home.
***
Once home, I shower and change out of yesterday’s clothes. I try to busy myself with cleaning until Brandon arrives a couple of hours later. He knocks on the door, and I let him in after checking the peephole—not making that mistake again.
He immediately pulls me into his arms. I try to relax, but I can’t force it. I push away from him. “What the hell was all that about?” I try—and fail—to keep the anger out of my voice. “You told me you weren’t with her! Were you lying to me? Is all of this a lie?”
He groans and rubs his face with both hands. “Charity, please don’t do this.”
“Do what?” My voice is bordering on hysterical.
“Don’t freak out, please. I know that whole thing was jacked up, and I really am sorry that it happened, but don’t take your anger out on me. I’m on your side, remember?”
“Don’t freak out! How could you even say that to me right now?” I yell. “I just got attacked by your crazy girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, whatever! And you want me to not freak out?”
“Can we sit down and talk about this? I don’t want to fight with you.” His voice is low and soft.
I cross my arms across my chest. His eyes are soft, and I want to relax into his arms and go back to how things were at the hotel. But, all the events of the last few days are catching up to me and making it hard to think clearly. There is a sense of panic in the back of mind that is trying to convince me that I’ve just made a terrible, costly mistake in even letting Brandon get close again, without really knowing what he wants.
“Please, Cherry?” He says, offering me his hand.
I take a deep breath and nod, doing my best to force away the anxiety building in my chest. He steps forward and takes my hand, and I let him lead me to the couch.
We sit down and he turns to face me. “I didn’t lie when I told you that Vanessa and I are not together. We met a couple of years ago on the set of my first movie and, yes, we used to date, but that’s been over for a long time. We tried to stay friends after the breakup, but it’s been dysfunctional to say the least.”
“How did she know where you were? If you didn’t invite her…”
“I guess my manager told her. I called him yesterday to see about getting a longer break to stay here and be with my mom. Then, apparently, when Vanessa called him to find out where I was, he told her everything. He told her about my mom and the cancer, and gave her my info for the hotel.”
“Why would he do that, if you’re not together?”
He sighs. “I don’t know. She can be very…convincing.”
I wrinkle my nose. Not sure I know what that means. Not sure I even want to know.
“Anyways, I’ve handled it. I put her on a plane back to LA and told her that she is never to come near you or me again.”
“What makes you think she will listen?” I ask. “Call me crazy, but I need a little reassurance psycho bitch won’t be lurking in dark alleys waiting to pop out at me!”
“Let’s just say, I brought it to her attention that I have some very compromising photos of her, and that it would be a shame if those were to fall into the wrong hands,” he says. “Her dad is a very conservative business man who has already been embarrassed enough by her antics over the years. She really can’t afford one more scandal, or she’ll get cut off from him. And bye, bye daddy, means bye, bye bank account.”
I gasp. “You wouldn’t do that!”
I have nothing but ill-will towards this woman, but even I wouldn’t stoop that low and the Brandon I know, or knew, wouldn’t either.
“No, I wouldn’t. I don’t even have the pictures anymore, I deleted them when we broke up one of the million times. But she doesn’t know that,” he answers. “The point isn’t that it’s an empty threat, the point is that she won’t be bothering us again, I promise.”
He takes my hands. “Again, I am so sorry. I truly had no idea.”
Relief floods
***
Once home, I shower and change out of yesterday’s clothes. I try to busy myself with cleaning until Brandon arrives a couple of hours later. He knocks on the door, and I let him in after checking the peephole—not making that mistake again.
He immediately pulls me into his arms. I try to relax, but I can’t force it. I push away from him. “What the hell was all that about?” I try—and fail—to keep the anger out of my voice. “You told me you weren’t with her! Were you lying to me? Is all of this a lie?”
He groans and rubs his face with both hands. “Charity, please don’t do this.”
“Do what?” My voice is bordering on hysterical.
“Don’t freak out, please. I know that whole thing was jacked up, and I really am sorry that it happened, but don’t take your anger out on me. I’m on your side, remember?”
“Don’t freak out! How could you even say that to me right now?” I yell. “I just got attacked by your crazy girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, whatever! And you want me to not freak out?”
“Can we sit down and talk about this? I don’t want to fight with you.” His voice is low and soft.
I cross my arms across my chest. His eyes are soft, and I want to relax into his arms and go back to how things were at the hotel. But, all the events of the last few days are catching up to me and making it hard to think clearly. There is a sense of panic in the back of mind that is trying to convince me that I’ve just made a terrible, costly mistake in even letting Brandon get close again, without really knowing what he wants.
“Please, Cherry?” He says, offering me his hand.
I take a deep breath and nod, doing my best to force away the anxiety building in my chest. He steps forward and takes my hand, and I let him lead me to the couch.
We sit down and he turns to face me. “I didn’t lie when I told you that Vanessa and I are not together. We met a couple of years ago on the set of my first movie and, yes, we used to date, but that’s been over for a long time. We tried to stay friends after the breakup, but it’s been dysfunctional to say the least.”
“How did she know where you were? If you didn’t invite her…”
“I guess my manager told her. I called him yesterday to see about getting a longer break to stay here and be with my mom. Then, apparently, when Vanessa called him to find out where I was, he told her everything. He told her about my mom and the cancer, and gave her my info for the hotel.”
“Why would he do that, if you’re not together?”
He sighs. “I don’t know. She can be very…convincing.”
I wrinkle my nose. Not sure I know what that means. Not sure I even want to know.
“Anyways, I’ve handled it. I put her on a plane back to LA and told her that she is never to come near you or me again.”
“What makes you think she will listen?” I ask. “Call me crazy, but I need a little reassurance psycho bitch won’t be lurking in dark alleys waiting to pop out at me!”
“Let’s just say, I brought it to her attention that I have some very compromising photos of her, and that it would be a shame if those were to fall into the wrong hands,” he says. “Her dad is a very conservative business man who has already been embarrassed enough by her antics over the years. She really can’t afford one more scandal, or she’ll get cut off from him. And bye, bye daddy, means bye, bye bank account.”
I gasp. “You wouldn’t do that!”
I have nothing but ill-will towards this woman, but even I wouldn’t stoop that low and the Brandon I know, or knew, wouldn’t either.
“No, I wouldn’t. I don’t even have the pictures anymore, I deleted them when we broke up one of the million times. But she doesn’t know that,” he answers. “The point isn’t that it’s an empty threat, the point is that she won’t be bothering us again, I promise.”
He takes my hands. “Again, I am so sorry. I truly had no idea.”
Relief floods
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