old fashioned • dj&ts

viii. rehab

Alexis stayed with Camila every moment until she had the baby. She even stayed with her in the delivery room when Billy didn't show up. Alexis had gotten a call from Teddy who broke the news that he wasn't coming. Instead, Billy checked himself into rehab.

Alexis wanted to be mad that Billy wasn't there for the birth of his baby, but she couldn't help but give him some credit for wanting to be a sober dad.

Billy going to rehab meant the rest of the tour was cancelled. Graham, Warren, Karen and Eddie all came home the day after Camila was released from the hospital.

Karen was the first to embrace Alexis. They rocked back and forth and expressed how much they missed each other, and then Karen went to Camila.

"Hey," Graham smiled, hugging Alexis. They had to whisper because the baby was asleep in the next room.

"How was the tour?" Alexis asked.

"A fucking dream," Graham told her. "I wish you could've been there."

"Me too."

After Graham came Warren, his conversation with Alexis much shorter. Then Eddie. Alexis didn't say anything to him. She just walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her back, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"I missed you," Alexis whispered. Eddie noticed that she changed her shampoo.

"He didn't touch a girl the entire tour," Graham whispered to Camila. "I guess he was waiting until he got home."

"I think it's cute," Karen added, cracking a smile.

"I think we should talk tonight," Eddie whispered back to Alexis, pulling away from her. "I'll come to your room?"

"Okay," she agreed, her heart dropping to her stomach. What did he have to say?

The group all ordered in and drank a few beers while the band recalled some of their favorite moments on tour to Alexis and Camila. The chat was occasionally interrupted by the baby starting to cry and ended when she wouldn't stop. Tired from traveling and not wanting to keep the baby up any longer, everyone went their separate ways. Almost everyone.

"Hey," Eddie said quietly, closing Alexis's door behind him. She had just gotten out of the shower and changed into her pajamas. She took off of work last minute when she found out everyone was coming home.

They both looked different. Eddie grew out his hair and started styling it a new way while Alexis cut hers shorter. He also noticed how her freckles were more prominent with the slight tan of her skin from the summer sun.

"Hey," she responded. She wrung out her hair with a small towel, waiting for who would speak up first. She decided that she wanted control of the conversation. "Why didn't you call?"

"I was trying to forget everything that happened before I left," he admitted, putting his hands in his pockets. "When you said you expected me to be hooking up with groupies the whole time, I thought that meant you were done with us."

"I wasn't."

"Then why did you say that?"

Guilt. All Alexis felt in that moment was guilt. She spent nine months blaming him while he spent nine months blaming her. Was it really her fault?

"I don't know," she said. "I guess I wanted to see what you would say. You were leaving for over a year and I wasn't coming with you. You saw what Billy did."

"I'm not Billy," Eddie argued defensively. "I wasn't even interested in the idea of seeing another girl."

"What do you want me to say, Eddie?" Alexis asked, starting to tear up but not wanting to cry in front of him.

"Did you see anyone while I was gone?" Eddie asked. Alexis shook her head. She had no desire to see anyone else. "Why?"

"Eddie," she said quietly. She didn't know what to say. He walked closer to her until she was looking up at him. He slid his hands under her hair so his thumbs rested gently on her cheeks.

And then he kissed her.
And then she kissed him back.
And then they were in bed.
And then the last nine months faded away like they were never apart at all.

"I'm sorry I never called," he said, tucking her hair behind her ear as the warmth of their bodies consumed them.

"I'm sorry about what I said," she replied as she took his hand in hers. "I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't care when you're the person I care about the most."

"I want us to be together. I don't want to hide you anymore." His fingers were now tangled with hers. Her skin felt soft compared to his.

"Okay." Alexis couldn't tell him how much she cared about him and then say she didn't want to be with him. Of course she wanted to be with him. He's the only person that's ever genuinely made her feel loved and wanted. Camila and the band did, too, but they were a different kind of love. This is a love she's never felt before, and there was no reason to deny it anymore. "Let's do it. But there's something I should tell you first."

"What?" He asked, immediately assuming the worst.

"My last name isn't actually Rose. It's my middle name," she admitted. "My last name is Matson."

As soon as he heard the name, he sat up.

"Fuck off, like Mitchell Matson? The guy whose name is literally every single guitar I own?"

"That would be my dad," Alexis nodded. "I didn't tell you because I knew his name was on your stuff and I didn't want to ruin him for you. He's a piece of shit, but he knows how to craft a sexy guitar."

"You have to tell Billy and Graham."

"One day," Alexis smiled. "I'm not ready to talk about my family with everyone yet, but I thought you should at least know that."

"Holy shit," Eddie laughed. "Wait, do I have to get rid of them?" Alexis shook her head.

"They're sexy guitars meant to be in the hands of sexy guitarists, and they fit you well. Don't expect to marry rich, though, I was cut off a while ago."

"Screw the money, I have his sexy daughter," he said, kissing her as she laughed. She didn't know how he managed to flatter her while talking about her dad, but it worked.