Love And Other Drugs

The engine of the car purred as it drove down the freeway. The inside of the car was strangely silent, as usually it was filled with loud music, whether it be a demo from a coming album or an old Alkaline Trio CD that had been shoved in to the player. Andy hated driving in silence-it drove him crazy-but right now he needed the silence to think.

Luxe was furious at him, but he really couldn't blame her for being angry, which was why he left to give her some space. Andy wasn't mad at Luxe-he was actually more angry with himself than anything because once again he had fucked things up. He thought making a nice dinner at her place and then announcing their live DVD would be a good idea-that Luxe would have a good time-but he had been dead wrong.

As usual.

Luxe had mistaken his planning for a proposal of marriage and while Andy had planned-oh had he planned-on proposing to her, tonight was not the night for it. That was the fight going on inside his head now as he drove back to his condo-should he forget his plans for the proposal and just do it tonight? Andy shook his head, his black hair falling in to his eyes and he sighed loudly, watching as the strands blew up and out of his vision.


"What the fuck should I do?" He asked out loud, but sadly there was no one there to give him any advice on how to fix this problem.

Andy loved Luxe-more than anything-and he wanted to marry her, but he also wanted to make sure that things between them were going to be okay. She looked so crushed when he had been at her place and then she had gotten angry at him before just staring at him like he didn't even exist. As Andy pulled in to the underground garage of his condo building, a smile lit up his lips as he thought back to the first time he had ever set eyes on Luxe.

Andy walked down the long hallway towards the studio door, his stomach in knots. He wasn't really looking forward to this day-the day he would meet the Doll. John hadn't told him much, other than he would be doing a cameo on an album for an up and coming band that consisted of all girls. Andy wasn't really looking forward to it, but he wasn't dreading it either. He just wished his headache would go away.



The night before out at Crow had been crazy-so crazy that the guys had accidentally walked out without paying their tab. Andy had stopped by this morning with a wad of cash collected from the guys and handed it over to the manager with an apology. Andy wasn't the type of guy to just drink and run, but things happened and as long as he made them right then that should be good enough.

God why did he have to be here today?

Andy sighed as his hand, with the chipped black fingernail polish and his one red nail, reached out and opened the door to the studio. Alex McFadden-what an ass-was standing around with another man who Andy didn't know, but he was pretty sure it was the girl's producer. There was a long leather couch against one wall, with a small blonde girl sitting on it eating her lunch. Was this the girl? Was this Luxe?

Andy waited as Alex, who finally seemed to notice him, tapped the girl on the shoulder and she turned around to look up at them all. She was cute-her mouth was full of food, but she was cute none the less. Her blonde hair was pulled back and out of her face, the teal tips making her grey eyes sparkle even in the dim lighting. Her features were small, elf like and Andy felt his heart begin to race.

Okay...play it cool...be the rockstar you know this girl expects you to be.

His brain was whirring with thoughts and as Andy looked at this girl, he felt a slight bit of disappointment enter his gut. She was pretty, but she really didn't look the part of a rocker. Where did Alex find this girl? Andy started to worry-if he was going to be on a poppy record for some chick band then his entire image was going to be thrown in to the toilet. As introductions were made, Andy knew he had to do something and so he smiled down at the girl and then looked at Alex.


“Hey. Um-Alex…can I talk to you outside for a second?” Andy asked and then noticed that the girl seemed slightly disappointed that he wasn't be more friendly. Don't get used to it sweetheart.

Alex said nothing as the two of them walked out of the studio, with Alex pulling the door shut behind him. The producer and manager seemed to just stare at him and Andy tried very hard to not sound like an asshole when he opened his mouth.

“I can’t do this man.” Andy admitted and then noticed that Alex was staring at him, arms crossed as he looked the singer in the eye.

“What do you mean you can’t do this?! We’re paying you to fucking do it Andy!” Alex seemed to growl at him and Andy tried not to flinch. Why was this so important to the manager? Why was having Andy Six of BVB such a vital thing for this coming record?

“She’s not legit man-look at her! She looks like a fucking teenager who’s playing the part of a fucking rockstar. I’m not fucking doing it!” Andy snarled, now that he had gotten over the shock of Alex's anger, Andy's own anger seemed to flare.

“Luxe is a star Andy-I’m making her in to a star.” Alex defended and Andy only rolled his eyes. Luxe was pretty, he wouldn't take that away from her, but he doubted her star power when it came to the rough and tumble rock world.

“Whatever. I’ll be here tomorrow to record my part and then I’m done with this little sideshow. These girls aren’t going to make it man…don’t drag me down with them.” Andy said before turning on his heel and walking down the hall.

He was in for something, but he had no idea how much that something was going to mean to him or how much it was going to change his life.


Andy shook the memory from his head as he got back in to his car, put the key in the ignition, but for some reason he couldn't move. Was he doing the right thing by going back over to Luxe's tonight? What state would he find her in? Andy was fearful, but he knew he needed to swallow that fear and so he quickly started his car, pulled out of his parking spot and took off towards the highway.

As he drove, Andy regretted all of those things that he had said about Luxe, mostly because they weren't true and also because it made him no better than the people who were saying the same things about him at the time. When Andy and the guys had first come on to the scene, when they had first really started getting noticed by people, Andy had become so defensive of himself. People were cruel and while it never bothered him on the outside, Andy always knew that inside he had been saddened by the lack of acceptance towards him.

But he had done the same thing to Luxe when he had first met her-jumped to a conclusion and then ran with it for months and months. There were countless interviews of him, ripping in to those girls and then he'd had to eat his words when he finally realized that they were probably some of the most talented musicians he'd ever worked with.

Andy had watched the girls-especially Luxe-blossom in those first few weeks on their first tour and he had watched them gain fans who would adore them and be there for them for the rest of their career. But Andy had also stood by and watched as the girls completely self imploded on themselves, ruining all chances of them ever being the best band that they could be.

He felt guilty-even though a lot of people said he shouldn't-because he had just watched as Luxe and the girls seemed to throw it all away. But what was he supposed to do? He had tried, but the girls had been determined to party it up and live their lives the way they thought they needed to. They had learned in the end that it hadn't been worth it and they had struggled, but now that they were all getting ready to tour again, Andy felt confident that the girls were finally on the right track.

And he couldn't wait to see where that track would take them.

"It's now or never..." Andy said to himself as he pulled in to Luxe's driveway, right behind her red Mustang.


As Andy sat there, trying to get the courage to get out of the car, he looked around the neighborhood he was sitting it. They weren't in LA or even Hollywood-they were in a quiet suburb that was close enough to LA, but it seemed almost Mayberry-ish. Andy had never noticed before, but whenever he came over to Luxe's, he always felt more at home than he did in his own condo.

He could see himself living here...raising a family here and as Andy got out of the car and ran up the stairs towards the front door, he knew that's exactly what he wanted to do.

His key went in to the lock without any problems, but as Andy pushed open the front door, his heart fell as he looked around him. Luxe's place had been trashed...things were laying broken on the floor and tears sprang to his eyes as his boot crunched on something and he looked down. It was a photo of the two of them, the glass shattered and the picture almost torn in two.


"Luxe? Babe?!" Andy called out in to the din. One of his hands was in his pocket, holding on to the tiny velvet box for dear life, while the other was running across the glossy counter of the bar that they had just been sitting at only a few hours before.

Where was she?

Andy wondered as he walked on, taking the destruction in as he continued towards the back of the house. It would take some major cleaning to get this place to rights and with them leaving for tour in a few days Andy didn't know who was going to be able to clean it all up. As he checked each room, only to find them empty, Andy's heart began to pound.

Where was she?

Finally he made his way towards the master bathroom and Andy knew that it was now or it was going to be never. As he pushed the door open and looked inside, his entire world seemed to come to a stop. Luxe was on the floor, her small body twisted in an odd position and as Andy rushed towards her and cradled her in his arms, something fell from his hand.


A velvet ring box lay forgotten on the floor and a much worse situation was about to unfold.

Notes

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