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Chapter Two
Goodbye
“Hey, midget. Pass me the bread.” Tanner gestured to the bread basket sitting in front of Khloe.
Khloe’s face scrunched up in anger. “Don’t call me that.”
Tanner sighed, well aware that he would not get any bread until he said it politely. “Can you please pass the bread?”
Her face returned to her usual sunny expression as she placed the bread basket in front of her brother.
“Merritt, you’ve barely eaten anything,” Beverly noticed. “Are you feeling okay?”
I fidgeted in my chair. “Chase and I have something we want to tell you.”
“Oh, shit. She’s pregnant,” Tanner exclaimed.
“Language!” Beverly and Khloe shouted in unison.
“We’re not pregnant.” Chase took my hand under the table. “I got a call from Donnie out in California the other night.”
Everyone at the table put their forks down at the same time, and the metaphorical record jerked to a stop. I gripped Chase’s hand harder as he continued.
“A guy from a record label heard my old demo, and wants to meet with me and the band.” His leg bounced nervously under the table. “Merritt and I are going to be moving to California for a while.”
“Are you kidding me? You think this is a good time to leave?” Tanner began.
Beverly put her hand up. “Do not start fighting right now. We are eating dinner, and we are having a discussion.” She exhaled. “How long would you be living out there for?”
“I’m not sure,” Chase replied. “It depends on how it all goes.”
“How what all goes? You think you’re going to be the next Bon Jovi?”
“Tanner!” Beverly raised her voice.
Tears immediately welled up in my eyes, as I remembered how Tim used to come to her aide during times like these.
“There’s a lot I don’t know right now.” Chase was trying desperately to ignore Tanner’s provoking comments. “That’s why I’m going there – to find out what my possibilities are.”
“How do you feel about this, Merritt?” Beverly turned her attention to me.
I gulped, my throat suddenly dry. “I feel that Chase is incredibly talented, and he deserves a chance to see how far this could go.”
“But,” Tanner prompted, sensing more behind my rehearsed answer.
“But nothing,” Chase snapped. “Stop trying to make an issue here!”
“You’re the one making the issue!” Tanner stood, pushing his chair back from the table. “Dad just died! We don’t even know if we can make ends meet or if we’re selling the shop, and you decide you’re going to run off to California and leave us high and dry?”
Chase released my hand, and stood. He leaned his knuckles onto the table, his voice lower and more menacing than before. “I am aware that Dad is gone. I already told Mom – you can make ends meet if you sell the shop. It’s not my responsibility to take care of everything for you!”
Beverly covered her face with her hands.
I stood, and walked behind the battling boys. I took her arm, leading her away from the table, and took Khloe’s hand, too. They both followed willingly, and we sat in the living room.
“I don’t know what to do with them,” she said.
“Honestly, they just need to duke it out. It’s the only way. This has been brewing for quite a while now.”
