"Holy shit!" Robyn swears, hanging onto my arm as she jumps down from the stone step in my backyard when she spots her celebrity crush. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes, he's friends with my dad," I tell her, while laughing at her reaction.

It's the night of my dad's label party in celebration of twenty years with them, and our backyard is currently cluttered with Hollywood executives and celebrities. All here to party with Rock Salt and their years of success. Nights like these when I'm able to bring my friends along for the journey are by far my favourite.

Growing up with constant exposure to the rich and famous, has made my life a little louder than my friends. Getting to watch them freak out over someone they love is a small joy I get to experience every once in a while. Robyn, specifically hilarious to watch because my calm, cool and collected best friend completely unravels in the presence of celebrities.

"You have the best life," she shakes her head. "I love this. I love you for inviting me."

"You're welcome," I laugh.

"Oh my gosh, look who Greyson's talking to!" She squeals.

I turn my attention to my brother and shake my head at Robyn, finding him with her favourite singer. "Go, go. He'll introduce you."

"God, I love being your friend," she grins widely and runs off to be introduced but quickly makes a detour back to me. "Not to say I wouldn't be your friend if you weren't related to Luke Alexander."

"Yes, I know!" I giggle, and swat at her to go.

As she scurries off, I take a quick survey of the backyard and instantly spot the rest of my family. Riker with Lena talking to our Uncle Caleb and the lead guitarist of the band. Isaac and Mika are off in space, dancing to their own rhythm while my dad talks to the record executive that recruited them in New York.

"Hey Nicks," Felix's voice fills my ears as he slips up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Sorry, I'm late."

"It's okay," I smile and turn around in his arms, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "You're here now."

He kisses me quickly before looking around the yard. "This is quite the party."

"Yeah, we've had quite a few of them but this is a big one," I tell him. "My dad's been with his label for over twenty years. It took them a while, but he was right about going back to my mom all those years ago."

He nods, "That's a pretty big accomplishment."

"I'm really proud of him."

He smiles in my direction when the door to the house opens and I spot the vision of black hair stepping outside, followed by a tall lengthy man and a squeal instantly leaves my mouth. Overwhelmed with excitement.

"Aunt Maggie!"

"Stevie!" She grins and opens her arms as I run to embrace her. As soon as I wrap my arms around her I feel three more sets wrap around us. "Hi guys," she laughs. "I take it you've missed me."

"It's been way too long," Riker says and I unravel myself from their arms to hug Zane.

"Hi uncle Zane," I say as I wrap my arms around him. "I missed you too."

"We did too," he chuckles as he reaches out to shake hands with my brothers, each of them having a special handshake. "You'll need to come see us in New York soon."

"Yes, please!" I nod eagerly. "I miss our summers in New York. How is Emmy?"

"Emmy is good! She's actually found a job in Brooklyn for a start-up company."

"That's exciting," Greyson comments. "I can't believe you guys are here."

"Of course, we couldn't miss this," Maggie smiles, before her eyes advert behind us. "And who do we have here?"

I follow her sight and spot Felix slowly making his way up the stairs. "This is my boyfriend, Felix! Felix, this is my aunt Maggie and uncle Zane from New York."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," he offers his hand to them and gives them a firm handshake before Maggie pulls me aside.

"He's hot," she whispers. "Good job."

A laugh falls from my lips, "Thanks, Auntie. I'm glad you're here."

She wraps her arms around me tightly and rests her head on my shoulder. "I know this thing with your parents has been hard on you, Stevie. I'm sorry they're so stubborn."

"Yeah, me too," I sigh. "Have you talked to her?"

"Every day," she nods. "Who do you think she rants to?"

"And?"

"And she loves your dad more than anything," she smiles gently. "I watched her get out of a very toxic relationship and when Luke came into her life, she was very hesitant. He scared her because he was real and she wasn't ready for that, but he never gave up on her. He fought until she realized just how perfect they are for each other, but the thing is...your mom has never fought for him. When he got the offer in Los Angeles, she pushed him away and she was ready to let him go but he came back. He fought for her, and she simply went with it."

"So...you're saying, what?"

"She needs to fight like hell to keep him," she mumbles. "As much as you want to put this on your dad, and I'm not saying that it isn't partly his responsibly because it is but it's your mom's turn to fight and not give up because it got hard."

I exhale slowly and nod my head, "I guess, I never really thought about that."

"They'll figure it out," she smiles softly.

"I hope so," I swallow and look around the party. "Well, I won't keep you. Have fun."

She nods, "Love you, sweetie."

"Love you too."

She rejoins Zane and ventures off as I walk back down the steps to join Felix and my brothers, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his chest. My heart feeling like it's in two totally different places.

"That looked serious," Riker comments.

"Yeah," I nod, humming softly. "It was. Maggie thinks mom needs to fight for dad. She said their whole relationship was dad fighting for her. Making the effort to win her."

Isaac hums, "It's definitely true."

Silence falls between the five of us when Greyson's eyes drop to his shoes, shaking his head in disappointment. At first, I think it's what we talked about until I look behind me and noticed the hushed argument taking place between our parents.

"Unbelievable," I mumble.

"Are we ever going to get a day where they don't fight with each other?" Isaac asks.

"Maybe you were right, Vee," Greyson suddenly says. "Maybe it's time we give it up. If they want to be together, they need to figure this out for themselves but they need to stop making this so awkward for us."

"Agreed," Riker nods.

"We need to try one more thing to bring them together," Greyson adds. "Show them what they're missing."

"What are you suggesting?" Isaac asks but Greyson's eyes never leave mine, and a nervous pit starts before I even know what he's going to say.

"Feel like singing a little song, Stevie?"

"I can't," I shake my head. "Not in front of this many people."

"I can't do this without you," he frowns. "I finished the song."

I exhale slowly, "Grey..."

"Wait, hold up," Riker puts his hands up and points at Greyson. "When do you write a song?"

"It was Stevie that noticed," he looks at me. "Please, Vee."

"You can do it," Felix squeezes my arms.

"I really can't," I shake my head and look up at him. "I can't sing in front of this many people. I won't even be able to get myself on the stage."

"Yes, you can," he argues. "Nicks, you can do anything. Just don't think about the people. Think about me. Think about the beach. It's just the two of us."

"That..."

"You've got this," he says when he sees my hesitation.

"Okay," I nod. "Show me the song."

Greyson grins and holds his phone out to me with the open note. "I'm going to need your guys help to."

"Let's do this," Isaac nods and I nervously tap my foot as I read over the lyrics, and hesitate when Riker looks at me.

"You can do this, Vee," he assures me. "But, if we're going to do this we better do it now because it looks like they're about to go on."

"Okay," I say as I look over at Felix, taking his words into account as we walk towards the clear stage set up over the pool. "I can do this."

"That a girl," Isaac falls in step with me on the other side, Greyson a step ahead of us.

"Hey Uncle Jace," Greyson comes up behind Rock Salt's keyboard player who's setting up for their performance. "Do you think we can burrow the stage?"

"Depends," he says quickly, looking over at the three of us. "What are the four of you up to? Trouble, I hope."

"Always," Greyson chuckles before clapping his hand over his shoulder. "You're the best, uncle Jace."

Jace just smiles at us, "The stage is yours."

"And I'm out," I go to step back when Riker grabs onto my shoulders, stepping behind me and forcing me forward.

"No, you aren't," he shakes his head. "You've got this, Vee. We're all up there. We got your back, promise."

"Yeah, but you aren't the one singing," I swallow. "All their eyes are going to be on me."

"Forget about the people," he tells me. "Remember why you're up there. You're not doing this for them. You're doing this for mom and dad."

I nod my head and hand Greyson's phone back to him as I step up on the stage, heading for the microphone. My stomach is in my throat, my heart beating wildly in my chest as I look down at my feet seeing through to the water and wishing I could sink into it. I take a deep breath as I rub my hand over the saffron fabric of my beige off the shoulder crop top, the fabric around my arms tied into bows. Matched with a pair of pure black denim shorts and black leather mules.

The feeling of the fabric under my fingertips, calming me down as I slip my black lens sunglasses on and run my hand over my ponytail as I turn to look at Greyson who's settled behind Jace's keyboard, Isaac with a guitar in hand and Riker sits at the drum kit. Everyone's eyes on us as I nod in Greyson's direction and he starts the soft melody of the music – setting me up to sing.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I step up to my microphone and curl my fingers around the stand as the words fall from my lips. "White roses in the sky, broken vows on the floor," I sing. "Tell me we've got time."

When my eyes open, I find Felix in the crowd smiling at me and then my eyes draw to our parents who have stopped arguing as the drums and guitar kick in. Slowly the song begins to calm my nerves and my focus comes full force, hoping and praying that it'll do something to spark ignition in my mom.

Maggie's words hang over me, and the significance of this song. White roses holding a special place in our parent's hearts, being the flowers my dad first bought for my mom not realizing they're usually sent in times of sympathy. It didn't matter though, because it became their thing. The flowers my mom walked down the aisle with, the thing my dad always brought home from tour. They aren't just flowers anymore.

They're a staple of Luke and Emery Alexander. Luke and 4A.

Applause rolls in when I hit the last note and I feel like my heart might explode as Greyson comes out from behind the keyboard and wraps his arms around me. I almost feel like crying from the overwhelming feeling but manage to hold it in.

"You were amazing," he mumbles.

"You too, songbird," I grin brightly. "That song is incredible, Grey."

"Seriously, man," Isaac nods in agreement as he wraps his arms around us. "Killer."

"Thanks," he hums out as we turn around and head for the stairs, feeling like I'm on some kind of high. "Let's hope it did something."

"Either way," Riker claps his hand on his shoulder. "You should be proud."

"Thanks Rik," he smiles gently and lifts his head when we're greeted by our parents, standing side by side.

"You wrote that?" Our dad asks automatically, and when Greyson nods his head he breaks out into a wide grin. "It was incredible, Greyson."

"Thanks," he smiles gently. "I guess, it was a cry for help."

"Help?" Our mom questions.

I nod, "The two of you need to stop fighting. We know love is complicated, who doesn't know that? But the two of you did not work this hard to just give up now."

"But it seems like all you do now is argue with each other," Isaac adds, taking over. "For what reason? We don't know, but we're telling you now that it needs to stop. Either you work it out, or you grow a pair and separate. For good."

Riker nods. "Yeah, it may have been Stevie that convinced you to work it out until the end of the school year but you wouldn't have agreed if it wasn't what you want."

"And the key word in that was work it out, but neither of you are making the effort," Greyson continues. "Look, we don't know what broke you apart in the first place and you don't have to tell us but we're tired of playing the middle man. We want us to be a family, but we're tired of the fighting."

"I mean, it was so bad that I had to lie about Lena being pregnant to get you to stop yelling at each other," Riker shares the truth with them.

"Wait, Lena's not...?" Our dad asks.

"No, but do you see how messed up that it took that to get you to actually work towards a common cause?" He asks. "It's fucked up."

"Yeah, so, this is it," I swallow. "We aren't going to fight with you anymore. If you want to divorce, then do it because I'm exhausted from what it's doing to our family. And for what it's worth, I truly believe you can fix this but you need to sit down and talk through your issues. Not just dance around them."

Isaac nods with me, "Yeah, so that's our pitch."

"So, either find your white roses or give it up," Greyson says gently before we walk toward the party, with our heads up in the clouds.

"You were amazing," Felix compliments when I reach him, pulling me into a tight hug and I grin as I wrap my arms around him. "And you said you couldn't do it."

"I have to say I agree," my dad's record executive, William smiles in our direction, walking over. "In fact, you all were. I had no idea Luke's kids were musicians."

"I wouldn't go that fair," Riker chuckles, pointing at himself. "Future doctor, right here."

"Yes, we get it, Riker," Isaac rolls his eyes.

William chuckles, "You've got quite the voice."

"Thank you," I smile softly.

"Well, since Riker's out and I'm assuming Isaac's got other plans?" He asks and Isaac nods in response. "Perhaps I could persuade the two of you into a future in music? That song was pretty incredible. Which of you wrote it?"

"That'd be me," Greyson holds his hand up. "And it was nothing. Really."

"Not from where I was standing," he shakes his head. "The two of you could make quite the duo."

"Thanks for the offer but I've already found my passion and it's behind a camera," I smile softly. "The singing thing was a one-time deal for a good cause. The real musician is right here," I point to Greyson. "He's incredible."

He nods before eyeing Greyson. "Let's talk then."

A grin spreads across my face as he steps off to join William, the three of us calling after him in encouragement. And for the first time since the separation, things finally feel like they might have hope. That our lives might actually be back on track.

a/n;

5 more chapters to go! And I'm going to be out of town for a few days so the next update might take a while, but I promise it's coming.

:)