I'm Not Your Average Girl Next Door [Alex Gaskarth Love Story]

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rhiannon's POV

As you stood backstage and watched the show your eyes would connect with Alex's every once in a while. You had decided you couldn't just leave because of what happened with Alex, the rest of the guys were still your friends. You had to stay to support them. On the second to last song Kara came up and grabbed your hand, before pulling you into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Rhiannon." You gave her a small smile, "Me too." "Don't cut Alex off though. You are still one of his best friends and he is going to need you now more than ever. When you were in trouble, Alex came to your rescue no matter what you had said to him. Don't leave him in the dark now."

. . . Fast Forward Three and a Half Years . . .

Rhiannon's POV

Four months after the show, a couple of weeks after the guys had gotten back from tour, Alex had swung by my place after going baby shopping with Jessica. They had decided on staying friends through everything, that way the baby would have both parents in their life. Alex had been frustrated with Jessica and had come over to your place to vent. While they had decided to remain friends during this, it didn't change that she annoyed the hell out of him. It also didn't change that shopping was still Jessica's favorite hobby. Well venting led to one thing and that thing had led to another, and a couple of months later you found out that were you also pregnant. We can all imagine how angry Mrs. Gaskarth was when she got a hold of him. When Jessica had her son a week later, questions about whether or not Alex was the father appeared. She seemed to be very hesitant about putting Alex as the father. Even before the DNA test we all kind of figured she had been lying. It seems she had been cheating on him a lot more than we would have guessed.

As for me? I didn't end up with Alex either. In the end he has ended up single - as have I. As he had planned with Jessica, we remain friends. Best friends, actually, just with a daughter in the mix. Annabelle Daisy Gaskarth is the name we decided on and somehow we ended up calling her Abby. She has Alex's brown hair and my green eyes. She calls Jack, Uncle Jacky and Zack, Uncle Zacky. Then there is Uncle Ri-Ri and Aunt Karwa. Somehow they have all stuck.

        Once I found out I was pregnant, I became very aware that I still had a lot of healing to do from everything that had happened the last couple of years. I spent a lot of time healing myself from what happened with Carter and wanted to make sure I would be the best mother I could be. Alex also spent a lot of time reflecting and healing himself as well. It allowed us to create a great co-parenting relationship.

Now at seven in the morning when someone calls me, I am bound to be cranky. I grab for my cell and answer with a groggy, "Hello?" "Hey, Annie girl!" You would think after everything that has happened he would stop calling me that, he hasn't. "I thought I could stop by and pick you and Abby up to take you out for breakfast." "Alex?" "Yes?" "It is seven in the morning on a Saturday. Why are you awake?" "I had a radio show at six." "So you decided on waking Abby and I up?" "Abby is not up." "She will be if she hears me talking." "So?" "I hate you, Gaskarth. You have a key, let yourself in." "See you soon, Annie girl." "Whatever," *click* you hung up the phone and turned over going back to sleep.

You woke up to someone tracing circles on your shoulder and brushing your hair away from your face. "Mmmm." You opened your eyes to see Alex smiling down at you. "You need to quit doing that Alex," you said sitting up. "You already know my opinion on us being just friends." "I know Alex," you said crawling out of bed. You looked back at him when you didn't hear any movement from the bed. His eyes were running over your body, a slight smile on his face. "Then why must you be wearing stuff like that around me." You looked down at your short pink boxer shorts and white tank top. "Maybe because you're not supposed to be in my house this early and its not really a concern of Abby's." "So what if someone knocked on the door?" "I would put on a sweatshirt or a robe like I'm going to do now. Not that what I wear in my own home is any of their business or yours." You pulled your white fluffy robe around you heading towards the door.

Alex stopped you in the entranceway, "Give me another chance Annie girl." "Alex, quit." "I haven't dated anyone in over three years, doesn't that prove anything to you?" "No. How many girls have you slept with in the past three years?" "That doesn't prove anything." "Yes, it does! I've been completely on my own since you got me pregnant." "Bulls-" "Don't." "I have been with you this whole time if you wanted me to be or not. You haven't been alone. I've been right here, waiting for you." "I don't need you, Alex." "Yes, you do! I don't understand why you won't give me another shot, it has been three years." "Because your track record isn't very clean. I have given you plenty of chances, and you have always blown them." "This last time wasn't my fault!" "Yes it was! All you had to do was tell me, not ignore me. If you would have even said anything about needing to tell me something and not ignoring me, it would have been better." "It didn't even end up being my baby!" "Yeah, but this one is!" "I know that! Doesn't she deserve the chance of her parents being together?" "Not if you're just going to hurt me again. That's why we decided on friends." "No, that's why you decided on friends."

You just continued into the kitchen to start making pancakes while the air around Alex and yourself was surrounded in tension. "UUGGGGHHHHH! Give me another chance! I know that you still have feelings for me too! You're just scared." "Alex, will you please just go get Abby?" He looked at you for a moment before he just rolled his eyes and walked away. What did he expect from you? You couldn't handle another Alex incident, especially not when you had Abby to worry about. It wasn't worth the risk.

Abby then came running into the kitchen extending her arms for you to pick her up. You picked her up and swung her around. "Hey baby girl. Were you excited to see Daddy?" She nodded her head vigorously, then decided to extend her arms to Alex. He came over and grabbed her from you looking you over with regretful eyes. "Hey Abby, why don't you ask Daddy to put on some cartoons?" "Toons, daddy, toons!" He laughed and carried her to the living room.

You poured the mix on to the pan and waited to flip it, while listening to some cartoon be turned on in the living room. You turned around to see Alex sitting next to Abby on the couch. You turned around and flipped the pancake, when you felt Alex's arms go around your waist. "Alex." "Rhiannon." "I-" "No, Annie girl. I'm going to be persistent about it this time." You took a deep breath as he nuzzled his nose to your head. "I noticed, but why?" "I was looking through some old pictures yesterday and found pictures of my brother and I when we were younger. It made me remember how quickly the people we love can be gone. I can't lose you, Annie girl, or Abby. I want us to be a family."

You just stood there staring at the pancake until you moved to put it on the plate that you had laying next to the stove. You then put in another blotch of mix into the pan before turning around. When you turned around to look at him you wanted to cry. All he did though was pull you into his arms for a hug. "I don't expect you to immediately want to do this, but can we start with little things? Things that make us more like a family." "Like you coming over for breakfast while Abby and I are still in our pjs?" "That sounds like a good start." You smiled, "Best one you're going to get."