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“You need to tell us, Lance,” Tim informs me. “You need to tell us about her and what happened.”
I hang my head low, trying not to be crushed by everything that is to come next. “I don’t know much about what happened either. I haven’t heard it from her. All I really know is that she had a hard time with it which is why she ran away to LA. It’s also the reason that she didn’t want to get involved with me at first. I know why now, because she didn’t want all of this to come back and bite her on the ass…”
All my brothers talk at once, meaning well, but trying to give me advice that I can’t even hear. It’s frustrating really, I want to yell at them all to shut up but I don’t want to spark out an argument because although we don’t fight much anymore because we’re all adults and love far apart, but I won’t ever forget the rows we used to have. They felt life altering at the time to me at least and I don’t want to recreate that at all.
“She’s gone,” I finally get out the moment there is a bit of silence. Or it’s quiet enough for me to speak anyway. “She freaked out when all of this leaked online. I can only imagine how the abusive comments must have made her feel, so she’s gone.” I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know where. She told her work that she’s gone back home but I’m really not sure. I can’t imagine her going back to where it all began…”
“She has family there though, right?” Ben jumps in. “So, I would imagine that’s exactly where she’s gone.”
“I agree,” Artie declares after a beat of silence. “I mean, the worst has already happened there, hasn’t it? She’s already been through it all at home. This is only new news to the rest of the world. I bet that’s where she is.”
“The ex is in jail, right?” Daniel cocks his head to one side questioningly. “So, she doesn’t have to worry about him. I bet she has gone back home to be with her parents or whatever. To spend some time with those who love her. If I was in her situation where I felt like I was hated by the world and I was alone, that’s what I would do.”
“But she didn’t have to be here alone.” I feel sick that the idea she even thought that. “I was here for her. I didn’t mean to bring the press to her door, I didn’t even think… she didn’t have to leave me…”
I choke back a sob as yet another miracle happens today. Not only do I have all of my brothers here at once on the phone, taking time out of their busy schedules, but they are also all silent at the same time as well. I have them all equally speechless which only suggests to me that there might not be an answer here.
“You love this girl?” Tom queries quietly. “This isn’t just something that you feel bad about, but you actually love her. I mean, I always assumed that you would end up hitched to a super model or an actress like Ashley.” I snort and roll my eyes as that idea is even suggested. It’s still ridiculous to imagine me and Ashley Hurley together. “If you love her then you need to let her know how much she means to you. You know where she lives since all of those old articles have been dragged back out, so you can find her easily.”
“But she doesn’t want me around,” I whine pathetically. “I only bring her trouble.”
“Get help. Do it in disguise somehow.” Tim grins at me as if this should be easy. “You are an actor, right? You have friends in the acting industry. Take a few days off filming and find her. If this is love, then it’s pretty much a life and death situation. You have to let her know how much you love her.”
“But what if she rejects me?” I can’t stop myself from pouting at the idea. “Then what?”
“Then you know,” Ryan declares with far too much volume. “You have to know, don’t you? Before you can move on properly, you have to know how she feels. You need to have your answer.”
This is followed by endless mumbles of agreements which gets me thinking. My brothers are all older than me with much more life experience which means they might well know this from experience. I don’t want to be rejected by Millie, I can’t stand the idea of us not being together, but I suppose it will always kill me more if I let her go without finding out if we could have been a couple. I do need that answer, they are right about that much.
