After The Dance (FOB FanFic ft. Panic! At The Disco)

~PART THREE~ [Chapter 44] Playing By Her Rules (Lexy)

(Lexy's POV)

It's been a few weeks since Pete's Ugly Sweater party. I'd pretty much made permanent residence on Pete's couch, alongside Hemingway who usually crawled on top of me when I was sleeping and fell asleep there. Pete claimed that Hemingway was cheating on him with me.

One night, while I was sitting on the couch eating the leftovers from the pizza Pete ordered last night, he and Catherine walked out of their bedroom. Pete was dressed like he was ready to perform and Catherine was dressed in a skin-tight, one-shouldered black dress that went down to a little above her knees, wearing dark makeup.

"Where are you two headed?" I inquired, setting the half-eaten piece of pizza down on the paper plate in my hand.

"Fall Out Boy is playing at a club tonight," Catherine informed me, "You want to come?"

I was about to answer yes when I remembered the conversation Patrick and I had the day after the party. He had shown up at Pete's apartment to "talk to him about a gig he landed for the band" (which he did, but he really came to talk to me).

"She doesn't want me seeing you anymore, Lex," He told me as we were sitting at the dining table, with him prefacing that it might be better if we sat down with what he had to tell me.

My eyes widened in shock, but I didn't pass out as Patrick had anticipated. "She what?"

He averted his gaze away from me before repeating himself, "Elisa told me she doesn't want me seeing you anymore. Period. Just as a friend or as more than a friend. She doesn't want me seeing you at all." I watched his Adam's apple move up and down before he added, "She said if I did that she would make sure that she and I would never see each other again."

"Um...nah, I'm good," I replied, faking a smile.

"You sure?" Pete asked, "Patrick's going to be there." He winked at me.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I set the paper plate aside and heaved a sigh, folding my hands over my stomach, "I'm not feeling very well, anyways."

"You've been saying that a lot lately..." My sister commented, "Do I need to take you to a doctor or something?" I shook my head no. "You sure?" She rushed up to me and put the back of her hand to my forehead, as if she was taking my temperature.

"Yes!" I exclaimed with a slight chuckle, smacking her hand away, "Now go before you guys are late!"

The two of them hesitated before turning around and leaving the apartment.

I got up from my spot on the couch and closed the door behind them, locking it for safety purposes. I turned around and leaned back against the door, closing my eyes.

"So you chose her," I muttered under my breath, hanging my head and twiddling my thumbs in my lap.

"No, I didn't choose her," Patrick retorted, "I just...playing by her rules right now."

"Playing by her rules?"

"It's complicated, Lexy."

I shook my head and rose to my feet, walking away from the table, "If it's so complicated, Patrick, then why did I even bother coming back?" Before he could reply to that, I continued, "Because if I knew things were going to be like this, I would've never have left New Jersey."

"Come on, Lex," He said, standing up. "Don't be like that." He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my front, "You know I want to be with you."

I hung my head and looked down at his arms that were over mine, "I know."

"So please, bear with me," He whispered into my ear, "Especially when I say that you need to play by her rules too."