It Beats For You

Welcome to the Family

It was around the time Rain started to yawn that Raven seemed pretty drowsy as well, and Dante took notice.

“Hey kid, you look pretty tired. And I bet you haven’t slept in a proper bedding situation in forever, so if you want, you can take my room tonight.”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll just sleep on the floor in the living room. Or the couch. I can sleep wherever, it doesn’t really bother me.” Raven told him.

“No way!” Dante argued.

“Yeah, Raven, I don’t want you sleeping in a room by yourself right now. Devine is in town looking for you.”

“I know.”

“He can sleep in my room. If he really wants to sleep on the floor, I’ll get out a couple extra blankets for him and he can at least be somewhat comfortable.” Dante offered.

“Yes, I’d prefer that.” She told them. She hugged Dante and Raven goodnight, settling any arguments that may have arisen. “Come on Andy.”

I offered the kid a quick smile and messed up his hair. “Night Raven, ‘night Dante. Sleep well, guys.”

As Rain curled up next to me, and we whispered goodnight, I started thinking a little.

I looked back to Raven’s smile when he high fived Dante, the way he looked when I told him we’d be his family, the way he hugged Rain, like his life depended on it, how grateful he looked yesterday for the food. I thought back to how Rain would look at me every so often while she was on stage, with that beautiful smile of hers, how she held my hand because she was nervous before the show, the way she hugged CC, Ash, Sammi, Jinxx, and Jake; I thought back to the kiss she didn’t reject a few days ago, then to the parties at Jinxx and Sammi’s where we’d laugh and talk, then to my birthday party where we started the frosting war…back to the first night we were in LA, and I kissed her in my room because I needed to know if she felt the same way…I thought back to the night on tour where she played with my hair, and how my heart was beating faster and the whole world disappeared because it was just us…just me and her sitting in that one bunk…no one else existed…I remembered getting tattoos I had gotten for Juliet removed and how much it hurt, but I sat there telling myself it would be worth it…and I was right. I remembered how broken she looked the night I found her bleeding in her hotel room, and how I wanted to hold her until the end of time; to take it all away, so it would be just us. I remember how pissed off and hurt she looked as she had left the venue that night. I remember how excited she and Ash were to show us them singing Sexting. I remembered going to the park with her and taking pictures and enjoying every second of it. I remembered when we got out of the taxi, and how a few days later I was wishing that I’d noticed her pain more. I thought back to the first time I heard her singing, it was Mirrors by My Satellite, and sitting next to the door paralyzed from the beauty of it. That was the first night I stopped trying to fight the dreams of her. I remembered waking up from our Batmathon and how honestly hard it was to let go of her. I thought about how she befriended almost everyone…I thought about how much more complete I’d felt with her around, and how much more complete we all felt, I think.

As I felt Rain’s slow, steady breathing and her heart beating with mine, it hit me.

We were really, truly, all a family. Jake, CC, Ash, Raven, Dante, Trisha, Rain, me, Jinxx, Sammi, all of us. Even Brent.

We treated each other like family, we acted like a family, and we all loved one another.

Even though Raven was new to our crazy family, I was sure he’d fit in just fine.

This was the way everything was supposed to be.

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The promised second update! :D R&R! <3