Chapter 14

Life comes at you fast, unexpectedly, and sometimes you cry

Almost 6 Months later

Drake without much of a fight from Taylor was back home in sunny San Diego in less than a week of when he left Harvard. Here it was six months later and still no call from Josh telling Drake how he'd partied his ass off.

Drake on the other hand had held up his bargain. He'd spent the first few weeks making a demo of songs to give Sunset Records because he'd never actually used that record deal to his advantage after the whole MTV thing.

He sent in the demo tape and he already had an album out and teen girls around the country were buying it. Not enough girls to push his CD to the tops of the charts or anything or to allow him to gain superstar status but at least he had a following. His concerts at the San Diego fairgrounds played out well and so did his little stunt at a private school's 'Spring Fling'.

The day his CD debuted he called Josh and told him the good news. All he got was 'Yeah Drake sorry I haven't held up my end of the bargain but pre-med is a bitch.' And here it was once again a lonely December and Josh was due home for winter break any day now.

Drake rolled over to find an empty spot in his bed. Sure he told his mom that Taylor would be sleeping in Josh's bed and he assured her that under her roof he wouldn't have sex, but then he proceeded to tell her that he was 19 and was legal to do whatever he wanted anywhere else, as long as it wasn't illegal.

He looked at the alarm clock it blinked 11:23. She was probably just getting home from her job at Starbucks. He hated the fact that she actually had to work while he just went to the recording studio and played his guitar for a few hours with his band as the wrote the skeletons to what would one day be Chart Toppers. She was paying for community college in San Diego and she was working from 5-11 every night in order to pay for tuition along with his help just a little bit.

He heard the shower turn off and saw her silhouette enter the room. He faked sleep just so he wouldn't have to talk to her. She slept in Josh's bed for the rest of that night. Drake heard her get dressed and crawl under the covers, but not without a despondent sigh. Drake knew this relationship wasn't working out. Just like all the others, maybe he wasn't destined to find the right girl, maybe the right girl wasn't out there, and maybe he was destined to fuck every single girl that threw themselves at him. Maybe he was supposed to be a true rock star and not find love until he was 60 something fucking a 20 something. He suppressed the thought it was the Christmas season after all.

Josh arrived in San Diego at 4:00 pacific time minus Mindy whom he'd dropped off at her house earlier. His parents were waiting up for him despite the early time and he didn't expect either Drake or Megan to be there to great him because he knew that the Parker children liked three things, their privacy, their junk food, and their sleep. He walked up to the guest room because his mom informed him that Taylor had taken his bed. Josh didn't mind a bed at this point was a bed.

Drake woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of his mother making pancakes downstairs. He knew that Josh was home because she wouldn't do that for the hell of it. He walked downstairs and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Mom can I talk to you?" Drake asked as he sat down at the small kitchen table that they never really ate at.

"Sure thing sweetie you can talk to me about anything." Audrey said as she sat down across from him.

"What would you do if you knew a relationship wasn't working out? I mean what if you knew that nothing you tried would make it work? What if you knew that every day you were together you were getting further apart?" Drake asked as he watched the crème in the coffee swirl.

"Well…" Audrey began recalling the failing beginnings of her marriage to Michael Parker. "I'd end it sooner rather than later because the worse it gets the harder it is to end it and the more painful it is." She stated truthfully. She knew Drake was talking about his and Taylor's relationship which she had noticed was going down the drain quickly. They had different goals in life. Drake wanted fame and fortune, he was a rock star and she was working her way up the ladder. He was already close to where he wanted to be, she was on the start to where she wanted to.

"Drake…" She began but he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"We're in different places Mom. Maybe if we had met later on in life things would have been different. If I was already where I wanted to be and she was already where she wanted to be." Drake sighed. "It's just that I really do like her but this just doesn't feel right anymore. I honestly have no idea what to do."

"I think you know what you need to do. Trust your gut. If it was meant to work out than it will. Life happens Drake and you can go and question it. Everything will work out in the end and if you and Taylor were meant to be then you'll see in time." Audrey said as Josh walked into the kitchen. "Just think about it, you'll figure it out." Audrey added as she patted Drakes shoulder. He smiled as he finished the coffee.

"Morning Drake." Josh said as he entered the kitchen and sat down next to his brother.

"Morning. Was Taylor up when you got up?" Drake asked knowing her classes started at nine and here it was 8:00.

"Yea, she was getting dressed I think." Josh said as he took a bite of the pancakes his mom had made for him.

Taylor walked downstairs a few minutes later wearing a pair of Drakes pants, a tank top, and a track jacket, a messenger bag slung across her shoulder.

"Hey, I'm going to get breakfast near campus we have a study session today at 8:30." She said as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a thermos of coffee. "Drake I'm not working tonight so I figured we could go out after class, my treat." She added as she rubbed his shoulder.

"Sure." Drake said as he placed his hand on hers.

Josh wasn't sure that they were the same couple that they had been before. It seemed to him as though they'd been married 50 something years and were past the whole passionate I love yous and were no longer sharing the same bed and all they had to go off of was little signs here and there that they still cared about each other.

She left for school without so much as a little kiss goodbye. Drake left the table and proceeded to get dressed in his room. He was in the middle of applying deodorant when Josh came in.

"Man it feels like years since I've been in here." Josh said as he sat down on the couch.

"Yeah."

"What's up with you these days?" Josh asked as Drake grabbed a can of Mocha Cola and sat down next to him.

"Nothing or everything. I don't know Josh. I really don't know." Drake sighed as he took a sip from the soda can.

"You're going to break up with her aren't you?"

"I don't know. We're in two fucking different places. I've done what I've always wanted to do Josh. I have a record that's selling, given its not number one but my shows sell out, even if they're small. I have a fan base Josh I can't go out in public without having some teenage girl laugh, giggle, then hide when I turn around or without someone asking for my autograph. She's still in school working to pay her tuition because her father's a jack ass and won't help pay because she ran away. Sure I've helped and Mom and Dad have helped but she insists that she needs to do this on her own. Maybe if we had meet years down the road then none of this would be happening. Josh it just doesn't feel right anymore." Drake explained as he crushed the now empty can in his fist.

"Drake…" Josh began but was cut off by Drake.

"Josh you know that I love this girl, I know it too. But I'm still not sure if she's the one. Mom said that everything is meant to work out. I believe that too. We've all got this path we're all going to die, we are all going to experience milestones, and it's how we get there. I've got a choice Josh I either hold out on this relationship while both of us suffer or I break it off now and hope that we can still manage to be friends and maybe someday if we are meant to be together we will be."

Josh sat there in silence digesting all this information.

"While we're opening up to each other…" Josh began as he thought long and hard about what he was going to say.

"Yeah, say what you want Josh. It's been awhile since we've seen each other. Oh and before I forget." Drake said seriously as he looked at Josh. "I've held up my end of our bargain and you haven't yet."

"That's where I was going." Josh smiled. He'd partied alright, he'd gotten drunk and so had Mindy. It was like nerds gone wild or something. The whole literary club had gotten one of the older members to buy kegs of beer while they partied at his house while his parents were gone. "I totally got wasted at a party, sure it was a nerd party but there were jocks and preps and all the others there." Josh stated.

"Oh really? Josh got drunk? I find that really, really, impressive actually." Drake laughed cracking the first smile in what felt like years.

"Mindy did too and well Drake." Josh said turning serious.

"And…" Drake trailed while motioning that he wanted to know more.

"And we kind of um…" Josh said turning red.

"And you two fucked didn't you." Drake smiled as he congratulated his brother.

"Drake I knew there was a reason why I wasn't supposed to have sex with a girl." Josh began.

"Wait…Josh don't go there. I don't want to know about your "guy issues"." Drake said disgusted as he got up off the couch.

"No, I mean I have no "guy issues", it's just that bad things always happen to me. You know that. And well…" Josh said standing up too.

"Oh God, no, she isn't, you mean…" Drake trailed as he knew exactly what Josh was going to say.

"Yeah…She is."

"She keeping it?" Drake asked. Mindy Crenshaw, future lawyer, pregnant in college.

"I don't know. If she does it will totally ruin both of our careers."

"How long ago?"

"It was a holiday party so about a few weeks."

"I can't believe you got a girl knocked up before I did." Drake said stunned.

"This is no time for things like that." Josh yelled as he hit Drake with a pillow from the couch.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Drake apologized as he pushed the pillow out of Josh's way. "But I honestly don't know how to help you. Talk to mom, she's pretty good at helping with that kind of stuff." Drake suggested.

"I can't. What happens if she tells the Crenshaw's?"

"Good point." Drake said as Mindy knocked on the doorway.

"Mindy!" Josh exclaimed as he ran over to his girlfriend.

"I'll let you two talk." Drake said as he made his way towards the door.

"Hey Drake." Mindy said softly. She knew that he knew. Josh would tell his brother anything and everything.

"Mindy." Drake added as he left the room and walked downstairs. "Mom I'm going out."

"Okay just be back for dinner, it is Christmas Eve after all." She called after her son.

"Promise I will be."

It was a little chilly for San Diego today. Slight overcast and the mercury had just barely made it past 60. Drake pulled the beanie out of his car and put it on. He drove to the record store where he had bought every single cd/album/music device that he ever owned at. He parked and walked inside.

"Drake long time no see." The manager Gary said as Drake walked in.

"Hey Gar, I know it's been awhile." Drake said as he walked straight towards the classic rock section. He was a little shocked to see someone already there, let alone a girl.

She was exactly the girl that he would date. About 5'4'', blonde hair, and a pretty nice figure, though she was wearing pants so he couldn't really tell. She was checking out Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, she didn't hear him come up next to her.

"This is actually way better." Drake said handing her a copy of the Beatles Abbey Road.

She jumped when he spoke she didn't know anyone had been watching her.

"Th-thanks." She muttered as she took the CD. "You sure this is better? I'm not much of a Beatles fan."

"You will be after that CD." Drake smiled as he picked up a copy of REO Speedwagons greatest hits. Out of all the classic rock, balladesque bands, he'd never actually listened to much REO but he figured it was worth a shot. They were grouped on Rock's 100 top artists.

"My mom loves REO Speedwagon." The girl said as she took note of the CD in his hand.

"You ever listen to them?"

"I've heard a few songs, they're not that bad. My friend Phil is always telling me to check out Ridin' The Storm Out." She added as she turned to leave. "Thanks for the CD advice."

"No problem…" he paused as he hinted that he wanted her name.

"Lillah. Good luck with REO…" She said as she indicated that she wanted his name too.

"Drake."

"Drake, I've never heard that name before." She said as she digested it. "Nice name."

He blushed he got that all the time from girls. He even once was mobbed by a girl so obsessed with Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter because his name was so close to it.

"Thanks, it was my mom's idea, she read it in a book or something." Drake explained as she walked on. "Oh Lillah…"

"Yeah?"

"You can tell your friend Phil that I listened to Ridin' The Storm Out."

"Okay I will." She said as she walked on. "Hey." She said as she turned around and walked back towards him. "You doing anything?" She asked.

"No, not really."

"You want to go get a bite to eat or something?"

"Sure there's a Starbucks across the street. I've just got to be back home at 4." Drake said as he remembered his date with Taylor tonight. Taylor…he thought. 'What's wrong with a harmless bite to eat?'

"Sounds like a plan." She said as they both walked towards the counter.

Drake bought her CD for her because he was nice like that. She told him that he didn't have to but he told her that he didn't mind at all and that it was no inconvenience for him. She obliged and offered to pay for lunch. He accepted knowing that it would make her feel less guilty about the CD.

"So let me get this straight you have a CD out now and your concerts actually sell out?" Lillah asked stunned that she hadn't heard about him somewhere.

"Yep." Drake smiled as he picked at the carrot cake muffin he'd ordered.

"No way. How come I haven't heard of you then?"

"Well maybe because you never put a face to the name or a name to the song. Or a name to the face to the name of the song that you heard once and sing occasionally, but can't get out of your head." Drake said as she laughed.

"Sing something and I'll tell you if I've heard it."

"You can't just make someone sing on the spot. Why don't you Google Drake Parker and see what comes up." Drake suggested. Something about this whole 'date', if they were calling lunch together that, felt right to him.

"Why have you Googled yourself?" She asked as she took a sip of her chai latte.

"Yes and it's pretty scary. People have pictures of me, on websites that they have made dedicated to me, of when I was a baby. I have no idea where people get these things. They know my favorite color is orange."

"Well is it?"

"Is what?"

"Is orange your favorite color?"

"Yes, that's the scary part. And the pictures are actually of me when I was little."

"Creepy."

"Very."

They sat there in silence picking at the rest of their food. Lillah excused herself to use the bathroom, a girl's sign that she wants to leave soon. She came back and Drake asked if he could take her home. She said she'd love a ride home.

He drove down her road.

"The next house on the left." She said as he pulled up to a blue cape. "Thanks for the ride Drake." She said as she reached for the door.

"No problem. It was nice to meet you." He said as they sat there in silence for a few moments neither knowing what was appropriate to do. Him not knowingthat if he was going to break up with Taylor, then was kissing another girl before that wrong. Her not knowing because she didn't know if this was a date or not. Was he being friendly or was he genuinely interested in her?

"Here." She said after a few minutes. "Give me your hand."

He gave her his hand and she took the pen he kept on the dashboard and wrote her phone number on it. "Call me sometime." He looked at the phone number in his hand wondering if this was really happening "Okay?" She said as she started to get out of the car.

"I'll walk you to the door."

"You don't have to." She said because she didn't want him to feel like he had to.

"No, no, it's okay." He said getting out of the car and walking towards the passenger side. Drake Parker walking a girl to her door was a pretty big deal.

"You really don't have to do this Drake." She implored as she closed the door.

"It's honestly fine with me. I don't mind walking you." He stated once again as they began to walk.

Standing outside her parent's door under the small overhang was reminiscent of the days when he was back in High School dating another girl what seemed like every day. Maybe he was regressing from the few months spent with Taylor, because the 'new' Drake wouldn't think twice about cheating on Taylor, but this was the 'old' Drake. And he didn't care about cheating. Plus a kiss wasn't really cheating was it? He was going to end things with Taylor wasn't he?

The kiss came suddenly as the overcast skies opened up and a light rain began to fall. He couldn't resist temptation, she was so warm and inviting looking, hersapphire blue eyes starring into his, her hands in his. It was all too cliché, all too perfect. He leaned in as he usually did and he pressed his lips against hers. Pulling her body closer to feel the warmth reigniting the passion in him that had frozen months ago when kisses from Taylor felt the same, when her body against his was too normal, too expected. He let his tongue slip into her mouth with a little force but not enough to make her draw back. He stopped and placed his forehead against hers. She kept her eyes closed and wrapped her fingers around his.

"I'll call you okay?" He whispered as he kissed her quickly before placing a hand on her shoulder and walking down the pathway. She watched as he reached his car, then she opened the door and walked inside.

He opened his car door and sat there for a few moments with the key dangling in the ignition.

"Fuck…" He breathed as he turned the ignition. "Fuck."

Later

Drake got home thankfully before Taylor did. He quickly wrote the phone number down in his black book. And made sure all the pen was off his hand before he showered and dressed nicer for his dinner date with Taylor. He hated that he had to do this Christmas Eve.

Josh walked into their room with anxiety written all over his face.

"You figure out what you're doing yet?" Drake asked his brother who sat down next to him on the couch.

"Yeah, well I talked to Mom who told me to talk to Mindy, which I told her I already had. And well, Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw didn't take it that well; Mindy said she doesn't care what her parents think. Mom said that if I asked you you'd help take care of the baby if we kept it. So we decided that I'd transfer to UCLA in the fall or something like that and she'd transfer to UCSD and change her major to become a writer." Josh explained as he started to cry.

"Josh if it makes you feel better I'd love to help you guys. I mean Mindy isn't such a bad person after all, sure what she did was but, I'm over that." Drake comforted his brother.

"You'd do that for me?" Josh asked as Drake nodded.

"Brothers help brothers, and while we're at it…" Drake began. "What does it mean when you kiss another girl you've just met and it means so much more to you than what you already have does?"

"Well…" Josh began. "It means that it's a sign that you're doing the right thing."

"You think so? I mean I didn't mean to meet her at the record store but there she was checking out a Pink Floyd Cd and I had to tell her that Abbey Road was better."

"Yeah Drake, I think it's a sign. It's not a coincidence you were thinking about ending things with Taylor and something like that happens." Josh said quietly. He didn't want to see Taylor go but he also didn't want his brother to be unhappy. He just felt guilty about having her on the whole trip with them. If he had known that this was going to happen later on he never would have let Drake invite her. But that's the thing about life, things happen unexpectedly and people get hurt in the process. It's all about learning.

"Thanks Josh." Drake said as he headed downstairs. Taylor was going to be home soon and he wanted to get home for the annual Christmas Eve traditions in the Parker Nichols household which was to watch It's a Wonderful Life, eat Christmas cookies that his Mom would make, Sing a few carols, hang up the stockings, and leave a plate of cookies out for Santa. It was always the simple things like that that Drake looked forward too during the holidays. Sure presents were always first on his mind, it was the moments when Megan cried because she thought that Santa would get burned coming down the chimney the only year they ever had a fire, or the time when he got his first bike and rode it around the house even though his mom told him not to, that Drake would always remember.

Taylor walked through the door and threw her bag down on the ground.

"Drake, I'm going to go change and then we'll go okay?" She said as she ran upstairs. He sat back down on the couch and placed his hands on his knees and sighed.

"She's a strong girl, she'll understand." Audrey said as she rubbed his back.

"I hope so mom because I know this is right." Drake breathed.

"Life comes at you fast, unexpected, and sometimes you cry." She whispered in his ear. "Sometimes you laugh, sometimes it's hard and you're left picking up the pieces of a broken heart, sometimes it's a family, and sometimes it's a mistake that you knew you shouldn't have made because the answer was staring you right in the face."

Drake digested the information.

"I love you Mom."

"I know you do. Just do it gently baby." She whispered as she rubbed his back.

"I know."

Taylor stood in the doorway waiting for Drake to get his jacket.

"I have reservations at Shaun's." Taylor said as they walked towards the car.

"I'll drive." Drake said as he got into his car.

"Thanks, I've driven all day it seems like."

That was the last thing that either said to the other the whole car ride. Drake couldn't get the kiss with Lillah out of his head and the sound of the windshield wipers and the tires going through the rain on the road wouldn't stop reminding him of it either. Their whole relationship was now awkward silences and empty kisses. He hadn't felt sparks since the night they spent at the Grand Canyon on their way back home, that was until that damn kiss with Lillah.

He parked outside Shaun's and they waited for their seat, a quiet little booth near a coy pond.

Drake barely touched his food because he couldn't find the right way of telling Taylor that this wasn't working out.

"Tay...Drake...lor" They both said the others name at the same time.

"You go first." They both said again.

"You go first Drake." Taylor said as she took a sip of her sprite.

"Taylor…" He began wording what he was about to say gently. "We're both at different places in our life, and there is no easy way to say this…but…" He was interrupted by her.

"I know. I feel the same way." She said as she placed her hand on his. "You've gotten where you've wanted to be and I'm still working on it. Drake I've felt our relationship turn to ash. Nothing feels like it used to before we came here."

"I agree."

"Remember back in New York when you asked me if I wanted to go with you and we realized that acting on what felt right was better than common sense? Well it was Drake and I regret nothing being with you. You changed me Drake and I know that I've changed you." She trailed losing sight of the topic she'd wanted to cover.

"I know, you have changed me Taylor. And I'm sorry, I never could reassure that day that it would work out. And I never make promises because life comes at you fast and unexpected and there is never time for promises…" Drake trailed he too had lost track of his words.

"If we were meant to be Drake we'll find out soon enough. I'm moving in with a friend from school. We're splitting the rent and I'll be close if you still want to keep in touch."

"Are you spending the night at my house?" Drake asked as the waiter cleared his plate.

"No, all my stuff is in my car. It's better if we just get this out of the way." She said as she placed the money into the leather case. "It's best we get going."

"Yeah."

They both stood up and walked silently next to each other to the car. They got in and sat there for a few moments.

"Taylor…"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being the person that I knew you were."

"Yeah…"

"I still love you somehow."

"Yeah…"

"I can't explain it though."

"I know what it's like because I still love you."

"We need time."

"Yeah."

"You know my number."

"I know."

"Don't forget that you can call me anytime."

"I won't."

With that he started the car and he drove her home in silence. The kiss still replayed over and over in his mind like a movie that wouldn't stop, but it wasn't a bad movie, no this was the movie that he wanted to play.

He pulled the car into the driveway and walked her to her car. The rain soaking both of them.

"This might be goodbye." She whispered as she opened her car door.

"But if it's not…"

"Just go as if it is."

Drake hugged her and he knew that he'd miss aspects of her but this was the way it had to be. She had to go on and find herself. She didn't need the weight of a broken relationship weighing her down. He didn't need it either, he'd established a small name for himself and he need to embellish on it. She needed to make that name.

"I love you." He said once more testing it out seeing if it still fit but it didn't.

"Shhhh…" she whispered as she held a finger to his lips. "Don't go saying things you don't really mean or feel."

"It just happens."

"I know."

"Bye."

"Bye."

With that she shut the car door and turned on the ignition and backed out of the driveway. He walked towards the front door. The whole family knowing what had happened all of them back in the same house and for once everything felt normal as if he were still in High School and Megan had just pulled a prank on him and Josh.

Drake said nothing as he joined his family as they hung their stockings and ate the cookies. He even accompanied them with guitar as they sang Christmas carols. Mindy joining their family because hers was too stuck up in their own ways to care that their daughter needed them and that mistakes do happen, and sometimes they happen for a reason.

A/N: Okay so there you go this is by far my favorite chapter in this whole fic. I don't know why but I had the best time writing it, it took me like 3 hours though...hell it's summer vacation and I'm intent on finishing this story so I can finish the Megan one. But I hope you like this chapter...I think it's the longest I've ever written...enjoy.

-Morgan