Following the Stars

Chapter Seventy Four

As they finished telling the children what had happened, Lily stood up and rushed to Lexie and then her father wrapping her arms round them both. "I'm sorry." "don't be sorry, it's not your fault." Lexie managed to say holding back tears. The latter had promised herself she would remain strong for the children, and she was determined to do it. Jack was a little more confused and had a few questions which Johnny promised to answer in the office. He took his son's hand and led him off. "Lily, I'm afraid I've been rather rubbish this week taking care of your father, would you help me with dinner?" "Sure, of course. What shall we make?" "Well the delivery arrived this morning. I got steaks from the butcher. I think he will like them." "Sure thing. Let's do it!" Lily said smiling leading Lexie into her own kitchen.

A few hours later, Lexie had managed to serve four delicious looking steaks, with roasted vegetables, and baked potatoes. Johnny and Jack could smell the dinner from wherever they been hanging out in the house. "Wow! It smells great!!" Jack said as he sat beside his sister and the dining table, "Goodness, you girls have done so well. Thank you." Johnny said kissing Lexie and then Lily's head. Lexie smiled she was glad to see Johnny wasn't as concerned about her anymore. She hated worrying him especially with everything else going on. "Dig in!" She said as she placed the plates down in front of them all.

A few days later, Johnny seemed to think things were getting back to a sense of normality. He had promised to take the kids for a visit to Stephen and Gina's. Lexie opted out claiming the house needed sorting and she had stuff to do. He knew it had been full on since the kids had arrived so he didn't hesitate when she told him to go on without her. They spent a pleasant time at The Deuters residence, and were heading back. As they arrived at the house, they couldn't find Lexie anywhere. They checked all the rooms and the garden before Johnny heard a noise in the studio, knowing some of it was sound proofed he slowly opened the door, there was a bottle of wine almost finished on the sound control desk, papers everywhere and in the tiny sound booth was his girlfriend with her back to them. He turned a switch and all of a sudden the studio was filled with her powerful voice, belting out the biggest ballads of the generation. He was gobsmacked at the strength of her voice but equally it sounded broken, heartbroken. He heard his kids approach as Lexie was in the middle of Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing. Johnny was blown away by her vocal ability, even with the pain and anguish she so clearly felt. As the song came to an end, Johnny gently tapped on the glass with his rings, Lexie turned abruptly and saw him. She ditched her headphones and left the booth, "sorry I must have lost track of time." She said. She finished the wine that was in her glass before greeting the kids "Hey! How was Stephen and Gina!? Did you see Frida?" She asked, as if what she was doing was completely normal. Lexie wasn't a huge drinker so the fact an entire bottle of wine was gone in the two hours they had been gone was a little concerning to Johnny but he kept face for the kids sake.

Later that night, Johnny was climbing into bed with Lexie when she said "So I've said yes to going back to Unapproachables. I fly on the first." "God that was quick, I thought you wanted to hold off." "Well there isn't any point now is there. Need to keep busy and all that, that's what everyone keeps telling me, so yeah I fly there and will be there until end of October. Netflix has extended the season so I'll be shooting for at least 7 weeks. Maybe 8 if we run over." Johnny nodded. "Same studio?" "Yeah. I assume I'll be back in the Beverley Wilshire," "No don't be silly you can stay with me." "Johnny I can't use your house, anyway will you even be in LA then?" "Well I'll be wherever you want me to be." "You don't need to follow me around. Have you not got work?" Lexie said finishing her skincare. "Well no not really. I've got a fuck load of legal meetings between now and the end of the year though so basing myself in LA for the foreseeable probably is wise" Lexie nodded and rolled over "Goodnight Johnny." "Good night Darling. I love you." "Love you too."

A week later, after a boozy lunch, Lexie was dropped home by Kate. "Kate I really don't see why you didn't just leave your car, we could have picked it up tomorrow," "I'm meeting the in-laws for dinner I couldn't have got tipsy and besides I think you drank enough of the wine anyway." "Kate I had three glasses it was hardly a sesh!" "Ok. Look are you gonna be ok? I've got to shoot, I've got the doctors at 4." "Sure thing darling. Thanks for joining me for lunch." Lexie kissed her friend's cheek before showing her out. The house was empty. Johnny had a meeting with Jeff about their album, so she decided to open another bottle of wine and make a start on dinner for her man.

An hour later she was fairly tipsy and had prepared Johnny an extravagant dinner, she had music blaring and was singing her heart out as she made her way round the kitchen as she tidied up. Johnny arrived home and heard the music, making his way to his girl he smiled as he saw her spin round singing. Maybe she was slowly coming to terms with things. It had been almost three weeks now not that either of them would ever get over it but he could tell she was getting a little bit better every day. He approached her and slid his arms round her "Hi beautiful." He said as he kissed her passionately. Her arms snaked round his neck confidently, she had barely touched him or shown any interest in being close to him since they left the hospital apart from the odd kiss so this was a significant improvement. She was kissing him back as she gently pushed him up against the kitchen worktop. He pulled back "Well something smells good." "Good, I cooked for you." She said sweetly. It was then he noticed the glass of wine and bottle on the side. "What did you get up to today?" He said cautiously. "I went to lunch with Kate. She's gonna come to America with me but only fly in towards the end of September. I won't need her urgently until the press stuff starts and it's pointless her being away from Jamie unnecessarily." "Nice." He was happy that at least she wasn't sat home drinking alone all day. "Ah that's nice. Are you sure I can't persuade you to stay at Sweetzer?" "Johnny we've discussed this, we've only been staying like this since the accident, the press tour and then finding out I was pregnant. We've only been dating for 8 months, I refuse to move in and scare the kids just yet. What don't you get?" "I understand I really do but on the weeks they aren't there will you come stay then? You know they love you and want you around all the time." Lexie smiled "Ok let's see how it goes but I'm still keeping my hotel suite." "Ok... maybe I can sneak in there a few times too..." he said smirking before Lexie began serving his dinner. "You not eating?" He asked as he noticed just the one plate. "Nah I'm good, I had a big lunch." Johnny nodded before tucking into the delicious meal as Lexie poured another glass of wine.

As they climbed into bed, he noticed for the first time in many weeks Lexie looked relaxed. As she climbed in under the sheets she cosied up to him which was unexpected. Most nights she turned her back, he knew it was because she cried herself to sleep and wanted to try and hide it, so he embraced this. He put an arm round her and pulled her close as she kissed him passionately. He pulled back before things got too heavy. "Do you not want to sleep with me?" She said nervously looking up with her large doe like eyes. "God of course. I just don't want to push it, we can wait, it's not urgent." Lexie nodded before kissing him again. "I don't have anything." She said as she blushed. It took him a second to understand. She had thrown her pill away after finding out she was pregnant, and they had rarely used condoms ever. "Oh darling, Let's wait." Johnny decided if they were going to do this, it had to be properly not just because she was drunk.