Everybody thought that outside of these two. And maybe even them. Emma never trusted me to tell me about her lifelong love for Wesley or her struggles with her life. Charlie hid his addiction for so long and then his relationship with Kate. My own relatives, by blood, only saw me as a paycheck. I was just the pretty accessory for people in my life.
“I wanted to make a difference here. I wanted to help, but I think me leaving this week made everything worse. I feel torn in two,” I said.
“Your career is important. Nobody faults you for that,” she said. “Acting has been your whole life. Nobody thinks you should give it all up. You came to help, and youhave.”
Was there anybody who thought I was capable of anything besides acting? A life in LA.
“If she asked me to quit and stay here with her, I would,” I said.
Charlie and Emma blinked back at me.
“Are you sure? We didn’t think things were so serious,” Charlie said.
“I didn’t tell you guys. I didn’t want to see that look on your faces.” I dropped my head to avoid the worried pity in their eyes. “I love being here with her and George and Collette. The time I have with them all feels so precious and fleeting, and I hate that there’s this ticking clock in the back of my brain at all times, telling me this too will end.”
“We don’t know what’s gone on between you two. Only you two do, but you need to ask her. Don’t make choices for her. That’s not fair,” Emma said firmly.
“Give her a chance to explain her feelings,” Charlie said.
Her fear kept her so locked down. I wished she would open up and let me in, but I wasn’t that person to her. Someday, somebody would be able to pry her open and insert themselves. I felt sick for that future life. I would be off God knew where, and she would find the person who got let in.
“Time for cake!” Frankie yelled out as everyone started to gather at the outside table.
“Talk to her. Tonight,” Emma insisted.
I nodded. Not like I’d be able to sleep anyway.
They stood up, and both extended a hand to help me up.
Charlie placed his hand on my shoulder before pulling me in for a hug. Emma joined us.
“You aren’t alone, Harrison,” Emma said. “You never were.”
I closed my eyes at her words, holding them a second more before we had to go.
Wishing I could feel them.
The rest of the party went smoothly. I avoided Frankie. I had come on too strong and gave her space and gave myself time to make a plan to talk to her. After a day of activity and company, she would need some time alone to decompress.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. The house was silent. The advice of my friends swirled in my head.
I made my way down to her room, ready to bare my soul and be rejected. I couldn’t live in this in-between anymore. I needed to know what happened with us, with Collette.
There was so much hurt and anger warring in me, but I wasn’t mad at her. I was just sad. I wanted her to pick me. I wanted her to admit that these last few months had meant as much to her as they did to me.
I was a changed man. I didn’t want to go back to the life that I had. It wasn’t a fulfilled life.
I knocked lightly on her door, and it swung open to darkness. She wasn’t in her room. I frowned and spun in a circle. I searched the downstairs, and from the kitchen window, no lights were on in the pool house. Back up to the second story, I heard the creaking of shifting floorboards coming from the attic. I wouldn’t have expected her to be working tonight after such a long day, but maybe she couldn’t sleep either.
Light poured from the open door, and soft sniffling drifted down. I climbed up the drop-down ladder, poked my head over the edge, and found her. Frankie sat on the floor, head in her hands.
She was crying.
My heart dropped, and fear made my feet close the remaining distance.
She gasped when I broke into the room, face shooting up to reveal tear-stained cheeks.
Whatever fear-based anger motivated me was gone in an instant. I dropped to my knees to pull her into my arms without the slightest hesitation. “What’s wrong? Frankie, what is it?”
