much sleep last night.” She nods tiredly and clings to my arm as she stands up. “I just need to take a shower.”
“Come on. We can go take one together.” She giggles a little. “What’s so funny?”
“We’ve never showered together before.” I let out a small laugh and roll my eyes as she follows me into the bathroom. She yawns loudly as turn the shower on. She digs through my bathroom bag and pulls out toothpaste.
I climb into the shower, and I hear the shower curtain get pulled back. Virginia’s arms wrap around me from behind. Her lips press to my shoulder. “You know, I’ve heard that morning sex wakes you up better than coffee.” I can hear the smirk in her voice. Her hands run up my chest, and I turn around and back her against the cold tile.
“That’s something I’m yet to learn from experience.”

Virginia and I head into the studio, and she’s wearing the same shorts as yesterday, one of my t-shirts, and my favorite purple beanie. “Virginia! Hey!” Rian greets happily.
“Oh, this is her?” Cassadee chimes in.
“Cass, hey! I didn’t know you’d be here,” I greet, embracing the small brunette. She turns to Virginia.
“Virginia, right? I’ve heard so much about you. You’ve got this boy tamed.”
“Whipped is the proper term,” Jack comments. “But tamed is true as well.”
Virginia laughs. “You’re Rian’s girlfriend. Cassadee?”
“Yeah. It’s great to finally meet you. I spend so much time with these boys and hear all about you. I’m glad I get the chance to meet you,” Cassadee continues.
“Alex, get warmed up. We’re recording the vocals for Therapy as soon as Zack’s done,” Flyzik informs. I nod and turn to Virginia.
“You’re good?” I ask her. She holds up her coffee and grins.
“Plenty to keep me awake, and now I’ve got company. Go do you. I don’t get to hear you sing that much anyways.”
I smile and press my lips to her forehead. “That’ll have to change soon, then.”
From inside the booth, I can see Virginia and Cassadee conversing, but the second the music starts, she stops talking and just listens. It’s a song that means a lot to me, and I can tell she knows. She knows what I’ve been through and the toll it’s taken on me.
“My lungs gave out as I faced the crowd,
I think that keeping this up could be dangerous.”
For some reason, these lyrics kind of stick with me a little more than usual because I wrote this song right after I met Virginia, before we even started dating. And I go back to the night that I actually couldn’t sing because I was so sick to my stomach from faking being happy.
And I actually am happy now—happier than I’ve been in my whole life because this girl changed my life. She threw it for a complete one-eighty, and all I hear about is how I’ve changed her when in reality, she’s changed me.
I don’t hate myself for the shit I’ve done in the past, not just because I know there’s someone out there who’s basically my female equivalent (and at first that was a comfort thought), but because there’s someone out there who loves me for all that I am.
Jesus, I’m in the corniest state of mind right now.
“Great take, Alex,” Flyzik compliments through the headphones. “We’ll track Zack’s backup vocals. Take a break.”
So I head out of the booth and take a seat next to Virginia. She smiles and holds her arm up, little goose bumps lining her skin. “That’s what this song just did. I’m obsessed with it, and I’ve only heard it once.”
I laugh. “Thanks, babe.”

“Alex, come on! We’re late,” Virginia hollers from the doorway. I don’t even have words, so I just make a whining noise until she comes over to me. “What, Alex? We’re running so late.” She crosses her arms tightly over her chest and purses her lips.
“Are you angry with me?” I laugh as I button up my shirt.
“Yes, I am! Your punctuality is horrible.” I pull on my jacket and step back.
“Well, is my fashion at least less than horrible?”
She rolls her eyes. “You look good, babe. Now, can we leave please? I hate being late.” I grasp her arms just above her elbows and pull her in for a kiss. I feel her body cave and her arms unfold, hands resting on my belt to hold herself up. “Don’t think this means it changes your punctuality.”
Virginia speeds the entire drive to her parent’s, and by speeding, I mean we should have been pulled over and potentially arrested for reckless driving. “Was the fifty in the twenty-five necessary?”
“Welcome to California, Alex,” she responds, rushing up to her house. She opens the door. “Jesus, your own band mates beat you, and they didn’t even know where I lived!” She throws her arm out towards Jack and Zack sitting on the couch talking with Cody.
Virginia proceeds to smack my arm. “Ouch! I said I was sorry!”
“Mom and dad are going to be right back,” Cody informs Virginia. She smiles and nods, and I’m not quite sure I like the mischievous glint in her eye. I look at her questioningly, and she just smiles innocently, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
Her parents return, and apparently it’s custom in this house for present opening before dinner, which is fine. I’m just used to opening presents after dinner.
I hand Virginia her gift, a small necklace box, but no necklace inside. Two tickets to Hawaii and reservations to the same hotel she went to when she was in high school and fell in love with. “You’re amazing,” she tells me, placing a kiss on my lips. “Now my turn.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rings. “Who could that be?” her mom questions.
“I’ve got it,” Virginia volunteers, shooting up and running to the door.
The second she pulls the door open, my jaw drops and I think I actually start crying. “Mom, Dad.”