Urgh... I groan softly, drowsily opening my eyes only to find Lexi cuddled up as she's spooning against me. Her ass digs against my groin while her head is tucked between my arm and chest, still sleeping peacefully. So far for keeping a distance. I smile thinking back about how she tried her utmost best to keep an appropriate gap between us last night. I glance around us to see Rebekah is already awake busy on her phone, not even noticing I'm awake as well while Alex is still snoring like a log. The sun has barely risen over the ocean suggesting it hasn't been long since the crack of dawn. As my eyes wander over the calm waves I can't help but think back about last night, my heartrate exhilarates instantly. I can't believe we've actually kissed after all these years... I gaze back down at Lexi's sleeping figure. Even if the timing was rather shitty. I groan, hugging her tightly to my chest making her spin happily like a cat as her arm claws at mine. You're gonna do my head in little fox... I smile settling back down wanting to enjoy this feeling for another minute, knowing it'll end before I know it. My fingers play with her hair as I reminisce about what to do. I know she's still hurting over what that jackass did to her. I grumble silently as she shifts in place, only digging her butt deeper against me. Dammit, beautiful. Cut it out already... I groan. Even with the sleeping bags sandwiched between us, her actions do little to help my morning issue. But as I try to pry my hips loose from hers she follows me as if she was glued to my side. You're killing me here! I swear, biting my lip as I try to calm myself down until a sudden giggle rips my eyes away from her. When I notice Rebekah is watching the both of us with a vexing grin on her face I can't help but swallow slightly before she whispers.

'Got a little problem there Romeo?'

I roll my eyes at her before looking down at Lexi as I ask, unable to keep a smile off my face.

'Where's the off button? I can't get loose, she claws to me like a cat protecting its toy.'

My comment only humors Rebekah even more as she gets up walking toward us. She crouches down in front of Lexi, one of her fingers tickling her behind her ear. Making her groan softly in frustration. Her happiness now being disturbed she shifts her head, allowing me to pull my arm from underneath her. She lets go of my other arm curling into a little ball, protective holding her hand over her ear.

'Good to know...'

I murmur to Bheks as I quickly sit up before she changes her mind and finds the opportunity to cling back onto me again. Rebekah stays down, eying me up her finger-pointing between me and Lexi as she asks intrigued.

'How did this came to be? Because last I remembered before I fell asleep, was that the two of you were at least a foot apart.'

With my hands behind me in the sand, I tilt my head back chuckling softly before looking back at her sideways as I say.

'It's not what you think. She was still shivering from the cold. I didn't want her to get sick, that's all...'

'Mmhmm...'

Rebekah nods skeptically not believing a word of what I'm saying. I sigh, throwing my hands in the air already knowing she made up her mind anyway.

'Jesus Bheks, nothing happened! I was actually quite surprised to find her stuck to me like glue since she made a point last night to stay away as far as possible from me with her body..'

'Not that you minded it...'

She wiggles her eyebrows, but I wave her off as stand up and grumble.

'Fuck off.'

I stretch out feeling a pain shooting through my back making me groan.

'Damn...'

I wheeze as I rub my hands against the sore spot. Rebekah gets up as well, studying my behavior as she asks genuinely concerned.

'Is it still that painful?'

I give her a sideways smile, trying to reassure her as I say.

'Well, a night on the beach doesn't really help the situation. Normally it's manageable...'

She nods, her face apologetic but I tell her not to worry about it as I rumble.

'You probably didn't manage to get some coffee since you were up already?'

She shakes her head laughing as she walks back to the spot she was sitting before as she says.

'No, that thing over at our place has a mind of its own... I gave up on it. I was, however, smart enough to text Tyler. He's on his way with coffee and breakfast.'

'Uh-huh... It has nothing to do with you, instead of that poor coffee machine?'

I chuckle as I sit back down beside her. She gives me a shove, her face outraged as she sputters in protest.

'No mister! That thing is evil, that's all.'

'No. You just can't handle equipment, darling. But that's why you have me to save the day!'

Tyler chuckles smugly a few feet behind us, holding two bags and a tray with beverages in the air. Rebekah darts up, slinging her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss as Tyler tries to stay on his feet balancing the tray in his hand as he says.

'Good morning, darling. Be careful, this stuff is steaming hot.'

'Oh, you sure are!'

Rebekah winks at him and I instantly turn back around. It's way too early for this shit... I grumble as Tyler hands me my coffee.

'Thanks.'

I smile up at him as he turns to the two sleepy heads and shouts.

'Wacky wacky, Tyler brought breaky!'

Both of them rub their eyes, glancing over to Tyler while Lexi grumbles in between her yawns.

'Oh God, you're just like her... Way too loud so early in the morning.'

'You're one to talk! You used to wake me up singing, loudly!'

Rebekah fires back at Lexi as she sits up, rubbing her eyes once more as she mumbles.

'That was after I tried to wake you up the normal way at least five frikkin' times...'

She looks beside her, noticing that I'm gone before looking around until her eyes land on me. I give her a sly smile holding up my coffee as I chuckle.

'Morning, beautiful. You look like you could use one of these...'

'Morning to you too...'

She mutters with a slight blush on her cheeks, quickly undoing her messed-up braids. Happily, she accepts her drink offered by Tyler immediately taking a sip. He walks over to Alex, also handing him his cup of coffee but he immediately puts it on the floor shutting his eyes again. Tyler sits down next to Rebekah as he utters in disbelief.

'I can't believe you guys didn't invite me for your little sleepover last night!'

'I'm sorry Ty, I didn't really plan on it either.'

Lexi grunts, stretching her limbs before she lazily strolls over to Alex kicking him in his side as she yells.

'Hey, woodchuck! If I'm not allowed to sleep anymore, you aren't either!'

'Urgh! Stop abusing me, otherwise, I might change my mind about taking you with us to Ibiza...'

He threatens though he listens to her, sitting up straight and heaving another big sigh. They both join us, coffee in hand as Alex turns to Tyler and asks.

'Now we're on the topic... I guess we've got a spare ticket since Ian's out of the picture, wanna come?'

Tyler quickly takes out his phone, checking his schedule before nodding in agreement making Rebekah squeal as she hugs him tightly.

'Oh! This is going to be so much fun!'

My gaze wanders over to Lexi, who's poking holes in the sand with a stick and a scowl on her face. Hearing his name probably must've triggered the memories of last night. I think as she angrily takes a sip of her coffee, her eyes still trained on the floor. I'm not the only one to notice the change in her behavior as Tyler speaks up hesitantly.

'How are you doing, Lexi? Rebekah told me what happened, that's such a shitty thing to do...'

She furiously drives the branch deep into the sand before letting it go, shaking her head as she plasters a fake smile on her face looking up at all of us as she bites out.

'I'm fine. That baboon can go to hell for all I care.'

Empathy is written on all of our faces, annoying her even more as she grumbles.

'Can the bunch of you cut out those damn puppy eyes! I'm fine!'

We all avert our eyes, glancing at one another not knowing what else to do or say. You're clearly not fine... I sigh giving her a sympathetic wink, telling her silently that she'll be alright. She gives me half a smile in return as she mumbles trying to change the subject.

'Did I hear someone mention breakfast?'

'Nah, you were just dreaming about that...'

Tyler laughs before putting the two paper bags in the middle of our group as he continues.

'Just kidding! Here you go, I picked a little of everything so there should be something good for everyone...'

Alex and Rebekah instantly tackle the bags in search of some food. However, Lexi and I lazily wait in no haste to get caught between the two of them. Tyler laughs wholeheartedly, turning to me as he whispers.

'The way to any woman's heart, food.'

I snort to him in return as Lexi comments, watching the animalistic scene before her as Alex and Rebekah fight over the same sandwich.

'Boy, am I glad I'm just a coffee in the morning kinda girl. No sandwich is worth this sorta trouble...'

'Oh, I know about a sandwich you'd cling to though...'

Rebekah teases, looking her way and wiggling her eyebrows as she holds up the loaf of bread triumphantly. Lexi lifts an eyebrow confused as to what she's talking about and I instantly throw my empty coffee cup to her head as I huff.

'Don't kiss and tell.'

As she's distracted by the cup along with my snarky words, Alex quickly takes his opportunity to snatch the sandwich out from between her fingers. She looks over at me, squinting her eyes as she snarls.

'That just cost me my breakfast, idiot!'

'If you would've just kept your mouth shut, it wouldn't have happened.'

I state the obvious as I lean back, a grin creeping up my face as I watch Lexi's clueless expression while her eyes dart between Rebekah and me. Trying to figure out what we're talking about as she murmurs.

'Do I even want to know what this is about?'

'Probably not...'

I chuckle loudly as Rebekah grumpily picks something else to eat. I usher Lexi to go next and as she reaches forward to the bag I say to Tyler.

'Well, it's a good thing I've got other ways to get to a woman's heart.'

My remark nearly makes Lexi stumble in her steps. She grumbles something inaudible to herself as she loudly rummages through the bag, picking something before throwing the bag over to me.

'It wouldn't take them long to figure out you're an ass either.'

She says sticking out her tongue as I catch the bag just in time. I reach in to see what's left over, and as I pull out a pastrami sandwich I can't help but taunt her a bit as I say.

'Why thank you, you even saved me my favorite...'

'Bite me.'

She snaps, stomping her foot in the sand. I wink back at her, telling her teasingly just before grabbing a bite.

'Maybe some other time...'

She grits her teeth before continuing her own breakfast, knowing that whatever she wants to say would probably only provoke me even further. Got you there... I smile gently, happy to see she at least didn't lose her spunk after last night. I was afraid it would get awkward between us, but things seem just like they have always been. Whether I'm okay with that or not I haven't quite figured out yet...

After breakfast we clean up our mess, gathering our stuff before heading back. We all go our own ways since we still have things to do before our little outing to Ibiza begins, which for me meant the tattoo business and shitloads of paperwork.

***

It's been two days since our night at the beach and I've been running around the clock trying to get my things in order, looking for shop equipment, and negotiating with several clothing branches and whatnot. Exhausted I lean my head against the window, squirming around in my seat trying to make myself comfortable as the bus keeps swinging up and down on the road. Urgh, dammit. This is getting more annoying by the day. I grunt as my ribs get shoved against the side of the wall when the bus drives through a ditch.

Lexi and I have barely even seen each other in the meantime, let alone find the time to talk about what happened between us. It's not that we didn't have the chance, we both did our utmost best to avoid each other. Even when we crossed paths, which mostly happened around dinnertime, we kept to ourselves. I wanted her to have the time to get her thoughts in order, not just about me, but also because of what happened with Ian. She needs to give it a place, not shove it in the far corner of her mind. Though I know that those hopes will probably fall on deaf ears. He really did a number on her... Last night I overheard Rebekah talking to Lexi in her room and even to her, she doesn't want to talk about it. All we know is that she has contacted her manager and told her to figure out a way she wouldn't have to work with him as much as they originally planned. Delphine said she'd do her best, but she couldn't promise anything since they already started their plans for the upcoming tour.

My thoughts get disrupted as my phone starts to buzz in my pocket. I take it out, immediately grunting as soon as my eyes scan over the message number and I open it begrudgingly. *Remember the deal we made. I expect you to keep your end of the bargain, don't make me regret my choices. W.* Shit. I sigh, my fingers dashing over the screen sending a quick text back. *I know. I'm taking care of it, don't worry.*  I shove my phone back as soon as I'm done pushing the stop button just in time for me to get out. Way to ruin my day. I grumble as I get out, walking the last bit toward the house.

***

'MOVE! I SWEAR TO GOD REBEKAH, LET~ ME~ THROUGH!'

Lexi's voice thunders as soon as I open the front door. Rebekah immediately darts my way, shoving me to the ground as she quickly slams the door shut. Barricading it with her body as she yells.

'Not happening! You're not yourself, you've gotta calm down first!

'I WILL BE AS GENTLE AS A LAMB AFTER I'VE KILLED HIM. NOW MOVE!'

She roars standing next to the staircase, glaring her sister to death. Oh, fuck! I swear in a panic as I quickly scramble up, going through the events of this morning making sure in my mind this isn't directed towards me. This is bad! I curse, wondering what caused Lexi to go manic like this as I mumble to Bheks.

'...What the fuck happened?!'

Rebekah's eyes quickly dart to me in panic before focusing back on her sister, following her every move like a deer preparing for a lion's attack while she sputters.

'She talked to Charlotte... She, they~'

'THAT SON OF A BITCH HAD THE NERVE TO BLAME ME?! HAH! HOW BLOODY RICH, SINCE HE'D BEEN THE ONE SCREWING HER FOR OVER TWO MONTHS! TWO FUCKING MONTHS!'

She rages to no one in particular as she yanks some stuff off a shelf. Throwing a vase against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. Fuck, fuck ...fuck! I grumble, now understanding why she's out for blood as she continues wrathfully screaming from the top of her lungs.

'MATT WASN'T EVEN BACK YET WHEN HE DECIDED TO GO AND FUCK HER! I'M GOING TO BLOODY MURDER HIM, NOW STEP ASIDE!'

As my eyes wander around I see she has trashed nearly everything in the hallway and living room, leaving a path of destruction behind her. I carefully take a step towards her, my hands raised in front of me so she knows I mean no harm as I whisper.

'Lex, listen...'

She points her finger at me, one of her eyes twitching in rage as she snaps accusingly.

'DON'T COME NEAR ME! ...AND DON'T YOU DARE TAKE HER SIDE IN THIS!'

'I'm not taking anyone's side here! I would love nothing more than to beat the crap out of that fucking moron, but you know that wouldn't solve anything...'

I plead with her, shaking my hands as I take another step forward. She kicks with her leg knocking over a pillar, and sending another vase flying in her madness as she screeches.

'OH, BUT I'M PRETTY DAMN SURE I'D FEEL A WHOLE LOT BETTER!'

'No, you wouldn't!'

Rebekah whimpers over the clashing sound only a few feet away from her, fearful that she might actually slaughter him if she could get near him right now. The wrecking sound distracts Lexi for a split second. As she glances down to the ground I quickly take my change folding my arms around hers from the back, holding her captive. She immediately starts moving around like a maniac as she seethes raging, turning her anger towards me.

'MATT, I HATE YOU! LET FUCKING GO OF ME, NOW!'

'Hate me all you want, but you're going nowhere...'

I groan, using every ounce of my strength to keep her between my grasp. Jesus, I forgot how strong you are whenever you're angry! I grumble to myself as her hands try to claw on my arms, kicking her legs fuming as she growls.

'LET~ ME~ GO!'

'No.'

I mutter determined against her ear, holding her even tighter to my chest as she continues to protest at the end of her whits.

'I JUST WANT TO, NEED TO, LEARN HIM A LESSON! HE HAS TO PAY!'

'I get it. We get it! You have every right to be mad and to feel hurt... We just don't want you to do something you'll regret later.'

I tell her, my voice calm and caring as her arms start shaking and her kicks get slower. Here it comes... I sigh, squeezing her close.

'It's alright. Everything is going to be okay, beautiful...'

I whisper tenderly leaning my head against the crook of her neck as her feet stop, no strength left in them as she bawls.

'Y-YOU DON'T. HE... H-He has...'

'I know. I swear you're going to be okay, you will get through this. Come here...'

I mumble lovingly as I turn her around, hugging her tightly. She buries her head in my chest, her anger subsiding entirely. Tears now streaming down her cheeks as her fingers claw onto my shirt. I use one arm to hold her steady, her body drained from exhaustion as I bury the other one in her hair keeping her close as she cries out.

'I hate him, I hate him ...I hate him!'

'It's alright, beautiful. Let it all out... We're here...'

I breathe. I could've known this was bound to happen, we were so busy avoiding each other that I missed the most important thing... How she was feeling deep down. She was handling this way too calmly... Bottling everything up like she always does, until now. Charlotte's words made her tip over the edge, and every defense she still had up came crashing down with it. Rebekah slides down onto the ground, worn out after trying to stop her sister for god knows how long. With her head resting against the wall she mouths "thank you" and I give her a nod, telling her it's fine with my eyes as I continue to soothe Lexi, brushing my hand through her hair. Still clinging to my shirt she weeps in hiccups, still short of breath.

'M-Matty, I'm s-so s-sorry! I... I h-hate him, n-not y-you!'

'Hey now...'

I tell her my voice soft as I gently lift her head up so she'd look me in the eye, wiping away some of the tears she shed.

'You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily, now did you?'

She smiles sheepishly through her tears and I kiss her on the top of her face before laying her head back against me as I whisper.

'I'll always protect you. Even if that means I have to protect you from yourself...'

She shifts her head, burying her face in my neck as her sobs and breathing start to calm down a little. I walk toward the couch, carefully avoiding the carnage around us holding her tight the entire time. I sit down, tenderly folding her legs sideways over my lap. She changes the position of her arm, folding it against my back making herself more comfortable as she wipes her face with the sleeve of her other wrist. Rebekah tiptoes toward us, motioning that she's going to start cleaning up the mess while I stay with her and I just nod, holding Lexi close by her waist. You deserve better than this, I sigh stroking her hair. Far better than any of this... Knowing the way I must've messed with her head the other day, didn't exactly help. As if reading my mind she tilts her head slightly giving me a kiss on the jaw as she murmurs fatigued.

'Thanks, Matty ...for everything.'

I kindly smile at her, kissing her scalp before leaning my head on top of hers as I murmur.

'Anytime, beautiful...'

***

After another ten minutes, she's sound asleep on my chest and I gently lay her down putting my jacket over her shoulders. Sweet dreams, little troublemaker... I smirk as I kiss her on the cheek, making her smile in her sleep as she grasps the rim of my jacket pulling it closer to her. I get up and walk towards the hall searching for Rebekah. She sits on her knees, gathering pieces of everything on the floor that isn't broken as she sees me and asks.

'How is she?'

'Sleeping like an angel.'

I grin shaking my head as I lift up the pillar, putting it back in place. Rebekah chuckles, motioning at the damage around her as she huffs.

'That's one badass angel I sure as hell don't want to piss off...'

'Can you blame her?'

I ask lifting an eyebrow. Rebekah shakes her head, immediately a sour expression on her face as she mocks.

'Not really...'

I nod my head in agreeance and grab a broom on the side, starting to collect the broken pieces of glass as Rebekah murmurs, putting the stuff back in its place.

'You came in the nick of time, I don't know what would've happened otherwise.'

'You would've managed just fine Bheks, she would've calmed down eventually.'

I reply dryly making her turn to me, as she shakes it furiously and says.

'No. Matt, I was trying to talk her down for over half an hour! I'm no match for her when she flies off the handle. She went fucking ballistic. You're the only one she listens to in that kind of state, no one else ever succeeded in that. It happened before, remember?'

I sigh nodding my head, remembering that night all too well. She was eleven or so, and not nearly as strong, but that was the first time I saw the destruction she was capable of whenever someone took it too far. I never told anyone this, but it actually scared the hell out of me at the time. Especially because we bickered around the clock, afraid that rage one day might turn in my direction. I'd been the one to calm her down back then as well... I look at Rebekah as I ask, not able to hide the humor in my tone.

'How the hell did she get so strong for such a tiny thing? Does she bench press or something?'

Rebekah chuckles loudly, almost cutting herself on some glass as she tries to pick it up and says.

'A few years ago she did some karate lessons, hoping it would clear her mind from all the daily stress she was having. After a while, she figured it wasn't her thing and quit. Besides that, nothing... You just shouldn't piss her off. It's like she flips a switch, and some primal force deep within her comes flooding to the surface.'

'When she's out for blood, and you're her target of attack, you're pulling on the short end of the stick that's for sure.'

I mutter putting some of the glass in a trash bag. It's a good thing she quit karate, she'd be deathly with a black belt... I grunt. She's hard enough to deal with as is! Rebekah rips me out of my thoughts, seeing the little smirk plastered on my face and snorts back.

'You're damn right about that one! We better make sure we stay on her good side.'

I can hear her mumble something else under her breath. Something along the lines of "It would've come in handy if you'd been here when mom and dad died...", but I decide not to ask questions knowing it's a sore topic. I knew they'd all been going through hell when that happened, although I can't figure out a reason for Lexi to go on a rampage over it either. Maybe she means it was just from grief? I sigh as the both of us continue our cleaning in silence, a stab of regret tugging in my chest knowing I wasn't there for either of them at the time.

***

We continue tidying up the place for another hour until we're finally done and reward ourselves with something to drink. With Lexi still sound asleep, and our plane leaving in a few hours we quickly gather our stuff. Rebekah also finished up Lexi's suitcase since she already packed most of her stuff earlier. In the midst of it all, Alex strolls through the front door. He looks around him, slightly confused as to where half of the decor went as Rebekah jogs up to him. She fills him in about everything that happened before we wake Lexi up, ready to leave for our trip. She doesn't talk much on our way to the airport. Besides murmuring a bunch of apologies about her rampage, feeling guilty that we cleaned the whole ordeal. Not that anyone is mad at her, the opposite, Rebekah keeps insuring her. We meet Tyler at the airport before we all head to our first-class seats. I rummage around, not used to this kind of luxury when traveling as Lexi takes a seat beside me. She giggles noticing my discomfort straight away as she asks.

'First time you're flying first class?'

I nod to her looking around as I mumble.

'Normally I just take economy class, generally, not a lot of people recognize me so I don't have to. Besides, my budget isn't yours... This doesn't even look like a fucking plane anymore.'

The chairs are almost as big as sofabeds, and every place has its own television. It's so over the top I don't even dare and ask Alex what all of this must've cost him. The flight alone probably costs more than I make in an entire month, let alone the whole trip... Lexi shrugs her shoulders, taking off her shoes before pulling her feet up as she mumbles.

'I can assure you, it wouldn't have been a lot of fun traveling economy class with Tyler and me. Even Alex is starting to notice the hindrance of stardom since he's starting to get well-known for his clubs. There are days I really miss it though... Just going and doing whatever I please without having to worry about stuff like that.'

The nostalgic tone in her voice keeps me thinking. It really isn't all it's cracked up to be. I remember the first time a woman halted me in the streets, recognizing me as a tattoo artist and asking me for an autograph. I literally looked behind me to see if she was talking to someone else. But for her, this happens on a daily basis.

'Most of the time its fun and all, but sometimes I get tired of it... Some people seriously don't know when to cut it out, let alone think about personal boundaries.'

'Does it ever end badly?'

I ask looking at her from the side. She tips her head, nearly making her cap topple over debating herself before nodding slightly as she mutters.

'Sometimes. As mom used to say, there are more wackos walking around than there are incarcerated... From time to time there are incidents when someone gets so obsessed it gets scary, luckily Delphine jumps in before it gets taken too far.'

I contemplate her words as the stewardess tells us to buckle up for take-off. As she walks by, Lexi asks her if she can get a certain magazine when they're up in the air and she nods vigorously. When the plane starts to pull up I turn to Lexi and ask with a smile on my face.

'So no more economy for you then...'

'Actually... It's been forever since I've even been in a regular plane.'

She confesses looking around her. Tyler and Rebekah sitting on the opposite end of us, while Alex sits alone a little further away.

'Delphine owns a jet in the company. She says it's too much of a hassle with the paparazzi following my every step, so she rather has me flying private whenever I have to go somewhere for work.'

She huffs as if it's nothing. I pull one brow up, slightly stunned by her aloof behavior as I whisper.

'You own a fucking jet?'

'The company does. Don't look at me as if I'm some prissy princess, you know I hate being fondled over... It's not my call. The only good thing about it is that I can take my own car with me in cargo if I want to.'

'Jesus Christ.'

I swear under my breath, just loud enough for her to hear. She shoves my shoulder, squinting her brows as she mutters annoyed.

'It's not as fabulous as you're picturing it. Most of the time I'm on such a tight schedule, I don't even have time to enjoy wherever I'm going. As soon as I walk off the stage or set, I'm already on my way to another gig. I've been all over the world and have barely seen anything.'

'Maybe, in the future, you should have a doover the good way then?'

She chuckles softly nodding to me as the lights flash above us, indicating that we can remove our seatbelts as she says.

'Sounds like a good plan. But I would have to find the time first, Sherlock.'

'Make time.'

I simply state as I lay back, while the blond stewardess comes stalking our way holding the requested magazine in hand and I mumble softly.

'Jesus, are you a God to her or something?'

Lexi giggles, grabbing a blanket as she whispers so the flight attendant can't hear.

'That's what you call first-class, darling. They would run over hot coals if anyone asked them around here... If you want something, just ask.'

The woman hands her the magazine with a slight bow in her step and I turn to her as I ask.

'Can I have something to drink?'

She nods telling me she'll bring me a menu right away before dashing off. I turn back to Lexi muttering astonished.

'There's a menu?'

She snorts, lazily flipping through the pages of the gossip magazine until she freezes instantly before sitting up straight and cursing silently.

'Shit, she was right...'

'Who was?'

I ask, bending over to see what she's looking at. Damn. I grunt as my eyes wander over the page. Written in big bold letters the headline states*Secret relationship turns into a messy breakup for everyone to see!* A picture of Lexi, holding Charlotte by the hair as she's shouting to Ian, me standing next to her in the club underneath it.

'Delphine told me about it this morning, but I hadn't found the time to check it out yet. Dammit.'

Lexi groans, her eyes scanning the article while murmuring.

'For months there have been speculations about the two of them being in a relationship. Yadda, yadda... Before even going public their fairytale seems to have ended abruptly when Lexi found Ian kissing another woman. Our sources tell us she found him kissing a childhood friend on a night out with family and friends... Blah-blah-blah... Bystanders saw them get into a messy fight. You thought that was messy, Muffy? Should've seen me this afternoon.'

Lexi comments ironically, making me chuckle as well as she continues to read out loud.

'Just before her knight in shining armor Mattheo Blackwell. Oh, you did your homework on this one...'

'What?!'

I shout shocked, making several people around us turn in our direction shushing us to be quiet. But I pay them no mind as I yank the magazine away from Lexi, my eyes scanning the page as I continue to grumble what's written out loud.

'Mattheo Blackwell, an old family friend, and famous tattoo artist manages to get her away from the scene. At least their philosophy about me being your boyfriend is out of the way... She accomplishes to land a hit across Ian's face.'

I comment in between through gritted teeth making Lexi huff a laugh, followed by a sigh dragging a hand through her hair once she hears they've written about the punching as well.

'Just great.'

She grumbles as I proceed to read.

'Bystanders say he well deserved it, trying to blame her even though there was nothing that could've been denied on his part. Lexi's fans are furious at Ian Moore, staking out at his apartment trying to get their hands on him. Karma is a bitch... There are even rumors going around that Lexi knew about the affair for quite some time and that this was her inspiration for her latest album...'

'You gotta be fucking kidding me!'

Lexi snarls under her breath, snatching the article back as she spits.

'Can't say I'm feeling sorry for him being harassed at the moment. But tying it to the album, seriously?'

She doesn't dare to look in my direction, both of us knowing precisely what that album is about. Me. Reluctantly she continues, dreading what else is written there.

'Since she has been very secretive about the "inspiration" she used, we can only guess. Well, guess again McMillon, because that's not it! Fans are wondering what's happening next since the two of them were supposed to go on tour together. But I think we can all agree that the chances of that happening are very slim right now... Got that right! Both of their agents haven't given an official statement yet, but we think it's safe to say that the music match made in heaven is officially over!'

She throws the magazine down on the table, pinching the bridge of her nose as she takes off her cap and murmurs.

'Well, at least Muffy McMillon got most of her facts straight. It could've been way worse...'

'How on earth did she even manage to get my name?'

I ask, still flabbergasted that I got pulled into this story as well. Lexi shrugs as the stewardess tiptoes our way, apologizing for the wait but since we seemed occupied she didn't want to disturb us. I wave her off telling her it's fine as she hands me the menu and Lexi grumbles.

'McMillon is one of the most well-known reporters in LA, you wouldn't believe the background searches she can pull on someone. If there's any dirt to be found on you, trust me, she can dig it up! Just be glad she put you in a good spotlight today and hope she never gets interested in you, ever again.'

'You know this world you live in amazes me every day, over and over again... How do you survive all of this shit?'

'Honestly, most of the time I find it humoristic what they write about me... They act like they know everything about you, while they couldn't be further from the truth. But you gotta learn to let it go, otherwise, it'll start to mess with your head.'

She sighs as I order my drink, she herself also ordering something. When we're alone again she tosses the magazine over to Rebekah and Tyler and says mockingly.

'Here's the scoop of the day.'

They immediately start turning pages and she focuses her attention back on me as she apologizes.

'I'm sorry you got dragged into all of this, again.'

'Don't sweat it. Guess it's part of the deal now I'm living with you guys, isn't it?'

She nods sympathetically, obviously feeling worse for me than for herself.

'How did your manager take it?'

I ask, knowing the last time something like this happened she tripped out. Lexi shakes her head as our drinks are set on the table, taking a sip before she says.

'Mm, it's nothing. She expected it. I told her everything the day after it happened. Even though you tried to get me out of there, I was already pretty sure something like this was bound to happen. The only thing she said to me was that if it was her she probably would've given him more than just a right hook. Oh, and to thank you for the damage control... Because in my case, giving him more than a right hook would've resulted in a much bigger problem.'

I wave her off, not interested in a pat on the back as I settle back down and murmur.

'Like I said. Anytime, beautiful.'

She smiles gently putting the blanket over her shoulders as a grin creeps up on her face and she asks.

'By the way... What happened in the bathroom the other day?'

I avert my eyes looking out of the window at the clouds that pass us by, immediately realizing what she's talking about as I murmur.

'Got no clue what you're going on about...'

'Don't screw with me! Rebekah won't tell me about it and I saw the new hinges on the door, you already told me about the dryer so what happened?'

'Rebekah was just being Rebekah, that's all...'

I mutter innocently, although that even makes her warier as she grumbles.

'Even she can't break down a fucking door...'

'Maybe she channeled your strength from whenever you get mad?'

I yelp softly as I realize I have nowhere to go stuck in this tin sitting can next to her. She crosses her arms, looking down at me disapproving as she sighs.

'Hah, hah... Very funny. You wrecked it, didn't you?'

I grind my teeth, faking a smile but she clearly has seen through my charades and I utter.

'Maybe? But at least I fixed it the same day!'

'Whatever, it's fine. After today I owe you one anyway. Besides, I don't know what you did when you fixed the dryer, but it doesn't make that wracking sound anymore which used to drive me nuts...'

She smiles letting me off the hook while thanking me for my handiwork and I can't help but chuckle back.

'Yeah well, that probably came from Rebekah's bracelet which I found underneath the drum.'

'God... How did it even? You know what, I'm not even going to ask. With her clumsy ways, I'm not surprised by anything anymore.'

She laughs looking over to her sister, who's sound asleep against Tyler's shoulder. I follow her line of sight, snickering softly.

'Tyler's got his work cut out for him if she ever decides to move in with him...'

'Poor guy, he has no idea what's in store for him if that happens...'

For the rest of the flight, we keep ourselves occupied by watching a bunch of movies until the both of us finally fall asleep as well. Until we get waked for our dinner, which turned out to be an actual dinner! Not one of those gross mid-air prison trays that makes you wonder if the flight attendants are pulling a hit on your life. The look of wonder on my face must've said more than a thousand words because Lexi and even Tyler and Rebekah broke out in a fit of laughter over it. After we finished up we all end up chatting for the rest of the flight, me especially trying to get to know Tyler a bit better since we hadn't had much time to talk before. When I mention to Rebekah that he has my stamp of approval. She jumps up in the air as if her father had just agreed to her hand in marriage, hugging me tightly. Alex, on the other hand, sleeps through most of the flight since he told us earlier he has to go and take care of business as soon as we land. With a time difference of approximately six hours, we'd arrive somewhere in the middle of the night.

***

'Not happening!'

Lexi yells at the hotel employee, looking over to Alex and pleading with him to find another solution.

'I'm sorry, Lex. I totally forgot about that.'

He murmurs apologetically while the woman behind the desk scratches her ear, typing away on her keyboard trying to find a solution. Isn't this a great start... After a few seconds, she looks up repentantly as she mumbles.

'I'm sorry ma'am, but we're completely booked. These are the only available rooms...'

'No. No, no, no ...no!'

Lexi utters in a panic as I take a step back, trying to get myself as far away from this situation as possible. Rebekah and Tyler doing the same, afraid they as well might be pulled in by the crossfire as Lexi turns to Alex begging him.

'Can't I just bunk with you?!'

'Sorry sis, because of work I booked myself a dark room and it's just accommodating to one... It didn't even cross my mind to change the layouts. You were supposed to get a room with Ian and Rebekah would've bunked with Matt. But since Tyler's here instead of him, well...'

She looks over to Rebekah who's giving her a pair of puppy eyes pleading with her.

'Come on, Lex. This is my first real holiday with Ty... Please?'

Lexi grunts, not able to withstand her sister's begging but also clearly not happy with this predicament. I sigh reluctantly walking over to the desk as I mumble.

'¿Estás segura de que no puedes hacer nada?'

Are you sure there's nothing you can do? I ask her, brushing up my Spanish. It's been a long time since I've even spoken entire sentences... At home mamá only throws in certain words between her speech, unless she's angry that is. In that case, she would go out full force. Which was our queue she means business. Padre just talks in his mother's tongue whenever he feels like it or whenever relatives were coming to visit. She understands me clearly, though she seems surprised by it. Smiling apologetically, reassuring me she has looked through all of the books and that there is absolutely nothing she can do for us since doubles are the only ones available.

'Gracias de todos modos.'

Thank you anyway. I smile at her before turning back to Lexi who's staring at me, pleading for an answer. Jesus Christ, your mother was of Spanish heritage as well and you still don't understand a word. I grumble to myself before I tell her unable to keep a grin off my face.

'Sorry, beautiful... I'm afraid we're out of options.'

'Stop gloating!'

She snaps, crossing her arms in defense as she continues to fuss.

'I'm so not happy about this!'

'Don't be such a drag, we've already slept together. What's the big deal?'

I smirk, remembering the way she clung to me a few days ago on the beach. She immediately gets on the defensive pointing a finger at me as she mocks.

'It's not the same and you fucking know it!'

She crosses her arms glaring at me, only humoring me more as she grumbles.

'You better behave yourself before I'll smother you with a pillow!'

'Round one hundred and whatever! *DING-DING!*'

Rebekah sighs at our bickering, making me laugh even more. I can't help it! She's way too cute whenever she gets like this... I eye her as the hotel lady raises her hand trying to get our attention, holding three sets of keys as she says in English.

'I'll give the two of you the most beautiful room out of the three. Hopefully, that will make up for it a little bit?'

Lexi sighs reluctantly, thanking her as she receives the keys. Handing the other ones to Alex and Rebekah. The three of us walk toward the elevators searching for our floors. Tyler and Rebekah are staying on the top floor whilst Alex, Lexi, and I are staying on one of the floors underneath the hotel. Lexi looks even more skeptical once she discovers this, not understanding why that would be a better room than the ones they are getting on top. Rebekah tells us they're going to get some shut-eye and we'll meet each other at breakfast, while Alex responds that he's just going to put his stuff in his room before heading to one of the clubs for work and that he'll contact us later on. We all part ways, getting into separate elevators before heading to our rooms.

'You better behave yourself!'

She grunts in frustration, counting the floors trying to distract herself.

'I will.'

'Swear it...'

'I swear.'

I sigh in return, not in the mood to fight her over this. Lexi doesn't even look at me, still keeping her eyes locked on the door as the elevator music seems to work even more on her nerves. Impatiently she taps her foot until the bell chimes that we're on the right floor. I've got a feeling this is going to be a long weekend...