Raleigh:NO! Everything’s as it was this morning. All coming home to Nashville for a needed break. I have more to tell you, but it’s better in person. Just make sure Mae’s okay and I’ll see you soon!
I let Raleigh’s promise of a future reunion sink in before returning to my feet and finding my place next to Mae’s door once again.
Chapter 31
Raleigh
PEACE IS WHAT WE all needed and, thankfully, have all gotten since returning to Nashville. Well, almost all of us.
The initial positivity shown by Mae when she was first let out of her contract very quickly rusted away. Without a show to look forward to and her engagement in shambles, it’s caused a lot of bedridden days. Days much like this one.
An old Charlotte Hill film plays on Mae’s massive TV across the room from where she’s curled up on the couch. Despite the Academy Award winning movie showing, Mae’s scrolling through her phone and stopping on all the wrong posts. Turning one toward me, I see that she’s lingered on Trenton’s announcement post, detailing Mae’s departure and their break from each other.
I only allow myself to read one comment.
NashvilleWannaB:I only bought tickets for @maeevans! Cannot believe she would do this to you and the fans! #nolongerafan
I do my best to hold back the roll of the eyes. The very next comment is in Mae’s favor, as is the one after. Is there negativity? Yes. But Mae’s fans are battling back just as much, and even questioning Trenton’s behavior for the first time ever.
Trenton and his fans have made it their mission to promote his solo tour more than they ever did when Mae was along for the ride. All that noise is being amplified by the hateful and unnecessary comments being thrown Mae’s way. While some of the commentary is absolutely out of anger and annoyance at Mae’s departure, so much more of it is out of self preservation. The statistics on ticket numbers for resales and cancellations have not been looking good since Mae’s departure, despite the marketing efforts.
“You really need to stop watching that,” I say, throwing on the living room light. It’s midday outside, a stark contrast to the inside of Mae’s dark and dreary flat.
“I didn’t know you were coming over, ” she answers. The soft leather under her head creaks as she tilts her head toward me.
“I know,” I chirp. Grabbing the remote from her coffee table, I turn off the stream mid Charlotte Hill speech to which Mae groans. “Don’t start with me,” I say with some sass. “That movie deserves better than how you’re treating it.” Moving to the curtains of her large windows overlooking Nashville, I jerk them to the side, letting in all the glorious light.
“I hope you didn't stop in just to blind me.” Mae moves to sit and immediately goes to stave off a headache with the palm of her hand.
I quickly move to the kitchen and fill up a glass of water and grab the bottle of ibuprofen from the cupboard. Returning to the living room, I crouch down in front of her and hand her the glass before popping the lid of the pill bottle. “I come with good news, actually.”
“What’s that?” Mae asks, the pills sitting between her teeth. “Bring me a new fiancé?” she says between gulps of water. “I’d love to be able to wear my engagement ring again.”
My gaze slips to the side table where her ring has been sitting out in the open since she arrived back. The ring is a lot like Mae right now; they both have the potential of getting lost.
“You know I’d work at it with him.”
I glance up and find Mae staring at the diamond on the table. She gently reaches out and runs her thumb over the biggest of the stones.
“Part of me really wants to get us both into therapy and see if that would change anything.”
As much as I’d like to tell her that some people are just too broken to fix, I know she already hears that enough about her mother so I find something else to say. “What does the other part of you want?” I ask, praying there’s another option for her.
She blinks before turning her attention to me. “The other part of me wants to give the ring back and never interact with him again.”
I nod slowly, old experiences flooding back. After a long moment of collecting my thoughts, Mae lets out a loud grunt and throws her pillow across the room. “Ugh, why can’t I meet a guy as respectful and as in love with me as Dalton is with you.”
The comment takes me aback, but as my cheeks warm, I understand that maybe our feelings haven’t been as discreet as we thought. I try to throw her off even though I know she won’t buy it. “Oh, honey, it’s not like that with us. At least not right now—”
“But you want it to be, right?”
I stutter for a moment, nearly forgetting why I came here. “We are not talking about me right now.” I grab for the ring and hold it up between us. “Frankly, I don’t want you anywhere near Trenton by yourself, but”—I lower the ring and take in theglistening stone—“speaking from past experience, I understand wanting to give back the ring. I understand you wanting closure from that.”
“Raleigh?” I hadn’t noticed the way emotion had been filling my voice, but when Mae calls my name with such pity, I know I have to rein it in. “Raleigh, you gave Grant his ring back, didn’t you?”
I let out an embarrassed laugh remembering the day I nearly dropped it down the drain on purpose. “No, actually,” I start. Fidgeting with the ring once more, I reach behind me and drop it onto the coffee table. “No, I pawned it.”
Mae gasps. “You didn’t?”
