Hi everyone! I've finally gotten the next chapter to a point where I'm happy with it, so I decided to go ahead and post it. I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own TMI or the music in this chapter.
Chapter 19
You Know I Love You So
"You should have told me," Alec muttered, shutting his eyes and tiredly rubbing at his forehead. "I would have tried to help you."
"I was scared," Aline whimpered, hugging herself tightly. She stared at the steaming coffee sitting in front of her on the table, as if it would jump out and attack her. "He…he controlled everything."
The two friends sat in Magnus' kitchen, looking worse for wear. Alec's hair was untidy in a rather unflattering way, whilst Aline's eyes were bloodshot. Had her hoodie pulled tightly around her, and had stray pieces of hair falling out of her messy bun, covering parts of her face.
"God, if I ever see him…" Alec trailed off the threat, his hands clenching as anger hit him.
"No, don't fight his violence with more violence" Aline reminded Alec kindly, before reaching over and placing her hand on top of Alec's. "It will just create a non-stop circle of hate."
"Yeah, well, he deserves all my hate." Alec grumbled, looking at one of his closest friends. "He was hurting you, Aline, and I never knew."
"Because I didn't want you to." Aline stated firmly, causing Alec to visibly deflate.
"Why not? I would've tried to help or protect you." Alec whispered sadly, sighing while rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. "I would've done something."
"Like what? Just take my side? It'd be a case of his words against mine. Alec, he was a far more powerful man than me. He still is. I'm just a little singer, he's a big business owner and popular actor." Aline said bluntly, tightening her grip on his hand. "If I tried to take him on in anyway, he would destroy me."
"That shouldn't matter-"
"But it does!" Aline interjected fiercely. "It does, Alec. It shouldn't, but he…he will always have a level of control over me. That is something that will never change."
"I won't allow it," Alec informed her seriously, his tone low and almost dangerous. "I won't."
"Thank you for your concern," Aline exhaled wearily, looking a lot less carefree than her usual self. "But it's too late now. It's time for me to move on."
"No, you should get justice." Alec insisted passionately, shaking his head wildly.
"I just want to forget it." Aline retorted back angrily, her eyes narrowing at the dark haired man.
"So what? He can continue to go to his next girlfriend and beat her up too? It's not just you that you're risking, Aline." Alec cried out, jumping to his feet and ripping his hand away from hers. "What if his next girlfriend isn't as lucky as you? What if she doesn't get out? I can't handle the thought of that."
"Well you'll need to. I can't face him, Alec! He still haunts me in my sleep. In my dreams, I can hear him taunting me. God, I struggle when anything triggers me. I hate having my own hairdresser touch my hair, because if she accidentally pulls a little too hard, it just makes me think of all the times he did when he was teaching me a lesson. Everyone tells me how good I am at make up – why do you think I'm so good? Not because I am passionate about it, but because I had to hide the finger marks he left around my neck. The bruises. The scratches. And yet, it feels like while they're gone, I'm still scarred." Aline burst out, tears pouring from her eyes. "I can't escape him. We broke up years ago and yet he still controls me and I'm so angry that I'm still so weak."
"You're not weak, Aline Penhallow, and don't you ever say that again. You are so strong, but you've been through a lot of traumatic stuff." Alec announced, gently grabbing her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "And you're not alone. Not now, not ever. I'm always going to be here for you."
"Thank you," Aline muttered, her bloodshot eyes staring up into Alec's.
"But you should tell Helen." Alec added, causing the woman to tense up. "She's worried about you."
"It's my secret," Aline mumbled, and Alec nodded in agreement.
"Which is why you should be the one to tell her. Listen to me, she loves you, it won't change anything." Alec stated.
"How do you know that? You're not the one who's relationship will be affected. You're not the one who's been left destroyed and broken because you were too scared to say no to someone." Aline whimpered.
"I know it because I know Helen. She's a good person." Alec whispered.
"And she will stay by your side, she's good at that." Magnus interrupted, walking into the kitchen with an empty mug. "Sorry for intruding. Just a bit hard not to since you're in my kitchen."
"Sorry for barging in Magnus." Aline apologised quietly, lowering her head submissively.
Magnus casually waved his hand, "no worries, darling. Do you need anything? A fresh coffee? A hot chocolate? A snack? I believe Cammie left some vodka in spare bedroom if you're looking for something a little stronger."
Aline gave him a small smile, "I'm fine, thank you."
"Alright, let me know if that changes." Magnus shrugged and went to leave, before pausing. His tone suddenly changed and became uncharacteristically serious. "I meant what I said – Helen will not view you differently or leave you. She isn't like that."
"How would you know?" Aline raised an eyebrow challenging, which caused Magnus to hesitate for a moment before speaking.
"We met years ago at Idris University, and she was there for me during some of the toughest times." Magnus informed Aline whilst leaning against the kitchen counter. "Did she ever tell you that she helped me cover up a rather nasty bruise one time? A result of an accident – one of my exes was a passionate dancer who lacked coordination when caught up in the music…and intoxicated. Helen didn't realise it was an accident and assumed the worst when she saw me crying in the club's bathroom at two in the morning with a nasty black eye. Let me tell you, the first thing she did was take care of me, reassure me that she won't leave me before threatening to remove the anatomy of whoever did it to me."
"That doesn't sound like her," Aline murmured, her eyes wide. "The anatomy bit, at least."
"Helen is one of the most controlled, quiet and gentle people I know, but don't be fooled by that exterior. She's secretly one of the most protective, loyal and faithful friends you will ever have. We used to jokingly call her our Mama Bear, and we'd be her cubs." Magnus went to look in the fridge for something to eat. "I have a feeling that the saying somethings never change is true when it comes to that aspect of her personality."
"I didn't realise you two knew each other so well," Aline said, running her fingers along the handle of her coffee mug.
"Admittedly, it's been a while since we've really connected, but I know we still have each other's backs." Magnus said absentmindedly, before cheering and pulling something out of the fridge. "Ah huh! I knew I had it. Whipped cream and chocolate sauce."
Aline paled and looked at Alec with wide eyes, "oh gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your plans for tonight!".
"Aline, don't be so gross! No, that is not for…us to…" Alec's spluttered awkwardly, his cheeks a vivid shade of red.
A smirk rose to Magnus' lips as he watched his blushing boyfriend, "oh don't say no before you've tried it, sweetheart. It might be fun."
"Magnus," Alec wheezed, making Magnus almost frown at how close his boyfriend sounded to suffocation.
"Deep breaths, Alexander. I don't need England's favourite boy dying in my kitchen because his boyfriend was prepared to smother him in whipped cream and chocolate sauce-"
"Magnus!" Alec gasped, "enough."
"If you say so," Magnus gave in, but he sent a not-so-subtle wink towards Aline. "Would you like a sundae? I promise I'm very competent at making them. I've had a lot of practice at the art of perfecting whipped cream and chocolate-"
"Magnus, that is enough." Alec interrupted quickly, not seeing Aline's small grin. "Aline doesn't need to hear about any of that."
"Fine, honestly Alexander, it's just a little fun." Magnus bit his lip to stop himself from smirking more. "Would you like a cherry on top? I'm also quite knowledgeable about things relating to cherries."
"Magnus, please, stop." Alec begged, not hearing Aline's giggles until a few moment later, where she quietly shook in her seat from small laughs.
"Just clearing the tension," Magnus informed his boyfriend, getting out three bowls. "Aline darling, you can say no but you're still getting a sundae. They always make me feel better."
"How could I ever disagree with you, Magnus?" Aline joked feebly, causing him to frown.
"Now, now, let's get you feeling a little stronger and confident. Starting with a call." He picked up Aline's mobile off the kitchen bench, where it had been left. "I think this might make you feel better."
"Magnus, don't pressure her too much." Alec tensed, shaking his head at his boyfriend.
"I'm not saying she has to spill everything over the phone, Alexander." Magnus replied seriously, before peering down at Aline. "Just call her. She's had time to feel bad and she's probably feeling angry at herself up for it right now. I think it could do you both a whole lot of good to just talk. Alexander, sweetheart, can you please help me water the plants? They're in desperate need for a little TLC."
"You don't even have plants, Magnus." Alec said dumbly, causing his boyfriend to huff and roll his eyes.
"Oh, come on." Magnus grabbed Alec by the hand and dragged him out of the kitchen, calling out to Aline before going. "Have a good chat."
Aline was left staring at her phone, hearing Magnus and Alec's voices fade into the background. She hid her smile when she heard Magnus berate Alec for not understanding what was a subtle hint to leave the room. Slowly, the smile fell off her face as she reached out and clicked the unlock button on her phone. The screen lit up. A picture of her kissing Helen's cheek was the lock screen image. Aline felt her breath taken away as soon as she saw Helen's big eyes staring up at her.
"Screw it," she muttered to herself, putting in the passcode and going straight to her contacts. She clicked on Helen's name and pressed the call button.
Bouncing nervously on the spot, Aline only had to wait a few seconds before Helen picked up. "Aline! Oh my goodness, you called. I didn't think you would. I'm so, so, so sorry about yesterday."
"Hey, calm down. It's okay, I'm sorry for getting upset with you." Aline said fondly, and she could practically hear Helen relax.
"I'm sorry for pushing to talk, you don't need to. I don't need to know." Helen added quickly.
"It's okay, I'll tell you. Just…not over the phone." Aline replied gently.
"As long as you're sure," Helen responded kindly, and in the background, Aline could hear a voice calling out to her. "Look, I know this is bad timing but Mark needs me. Can I call you back later today?".
"Of course," Aline said quickly, although she couldn't stop herself from feeling slightly disappointed.
"Thanks babe," Helen sighed, about to say goodbye when Aline interrupted.
"I miss you!" Aline declared, blushing the second after she said it.
Helen chuckled sweetly in response to the declaration, "I'm miss you too. I really need to go now. Talk later."
"Talk to you then," Aline said before Helen hung up, leaving Aline sighing as she stared at the phone in her hand.
"Feeling any better?" Magnus called out from the lounge room, only to swear when Alec jabbed him with his elbow in the ribs. "Alexander."
"Leave them alone," Alec demanded sternly, causing his boyfriend to pout. Aline made her way to the lounge room, feeling like a lot of weight had been taken off her shoulders. The two men gazed up at her from where they were tangled up together on the sofa.
"Feeling a lot better," she told them with a grateful smile. "Thanks for that."
"You're welcome," Magnus beamed before gently shoving Alec away and clapping. "Okay, time for sundaes! I'm not letting your happiness get me out of one, missy. Come along, Alexander, I need my eye candy with me."
"Magnus," Alec groaned, but he had a happy grin on his face as he watched his boyfriend strut into the kitchen.
"That is one man with attitude," Aline commented lightly.
Alec quirked his eyebrow and smirked, "don't I know it."
"This attitude has gotten me very far in life, for your information." Magnus retorted from the kitchen with a cheerful laugh.
"So, when are you going to see Helen next?" Alec asked softly, although Magnus could still hear him.
"I'm not too sure, hopefully sometime soon." Aline shrugged, looking a little unsure again.
"You better go soon," Magnus demanded, carrying three sundaes into the room. "Aline, that woman absolutely adores you and will walk to the ends of the world to give you whatever you want. And do you know what's even better? You absolutely adore her too. I'm one for romance, but the way you look at her is almost nauseating – even to me! You are so besotted with her, it's almost as if you think she puts all the stars in the sky and is the brightest of them all. So please, go to her, finish making up and just get on with the kinky lesbian sex we know you two have."
"Magnus, are you incapable of applying a filter to what you say?" Alec gasped, his face turning bright red.
"You're right," Aline muttered, causing Alec's head to whirl to face her with a look of horror. "Oh not like that, Alec."
"Aren't I always?" Magnus smirked, placing the sundaes onto the table.
"I need to go to her. I have to…to remind her that I adore her. Jeez Magnus, why don't I listen to you more often?" Aline jumped to her feet, almost bumping into the table.
"I ask myself that question too," Magnus replied dramatically, throwing his hands into the air dramatically. He paused before crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow at Aline. "Just what is your plan though?"
"I'm going to show the world that I love Helen," she declared, causing both men to blanch.
"Hang on, sweet pea, that was not part of my well-thought out speech. Nor was it part of the plan. What happened to just sticking to the make-up kinky lesbian sex part?" Magnus interjected loudly, shaking his head and waving his hands at her. "I like the sound of that a little better."
"Aline, have you really thought this through?" Alec questioned cautiously, getting to his feet and stepping closer to his bemused boyfriend.
"I need to show her how important she is to me." Aline announced, not seeing the look Alec and Magnus shared.
"I'm all for that, but going public?" Magnus showed an uncharacteristic level of concern. "Especially when you haven't even raised the topic properly with Helen. I believe that is an important thing to talk about before you start announcing your relationship to the world."
"I know what I'm doing, Magnus." Aline insisted firmly.
"Are you sure about that? Because right now I'm seriously contemplating taking you to the hospital to make sure you didn't somehow obtain a concussion that messes with your usual logic. Kinky lesbian sex is one thing Aline, becoming public when you're a huge, famous singer is another thing." Magnus said sarcastically, before sending his boyfriend an exasperated look. "Alexander, what do we do?"
"I have no idea," Alec gaped, observing one of his closest friends grab her bag and wave at them.
"Fix this," Magnus prodded Alec pointedly in the ribs, yet the singer could merely stare in shock at his friend.
"I'll let you know how this goes!" Aline beamed before practically running out the room, the sound of the front door opening and closing informed the men that she had left.
"Well, if I was you, I'd start preparing yourself." Magnus reached over and linked his fingers with Alec's.
"Why's that?" Alec regarded the other man, a bewildered expression on his face when Magnus smirked at him.
"I think some Love Actually shit is about to go down."
The next day, Magnus stepped out of the classroom he had been finishing his dress for the Idris University Fashion Show in. Time had crept up on Magnus, and before he knew it, he had less than two weeks until the fashion show. He was very aware that he needed to make sure his back statement was perfect – especially since the model wearing it is pretty much perfect. Magnus slung his sewing bag over his shoulder as he made his way through the hallways of the university. He had organised to meet up with Alec near the front gate of the university, was running a little late.
"Excuse me," someone called out, causing him to stop and turn around.
He spotted a girl who looked around nineteen years old rushing towards him with a grin on her face. Magnus took a deep breath and hid his confusion by confidently asking, "how can I help you?".
"You're Magnus Bane, right?" she questioned happily, and he slowly nodded, trying to figure out why she knew his name. "Can I get a picture with you?".
"With me?" He blinked owlishly, noting how the girl smiled up hopefully.
"Yes, with you! You're my inspiration." She sighed dreamily, in a way which almost made him want to run away. "Being amazing at fashion, falling in love with the Alexander Lightwood, having celebrities like Isabelle Lightwood wearing your designs. All my friends will be so jealous I got a picture with you. So, can I have a picture?".
"Oh…um…sure," Magnus stumbled over his words, watching the girl get her phone out.
He leant down and smiled for the camera, as she took the photo. She squealed on the spot, "thank you so much! My name's Sadie, by the way."
"Lovely to meet you, Sadie. I hope your studies go well and that you continue to be inspired. Now I best head off." Magnus replied as nicely as possible before making his way back down the corridor.
He had to stop himself from sprinting away from the passionate fan. He paused by the drink fountain to fill his water bottle up when he heard a notification on his phone. After filling his water bottle up, he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and saw he had been tagged in a photo on Instagram. Curious, he quickly unlocked his phone and went straight to his Instagram. His eyebrows rose up high as soon as he saw the picture that came up. Sadie had posted the selfie of them to her account – a big cheesy grin on her face where her happiness was clearly contagious and a more subdued yet kind smile on Magnus'. He read the caption she had written "I finally got to meet TheMagnificentMagnusBane! He was so kind and even let me take a picture with him before saying he hoped that I have a good time at uni! Ahhh major fangirl moment!".
Magnus stared at the screen for a moment, both surprised and slightly creeped out. Once he recovered from the initial shock, he began to scan through the comments. Many comments seemed to be young teenage girls saying how lucky Sadie was, asking whether he was as tall as he looks in pictures and how nice his casual make up looked. He chuckled to himself when he noticed a theme of the fans referring to himself and Alexander as "Malec". Magnus noted that one girl commented on the photo, "ahh, u r so lucky babe. Wish I could meet him. Malec 4eva lol". Sadie had replied to the comment, "oh I know! Thankfully he was so kind and let me take a pic with him! Number 1 fan here lol." Magnus hesitated, before clicking on the reply button on Sadie's reply to her friend. He figured that since she was preaching love about him, he might as well give some back.
TheMagnificentMagnusBane: Hey gorgeous, it was so nice to meet you! Keep being the sparkling diamond you are and feel free to say hi to me if you see me around campus again :-) – Magnus xx
With what felt like a nice deed done for the day, Magnus started strutting toward the exit gates of the University. He smiled when he saw a familiar figure walking towards him, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses to hide his identity. Alec's hands were shoved into the pockets of his black jeans, but once he caught sight of Magnus, he quickly took them out and spread out his arms for a hug. Magnus reached out and gave Alec a quick kiss once he was in his arms.
"Hi Mags, how are you? Did you get everything done?" Alec asked, once they let go of each other.
"I'm good. Mostly, just have to make sure it's the right size for your sister." Magnus grabbed Alec's hand in his own, as they headed toward the way out of the campus. "You know, all those final alterations. Probably the most important ones yet, to be honest."
"The dress will be perfect, we both know that." Alec said reassuringly, beaming proudly at his boyfriend.
Magnus went to respond but was distracted by what sounded to be a lot of people. His eyes narrowed when he heard lots of footsteps and unfamiliar voices. Magnus noted that Alec had suddenly tensed up and frowned. The singer cussed under his breath and gave his boyfriend an apologetic look, "I'm so sorry about this, Mags."
Magnus didn't have time to answer while they were making their way out of the front gates. Realisation hit him as he looked down at his feet while he climbed down the front steps of Idris University. Magnus was surprised to hear voices begin to shout out his name, in addition to Alexander's. Glancing up, he saw a surprising number of paparazzi standing at the bottom of the stairs with their cameras, all ready to take pictures. The bright flashes started, as Magnus managed to blindly make his way down the rest of the stairs.
"Sorry about this," Alec apologised, his hand tightening around Magnus' as he led him down the stairs. "I didn't realise they knew we were here."
"It's not your fault," Magnus murmured, still holding onto Alec's left hand with his right. He gave an awkward wave toward the cameras before reaching over and wrapping his left hand around Alec's elbow, clutching his boyfriend tightly with both hands.
"Magnus, smile for us! Hi Alexander! Wave some more! C'mon Magnus! Smile! Say hi!" Voices yelled out, as the crowd around Magnus and Alec grew larger.
Magnus found it hard to walk through the large number of people surrounding him and Alec, as teenage girls began to join the paparazzi and scream out his name. He became aware of the two security guards that had stepped in to keep the fans and paparazzi away – he assumed that they had been there the whole time, just from a distance since he hadn't noted them before.
"I parked over there," Alec informed Magnus, pointing to his black SUV on the other side of the road.
"Come on boys, smile for us!" Someone yelled really loudly, as more flashes went off.
"Please take a picture with me." A young girl with a phone in a bright pink case begged.
Magnus and Alec paused quickly, smiling as the girl took a selfie and thanked them. They then headed off, still holding onto each other.
"Alexander, how is the soundtrack coming for the upcoming Demons movie?" someone yelled out over the noise of the crowd.
"Good, thanks." Alec replied in a clipped voice, as the security guards started demanding that people moved away from them.
Someone still managed to get a little too close to Magnus, causing the fashion student to lose his grip on Alec and stumble. Alec caught him before he could fall and was quick to firmly wrap an arm around his waist. His blue eyes were full of protective anger, as he whirled around to face the paparazzi that had knocked into his boyfriend. "Oi, don't touch him. Are we clear? Back off!"
"Alexander," Magnus murmured quietly, placing a hand over Alec's chest. "Let's just get into the car."
Alec took Magnus' request very seriously, as he sped up and tightened his grip around his boyfriend's waist, protectively shielding him from anyone who dared to come close. They got to the curb, waiting to cross the road while cars sped past. Magnus was uncomfortably aware of all the cameras trained on them, as some paparazzi dangerously ran in front of them on the road to get better pictures. Unable to see because of the lights, Magnus shielded his eyes with his hand and let Alec lead him across the road. The singer grabbed his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car, opening the door for his boyfriend. Magnus was quick to sit inside, putting his bag on the floor and going to do his seat belt up. Alec paused, and in a rather rare display of PDA, he leaned in to give Magnus a quick kiss on the lips. The fans and paparazzi went wild, and Magnus grinned when Alec sent him a subtle wink before carefully shutting Magnus' door and running around the front of the car to get to the driver's seat.
Alec shut the door and locked them quickly before putting his key into the ignition and starting the car. He yanked his seat belt on before pulling out onto the road, avoiding hitting any desperate people trying to get photos of them.
"Sorry about that," Alec said, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"It's all good, handsome. Nothing I couldn't handle." Magnus stated, smiling when Alec reached over and grabbed his hand, linking their fingers together. "I just wish I looked a little more presentable."
"You look perfect," Alec informed him immediately, before blushing.
Magnus had to hide his smug smile, "thanks darling."
"By the way, I got a call from Jem. He and Will have been doing more wedding planning." Alec started, focussing on slowing down when the light at the intersection went red. "Apparently they were hoping I could perform at the wedding."
"Really?" Magnus queried, slight surprise colouring his voice.
"Yeah, when Jem's walking down the aisle and all that." Alec explained, glancing at Alec as they waited for the light to change colour.
"You know you don't have to if you don't want to." Magnus insisted, but Alec merely shook his head.
"No, no, I want to. It's all good." Alec reassured Magnus, "I just need to…think of the perfect song."
"I'm sure you'll come up with something." Magnus squeezed Alec's hand and leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now take me home, lover boy."
Alec chuckled and accelerated as the light changed to green, "as you wish."
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you.
And everything you do.
Yeah they were all yellow.
Aline strummed on her guitar, singing loudly as she stared up at the Blackthorn household. The cool breeze ruffled her hair, but she paid no attention to it. A window opened, as Julian Blackthorn looked down at Aline and gasped, "Helen! Your girlfriend is here and she's singing a love song. Oh Helen and Aline, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"Leave them alone, Jules." Dru shrieked, and Aline could hear Julian cackling.
"Come on, Helen. Open the front door." Julian added cheekily.
I came along,
I wrote a song for you.
And all the things you do,
And it was called "Yellow".
The front door opened slowly, and out peered a pair of very familiar blonde-green eyes. Aline couldn't hold back her smile, as Helen emerged from the house, dressed in a long flowy pink dress with her blonde hair tied back in a loose braid. Helen's cheeks were bright pink and she mouthed Aline's name, unable to say more. Aline merely just beamed at her in response, unable to hide her happiness.
So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done.
And it was all yellow.
Aline stepped closer, still strumming away and singing on her guitar as she took in the sight of her gorgeous girlfriend. Up at the second story window, Julian and Dru were joined by more of the Blackthorn siblings as they stared down at the lovers. Aline even noted the presence of Mark, who seemed a lot less interested than his younger half-siblings.
"I wonder what Aline did this time," Julian muttered, feeling slightly protectively.
"Oh hush," Dru hissed, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder.
"Don't tell me to hush," Julian complained, before Mark silenced them both.
"Both of you, calm down." He commanded, but his eyes were still on Helen and Aline.
Dru poked her tongue out at Julian, before shed turned back to watching her half-sister being serenaded.
Your skin.
Oh yeah, your skin and bones.
Turn into something beautiful.
You know, you know I love you so.
You know I love you so.
Helen eyes watered, as she covered her mouth with her hands and kept listening to the song. She couldn't contain a few tears, which leaked out of her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She moved closer to Aline, so that there was less than a metre between the two women. Further down the street, front doors also began to open.
I swam across,
I jumped across for you.
Oh what a thing to do,
'Cause you were all yellow.
"Okay, you can stop now," Helen kidded weakly, noticing some neighbours watching from their windows. She lowered her voice and moved even closer, nervously biting her lip. "Aline, people are going to see us. They'll take pictures and everyone will know."
Aline merely smiled and shook her head at the blonde, before continuing to sing in a more confident voice. More and more neighbours began to watch the pair, their eyes widening when they recognised Aline.
"Oh my goodness, is that Aline Penhallow?" Helen's nosy neighbour Gladys called out, signalling to her three teenage daughters to come watch on of their favourite singers.
I drew a line,
I drew a line for you.
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all yellow.
Aline ignored the attention she was receiving, even when cameras started to flash and videos were being recorded. Even when Jules sent her threatening looks or Dru started cooing. Aline's eyes were locked on Helen, who was smiling prettily with a soft blush on her cheeks.
Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones.
Turn into something beautiful.
Aline's singing came to an end, as she took in a deep breath and stared at Helen, who remained speechless. Aline swallowed thickly, before finally opening her mouth to speak, "I never show you enough appreciation, Helen. I get so caught up in my own world, that I forget the importance of you at times. It recently occurred me that…that is something I really need to fix. I love you and you…you have become my world. Before you, there was so much darkness and depression. It felt like everything was fake and an act. But, my love for you is one hundred percent real. You are the light of my life, especially with that golden hair of yours. You are the sun to my moon, as corny as it sounds. And I am currently so terrified, because I know we didn't agree on becoming public. None of this really was agreed on. But I'm putting it out here, Helen, you are my everything. You are a treasure to be treated with the utmost respect. You deserve the world, and I want to give it to you, like you've given it to me. I want to love you with every breath I take. I am besotted with you, Helen Blackthorn."
Helen gaped at her girlfriend, before Dru shouted out the window, "kiss her, you idiot!"
"Dru," Mark reprimanded her, yet it seemed that his sister agreed with their younger half-sister.
Helen stepped forward and pushed her lips against Aline's, not noticing when Aline almost dropped the guitar. She held tightly onto Aline's cheeks with both hands, as she kissed her girlfriend with more passion than either of them had experienced before.
"Okay, now this is getting gross." Julian muttered, only to not be heard over Dru's cheering.
Helen finally pulled back, resting her head against Aline's. "I love you too, Aline."
"Good, glad to hear that." Aline chuckled breathlessly, before they heard the happy cries and cheers from the rest of the street.
Aline and Helen looked over to see that practically the whole neighbourhood was watching them. Slowly, both girls began to wave at everyone. Cameras started to flash as Aline wrapped her arm around Helen's waist and pulled her up against her side.
"There is something I need to tell you though," Aline admitted, chewing on her lower lip.
"Whatever it is, I'm all ears." Helen whispered, while grabbing Aline's hand. "Come on, let's get you inside."
She leaned over to give Aline one last kiss. As soon as the kiss finished, much to their audience's happiness, Helen led her girlfriend inside. The door shut behind them, as they pretended the world wasn't about to know about their romance. The Blackthorn household was surprisingly quiet, given the circumstances. Helen was certain that Mark was currently telling their half-siblings to give the couple space and time to talk. With their hands still linked, Helen led Aline through a thin corridor lined with yellow walls and various family photographs. They made their way up the dark wooden stairs, before turning to their right and down another hallway.
"Here, second door on the left." Helen murmured, following her own instructions and opening the door.
Helen stepped aside so that Aline could enter first, which the singer did slowly. Her eyes took in the bedroom – light green walls with a queen sized bed. White sheets were on the bed, matching the white curtains. There was a light brown table in the corner of the room, where some of Helen's make up products were carefully stored.
"Looks very…you," Aline commented dumbly, causing the blonde to giggle.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Helen responded lightly, before motioning towards the bed. "Have a seat."
Aline nodded to herself and strolled to the bed, gradually sitting on the mattress, which dipped under her weight. Helen joined her, crossing her legs and moving to lean against the headboard. Aline licked her lips, "I'm sorry about my behaviour."
"It's okay," Helen started. "I just wish you would explain it to me. You were very upset and I just wanted to help."
"And thank you. For wanting to help." Aline blurted, her hands shaking and leg rocking. "There's something I need to tell you, that not many people know."
"Sounds serious," Helen remarked softly, tilting her head slightly.
"I suppose it is serious," Aline confirmed, avoiding eye contact. "You can't tell anyone though."
"Did you rob a bank?" Helen kidded, attempting to diffuse the tension.
Aline did not expect the joke, so she released a breathy laugh. "I wish it was that simple."
"Wow, does sound very serious." Helen replied, shifting over so that she was closer to Aline. She reached over and grasped the singer's hand, squeezing it gently.
Aline squeezed back, "it involves my past. There are some parts of it that I'm not very proud of. I'm going to have to ask you to please avoid interrupting me as much as possible. This will…be challenging to say."
"Hey, hey," Helen lowered her voice and gave Aline a reassuring smile. "You don't need to tell me if you don't feel ready."
"No, I need to do this." Aline insisted firmly, but the shaky breath that escaped her showed her nerves. "Babe, do you remember my ex, Axel?"
"Yes, how could I not?" Helen laughed awkwardly. "You two were a hugely famous couple."
"Well, I suppose we were. I should give more of a backstory. I met Axel just after I turned twenty. He was thirty-five at the time. We were doing an interview together, as I had just released a big single and he was promoting his latest movie. I still remember when I first met him. He was backstage, laughing with his manager over the fact that he had lost yet another phone charger. He caught sight of me and immediately waved at his manager to end the conversation. I was starstruck. I remember he was so confident as he strutted over in his tight little jeans with that shit eating grin. At the time, I adored that grin. He just smirked at me and said, 'well you must be Aline, you have no idea how much I have wanted to meet you'. I was a stuttering mess, but he was so smooth. We hit it off straight away – I thought he was the most charming, sweetest and wittiest man. He was everything I thought I wanted in a man. At the time, he was dating another girl."
Aline swallowed deeply, causing Helen to frown and whisper, "Are you okay?"
"I will be," Aline confirmed before continuing. "Axel and I met again a year later on the red carpet. He was just as charming as I remembered, and more importantly, single. We spoke as if we were best friends and he was quick to ask me out on date. It was perfect. I thought I had found my prince charming. It stayed perfect for the first three months, until he found out he didn't get a role that he was certain he was going to get. That was the first time that he hit me."
Helen gasped and her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my goodness."
"It…doesn't get much happier, I'm afraid. He apologised. I believed it. But it just kept going. It became more frequent and the apologies stopped. He started telling me I deserved it. I made him do it. It was because I upset him that he hit me, not because he couldn't control himself. And things went downhill as our popularity as a couple increased. Our managers wanted us to stay together no matter what, especially his. He started the peak of his career and fans were loving the love songs I wrote that they thought were about him. I suppose we both benefited from the relationship. I hated the public appearances though. We had to act in love, and he reminded me so much of the Axel I first met. As soon as we were out of sight though, he went back to the Axel I was becoming accustomed to."
Aline's throat tightened, causing Helen to frown. "You don't need to keep talking if you don't want to."
"Do you know what the sad thing was?" Aline whispered, "the only reason I left him, was after I bumped into his exes' sister after a concert. She had gotten a VIP concert ticket, so I was there, pretending to be happy and the Aline Penhallow they expected. This girl who looked disturbingly familiar came up to me. I greeted her with a hug and thanked her for watching my concert. She stared at me before telling me get out while you can. I didn't understand, before she told me that her sister was Axel's ex-girlfriend. She had been vibrant and beautiful. She was a socialite with a large number of people who adored her. But he destroyed her. She fell pregnant with his child while they were together. He left her, informing her that he never loved her and that it was time for them to break up. She tried to get back into contact with him, but the stress lead to a miscarriage. Her mental health deteriorated even more, and on the anniversary of the day they got together, she booked the hotel room he took her to on their first anniversary and hung herself. He didn't even send a card to her family to say sorry for their loss. He just continued with his ways."
Helen was silent from horror, her eyes watery with tears escaping and rolling down her cheeks. Aline herself was fighting back her own tears. She cleared her throat before continuing, "I left him after that. I couldn't handle being the next girl he destroyed. It was hard, I fired my manager and got myself a new one. I moved out of the apartment Axel and I shared. I cut all ties with him. He was angry. Made sure to…express that. But I got out. There is more, but that's all I'm comfortable with sharing right now."
"Thank you for sharing. I'm so sorry you went through all that." Helen murmured, holding back sobs. "You are so strong, sweetheart."
"You make me stronger," Aline replied quietly, leaning forward to gently kiss her girlfriend. "I'm sorry for the crazy mood swings and keeping stuff secret."
"I understand why, just know that I am always here for you." Helen stated kindly, squeezing Aline's hand again.
Aline stared at Helen with what she believed was all the love she could ever feel for one person. "That means the world to me."
Thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you liked it! Thank you to everyone who also reviewed.
Pri-Chan 1410 - Thankfully it looks like things are going to get better for Aline! I hope you liked how Alec and Magnus helped her! Thank you for your kind words!
LightBehindTheShadows - Sorry for how long it took to update! I was slightly better with my timeframe for updating this time ;)
novemeg - Yeah definitely feel sorry for him having to deal with the paparazzi not letting him use public bathrooms. The lip sync battle will be coming very soon. Just making the final decision on the song choice! :)