So this story is coming to an end. I was working on the last chapter and then I finally realised that I hadn't even posted this one yet. So I'm really sorry for the long wait.
There will be one more chapter after this one.. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: New York, part 1.

After six long weeks, Lincoln Hawk finished their tour, they'd just wrapped it up yesterday with a performance in New York. Without Lily this time. Rufus had looked for her in the crowd, hoping he'd see her blonde hair next to Anna. But he hadn't.

Tonight was an afterparty in the loft, all the band members and their significant others were present, it had become some kind of tradition over the years. To make sure the kids wouldn't hear something their parents didn't want them to find out they'd been banished from the loft. Most of the kids were young enough to stay at home with sitters. But Dan and Jenny were convinced with some extra cash and a hint to go see a movie with some friends.

They'd taken Serena and Eric with them. They'd been hanging out more and more lately, just the four of them. Luckily for Eric and Jenny, Serena and Dan weren't too big on PDA, that would've been too weird for any of the siblings.

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"Tiger Lily!"

Lily winced at the slightly slurring voice coming from the other side of the line.

"You have to come to our after-tour party at Rufus'. The whole gang is here!"

"Anna-belle, I think I'm going to pass on this one."

"Noo you have to come. Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Lily fought back a smile, she knew her friend was pouting on the other side.

"Stop pouting, I'm not coming."

"Fine. But don't complain when you've missed one of our old fashioned sing along contests."

"Oh no I won't." Lily disconnected the call. Those sing alongs were actually quite funny. If you weren't the one doing it, but thanks to her wonderful best friend, she'd been singing along to quite a few songs over the years.

She wondered around the house. Even with her own art it still didn't feel like home. It was all a bit foreign to her, the surroundings didn't give her that homely feeling. She'd ended up in front of Bart's study. She could see the light coming from underneath it and hear his voice from the other side. He was talking to someone. When she caught a familiar name, she stopped and leaned closer to the door to follow the entire conversation.

"Do you think you can find another tour for that band, what's it called, Lincoln Hawk? I know you just sent them on a six week tour, but can't you find them something else. Across the border, preferably. I want no interruptions of a has been rock star for this week that I planned for Lily."

On the other side of the door Lily gasped. He'd arranged it all. Sent Rufus across the country to keep him away from her. He didn't trust her. She listened at the door again.

"And can you get me those details about last weekend. I want to know what she's been up to, did you have to do some damage control?"

The disappointment in her husband turned to anger, how dare he talk about her like that. Like she was some kind of child that needed to be controlled and taken care of. How dare he have someone follow her around everywhere. He might be her husband, but that doesn't give him the right to her whereabouts every single second of the day.

Unable to take it any longer she stormed into his study. Eyes blazing as she saw him sit behind the desk. The surprise in his face quickly disappeared.

"I'll call you later."

Bart quickly disconnected the call. Bracing himself for the anger of his wife. But he got the cold treatment instead. Her voice steady, soft and calm.

"How dare you. What on earth gives you the right to let them follow me. Did you have them follow my children too?" When he didn't answer her she knew that she guessed right.

"How DARE you! Following me, I can live with. With difficulty, but I could do it. But my children, invading their privacy like that! You have absolutely no right to butt into their lives like that.

"I am their stepfather, I have every right. I just did something you should have done years ago, keep track of your children."

The sound of her hand slapping his cheek was very loud. The two faced each other. Standing strong opposite each other. The red handmark on Bart's face becoming more clear with every second.

"I want a divorce."

and with that, Lily walked out of his study, grabbed her coat and left the house. Outside, she wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't go back in, and there really was no place to go. Except, maybe..

She hailed a cab and stepped in, telling the driver where to go.

Maybe singing along wasn't such a bad thing for tonight.