Yay, I updated! :-D It's 2:30 in the morning, but I did it. I finally finished this chapter, which I think is the longest one so far... which is why it took so long, and I couldn't wait to post it. You guys have waiting long enough. I worked hard on this one, and hopefully you'll like it. Important stuff in this chapter that will be brought up in the sequel. That's all I'll say for now. Enjoy! :)
Chapter 35- Jagged Hearts
"I can't believe the concert is tonight. I feel like I have a bazillion things to do and no idea where to begin." Miley let out a frustrated sigh; plopping down, face first, onto her bed.
Lilly's eyes saddened slightly as she turned her head towards her stressed girlfriend. "You've done this all before. It won't be so bad once things get going." She soothed her, running her right hand up and down Miley's back.
"I know…" Miley mumbled in response. Then, she turned her head to face Lilly. "It's just been a while since I've had a concert, ya know? Almost forgot how much work it is to get ready for one."
"How could you almost forget? You've been doing this for years," Lilly teased, scooting closer to cuddle with her favorite brunette.
"I've been too busy dreamin' and droolin' over this cute blonde girl to focus on anything else." Miley smiled.
"Oh really?" Lilly smirked.
"Really…" Right as their lips locked, a knock on the door echoed through the now silent room. "What?" Miley asked, somewhat annoyed from the interruption.
"Just making sure you're getting ready. We have to head over for the sound check in about an hour." Robbie informed.
"I know, Dad. I'm trying to pick out an outfit." Miley smiled while Lilly continued kissing the corner of her mouth, down her jaw line, and then gently kissed her collar bone.
"Okie dokie, darlin'." Sounds of descending footsteps were heard, signaling that Robbie Ray left to go back downstairs.
"Alright Lilly, we need to get up before we start something," Miley smiled.
"I already started something," Lilly replied from Miley's neck.
"Yea, I know," she giggled. "I really do need to get ready."
Sighing dramatically, playfully rolling her eyes, Lilly slid off of Miley's leg, allowing the pop star to get up. "Okay fine," she pouted.
"Drama queen," Miley sang as she hopped up from her bed. "Oh, should I wear skinny jeans or a skirt?" She asked once she made her way over to her dresser.
Lilly moved so she could lie on her stomach to face the direction Miley was at. "Well, I would say a skirt, but I don't want anyone to try to sneak a peek up to see you."
"Skinny jeans it is then," Miley confirmed; smiling.
Lilly's attention was fully on the brunette when she started shedding her clothes. First, Miley removed her baggy t-shirt, shaking out her hair afterwards, and then slid off her grey sweatpants, leaving her in just her undergarments.
Miley could feel her girlfriend's eyes on her body. "Having fun?" She asked, slipping her jeans on.
"Don't I always?" She smiled innocently.
With a smile still intact, Miley walked back over towards Lilly, zipping up her jeans along the way. "If you help me pick out a shirt now, I'll let you take a better look at this," she pointed to her body, "later. Deal?"
"Deal," Lilly beamed. She then got up and followed Miley into her closet, smirking the whole time.
-----
Jackson adjusted his tie, making sure he looked decent for the concert. He looked behind him through the mirror in the living room to see his father pacing the room. "Nervous?" He chuckled.
"A little bit." Robbie sighed, checking his watch. "I really hope your sister's almost ready."
"Miley! Lilly!" Jackson called up to the girls. "Almost time to go!"
"I know! I know!" Miley said as she and Lilly rushed down the stairs. Lilly stood in front of Miley, pushing her brown curls to the side after seeing they fell in front of her eyes.
"You two look great," Jackson complemented.
"Thanks," Miley smiled, checking over her outfit. She wore a long, tight black t-shirt that sported a headphone print across it. With it, she wore her faded jeans and black leather boots that stopped a few inches from her knees. She let her hair out in natural curls, wore simple make up, and a few pieces of jewelry; one of them being her Liley necklace.
Lilly on the other hand had Miley style her hair in beautiful waves and curls. She too wore tight black jeans, a fitted dark blue Volcom Stone t-shirt, her blue converse shoes, Liley necklace as well, and to top it off, a black wristcuff. Miley also did her make up, making her look absolutely stunning.
"You ready?" Robbie smiled.
"Yea, I think so," Miley sighed.
"You'll do great darlin'. Now come on, the limo's waitin'." He opened the door, letting the kids out first. "We still have to pick up Oliver too."
"Dad, we have plenty of time," Jackson spoke after checking his PDA.
"It's sound check anyways. There are people before me." Miley looked at her father. "Chill out," she smiled.
Robbie smiled in return. Then he leaned back in his seat to enjoy the ride. After picking up Oliver, the whole gang was then on their way to Los Angeles for the big night ahead of them. Robbie felt great pride in Miley as he watched her laugh and enjoy herself with her two best friends and her brother. He knew tonight's concert was going to be one to remember.
-----
Mikayla walked out of her dressing room holding onto a gift basket. She was already done with her sound check so she had just enough time to have the basket delivered. To her luck, one of the security guards walked by in her direction. "Hey, could you do me a huge favor?" Mikayla smiled.
"Absolutely, Mikayla. What can I do for you?" The man asked.
"Could you deliver this to Miley Stewart for me after she's done with sound check? I'd give it to her myself, but I'm just so busy," she explained, faking sadness on the issue.
"Sure, no problem," he replied, taking the basket from her. "I'll make sure she gets it."
"Thank you so much." Mikayla then gave him a fake, cheery smile and walked off. Her fake smile soon turned into a devious smirk when she saw Miley walk in with her group. Since she didn't want to be caught too soon, she quickly walked away from all of them. "Too perfect" She sighed happily to herself.
-----
Robbie Ray took off in the direction of the stage manager as make up artists and costume designers rushed to Miley's side. They all went over on when Miley's wardrobe change would be; right before her last song. "Miley Stewart to sound check!" The stage manager called out.
"See you in a little while," Miley said sweetly to Lilly. They shared a tender kiss before Miley hurried off with her band.
"Oh this is so exciting!" Lilly exclaimed, clapping her hands with excitement.
Oliver grinned. "I'm proud of Miley. She stood strong when people were trying to drag her down. Now look where she is…the main attraction at this huge charity concert."
"Well, she certainly deserves it," Lilly happily sighed. "She's going to blow everyone away with her performances."
"Who does she go on after?" Oliver wondered.
"All Time Low," she grinned. "I love them!"
"Sweet!" A grin spread to his face. For the next fifteen minutes, the two friends talked about the other performing artists playing that night and ate a few things from one of the many snack tables. Soon enough, Miley wondered back over to them; her father right behind her.
"Okay darlin', show starts in an hour. Do whatever you need to do to get ready." Robbie instructed.
"Don't worry, Daddy. There are a few performances before me, I'll be ready." Miley smiled.
"I know," he smiled in return. "Come find me if you need me. I'll be around making sure things run smoothly."
Miley waved at her retreating father. "So, where's Jackson?" She asked her friends.
"Ate some food and said something about guitar hero," Oliver replied.
"Dressing room it is," Miley laughed. Smiling, she took Lilly's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together, and the trio walked off to Miley's dressing room.
Jackson kept his concentration on the game when he heard his sister, Lilly, and Oliver enter the room. "Hey," he greeted quickly.
"Who said you could play my Guitar Hero?" Joked Miley.
"I did," Jackson smiled, continuing to play.
Oliver sat down next to Jackson on the couch while the girls went to the back of the room. Lilly sat on an armchair, pulling Miley on top of her. Miley placed her legs on each side of Lilly, straddling her, and leaned in for a soft, gentle kiss.
A sudden knock at the door brought the girls back to the rest of the world. Sighing, Miley eased her way off her girlfriend, walking over to the door and swiftly opened it. "Yes?" She politely greeted.
One of the backstage security guards stood in front of Miley, smiling as he held onto a gift basket. "Special delivery from Mikayla. She asked me to give it to you," he said while handing it over to Miley.
Skeptically, Miley took the gift. "Thanks…" she replied. After the security guard left, Miley shut the door, carefully looking over the basket.
"Who did he say that was from?" Lilly curiously asked.
"Mikayla… What if it explodes?" She looked up at Lilly.
"Jackson, check this out for Miley," Lilly said.
"No way," he replied, plugging in a second controller for Oliver.
Miley set the basket onto her table and picked up a card that was placed on top. Then, she started reading aloud—
'Dear Miley, I would personally like to apologize for that horrible head injury you got due to me pushing you. I really didn't mean for that to happen. Hope you accept the chocolates. I know it's not much, but it's a start. Sorry again. Sincerely, Mikayla.'
"That was pretty nice of her." Miley smiled up at Lilly.
"Nice?!" Lilly snapped. "Throw it way. I don't trust her."
"Lilly," Miley scolded lightly. "She's made mistakes but everyone deserves a second chance."
"Fine," she sighed. "I guess you're right."
"Besides, chocolates sound great." Miley smiled, grabbing a few chocolates and popped them into her mouth. Her face dropped almost instantly, turning pale as the taste of raspberries consumed her mouth.
"Miley…?" Lilly placed her hand on Miley's shoulder. "Are you okay??"
A cold sweat broke out all over Miley's body. The room started spinning, stomach churning, causing the brunette to fall to her knees. Lilly's words of concern sounded so far away, and then to Miley's dismay, she threw up onto the floor below her; coughing and heaving.
Jackson rushed over to his sister's side. "Oh God, Miles!"
Lilly whipped around to bury her face into Oliver's chest when her stomach started churning as well.
"Someone get my Dad!" Jackson ordered. He placed his hands around Miley's waist, lifting her up to a standing position and slowly led her into the bathroom.
Oliver grabbed one of the chocolates and placed it in his mouth. Right after chewing, he found the source of the problem. "Raspberries…" he breathed in disbelief.
Lilly's head snapped up. "What?!"
"Lilly, go find Mr. Stewart, okay? I'll clean this up and we'll deal with Mikayla later. You need to get away from this anyways before you get sick yourself," Oliver said as calmly as he could.
Nodding, Lilly quickly fled out of the room. She kept her focus on getting her sick girlfriend help, desperately trying to find Robbie Ray in the massive crowd of workers backstage.
-----
Robbie rushed into his daughter's dressing room, worry etched out across his face. "Where is she?" He asked Oliver, whom was almost done cleaning up the mess.
"Bathroom," Oliver replied sadly. "I don't think she's stopped throwing up."
Robbie picked up the basket of chocolates. "Lilly told me the filling was raspberry… Who sent these?" He questioned.
"Mikayla did," Lilly said angrily as she came back into the room with a can of Sprite in hand.
Soon after Lilly returned, Jackson and Miley carefully made their way back into the main part of the room. Miley's make up smeared down her pale face, eyes bloodshot, and her body shook. Her left arm was around Jackson's shoulders while his right arm wrapped around her waist to steady her. With ease, Jackson lowered his little sister onto the couch.
"You gonna be okay, bud?" Robbie sadly asked as he knelt down next to his daughter; placing the back of his hand against her forehead.
"I…I think so…" she weakly replied. "Daddy, I thought they were j-just chocolates…"
"Don't go blamin' yourself on this, darlin'," he warned. "If you don't feel up to singing tonight, then we'll schedule a different concert for you some other time."
"No," Miley firmly said. "Everyone out there is expecting to see me. I'm not letting them down." A flash of concern was thrown her way from her loving girlfriend. She offered the best smile she could muster. "I'll be fine. This always blows over."
Robbie looked thoughtful for a moment, taking time to figure things out. "There are three acts before each of your performances. If you want, I could get someone to switch things around so there are four before you and so on."
Miley gave her father a genuine smile. "Thanks, Dad, but I'll be okay by the time I'm set to go on. The three bands before me will be performing several songs and that'll be plenty of time for me to feel better."
"If you don't feel well enough, let me know." Robbie kissed her on the top of her head. "I'm going to find Mikayla and her manager. They have a lot of explaining to do…" With a stern face, Robbie left the room; closing the door behind him.
Lilly placed the Sprite can on the coffee table and tended to Miley with a cold, damp washcloth. "I should have checked those first, knowing they were from Mikayla," she said with an edge to her voice.
"Don't worry about it right now, Lil. It was probably an accident anyways…"
"An accident?! You can't be serious," Lilly interrupted in a shout.
Miley narrowed her eyes. "Sorry for having a little faith in people. Mikayla might not have known that raspberries make me sick," she firmly replied.
"She's been trying to get you out of this concert from the beginning!" Lilly shouted.
"She apologized!" Miley shouted back, sitting up slightly in anger.
Jackson quickly jumped in while Oliver stood there in slight shock. "Hey, stop fighting!" Jackson put each of his hands on the girls' shoulders.
Before anyone else could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Frustrated, Jackson walked over and opened it. Mikayla stood on the other side. "What do you want?"
Mikayla displayed the best sympathy look she could. "I heard what happened. How's Miley doing? I feel horrible about this," she spoke with completely fake sadness.
Miley looked over towards the brunette girl; eyes blazed with anger and sadness from arguing with Lilly. "I'm better thanks," she murmured.
Without asking, Mikayla pushed her way into the room. "If only I had known. Miley, I really am sorry…"
"It's fine." She let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back against the couch. No eye contact was made between her and Lilly.
"The stage manager is really concerned," Mikayla continued. "He said he could switch us around in the first half, and then have me play twice and you twice." Her smile was in full effect now.
"No, that won't be necessary," Miley confirmed. "The show will go on as planned." Carefully, to make sure her stomach wasn't too upset, Miley lifted herself up from the couch. "I'll be right back," she said to no one in particular. Then, she left the room to find the stage manager, leaving Lilly in near tears.
Mikayla left shortly after Miley did, not showing her anger until she was faced away from everyone. Her main plan failed.
-----
Time ticked on and now it was the big moment of the concert. The first band, Boys Like Girls, started off the night with their hit song Thunder. Shouts of excitement filled the stadium. Everything was, so far, running smoothly.
Miley assured the stage manager, and her father, that she was feeling well enough to perform the songs she was scheduled to do. She still felt queasy and had her make up fixed by her make up crew.
Jackson had eventually found his sister a couple of Rolaids to help ease her stomach. The only thing that worried him now was that neither Lilly nor Miley have talked to each other since the small argument in the dressing room. "Hey, Miles?" He asked; worry in his eyes.
"Hmm..?" She mumbled sadly.
"Why aren't you talking to Lilly? She was just trying to look out for you."
"I know…" Her voice cracked. After taking another sip of a new Sprite, she took a seat on an available chair. "It's not that I don't want to talk to her, it's just…she's being so unreasonable."
"Well, go fix it. You two love each other…" His soft eyes bore into Miley's cold stare.
"She's being stubborn, Jackson. I'll deal with it later." Miley glared back, obvious to Jackson that she was fighting to control her tears. Then without another word, Miley got up and walked away.
"Miley!" He called out, trying to get her to stop, but it was no use. "Whatever…" Mumbling to himself he turned around to see Lilly staring off at Miley's retreating form. Jackson had never seen Lilly look so hurt, so lost, like she was right now.
"I…I was j-just going to…" Tears spilled from Lilly's eyes; keeping her from talking. Once she found her voice again, she looked up at Jackson. "She's the one being stubborn…"
A hand on his shoulder distracted him from watching a very upset Lilly walk away. Jackson knew who it was without even looking.
"What's going on between Miley and Lilly? They've been ignoring each other for a while now" Robbie confusingly asked.
"They're fighting over something stupid. Where'd Miley go?" He asked.
"Not sure, son. Let's just let them figure this out themselves, okay?"
"Fine," he agreed. Then he and his Dad walked off to make sure things were still running smoothly.
-----
Plain White T's played after Boys Like Girls, drawing the crowd into a frenzy. They finished their last song of the night. As the crowd continued to cheer them on after they left, All Time Low took the stage, causing the noise to somehow get louder.
Miley's band gathered near stage left to re-tune their instruments if needed ahead of time so they could go right out on stage when it was time.
Miley, on the other hand, had rushed into her dressing room bathroom after her still unsettled stomach began churning again. Jackson had followed her to make sure she'd be alright or not. She had only thrown up twice this time, but he was still pretty concerned. "You sure you'll be okay on stage?" He asked for reassurance.
Miley held up her right pointer finger, signaling him to wait for a response, as she swished mouthwash around to get the foul taste out of her mouth. After she spit it out into the sink, she turned to her brother. "Yes, Jackson; I'll be fine," she grumbled miserably.
"Not without Lilly," he said with all seriousness. "You're being too hard on her, Miles. She heard you call her unreasonable and stubborn earlier… If you saw the look on her face, you would have fallen apart right then and there."
A painful lump in her throat prevented Miley from replying. She didn't even want to imagine the hurt look on Lilly's face.
Suddenly the door opened, revealing Lilly. She froze when she saw Miley and Jackson were already in the room. "S-Sorry…" she spoke softly.
"No need to be," Jackson said, offering Lilly a warm smile. "I'll just…be out here." Ignoring the icy glare from his sister, Jackson quickly left the room; standing outside to make sure neither of them walked away from the other.
For the first time, there was a heavy awkward silence between the two girls. Miley continued to lie on the couch, staring at the blank T.V. Finding her courage, Lilly slowly made her way over to the cream colored sofa. "…Miles?" She wearily spoke.
"What…?" Miley deadpanned, still avoiding any kind of eye contact with the blonde.
Lilly hesitantly knelt down by the couch to look at her girlfriend's face. "W-Why are we fighting…?"
The hurt in Lilly's voice almost broke Miley. Almost. "Because you're too paranoid about Mikayla. She apologized, Lilly. Stop being jealous just because she's starting to act nice." Miley spoke firmly to show just how upset she was.
"Jealous?!" Lilly yelled. "You seriously think I'm jealous?!" When Miley didn't respond, Lilly continued. "Don't you get it Miley? Mikayla is trying to get you to either mess up or miss this concert. She purposely got you sick and now we're fighting. It has nothing to do with jealousy, cos I'm not jealous! Unless…Unless there's a reason I should be." She finished, crossing her arms over her chest.
"No, of course not," Miley replied honestly; keeping her voice calm.
"Okay. I trust you with that. Why can't you trust me when I say that Mikayla's apology was just to make her evil scheme work better? Remember when she tried to get Jeff to ask me out to piss you off? This is no different." Relief washed over her when Miley finally looked up into her sad eyes. "I don't want to fight anymore…"
Tears blurred Miley's vision when she finally allowed her fear of losing Lilly due to the fight settle into her heart and mind. "Neither do I…" she choked out. "I just want this drama to be over… I don't want to lose you." Her tears were flowing freely at this point.
"Oh, Miley…" Lilly sat on the couch to pull Miley into her loving embrace. Miley's face nuzzled into Lilly's neck and Lilly's face was buried into the singer's soft, brown hair. "You're not going to lose me," she soothingly whispered.
Miley's grip on Lilly tightened as she let her feelings loose. For a little under two hours she had been holding back on crying. Now, with her girlfriend there in her arms, she could let it all out. Everything was fine now. Finally.
-----
Mikayla ran up to her manager, determined to find out if Miley had cancelled her first performance out of the three. "Margo? Is Miley canceling?" She asked with hope.
"Sorry, she's still going on next. Apparently she and her little girlfriend made up and she's feeling much better," Margo informed her client. "Miley's in make up as we speak."
"You have got to be kidding me," Mikayla sighed unhappily.
"Listen… Just let the concert go on as normally planned. We'll do something big just for you another time, okay?"
"Fine, whatever." Without another word, she made her way back to her dressing room. Watching Miley sing was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment.
-----
All Time Low was currently in the middle of their last song, Lost In Stereo, which meant everyone backstage was bustling about to get Miley ready. Her make up was fixed and finished. It was about the fourth time she had to re-do it all. Either way she looked absolutely perfect in the eyes of Lilly Truscott. "Are you completely sure you're stomach's okay?" Lilly asked before leaning in to kiss Miley on the cheek.
"It is now," Miley smiled. "Let's try not to let Mikayla come between us anymore, okay? I was really scared," she said while locking her gaze with Lilly's.
"We both were…and we'll try to not let her get to us. Let's face it Miles, she's pure evil." Lilly shared a loving smile with Miley before the two leaned in for a sensual kiss. "Good luck out there."
"Thanks." Just then, Miley was rushed over to the stage by a group of workers as All Time Low started finishing up.
The stage lights went out, giving Miley enough time to get into position for her first song of the night- Start All Over. Near silence filled the large area as the audience waited to see who was next. Seconds later a single blue spotlight shone down on Miley; her back facing everyone in the crowd. Ear shattering screams roared out as the introduction to her song started. Miley turned, a full smile upon her face, and began singing. To Miley, the night had only just begun.
-----
Time ticked on and before she knew it, Mikayla had already finished her share of the concert. She had been third after Miley and was pretty unsatisfied of her response from the audience. It would have been normal to anyone else, but to her it wasn't enough. At Miley's second performance, which was right after hers, Mikayla shuddered at how much louder the cheers were compared to hers. Even though she was a new upcoming artist, she still expected more than what she was getting. Her expectations for her career were extremely high.
Instead of doing anything drastic though, Mikayla sat back and enjoyed the rest of the concert. There were three more acts before Miley sang again. She could finally relax.
-----
"You have been doing fantastic, bud," Robbie smiled. "I'm glad you ended up feeling better."
"Thanks, Dad," Miley replied after taking a water bottle from Jackson.
"Go ahead and rest up. Someone will come by your dressing room when it's your time again," Robbie said before walking off again.
"You do look pretty tired." Lilly ran her left hand through Miley's hair.
"Yea, you two can rest. Jackson and I are sticking around to watch the next three performances; All-American Rejects, David Cook, and Daughtry. This is awesome!" Oliver beamed.
"Sounds good to me," Miley chuckled. She and Lilly quickly made their way back to the room; shutting the door behind them. Miley tiredly pulled Lilly with her over towards the couch. "Can I nap on you?" She asked, sticking out her bottom lip.
"Of course you can, sweetie." Miley stood by while Lilly lied down on the couch first, then carefully took place on top of her. Lilly sighed in content when Miley's face nuzzled into her neck. This was the most comfortable position for both of them. "I'm sorry I stressed you out so much earlier…"
"Don't worry about it." Miley yawned, stretching slightly. "Let's just put it all behind us."
"I think I could do that." The girls then wrapped their arms around each other tightly and then soon enough fell into a peaceful slumber.
-----
"So, you're actually your Dad's assistant?" Oliver asked as he and Jackson made their way over to get Miley prepared for the final performance of the night.
"Yup; I'm surprised you didn't know that before. It's pretty obvious." Jackson smirked.
"I just thought you voluntarily helped." He shrugged.
"Heck no. I get paid for this." They stopped in front of the door that read Miley Stewart on the sign and gently knocked. "Miles?"
Inside the room, Miley lifted her head up from the comfort of Lilly's chest. They both had a good half hour or so nap and were now watching T.V. "Come in!" She answered.
Jackson opened the door. "Daughtry's on now. You should probably get out there to make sure things for your costume changes are all set and to go over your plans for the big finishing song."
"What's your big finishing song?" Lilly quirked a curious eyebrow.
Smiling, Miley got up from her comfortable position on her girlfriend. "You'll just have to wait and see."
"Awe, come on," Lilly playfully pouted.
"No. It's a surprise."
Lilly followed Miley out of the dressing room and then down the hall that lead to backstage. "You and your surprises."
"I'm sure you'll like it. Now, I have to go get things settled, so you can chill here with Oliver or something. I'll come see you before I go on for a good luck kiss." She smirked.
"Can't wait," Lilly smirked back.
Once Miley walked off with her father, Lilly heard an agitated sigh come from Oliver. "What's wrong?" She asked her shaggy haired friend.
"Mikayla alert," he warned in a near whisper.
To their surprise Mikayla completely ignored them and kept walking. Oliver looked on in confusion. "Wonder what she's up to."
"Probably just crabby since her plan of getting Miley too sick to sing didn't work. The nerve of her," Lilly scuffed.
"Hey, all that matters is that Miley's okay now," Oliver reminded her.
"Yea, very true," Lilly smiled. Turning her attention to the stage, she silently thanked the Lord for helping her and Miley get through that fight. No matter how short it was, it was still awful to go through. She figured it was bound to happen eventually, but she never imagined how much it would hurt the way it did. Miley suddenly appeared next to the stage, in her plain view, talking to the stage director and the head president of the charity concert. Lilly couldn't help but smile with pride of her brunette beauty for staying so strong for all the children. It was like falling in love with Miley all over again watching her do this.
-----
"Good luck!" Lilly yelled out after Miley, whom was being rushed over to the stage. Lilly kept her promise by giving the pop star a good luck kiss, smiling the whole time.
Hearing Lilly's encouraging words brought a smile to Miley's face. The spotlight was always able to make Miley feel so alive. Lilly being there only made that feeling increase. She felt invincible. "Hello everybody!" Miley happily yelled out to the crowd. "You ready to rock out some more?" Cheering was all the answer she needed. I Got Nerve started up, allowing the show to continue.
Many songs later, sweat dripping down her whole body from dancing, Miley stood at the edge of the stage, wearing a new casual outfit, holding her microphone with her right hand; head down. For all the audience knew, Superstar was the grand finale to the big concert. Her eyes shined with life when she glanced up at her adoring fans she loved so much. "Thank you everybody… Thank you," she beamed. Jeff walked over to take the mic stand from Miley, leaving her with just her microphone. "I hope y'all had a great evening. Everyone did an amazing job and I'm a big fan of all who performed tonight for this amazing charity, so it's been a lot of fun." She half lied at the fun part and she certainly was not a fan of Mikayla's. "If you don't mind," she started, "I'd like to sing one more song before the night is really over." Miley paused to wait out the excited cheers. "I got special permission to sing this next song. It's by one of my favorite Country singers, John Michael Montgomery. I chose this song because it reminds me of the two things I love most- my country background of Tennessee and my girlfriend, Lilly." Miley turned to face the right side of the stage from where she was standing; getting a great view of the blonde beauty she spoke of. "I love you, Lilly," she smiled.
The familiar beat of one of Lilly's favorite country songs filled her ears while her eyes filled with unshed tears. Miley's angelic voice swelled her heart with love. The only person who could.
"I like the feel of your name on my lips
And I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss
The way that your fingers run through my hair
And how your scent lingers even when you're not there
And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh
And how you enjoy your two hour bath
And how you convinced me to dance in the rain
With everyone watching like we were insane
But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild
Slow and easy
Heart and soul
So completely
I love the way you love me"
Pictures of Miley and Lilly together flashed across a screen on the backdrop of the stage. The audience was blown away by Miley's loving display of affection. It was heart-warming. Lilly's focus was not on the pictures, but on the beautiful angel singing the special song just for her.
"I like to imitate old Jerry Lee
And watch you roll your eyes when I'm slightly off key
And I like the innocent way that you cry
At sappy old movies you've seen hundreds of times
But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild
Slow and easy
Heart and soul
So completely
I love the way you love me
And I could list a million things
I love to like about you
But they all come down to one reason
I could never live without you
I love the way you love me
Strong and wild
Slow and easy
Heart and soul
So completely
I love the way you love me
Oh baby I love the way you love me"
Miley blew a kiss to the audience as loud cheers praised her for singing the country love song with so much power. You could hear how real the words were to her as she sang them. The cheering never stopped even after Lilly suddenly ran out onto the stage, not able to wait any longer to thank her awaiting girlfriend, throwing her arms around the girl she loved more than anything else in the world. "I love you so much!" She wept into Miley's ear; tears streaming down her face.
"I love you too, Lils." Right there in front of the happy audience, the girls pressed their lips together, not once noticing the flashing of cameras going off. They were too lost in the other's love.
The charity concert, to say the least, was most definitely a huge success.
Backstage, to her own surprise, Mikayla had watched Miley sing. Something bothered her about the last song. She didn't know what. She didn't know why. But it bothered her. Flinching in confusing thoughts, Mikayla turned away, going back to get ready to head home and to clear her mind. Or at least she hoped she would.
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Several hours later, in the brisk night air, Robbie Ray sat out on his private balcony outside his bedroom. Stars sparkled in the deep blue, nearly blackened sky. It was hard for him to stop smiling, thinking about the night's events over and over in his mind. Sure there was a very rough patch, but his daughter and Lilly pulled through, just like he knew they would.
The girls had gone to bed only a few hours ago. Although Robbie could slightly hear them at the time make love to each other, all he did was turn the volume up on his bedroom television. He saw it coming.
Robbie was thrilled Miley was so happy, but he couldn't help but have a heavy heart. In his hand was a picture of his late wife, Susan, and a very young Miley playing out in the field back at the farm in Tennessee. Nearly five years have passed since Susan passed away and Robbie still expected to turn around to see her bright face smiling back at him. He had done that tonight when Miley sang for Lilly, and it tore his heart apart at the remembrance that the love of his life was no longer with him. Reality always struck him hard.
Stray tears trickled down his tired face. "I miss ya so much, Susie," he hoarsely whispered. "Wish ya coulda been there to see Miley sing tonight… She sure was amazing…" A sudden light breeze blew through his chestnut hair. Closing his eyes, he could feel Susan's presence. She felt close to him, and that's all he needed at the moment. "Love you, baby…"
Inside, in the dark bedroom of Miley Stewart, a cracked window slowly opened, allowing a cool breeze to flow through her room. Miley was sound asleep with Lilly in her arms; both huddled together under the warm covers. In her sleep, a smile worked itself onto Miley's face. She didn't have to be awake to feel the familiar sense of love and comfort she hadn't felt in a long time. "Momma…" Miley mumbled in her sleep, smiling as she buried her face closer into Lilly's hair.
No matter what, Susan Stewart would always be there for her baby girl.
I sure do love that song :) As for the fight thing, I know it passed fairly quickly, but it wasn't quick enough for them. They'll hit more bumpy roads later, but I won't get too into that right now. And I'm curious to hear what you all think of what Mikayla's bothered by. I'm not tellin' ;) In the last part, with the mention of Susan, I got the idea while thinking about the "He Could Be the One" episode where Miley was 'talking' to her mother. I love anything that has to do with that. It's so inspiring cos her mom will always be there for her. One author that does a really good job at writing those kind of sense is Kurrent- which I'm sure most of you are familiar with. I did not take their idea into my own. Just thought I'd put that out there. Anyways, I'm so tired I think I'm babbling now, ha. Thanks again for reading and drop a review in to let me know what ya thought :) Thanks!