Fade to Black (sequel to riptide)

Part 47

Time for me to come home. It's been a while and I need this time at home. I need this time to recoop. To prepare myself for the holidays. For my family. While simultaneously pretending like my marriage is ok although it's been 1 year. A single year.
I exit the plane and grab my luggage before approaching the people with the signs and everything picking up their loved ones. I expected to see Keana or something but instead I just see Jackson and Camila.
I approached him.
"Oh hell no." I say approaching them together.
"Lauren!" Camila cheers.
"Why the hell did you bring her here?"
"Babe look we were working on something and I needed to pick you up but I also need to take her home so here we are. I didn't want to be late because you always get pissed when I'm late to get you." This makes Camila giggle slightly. They both turn on their heels towards the car leaving me behind to carry my own bags and stuff. Then he suddenly realizes and turns back around to grab my bags.
"I'm sorry baby." He kisses my forehead and grabs the bags. He puts them in the trunk of his rover and helps me into the passengers seat. We drive while he engaged in playful banter with Camila.
"Ok shut up please. Both of you." I say and lean on the side as their laughing dies down. He drops Camila at her house then we continue up to ours.
We arrive and he gets my bags out carrying them inside while I walk inside and up to our room after grabbing some water from the fridge. I get into bed ready to sleep of the jet lag. I feel the bed dip and his arms wrap around me.
"Don't touch me." I say harshly and he backs off.
"Don't you dare act like nothing happened." I say once again and he rolls over groaning.
"Don't groan like this is so unexpected."
"What do you want me to do then?"
"Let me sleep."
"Fine sleep then." I roll back over and drift off to sleep off the jet lag.
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"Yeah Camz she's just so pissy right now."
"Oh yeah. Cute. Real cute."
"I know you think that but she's mywife I'm stuck with her and I won't disrespect her by going to your house right now."
A tear falls from my eyes at the way he speaks about me and I shuffle in the bed and wipe it from my cheek.
"I'll call you later. Bye." He hangs up. I stand up and I go to the bathroom. I keep myself from crying as I shower and do all of that stuff. I walk out and he lays in bed looking at me and he soon stands up and walks to me.
"Can we talk now?"
"No."
"Why not baby I'm trying to fix what I screwed up." He puts his hand on my shoulder.
"Just because you're stuck with me doesn't mean you have to fix it. I'll be fine with a divorce."
He looks taken aback.
"Woah what a divorce it's been a year."
"Yeah a year and appareantly you feel stuck with me and you don't want me anymore. I get it. I mean it makes sense it's what I always thought but still it hurts because I loved you."
"Loved? Past tense?"
"Well I shouldn't hold on to something that doesn't want me to hold on to it."
"What are you talking about?"
"I heard you on the phone with Camila. I'm pissy, you're stuck with me."
"I was joking. I don't feel stuck. I meant hat in the best way possible alright. Look I love you and I'm more committed to you than I've ever been babe. I married you. I had so much time to back out but I didn't because I want this."
"You want this? Are you sure because it seems like you're stuck with me and you realized you don't want to be."
"No that's not it at all. These last few months have been hell without you babe. I was so gone on the phone and so forth because I was working and everything was emotionally draining. I was taking it out on you and I shouldn't have. I was tired, I was sad. I was depressed." I look up at him immediately.
"What?"
"I was really depressed. I was struggling to wake up to go to the studio to set. I got so upset so quickly. I was miserable. I still sort of am because you're being like this."
"You didn't think about..."
"No no of course not but I was miserable. It's hard being away from your other half when no one around here gets you or makes you not as sad except your other halfs enemy."
"Are you cheating on me with Camila?" I ask.
"No god no babe. She's a good friend. She was keeping me going to work and sane and I just needed some presence that actually was like me. Someone who could remotely understand me. Justin is a good friend but he's so busy. Camila doesn't have a career. Hers died when you started doing well. Her career was destroyed by your interviews and your music and everything. She's got nothing to do."
"You need to see a therapist, my therapist. You need to deal with this depression babe. It becomes destructive and generative. Trust me baby I know. I'm here now though. I'll take care of you."
"Thank you babe."
"Of course. Now get yourself dressed and lets go out together, me and you."
"Where?"
"I don't know. Maybe we can grab dinner in Beverly Hills?"
"We need a reservation for that."
"No I'll just call Rosario and take care of it. He always has a table ready for me."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
I grab my phone and dial up Rosario while Jackson wraps his arms around me.
"Hallo."
"Hey Rosario."
"Lauren how are you?"
"I'm good brother how are you."
"Always wonderful when talk to you."
"Oh Rosario what a charmer."
"What can I donfro you today little sister?"
"Firstly promise me we will get together and catch up sometime soon."
"Of course my lovely. What else?"
"Do you possibly have a table for two I could use for the night. Me and my husband want to come in for some of your delicious food tonight."
"Of corse you know I always have a table for you. Come by in an hour it will be set and everything. I always have a table for you love."
"Thank you Rosario I appreciate you so much."
"I know Lauren thank you the call and we can make plans for sometime next week sound good?"
"Genius."
"See you then love."
"Bye." I hang up and allow Jackson to wrap his arms around me.
"I'm sorry baby." I say as he nuzzles his head into my neck.
"Why I was being pissy?"
"I wasn't here to make it better. I was so upset and I jumped to so many conclusions."
"They made sense. I get it. Without full context anything can sound that bad."
"I still should've been here there's no excuse."
"You didn't know I was depressed."
"I need to be by your side always from now on. No more separate tours. If ones touring we both are from now on."
"I like that idea. I agree."
"Good. Now get dressed for dinner."
"Ok ok." He heads off to his huge closet and I head to my smaller one. I slip on a delicate black dress with a white collar that opened in the front a little to see my chest. I put on heeled boots and grab my purse. I walk back into the room and Jackson is wearing a sweatshirt.
"Get your ass back in there and change." I tell him and he looks down.
"Babe why?"
"You're not going to dinner in a sweatshirt now go change."
"Alright damn girl." He goes back in and changes into black jeans but comes back in the same sweatshirt.
"Babe I don't know what shirt you want me to wear."
"I don't care what shirt you wear is just needs to not be a sweatshirt." I go on my phone and wait for him to get dressed. He finally comes out wearing a black shirt with white buttons and white shoes and a gold Rolex I got him for Christmas. He went into the bathroom and came back out shaved nicely and his hair done up. I lean back biting my lip looking at him.
"You ready?" He asks. I look him up and down slowly then nod. He takes my hand and leads me downstairs and into the garage into my Chevrolet I love trucks. We head out and get to rosario's right on time and he greets us as we walk through the door Jackson holding my hand the entire time.
"Lauren! Jackson!" Rosario says incredibly loudly drawing attention to us as always. The man doesn't talk below a screaming voice.
"Rio!" I greet him with a sweet hug and a smile.
"Come now my loves into the kitchen and we will take perfect care of you."
"Thank you Rio."
"Anything for my favorite couple in California." He leads us to he kitchen past everybody and we take a seat at a table they had set out for us with wine. As I took my first sip Jackson takes my hand and brings it to his face to kiss my knuckles. I smile at him as Rosario brings us his first dish and we talk and eat together getting the chance to talk about life and such and everything that we missed while I was on tour. After the entire meal was over we said our goodbyes to Rosario thanking him for everything before wading through the paparazzi that appeared and out to the car. We got in and headed back home to prepare for the next day. A packed day of Christmas prep. We need to go get a Christmas tree, go to the mall, and get new decorations for the house cause it's our first year doing Christmas here in Cali.
The entire drive home was him holding my hand and humming to the radio. I was still pretty jet lagged.
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I woke up not remembering coming in the house or changing but I was indeed wrapping in my lovers arms. I could tell he was still sleeping. I grabbed my phone seeing all of the notifications from my family and from Twitter and Instagram. I scroll through them all seeing nothing interesting. I open my phone and go to Snapchat then post a pic of us in bed. I do the same for Instagram but a better picture from last night. After I finish with that I realize Jackson posted pics of us last night while I was asleep. I clicked on one and it was a pic of me from across the table smiling with my eyes closed it said 'dinner never looked so damn good.❤😘' . The other was I guess while I was sleeping because my head was rested on his bare torso and my arm over him. It was cute it said. 'Baby's home❤'. I roll my eyes and like both pictures before shutting my phone off and decidin Jackson had slept enough and I wanted to wake him up. I pecked his neck lightly which did nothing. I then kissed roughly and he was still out so I settled on sucking on his neck to give him a hickey until he woke up. Doesn't matter how many hickeys it took. It was about two before he started stirring groaning once his sense came back to him.
"Babe what are you doing?"
"Waking you up." I peck up and over his jaw. He smiles so I run my thumb over his lips.
"You know you haven't kissed me the entire time I've been back." I point out.
"Lets change that right now." He wraps him arms around me and connects our lips. They slowly move together as he inserts his tongue into my mouth. I feel his hand slide down my back right to my bum giving it a harsh squeeze making me moan. Our head moved in a fluid motion our lips staggering with them. I didn't even try to fight his dominance I just let him take control and keep control. He pulls my thigh crossing his and pulls us even closer. We don't stop for a good 5 minutes when the breathing needed more than a few gasps here and there.
"You know we haven't had sex since a bit before you went on tour."
"And we won't be doing it today cause I'm on my period but as soon as I'm not we're on it."
"No let's go don't they say period sex is the best sex you'll ever have in your life as long as its not a heavy flow day."
"Babe no I'm no getting blood all over your..."
"I'm down though. I don't mind I want to experience this."
"Babe no. Now get ready we've got a lot to do today."
"Fine." He releases me and we both go our separate ways to get dressed.
I put on some light wash jeans and a tan sweater with boots since it's supposed to be raining today. I grab my phone and purse and head down to the truck. Jackson comes in blue jeans that were slight high waters, a tucked in white t shirt with a lumberjack on it I got from a thrift shop, and a flannel with the sleeves rolled up. His brown boots completed the look. He then reaches to his back pocket and puts a hat on. I put my down on the wheel and shake it.
"Are you kidding me?" I ask him.
"If I'm gonna cut down Christmas trees I've gotta do it right yeah?" I roll my eyes.
"Whatever you say Mr. Lumberjack." He winks and I begin driving to the Christmas tree farm that was a while away.
"Babe you look ridiculous." I say as he tucks his shirt in when we exit the car.
"Wow real self esteem booster there babe."
"You do I'm not going to lie." He rolls his eyes as we get out of the car and walk to the tree. It takes hours of searching before we find two that we want.
"I like this one but I also like this one." I point to both trees.
"Babe it's a tree, they're both beautiful. Let's pick one and bounce we've got a lot to do today."
"Fine this one." I decide and he gets to cutting it. And damn. He looked sexy. I tell you my man with an ax is so.... let me not go there. He props the tree onto his shoulder and with brute force and strength carries it, his veins popping through his arm and his neck. He throws it atop the truck and ties it down then I see a part of it that was missing.
"Babe the tree is missing part of it."
"You're kidding me?"
"Nope sorry. I don't like the part that's missing let's get the other tree."
"Oh god."
"I'm sorry baby." He shakes his head and pulls the tree down then walks it back over.
"I'll make it up to you babe I promise."
He quirks an eyebrow and I shake my head.
"I already told you no to that." He rolls his eyes and continues with the tree. He takes it down and gives it to a family that was negotiating a tree.
"Here you guys can have this one. You need it, you deserve it."
"Thank you so much sir."
"Of course."
"Can we get a picture.
"Of course." He beckons me over and we all take a picture together. After that he cuts down the new tree and puts it on top of the truck and we drive it home to set it up. It was perfect. We took Polaroids and decorated the tree it was perfect. Feels great to finally be home. And happy.