Never Leave Your Heart Alone

Chapter 8

Meredith rolled over and opened her eyes. Chase was already gone. She wasn't surprised, he worked seven days a week. She was emotionally and physically exhausted from everything that had been going on. She stopped by and talked to her mom a few times this week. They didn't yell, which was a step forward. The visits lasted no more than ten minutes. Her mom would be going home soon, who knows what would happen then. Addison was coming over today to help Meredith unpack some of her belongings. She was coming over at eleven. Meredith looked at the clock. She was shocked when it said ten-thirty. How the hell did I sleep so late? She jumped out of Chase's bed. She had to take a shower. She didn't bring any clothes, so she would be wearing the same thing as yesterday. Chase had clothes at her house, but she hadn't taken that step yet. She hurried around Chase's lavish apartment, cleaning things up and making the bed. She left him a short note and and went straight to her car. Meredith moaned when she pulled in her driveway, seeing Addison's car already there. Crap! She hurried in the house, Addison was in the kitchen, drinking coffee with Izzie. Meredith walked in.

"How nice of you to join us, Meredith." Addison said sarcastically, taking a bite of Izzie's homemade muffin.

"Oh, and the same clothes as yesterday..." Izzie said, pointing at Meredith.

"So you stayed over." Addison noted.

"Yes, I did." Meredith smiled, and grabbed a cup of coffee. "Now, I really don't feel like unpacking!" She said. "Nice jeans, Addison. I would have never dreamed that you owned a pair!"

"Oh, come one. I can hang out, do things. Be casual." Addison defended herself.

"You have to unpack, this is horrible, look at all these boxes!" Izzie reminded her. Meredith looked around, she was right.

"A little more caffeine. Okay?" Meredith asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Late night?" Addison asked.

"You could say that." Meredith said with a smile, remembering her night with Chase.

"So who is the guy?" Addison asked, drinking her coffee.

"She won't say. I think he must be a murderer. She's afraid I will recognize him. Or maybe the janitor at the hospital, the creepy one." Izzie stated with a laugh.

"Maybe." Meredith agreed, she jumped up. "Let's get this done!"

Meredith started opening boxes that were already in the house from her mother. Everything had a place. Everything had been picked out and chosen to be in the house. She remembered it like it was yesterday. The pictures she wasn't putting up. She didn't like family photos. There weren't very many of them, Ellis was never around. The past wasn't her friend. The artwork and paintings all went nicely with the decor. Addison and Izzie seemed to be having a good time. They were girls. Meredith, she was more like Cristina, they weren't nesters. They didn't care about this stuff. She looked at the clock, praying that Cristina would come over soon.

"Wow. This is actually looking like a house. I was beginning to think I lived in a storage shed." Izzie said with a laugh. Meredith rolled her eyes.

"It does look pretty good!" Addison said as she started unwrapping crystal. Her cell phone rang. She picked it up and began talking. Izzie and Meredith both went in the kitchen. A few minutes later Addison walked in. "I'm sorry."

"Do you have to go?" Meredith said, somewhat disappointed.

"No, it's way worse than that. I hope you won't be mad." She said with a sigh. "I forgot that I had a lunch date with Holly." They both moan at her name. "I know, she's not really my friend. She was, I have been trying to get away from her for a long time. But anyway, I kind of invited her over, to help." She hunched her shoulders and closed her eyes as Meredith started to beat her with a towel.