Aftershock: A Charity McAdams Novella (5 page)

“I’m being honored at this banquet for new and upcoming actors,” he says. “The organizers of the event want me to give a speech.”

“Oh my gosh! That’s great! Congratulations!” I say, dropping the dish back into the sink and turning to embrace him, draping my rubber glove hands over his shoulders. I press a kiss to his lips.

“It’s not the Oscars or anything, but still--” his voice trails off.

“It’s amazing!” I say. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Thanks, Cherry,” he says. “There’s only one problem.”

“What?” I ask, suddenly concerned.

“Well it’s not for a few weeks but my manager wants to use it as some sort of publicity springboard and get me on some talk shows and do some magazine stuff, so I kind of need to get back to L.A. sooner than we had originally talked about.”

“How soon?”

“As soon as possible, really. He’s gonna try to have things lined up as early as next week.”

I nod, absorbing his words and the implications.

“I know. It’s bad timing, but he’s right, I have to take advantage of the exposure,” he says. “I figured I could go and then you can come join me whenever you’re ready. I know it will take time to get things settled here.”

My mind fills with everything that needs to be done. I have to give my notice at work, tell my landlord, pack everything, find a way to ship it, say my goodbyes…

I push back the wave of anxiety and look into Brandon’s eyes and in that moment I realize that he is my home, the only place I want to be is with him. All the other stuff can be managed. It’s just details.

“It will take a little finagling but I think I can manage with that timeline,” I say.

Brandon looks shocked. “Really?”

“Really,” I say with a smile. “Let the adventure begin!”

Chapter Nine

The next day is a whirlwind of planning. Brandon spends most of the morning organizing the logistics of hiring a team of movers to come and load everything into storage containers that can then be shipped down to California. I work on sorting through everything and determining what should be shipped, what needs to be packed to come with me for immediate use, and what can be given away.

Brandon and I decided that he would fly back early next week and get things set up on his end and get back to work and then I would join him the week after so that I have time to get everything ready and can give two weeks’ notice at work to help train my replacement if needed.

I take a break only long enough to go and see Ashley to break the news to her.

On my way to her house I make a detour to the café to pick up two coffees and a few pastries (to soften the blow) and to give Heidi my formal resignation. She takes the news fairly well although I can tell she is disappointed. I try to force aside the guilty feelings and rationalize that it’s not like I would have stayed there forever, whether Brandon and I got back together or not. It was only ever supposed to be a transitional job.

I make the drinks quickly and leave the shop and walk to Ashley’s. I knock softly and she answers after a minute. Her hair is piled on top of her head and she’s wearing her glasses, which probably means she’s in the middle of working because she only wears them when she is making jewelry or reading.

“Hey! What are you doing here? Did we make plans and I forgot?” She says, looking confused.

“No, I just need to talk to you,” I say.

“Sure, come in,” she says and backs up so I can go inside. We go to her living room and settle onto her sectional style sofa. I offer her the cup of coffee and she takes it eagerly. “What’s up? Coffee and scones? Do I need to be worried?”

“I’m going, to California,” I start.

“Really? That’s exciting! When do you leave?”

“The week after next,” I answer.

Her expression shifts, she looks down for a moment. “Wow. That’s so soon.”

“I know, Brandon had some stuff come up, for work. He’s leaving in a few days and then I’ll be going once I get everything settled here,” I explain.

She nods. “I’m happy for you, just surprised.”

“Yeah, it’s all very sudden. It just happened last night. He’s at the house now, making all the arrangements. It’s kinda crazy.”

“Do your parents know?” She asks.

I sigh and tell her about the meeting with my mom and Valerie the day before.

“Drama, drama,” she says when I finish.

“Mmmhmm,” I agree, taking a long sip. “I haven’t talked to either one of them today. I guess I should at least let them know when I leave.”

“Probably.”

We are quiet for a moment, each sipping at our drinks.

“You don’t think I’m being an idiot? Right?” I ask, replaying Valerie’s words from the night before.

“No, I don’t think you’re an idiot,” she answers. “I do think this is all happening a little fast though.”

“I know. It is.”

“A little too fast?” She asks.

I reflect on the question, letting it sit in my mind for a moment. Then I shake my head. “No, not too fast. I want to go. I want to be with him. I really think I am ready for a change and this feels right.”

“Good,” she says. “That’s probably how it should feel. No regrets that way.”

We fall into silence again, which is very unusual for us, it feels unnerving.

“We should start planning your first visit!” I say, trying to lighten the mood. “You are always saying you wish you had a tan.”

She laughs. “That’s true! Trade in my signature Washington white.”

“Besides you’ll have to come help me find a dress for my first red carpet. We both know I’d be hopeless on my own!”

“I don’t know if your beau can afford my styling fees,” she teases.

I playfully shove her and laugh.

“Then, maybe we’ll find you a tall, handsome reason to make a permanent relocation,” I suggest, nudging her.

She wrinkles her nose at me.

“No tall and handsome? Hmm, ok, a short, fat reason?”  

“Charity!” She whines.

“Oh Ash, don’t be so difficult. You know one day you’re gonna get over this stubborn streak and meet someone who changes your mind about love!”

“Doubtful,” she says.

I don’t argue with her. I’ll just wait patiently for my “I told you so” moment.

I leave Ashley’s a little while later and start walking back home. Halfway there I get a text. A quick glance shows me that my mom has texted me three times. I guess I didn’t hear it when I was at Ashley’s.

I read through the messages, frowning at the screen.

The gist of it being that she wants to talk, sooner rather than later.

I sigh and click the call button.

Might as well get it over with.

“Hello dear,” she answers, her voice quiet and almost strained.

“Hi Mom. I just got your messages.”

“I want to know what’s going on. You stormed out of Valerie’s house before we could really get a chance to talk this all out.”

Oh, for crying out loud!

“First of all, I did not
storm out
of Val’s house. Secondly, I was trying to talk to you, both of you, but all you guys wanted to do was shoot me down and tell me that you think I’m making a huge mistake.”

“I never said that!”

“You didn’t have to, Mom. Your feelings on the matter were very clear, without being vocalized.”

She’s quiet for a beat. “I just don’t want you to get hurt again. That’s all.”

“I know that, I don’t want to get hurt again either. But things are different now and you’re just going to have to trust my judgment. All I wanted is for you to be happy for me.”

“Well I’m finding that difficult to do right now.”

“Why? Because I’m moving? Or because I’m with Brandon?”

“Both! I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth,” she replies. “Last thing I know you were practically engaged to James and now, he’s gone and you’re running away to California with Brandon, to live out his dreams!”

Her answer stings. I feel like she just reached through the phone and slapped me across the face.

“Seriously?! I’m happy and in love and moving to a new place, full of potential and the chance to really do something with my life outside of this small town bubble we live in and you, my own mother, refuse to be happy for me? Explain that because I must be missing something!”

“I’m thinking about the big picture here. What happens when he breaks up with you again? Then you’ll be in a strange city all alone and God only knows what will happen to you! You’re not married so there’s no security, you’ll be left with nothing at the end of all this.”

I’m shaking, I’m so angry. I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that she just
assumes
that we’ll break up or the fact that she seems to think I’m so naïve that I wouldn’t be able to figure things out on my own if I had to.

“I may not know what’ll happen next but I do know that I am not talking to you about this anymore. So unless you have something else to say, I am going to hang up now,” I say, struggling to keep my voice level.

“I guess there’s just no reasoning with you,” she harrumphs. “All I can say is that I tried to warn you.”

I disconnect the call and fight the urge to slam my phone onto the concrete steps in front of me. I stuff the phone into my pocket and turn to go inside the house. Brandon is in the living room, packing, I cross the room and collapse into his arms before bursting into tears.

“I don’t get it,” Brandon says, smoothing my hair back.

After the tears subsided I had given him the playback of the conversation with my mom.

“I don’t know either,” I answer. “I don’t know what it is she thinks I should be doing. Maybe she’s mad because I broke up with James. Then she would have had two daughters married to successful businessmen with stable jobs and lives. Living the cookie cutter dream, I guess.”

“Well not to toot my own horn or anything, but I do make a pretty decent living,” he says with a smile. “It’s not like I’m taking you away to live under a bridge with me somewhere.”

I laugh. “I know. She just doesn’t see it that way I guess.”

“Is there anything I can do?” He asks.

“No,” I say. “Just do our best to prove her wrong, I guess.”

“Oh, I plan to. I’m not making the same mistake twice,” he says before kissing me, doing his best to make me forget all about the phone call.

Chapter Ten

The next few days are a blur and before I know it, it’s the night before Brandon is set to fly back to L.A.

My living room looks like something from an episode of Storage Wars. There are half packed boxes, clothes, and clutter everywhere. It’s hard to tell where it all begins and ends. Brandon assures me that it’s a “controlled chaos” but I have my doubts.

The whole mess is making me twitchy.

We decide to order Chinese for dinner and tackle the rest of the packing.

“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?” I ask casually, as we fold Brandon’s extra clothes and pack them into one of the moving boxes he had originally sent up from California.

“Promise you won’t laugh?” He asks with a smile.

“Ok?” I answer, my eyebrow rising with curiosity.

“I’m gonna take a long, hot bath,” he says.

“Really?” I ask, laughing.

“Hey now! What did I say about the laughing?” He says, trying for a moment to keep a straight face but he ends up laughing too. “Keep that up and you won’t be invited to join me!”

“That would be kind of hard to do, seeing as how I’ll be a thousand miles away,” I tease.

He rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean!”

“Yeah, yeah,” I say, still laughing. “I guess I’m just surprised. I didn’t figure you as a bath person.”

He shrugs. “It’s not like I light candles or put in bubbles and crap.”

“Oh, I see, it’s a manly bath,” I suggest.

“Very,” he laughs and chucks a pair of balled up socks at me.

I make a dramatic free throw and the socks land in a box across the room.

“Nice throw,” he says. “What about you? What’s the first thing you’re gonna do once I’m out of your hair?”

“Well, besides get all of this, out of here,” I say, gesturing around the room. “I’m not sure. I’m going to try to hang with Ashley as much as possible. She wants to go shopping at some point. She insists that I need a new wardrobe for my new L.A. lifestyle.”

“She might be right,” he says.

“What?” I say, slightly offended.

“I just mean that most of your clothes are geared for colder weather.”

I nod. I suppose that makes sense, but the prospect of shopping for, buying, and then packing a bunch of new clothes seems like too much. If it comes down to it, all I really need to do is let Ashley loose with my credit card. She could probably pick out a whole closet full of stuff within a couple hours.

“So, other than the bathtub, what do you miss?”

“It will be nice to get back to work again,” he answers. “I guess the only thing I’m not looking forward to, is being back in the public eye. That pressure is something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.”

A little bubble of anxiety starts to form in my stomach at his answer. Dealing with the public and the paparazzi definitely takes the top spot on my list of things to worry about in regards to the move.

“It’s not that bad, at least not all the time,” he quickly adds.

I force myself to smile. I know he has a lot on his mind and I don’t want to pile my stress on top of his and make it worse.

***

Early the next morning, we pull up to the departures section at the Sea-Tac airport.

“Kinda weird, being back here, huh?” Brandon asks, looking out the passenger side window.

“Yeah, feels like it was a long time ago,” I answer. In reality, it has only been six weeks but so much has changed in that amount of time. It feels very surreal in a lot of ways.

He nods. “Ready?”

I shake my head. “Are you sure you have to go?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” he answers, laughing softly. “Before you know it, I’ll be picking you up from the airport and we’ll be together again.”