Love And Other Drugs

The stage lights were bright in her grey eyes and Luxe smiled as she held the mic in her hands and looked around her. The kids standing before her were waving their hands in the air, screaming for another song and Luxe could only smile. They had been on the road for two weeks and everything had managed to stay relatively normal.

Of course Luxe missed Andy-who was now home and would soon be flying out to meet her on the road. That was still a week away and Luxe knew she wouldn't be able to wait that long.

Luxe had managed to stay clean and sober, but there had been a few times where she had almost jumped off of her wagon. A story had come out about her-claiming that she didn't really sing on their albums and had just been brought in for her image and looks. It was stupid as Luxe sang live all the time, but it still stung to see her face underneath a headline calling her a liar and a fake. Plus Andy wasn't around and Luxe missed him terribly.

They spoke every night on the phone and Andy tried his best to keep her spirits up, but he could tell that the road was getting to Luxe. She always got this way-even when they toured together-and Andy had dubbed it Tour Depression. It was a feeling of being alone, not knowing where you were day after day and not feeling like you belonged anywhere in particular. Luxe suffered from it every time and each time she dealt with it in new ways.

Before getting sober she had always drank her depression away, but now Luxe spent hours and hours, curled up in the back lounge with Char's acoustic and her notebook. She had about ten songs written, which would help this coming summer when they went to record their third album. Luxe was thrilled to even be getting to the point of a third album, but she was also scared shitless. Their last album had completely bombed and it seemed like Alex had little faith in their capabilities.

Luxe smirked as she looked over her shoulder, seeing one of their roadies bringing out the nightly tray of their shots for the coming song. Luxe's shot was still her usual-Coke and apple juice-which was nasty tasting, but it had the same color as the whiskey the other girls were shooting down. Luxe knew that the girls were disappointed in her for not taking part in their nightly girl power moment, but her sobriety and Andy meant the world to her.


"Alright guys! It's that time of night where my girls and I raise our glasses. You all know we've been through a lot over the past few years-we've fallen, gotten back up and held ourselves up the best that we can." Luxe said in to the mic, her red lips curving in to a smile as the crowd right in front screamed at her. They knew-they understood.

"We're sisters and though we fight like cats and rip one another to shreds some times-we're always there for one another. This is a family and tonight we toast to the love and devotion that we have for one another and that you-the fans-have for us." Tears sprung to her eyes then and Luxe lifted a thumb up to wipe them away.

"So here's to us-the losers who no one thought would make it, to the girls in this band who were told they weren't good enough to play in a rock band and to you, the fans, those who have stood by us in our darkest days. Raise a glass-cheers!" Luxe said as she took her shot off of the tray and clinked it with Pixie, who was standing right beside her.


It was disgusting, but as the girls all took their shots and then threw their glasses down, the shattered bits spewing out as Char started in on the opening, Luxe felt alive. The lights dimmed and Luxe closed her eyes, the memories flooding back to her as she sang the opening lyrics. The girls-they had all been through so much together and yet here they were-still standing strong. From sickness, to fights and members threatening to leave, they had stuck it out together and nothing could change that for them.


Stuck it out this far together
Put our dreams through the shredder
Let’s toast cause things got better
and everything could change like that
And all these years go by so fast
But nothing lasts forever

Luxe sang over the words that she had written and as she got to the part about nothing lasting forever, she could feel the hot tears run down her cheeks. All of this-the girls, the band and the fans-it could all be gone in a second and that was one huge reason why Luxe couldn't give in to her temptations. Life would be more fun if she were drunk or high-or both-but then what was the point? She wouldn't be able to remember any of it and they all knew her addictions caused Luxe more trouble than they were worth.


Here's to us
Here's to love
All the times
That we messed up
Here's to you
Fill the glass
Cause the last few nights
Have kicked my ass
If they give you hell
Tell em to go fuck themselves
Here's to us
Here's to us

Luxe smirked as the 'go fuck themselves' line because she knew that Alex was more than aware that it was written for him. He had started the girls off and for that they would all be forever grateful, but he wasn't the only reason they had made it this far. They were all incredibly talented-Char had won several awards for her guitar playing-and they were heading towards the top of the charts once again. Alex had been there-sure-but he had only been the catalyst for something that had changed the rock world forever.


"Here’s to us! Thank you guys!" Luxe said as she finished the last verse and moved over to Mad's drum riser. There were several bottles of water sitting there and Luxe quickly chugged one, half finishing it before throwing it out in to the crowd. Two girls fought over it briefly before one gave in to the other with a screech.

"Alright! Now that we've rocked your faces off-who's ready to slow things down a bit?!" Luxe asked in to the mic as she took a seat on the stool that had been placed center stage. The crowd shouted and yelled, making Luxe smile as Char took her left and Pixie her right.

"This next song I want to dedicate to a very special guy-someone who I never thought I would fall for, but I did and it happens over and over again. Love's funny like that sometimes-you never know when it's going to punch you in the gut and leave you breathless..." Luxe said and then looked out in to the crowd.


Something was going on, they were all pushing forward and screaming so loudly that Luxe thought the glass windows near the ceiling were going to shatter. What the fuck was going on? Suddenly a pair of hands were placed over her grey eyes and Luxe froze in her seat. Was this Alex and Jack playing another tour prank on her? If so then Luxe was in no mood and quickly she moved to place her hands over top of the ones covering her eyes. Wait...

She knew those hands.

They were the same ones that held in her sleep, kept her close and safe at night when the addiction nightmares came roaring to life. Those arms, the same ones that were holding her tightly right now, they were the same ones that hugged her when she felt like her demons were getting the best of her. Slowly the hands were removed, but Luxe stayed still, too scared that if she moved too fast that this person-this amazing person-would disappear.

Suddenly blue eyes were level with her grey ones and a pair of pierced lips were pressing against her own. Luxe felt the breath leave her chest, her entire body melting against the one in front of her as her wildest dream seemed to be coming true. Those strong hands gripped the side of her face, pulling her in until they were one and then it was over and his lopsided grin was all she could see.

Andy...it was Andy and it would always be Andy.


"Oh my god!" Luxe said through the tears that were now streaming down her face. Andy only chuckled, running a hand through his black hair-something that he had done right before tour and it still shocked Luxe to see it now.

"Surprise doll." Andy said as he reached out his hand towards her. Luxe took it and found herself being pulled into a very tight embrace. The crowd 'awwed' loudly and obviously this moment would be captured and displayed on social media in a matter of seconds.

"I-but-what?" Was all Luxe could say and Andy only smiled as he held her at arms length and nodded his head. Luxe turned around slightly, seeing that Char had tears rolling down her cheeks-a very rare occurrence.

"Char called me...told me I should come out early and surprise you."Andy said and all Luxe could do in that moment was look at her best friend and smile. The two girls might look at touring differently, but at the end of the day they understood one another.

"Well since you're up here and interrupting our set time...how about we do a little duet...for old times sake." Luxe said, smirking at him as she passed him Pixie's mic. Andy only nodded, taking the mic in his hands as he kissed her cheek and looked out at the crowd.

"Only if they really want to hear it..." A sonic boom sounded out through the building and Luxe took that as a very affirmative yes to Andy's question.

"Alright...let's see if I still remember the words to this song..." They both laughed, knowing it had been a long time since they had sung it together.


The guitar was soft, almost nonexistent, but Luxe knew that also was because she was standing right across from the one person in the entire world who was meant for her. Andy was an amazing person-kind, giving, sweet and the perfect person to help her through life and Luxe knew she wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for him. They'd had their ups and their downs, but in the end they had made it together, broken, but worthy of fixing.


"I love you..." He mouthed at her before singing and Luxe only nodded, placing her hand against his cheek as Andy opened his mouth.

"I love you too..." She mouthed, seeing the twinkle in his eyes as they broke out into the duet that they had both dreaded at first, but that had also made them realize that sometimes you weren't always supposed to get along with the ones you love.

Sometimes broken things could be fixed...with a little bit of time and love.

Notes

Reunited!

Guys...only 45 more chapters for you guys to review and tell me how much you love(or hate) this story before it's done forever.<3

Here's To Us by Halestorm