Almost Easy

Packing It Up

Brian's POV

I stood outside Zoey's condo listening to the ocean as it lapped the shore. It was a beautiful view of the sun setting over the Pacific. Almost as good as mine but not quite. It was no wonder she wasn't anxious to leave.

She answered the door while talking on her cell phone, an irritated look on her face. She motioned for me to come in as she talked "I know, mom."

I crossed into her home and followed her into her living room. She continued talking fluttering about but I used the time to examine her place. Pictures of her family were scattered throughout the room.

An adorable one of her and her siblings as kids. Her parent's on their wedding day. Herself and her family on her wedding day. A few recent ones of her and her friends. Lots of her and Zina and a few with Matt and Zacky. One I even recognized from our Waking the Fallen release party. Johnny and Matt were carrying her sideways as she smiled widely for the camera. Fuck, had she been there? Had I been so drunk that night that I completely missed her presence?

"Uh mom, I know. I'm sorry," I heard her speaking as she moved from room to room. "Well I'm sorry that Aunt Lisa is upset that I'm not registered. It's my second marriage. I don't think..."

I chuckled to myself as I followed her into her bedroom.

An open suitcase was sitting on top of her king size bed. She rolled her eyes as she opened and closed her hand in a puppet gesture, imitating her mom's incessant talking. "That's what Zacky said."

I threw myself on the empty side of the bed, putting my arms behind my head. She covered the phone "Lee slept on that side of the bed," she mouthed softly.

That probably should have disturbed me but it didn't "My side now," I smirked.

"Mom, really? I don't think it's that big of a deal," she continued as she stuffed more clothes into her suitcase. She took a deep breath and closed one of her eyes as if trying to focus the other"Mom, look, Brian is here now. Yes, here. No, you can't talk to him...Mom, that's so weird...no really...we're trying to get ready to go to home. I gotta go. Yes, I'll call you the minute we get to Brian's. Yes, yes....yes...okay mom. Love you too. Bye."

I couldn't help but chuckle as she tossed her phone across the room.

"I hope Jan, Papa Gates and Suzy took the news better than my mother," she said moving her suitcase to the bottom of the bed and sitting on the bed to fold up some of her clothes.

"Jan's cool about it. She was never close to Michelle. My dad was surprised and a little irritated by what he called my 'fickleness in women' but otherwise, he was chill about it," I said as I grabbed one of her throw pillows and put it under my head.

"By all means, make yourself comfortable," she said tossing another small pillow at me.

I caught it before it hit me in the face and it joined the other pillow behind my head. "Don't mind if I do."

She looked down at the shirts she was folding "And Suzy?"

"Suzy is as easy going as Jan," I explained as I watched her fold neatly.

"Lucky," she said smiling.

"Your place isn't bad?" I said giving her room a good look around. "It's pretty nice. And your ocean view is amazing."

"Amazing enough to stay here?" she asked a hint of hope in her voice as she looked at me.

"Not quite," I said sitting up and she stuck out her tongue and threw the shirt she'd been folding at me.