Status: This is my first English story. Sorry if I make mistakes in the way I write. Hope you'll enjoy it!

Life Starts Now

On My Own

That night, Skye stayed in her bed, crying her heart out. She couldn’t stop picturing Dylan in his last moments being so weak. All she could think of was how his mother was feeling and how she would tell Adam about it. She did not want him to have a breakdown, even if she knew he grew pretty fond of the kid during his trip. And even though she was aware that Dylan made the right choice for him, she couldn’t stand the thought of letting this poor teenager die after all he went through. So when her phone rang, Skye didn’t even move to pick it up. She knew it was him and was not in the mood to talk to him. It broke her heart to have to avoid this conversation, but after her discussion with Tucker, she knew it was best for both of them if she could get her head straight before talking about it.

It took two more days to Dylan to finally be free from his pain. She did come to see him the day before his passing. He was way worse than she had imagined it. But when he saw her, he grew a smile on his face, probably using a better part of the energy he had left to do it. He gave her a letter for Adam. And he made her promise that Adam would come sing their song on his grave, since he couldn’t hear the final product before he dies. She was crying like a baby but Dylan was still brave; he told her how much she helped him get through the pain and through every treatment, he thanked her for being there for him whenever he needed it, he apologized for being rude with her at first but then thanked her to have made his dream come true. Before Skye left, he made sure she knew he was at peace with his decision and that he was ready to rock his new life on the other side. It made her laughed and as she was about to leave, he added:

«This is how I want to remember you. Always laughing and being alive. Adam is a lucky guy. »

«I’m the lucky girl to have him in my life. And to have had the chance to know you, Dylan. You made me realize that we are the captain of our ship, that we can make life changing decisions and feel good about it. I will remember you as the person who showed that to me. I’m grateful for that. »

His mom broke the news to her on the phone, as it was her day off. She spent a whole minute holding her breath, trying to contain her pain. Susan was serene about it as she told her that he took his last breath in her arms and smiled until the last second. She felt such a relief to finally feel he was happy where he was, not feeling the pain or the shame of wanting to stop fighting. He had the time to say goodbye to everyone he loved.

It was almost 7 pm when Adam called the next day. Still shocked about Dylan’s passing, she knew she couldn’t keep it from her boyfriend anymore. So when she answered the phone, she took a deep breath.

«Hey babe» she whispered.

«Hey! I tried to call you in the last few days but you wouldn’t answer. What’s going on babe? »

«I have something to tell you Adam…»

She told him everything as he listened in silence. Without even noticing, he began to sob, thinking about his whole trip and every word he said to him, looking for the mistake he made.

«Adam, don’t cry. He is finally happy. It’s deliverance for him. We should be happy that our path crossed his. »

«I thought I gave him the urge to fight, not the desperate need to give up. »

«Don’t you dare say that Adam Gontier! You made him happy; you helped him made up his mind about this decision. He made his choice. You made one of his dreams come true and he felt it was enough for him in this life. He left happy and at peace with everyone. »

«But I wanted him to fight! I know he could have won over! »

«Dylan was the only one who knew if he could fight. He did not have the strength to go through this again. He stopped the treatment and talked with everyone he loved. He made his goodbyes. He did write you a letter. I’ll send it to you. »

«No. Bring it to me. We’ll have a show in Vermont in two weeks. I want you to give it to me. »
Skye was surprised by the demand but couldn’t say no. After all, Dylan gave it to her so she could give it to him.

«Ok, I’ll do this. You make sure I have two tickets for that show? » she asked.

«Two? You’re bringing Tucker with you? » he asked back, his voice tinted with jealousy.

«No idiot. I’ll bring Lexi. She and Neil are going through a hard period in their relationship and I think it’s best for them if they can talk about it face to face. »

Adam agreed to this, but did not add anything, which questioned Skye about Neil’s intentions with her sister. When she interrogated him about Neil, Adam simply responded:

« Neil is an adult. I won’t talk for him. »

«You know something Adam »

«Let him speak for himself. I have nothing to say about his whereabouts. So stop questioning, please. »

She was suspicious but did not say anything else about that topic. Something was definitely up and the way Adam answered her questions made her worried about her little sister’s heart.

Two weeks later, Skye and Lexi rented a car and drove all the way to Vermont. For the first time ever, Lexi remained silent most of the ride. Skye knew she was anxious to see Neil and to find out the truth. Even if the elder sister called Barry to get an answer, the whole situation was still a blur to both of them.

«Everything will be fine Lex. » Lexi was bitting her lower lips so hard her skin around it was turning white. She turned her head toward her sister.

«Why do I have this feeling that everything is going to end between us? »

«It won’t. I know Neil. You guys are meant to be. I mean he basically stopped seeing what’s her face right after he met you! »

She turned her face and slowly put her forehead on the window. Skye knew that no matter how hard she would try, nothing was going to make her little sister go better but talking with Neil. Plus, he better have a really good excuse because he had 2 weeks to get prepared for this discussion. She was sure Adam told him and she supposed that Lexi called him to let him know. Perhaps, if everything was really going as Lexi said about their relationship, he must have known that someday, he would have to get face to face with her and talk about it. It was somehow surprising that this did not happen earlier because Lexi Ryan was the kind of girl to get things straight really fast.
Adam had made sure that the sisters had a room in the same hotel they stayed at. Not that they would sleep there, but they would arrive before the guys do, so they would have a place to get some sleep and relax. When Skye finally parked the rental car in the parking lot of the hotel, her sister started crying.

«Hey, what’s wrong Lex? »

«I don’t want to be here! » she almost yelled in the car, her eyes letting me know that she was freaking out.

She wrapped her arms around her. She rested her head on her shoulder, crying in her neck. She caressed her hair with her hand, just as their mother always does.

«Hey baby girl! I know it’s hard on you. At least you will know what’s going on. And if it has to mean the end of your relationship, I swear I’ll stay with you all the time. You’ll never be alone Lexi. » She continued sobbing in her neck. «Now, we’ll check in and you will take the longest hottest shower ever and I will get us some Starbucks. Poppy seeds and lemon cake? »

Lexi nodded as she took a distance from her sister. She dried her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. Skye smiled at her and they finally got out of the car.

Skye got back at the hotel half an hour later, only to find Lexi snoring on the king size bed. She left the two pieces of cake on the nightstand and left to room to call Adam.

«Baby! Are you at the hotel yet? »

«Yeah, we got here and hour ago. When are you arriving? »

«I think we’ll be there in less than two hours. How was the ride? »

She did not mention how worried Lexi was to see Neil again. She knew too well that he would tell Neil and he would get so nervous he might just run away from their tête-à-tête. She did not know what to expect from this little chit-chat but she was almost as scared as her sister. Lexi deserved to be happy. She’d never been in a relationship more than a month because she knew what she wanted in a relationship and where she wanted the relationship to go, which frightened many men in the past. Skye knew that Neil had the same goals in life and that he was ready to go on with her to get there.

When she hung up, she got back into the room. Lexi was up, getting her hair ready for the day. She was trying to curl her hair with the straightening iron but was not doing it right. Skye went behind her and stole the iron from her hand.

«I’ll do it. You’ll be so cute that he will be mad at himself for ignoring you. »

«I’m not supposed to win him back. I should be going to see my boyfriend. »

She was right and it broke Skye’s heart.

Adam did not call her when the bus arrived at the hotel. He had talked with Neil during the last hour and they agreed to meet the girls together in their room first. Then, Adam and Skye would leave them to talk. They had two hours before the lobby call to get to the venue. Neil was worried his story made no sense. That’s why Adam was there to tell Lexi that it was nothing but the truth. But Lexi was more impulsive than her older sister which meant that she might only leave the room to never come back. And at this point, Neil would not run after her. He had been stupid enough to believe she would be okay with him not talking to her for a while without suspecting anything. He would then deserve the hate.

They both took their stuff to their own room before meeting in the hallway. Adam patted Neil on the back.

«It’s now or never dude. »

«Wish it would be never… »

Adam laughed in silence as he guided him to the sisters’ room. They stopped in front of the door. Neil was jumping up and down, taking long breaths.

«God! Stop jumping like that, you are making me nervous! » Adam snapped.

«Hey you are not the one who owns his girlfriend a freaking explanation! »

«Yeah right! I usually tell the truth to Skye. You should try it one day. » Neil faked a laugh and slapped Adam at the back of his head.

Adam knocked at the door before turning to grab Neil back the collar as he was trying to escape. Skye opened the door and smiled at the musicians. She let them in with a gesture. Adam pushed Neil into the room before entering. Neil took a few steps before stopping. Lexi was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, with a Frappuccino in her hands. Her chocolate hair was slightly curled with some parts pulled up behind her head. She wore little make up but she was stunning. Neil swallowed loudly as Adam passed by him to say hello. Then, the silence grew uncomfortable so Skye spoke.

«Well… I guess we’ll leave you two alone… »

«We’ll be at the restaurant downstairs. Literally a call away. And Lex… be nice with the kid. » Adam added as she nodded slightly.

Adam reached for the door as Skye slid her hand up and down her sister’s back. Lexi looked at her and smiled. When they both left, Lexi moved backward so her back touched the headboard, leaving space for Neil to sit on the bed in front of her. He stayed up, looking at her in silence.

«So are you going to explain yourself or what? » she said abruptly, taking Neil by surprise.

He slowly got to the end of the bed and sat there, trying to get the words right in his head. He knew that what he was about to say was going to hurt her and even with two weeks to get prepared, he still hadn’t figure out how to say it. He finally turned to face her and took all the courage he had to speak.

«Remember before we got together, when you would tell me you met someone knew and that this guy always ended up breaking your heart? » he asked with a shaking unsure voice.

«What does it have to do with our present situation? » she inquired, feeling her patience fading away.

«Well I did meet some girls now and then before we got official. » She nodded. He never talked about it but she knew he was, since he was not made of wood. «Two months before us, I met this girl, Lauren. »

«The one who stalked the band for weeks before you asked her to stop? »

«Well… Yeah, that Lauren. I got to know her a little better and she’s a pretty nice girl. »

Lexi exhaled loudly. She could already picture Neil being in a relationship with her too, which meant that he was going to breakup with her. She got up and walked to the window, feeling her eyes filling up with tears.

«So, in the last month, you had two girlfriends, is that it? »

«NO! » He got up and walked to her. «No, Lexi, I would never do that. » She turned to him. He saw a tear rolling down her cheek. He wanted to take it out with his thumb and kiss her to console her, but he knew she wouldn’t let him. «Listen, we’ve never been close friend. Fact is, before last month, I did not talk to her after the few days she followed with the band. »

«Is this supposed to reassure me? ‘Cause it’s not. »

Neil walked back to the bed and sat on it, hiding his face in his palms. He knew that what he was about to say was the worst part and the least believable part of the story. When he looked back at her, she was staring at the floor.

«Baby, I never wanted to hurt you. But I couldn’t find the words to explain this. So I chose to put distance between us to get things straight. »

«What is it Neil? What is it that made me feel like a piece of shit for the last month? » she almost yelled facing him.

He looked at the rug and took a deep breath.

«Lauren is pregnant. With my child. » he said, finally raising his gaze to watch her reaction.

Lexi was staying still, her hands on the edge of the window. She looked into his eyes without blinking while her brain analyzed the words. The room remained silent for a little while before she sighed.

«That’s it? You stopped talking to me because you’re going to have a kid with a girl you had a one night stand with before we started our relationship? Did you really think I would get mad at you for something you did before we were together? Sure it would have been a surprise, but with some adjustments, it would have turn out fine! »

«No… I mean… She came to me last month, just after we got together. She came to me with her doctor report in which he gave the period during which the child must have been conceived. It fitted the dates. She told me she wasn’t expecting me to be in the child’s life, but she thought I should at least know that I was going to be a dad. »

Lexi crossed her arms on her chest. This did not explain the way he acted with her for the last month. He knew she was not the kind of girl to run away after this kind of surprise. She knew there was something more and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear it.

«What’s more? What is the worst part of your story? »

«You know I always wanted kids. So when she told me about the pregnancy, I was both shocked and overwhelmed with happiness. I was going to be a father. I wanted this kid to know who is father was. I wanted to be part of his life. But, in my head, the best for this child was if his parents were together. »

Lexi dropped her arms and let them hang by her side. So that was it; he had two girlfriends at the same time for the last month. No wonder why he did not told her about his sick mom: he presented her his pregnant girlfriend, not the one living in another province.

«We talked a lot, Lauren and I. About the baby. About the possibility for us to be together. We did try it two weeks ago. I mean, we tried to be a couple. But when I kissed her, it didn’t feel right. We did not sleep together. We both agreed that there was no spark between us, nothing to build a relationship on. I do not love her. She does not love me. But she is carrying my child and by the fact, our lives are bound forever. »

Lexi’s knees got weak and she dropped on the floor. Neil reached for her but she raised her hand to stop him from coming closer. She felt pathetic; standing there on the floor after this whole month where she knew something was up but did not do anything. But this feeling quickly evaporated as she got angry.

«You tried to be a couple? You kissed her? You wanted to be with her for the wellbeing of your unborn child? Does it ever occur to you that she should get a freaking abortion? You do not know the girl but still you’re okay with her being the mother of your child? »

«She doesn’t want to have an abortion. She said that we were adult enough to have unprotected sex; we should be adult enough to face the consequences. Perhaps, I do want to have this kid. »

It felt like her heart shattered. He tried to be with her. He was having a child with her. He kept her in the dark with this whole situation. How could she trust him anymore? He sat on the floor in front of her and tried to touch her hand but she pushed him away.

«Baby, I love you. You are the only girl I want. »

«Still you kissed her while you were with me! » she spat.

«Were? I’m still with you. »

«I don’t think so Neil. You lied to me. You avoided me. You did not tell me your mother was on her dead bed. »

«She’s not on her dead bed. She only had a minor surgery… Brad told Skye so I had more time to get the right words to tell you…»

«And now I should trust you? Neil! You know me better than that! You know I would have helped you with all that. I know how bad you want a family! Even though I wish it would have been with me and not with her, I would have accepted that. But you chose to lie to me and asked your friend to cover you. Sorry but I don’t think I can forgive you. »

She grabbed her coat and scarf and left the room without looking back. She did not care if Neil hurt; what he did was unacceptable. She thought he knew her more than that. She had loved him like she never loved before and still, he broke her heart. She took the stairs so she would be moving and not thinking. She reached the restaurant faster than she expected. She walked to the door and stood there, not even looking for her sister or Adam. She simply look right in front of her while her brain acknowledged the fact that she had just broke up with Neil. She was single all over again.

Skye and Adam were having some dessert together while chatting about how they missed each other. As her spoon reached her lips for the last bite of the brownies, her eyes found her sister’s. She stood up and walked to her. She stopped right in front of Lexi. The younger sister couldn’t hide her tears.

«It’s over Skye… » she whispered before falling into Skye’s arms.
♠ ♠ ♠
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