Everyone Has Secrets

Chapter 23

"I think we should look for a house," Brian suggested.

"What do we need a house for? My apartment is fine."

"I just think we should have something that's ours. Start our lives together properly."

"We don't need to go buying a house to do that. And where would we buy the house? Seattle? Sacramento?"

"Well, I thought maybe Sacramento, since you travel a lot anyway, and that's where I work permanently."

"Oh, so you've already planned this all out?"

"Mer... that's not what I meant."

"That's what it sounded like. Can't you just move to Seattle? My family is here, my friends are here."

"You're not here, though. You're anywhere and everywhere whenever you want to be."

"Oh great, so it's back to that again?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've always had something to say about me travelling."

"I'm not asking you to stop travelling, or even suggesting that you should. I'm just saying, why should I move everything to Seattle when you're barely here?"

"Because Sacramento is so great."

"Meredith, stop."

"No, please, keep planning the rest of my life without me."

"Clearly I'm missing something here."

"Just go back to Sacramento if you love it so much."

"Mer..."

"What?"

"Meredith, I need you for a consult," Cristina appeared beside them.

"Please," she breathed, taking the tablet Cristina offered her.

"Meredith, don't just walk away from this."

"I'll see you later, Brian. I just need to... I need to breathe, okay?"

"Fine, I'll see you later," he sighed, reaching to touch her arm, "Come here a second."

"What?" she looked up at him, her eyes softening as she saw the sadness in his.

"I love you," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss against her lips.

"I love you too," she whispered as she returned the kiss, feeling some of the pent up frustration start to fade away, "I'll call you when I'm ready, okay?"

"Okay, go be amazing," he grinned slightly at her.

"Okay," she laughed a little, rolling her eyes as she turned back to Cristina, starting to walk down the hallway with her.

"Trouble in paradise?" Cristina asked.

"Cris..." she sighed, looking through the patient chart.

"Mer, you know how I feel about him," Cristina shrugged, "I told you what happened after... you deserve better."

"He loves me," she muttered.

"And you love him? Because you don't seem happy to me," she shook her head.

"I am... I'm happy, or getting there. We just have things to work out and it's difficult and there's history," she shook her head.

"Look, I'm not trying to get involved or anything, and if you're happy then I'm happy, but you seem miserable. I mean, you were happier when you were banging Shepherd and he's just annoying."