Behind The Scene

CHAPTER 41

I threw another pile of clothes into the box then taped it shut, moving to the dresser to empty out the drawers next. A knock on the door sounded, pulling my attention away from packing.
"It's open!" I shouted.
I heard footsteps in the kitchen, then the cheerful voice of Crystal as she popped into view.
"Came to offer some help," She smiled, tugging on a pair of what looked like gardening gloves, making me laugh.
"Not sure that they're necessary."
"I wasn't sure how bad the damage would be," She shrugged, peering around me to the cordoned off bathroom, "A burst pipe is no fun."
"Neither is the hole in the floorboards over there," I added, gesturing to the sizeable hole by the bedroom window, or the crumbling wall in the living room."
"Damn," She breathed, "I'm surprised it even survived the quake if this is the result."
"You and me both," I sighed, finishing sealing another box and adding it to the growing pile in the doorway, just in time for the burly guy from the moving company to appear and load them up on his trolley.
Once we were alone again, Crystal began helping me load what was left in the room into more boxes.
"Charlie offered to help," She said after a little while. "I told him that I didn't think it was a good idea, but he wanted me to tell you that he's only a call away if you need anyone else."
I smiled sadly, I had missed him since we departed that day two weeks ago. Missed the laughs we had and how easy he was to talk to. But my mind was made up, and I wasn't going to allow myself to fall into old habits.
"I appreciate that, but I've got it covered," I assured her. "I've known this day was coming now for almost a fortnight.
Arriving home from the hospital the night that Ross had been hurt, I'd come back to a disaster zone. Upon walking through the front door, I'd come face to face with a half-flooded kitchen, and bathroom, both from burst pipes that had been ruptured as the quake ripped through the foundations. After some help from the building's attendant, we stopped the flow of water, cleared up the mess as best as we could, and threw out what was beyond rescuing. When I finally managed to clear the floor of what remained of my things, I'd found worsening cracks moving through the apartment, the ones in the walls widening and crumbling each time I passed. It got to the point where I was terrified to even breathe too much, fearing that I was about to fall through the floor or have the entire building collapse on top of me. Not daring to stay in there, I packed up a few of my precious belongings and had headed to Crystals for a few days whilst the damage was inspected. Since then, the entire building had been checked and deemed unsafe. Leading me to this, moving again.
"How far is it to the new place?" She asked, taping the box at her feet and handing it straight to the movers who'd just reappeared again in the doorway.
"About a ten-minute drive, not far," I shrugged, adding my own finished box to the pile and looking around at the last few things which remained to be packed. "We can bring the rest down," I smiled at the men.
They nodded cheerfully, and continued on their way, leaving me to pass a box to Crystal and gesture to the final shelf which needed clearing.
"I don't know if I'm happy that I'm moving, or sad," I sighed.
"Maybe a little of both?" She suggested.
"Probably. I've got some good memories here," I paused, looking around and remembering the mornings that I woke in Ross's arms, the laughs we'd had and how happy I was to finally have him here. "But then there's been the bad times," I finished, recalling the tears, the fights, the sight that still hadn't left my mind, the one of Ross walking out the door.
"Time for a fresh start," Crystal said gently, appearing at my shoulder and placing a consoling hand on it.
With a small sniffle, I nodded determinedly. I wasn't going to let today be a sad day. There was far too much to still be grateful for, and things to look forward to.
Once we'd sealed the last two boxes and the apartment was officially empty of my belongings, I stopped at the door, giving the place one final look.
"Onwards and upwards," I muttered.
"Leave everything that's happened here, in the past, where it belongs," Crystal said firmly at my shoulder.
"Yeah. I think that's best."
I let out a sigh, then pulled the door closed, locking it and dropping my keys through the slot, the pair of us making our way downstairs, before setting off for my new apartment.
It was late by the time that myself, Crystal and the movers had got everything loaded inside my new place, and I was completely shattered. It had been a busy few days, securing this apartment and packing up the old one. I was relieved when I was finally alone, not needing to find the energy to speak anymore, simply able to throw myself down onto the couch and cast an eye around at the beautiful, bright loft which was now my own.
It was much bigger than the last place, but with my club earnings, it was well within my budget. The cream walls made the entire apartment shine in the LA sun during the day and afforded it a nice ambience in the evenings with the subtle glow of the lights. Perfectly teamed with the sandy-toned marble floor, plush, mocha rugs, and other neutral flares of colour from the furnishings to give it a warm vibe throughout, a modernised and stylish one too. Rustic pillars stood at intervals around the lounge, and a floor to ceiling wall of frosted glass windows held the sliding doors which divided the rooms.
"Home sweet home," I smiled, already looking forward to making my new life here.
With a yawn, I shuffled into a more comfortable place on the sofa, and before I knew it, I'd drifted off.
After an invigorating shower the following morning, I was dressing ready to head to the hotel for my paycheck, when I heard my phone buzzing from somewhere. Looking around, I couldn't spot it anywhere.
"Damn it," I groaned, trying to recall the last time that I saw it.
I scoured the room for a good five minutes before locating it in a pair of my stilettos in an open box of shoes.
"I have no idea how you got in there," I said in surprise, holding it up and looking around as though ready to spot a mischievous culprit standing nearby laughing at me.
Shaking my head, I pressed the screen to read the message and stared in surprise as I read Ross's name. I hadn't seen or heard from him since I'd visited him in the hospital. I'd wanted to go back, wanted to check on him, but I also wanted to respect his wishes and give him time. So with little other option left to me, I'd been doing all of my anxious check-ins through Tucker. To be honest, I was surprised he'd been so patient with me, especially as I'd been blowing up his phone almost every hour for the first few days, making sure that there hadn't been any last-minute complications. My fingers trembled a little as I opened the message, my eyes squeezed closed with a mixture of hope and apprehension at what might be written inside.
Can we meet for a coffee? We need to talk.
My knees weakened beneath me as I finally read the few words on the screen, feeling none-the-wiser to his meaning or his tone. Needing to talk... why? Was this it, the moment that he was going to make a clean break from me forever? Or could I dare hope that this was going to be his way of allowing me to clear the air once and for all, to persuade him to give us a chance? I couldn't bear to be in this state of confusion any longer than necessary, and so tapped out a reply as quickly as I could, telling him that I'd be at the hotel in half an hour, and could meet him there, keeping it simple and to the point, not wanting to risk tipping the scales.
See you then. He replied almost immediately.
I wasn't sure if his swift response should be cause for concern or delight, but either way, I pushed through the heavy weight now falling on my chest and continued to prepare to leave.
Thanks to typical LA traffic, I was already running late when I got to the hotel. Hurrying to the front desk, I waited for Jessica to get off of the phone, before finally grabbing my paycheck. I was just pocketing it when I heard a voice that made my heart stop:
"Hey, Lena."
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling them sting a little as fond memories soared through my memory at that sound. When I turned to face him, I couldn't stop the smile on my face. There he stood, looking much stronger than when I last saw him, even with the sling, and if possible, more beautiful than ever.
"Hey," I replied. There was a short silence, broken by me as I motioned toward his body, "You look good, much better."
"Thanks, I am better," He said warmly, "You look good too."
"Lack of sleep always did agree with me," I jested.
"Can't deny that," He laughed, rubbing a hand over his ribs.
"Are you okay?" I asked, closing in immediately with concern.
"Fine, still healing is all."
"Course," I agreed, "Let's grab a seat in the bar."
I led him to the bar across the foyer, where a hoard of guests sat, relaxing with a coffee or beverage of choice. He followed silently, leaving me wondering where his head was at. Taking a seat at a quiet corner table, I slid a menu across the table to him and perched on the edge of my seat, wringing my hands anxiously in my lap.
"Interesting choice of a meeting place," He said, browsing the menu then placing it back in the holder.
"Oh, erm I was coming here anyway this morning and they have good coffee," I answered awkwardly. His eyes narrowed in confusion and alarm bells instantly rang in my head, making me leap to my own defence before he could draw the wrong conclusion: "It's nothing untoward, I swear. I was here picking up my paycheck, I work here, on the front desk."
My eyes sought his, imploring him to believe me.
"Do you like it here?"
His response took me by surprise, and I nodded my head shakily.
"Yeah, it's... nice."
It wasn't a lie. The hotel was a nice place to work. The staff were great, my manager even better. It was a good wage, and I got to meet all kinds of people, some were even fairly impressive names in the industry. Not that I'd bothered attempting to network the past couple of weeks, my mind had been firmly elsewhere.
"I'm glad," Ross smiled, "How long have you been working here?"
"Couple of weeks," I hesitated for a moment, but knew what he was probably wondering, and I wanted to make it clear, no matter what today brought my way, he had to know, "I never went back to the club. I quit."
There was a glint in his eye, and I noted the small lift in his expression.
One of the staff arrived, taking our orders and returning a few minutes later with two steaming mugs.
"You were right about the coffee, it is good."
"Yep, I could happily live on the stuff, I'm still working on a plan to smuggle a batch or two of the beans out so I can make it back home." He smiled at my playful tone and I felt some of the tension lift. "How are you handling being off work?"
"Hating it," He sighed, "You know I never liked doing nothing."
"How long are you out for?"
"They think at least another three to four weeks, but I'm working on making it less." I winced, knowing how hard he could be on himself, and how much he pushed when he wanted something. "I'm not overdoing it," He added gently as though reading my mind.
"Good, because you'll only hurt yourself worse, and then be out even longer," I said firmly, hoping to drill it home to him.
"Yes, ma'am," He said swiftly in a mocking tone, reminding me of old times. "What about you, still auditioning?"
"No, before the quake I wasn't concerned with auditions, and since, I've been pretty tied up, so much to sort out with the damage and th-"
"Damage? What do you mean?"
"The apartment was damaged, the whole building's been marked unsafe. I moved into a new place yesterday."
"You shouldn't have been in there if it was unsafe," He said with concern, "Anything could have happened."
"I'm fine, I had to clear the place out, if my stuff had been in there any longer it would have been destroyed, we had burst pipes, cracked walls and a disintegrating floor."
He looked unnerved by the list of damage and hung his head slightly, making me wish I could read his mind.
"The new place is lovely though. Even has two floors. So much more space, and it's just beautiful, only a short distance from here too so I get an additional ten minutes at least, in bed each morning."
"Sounds lovely," He agreed, taking a sip from his mug before asking: "Care to show me?"
I struggled as I deliberated over the risk of him coming back there. I didn't want to already tarnish my new place with the potentially horrifying revelation that he never wanted to see me again after today, but at the same time, I knew that I also wanted him to see the place, to see that I was making changes, prove that it wasn't all just empty words. He watched me closely, seemingly aware of the mental back and forth that I was having with myself. But before he could retract his interest, I nodded.
"Sure, we can head over whenever you're ready."
"How about now?"
He got to his feet, and pulled a few notes from his wallet, tossing them onto the table. Taking a deep breath and bracing for impact, I stood up and together we left the hotel.
"Wow, this place is great," Ross said as we entered the apartment a short time later.
"Yeah, I love it already," I agreed, "Though it'll be much better when I've unpacked." I nudged a box with my foot. "So far the only things out of the boxes are my washbag and a few essentials."
"This makes me think of back home," He began, brushing a hand over a stack of boxes whilst I looked at him curiously, "When I knew we'd be moving, I imagined this day," He smiled, "How we'd move into our new place, set up a home together, argue over stupid things like the layout of our bedroom, and how many scatter cushions qualified as too many."
"Definitely six," I chimed in with a laugh.
He chuckled warmly, his eyes flitting to mine.
"It was supposed to be the biggest move of our lives, the thing we'd do together that would set us on the path for our future."
"But it didn't go that way," I finished sombrely.
"No," He muttered, "Instead, I remained back home, with your past, and you went out on your own." I winced, waiting for him to begin unloading the list of things I'd done to break us up. "We made a huge mistake doing that, it's no wonder things turned out this way."
I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again swiftly as he pressed on:
"I had so many things that I wanted to say to you," He walked closer, his gaze locked with mine, his face a blank mask, "I'd rehearsed the speech over and over, wanting to leave no doubt about where we both stood. But now I'm here, and it's all so clear, only one thing matters."
"Ross, please... I-"
He shook his head softly and I bit my lip, trying to remain strong as I faced him, waiting for the words to fall, for my sentence to finally be announced.
"You have a whole future ahead of you, Lena. You've got the chance to start over again, to create the life here that we both dreamed of back home," He said softly, placing a hand on my forearm as tears stung my eyes, "And I want to be a part of it."
A strangled sob escaped me as his fingers wrapped around my hand and his unbelievable words sunk in.
"You do?" I choked.
"Yes," He said firmly, "I was devastated when we were apart, I could barely even see a way ahead. But when I was in that parking garage, and I felt myself slipping away, something inside me made me fight, made me keep clinging to life, it was like there was something that I felt I needed to get back to. As soon as I opened my eyes and saw you standing there, it all fell into place, like a lightbulb finally flicking on. I'd fought so hard because I needed to get back to you."
"Why didn't you say something?" I half-sobbed.
"Make a confession like that after being brought back from the brink of death?" He chuckled, "I think we both deserved more than a rocky foundation like that to base our future on. I wanted to make sure we set off on the right foot. Every day since then though, I've felt like I should be somewhere else, like a piece of me was missing. And now, standing here with you, I've got it back," He glanced around at the apartment, "And a better chance than I ever expected." Eyes back on mine, he squeezed my hand with his own, smiling down at me as I frustratedly wiped my tears with the back of my free hand. "I want to come home, Lena. I want to do this properly with you this time, I want us to build our home together, start our life properly, as a couple... just like we should have done months ago... what d'you say?"
I was stunned, and when I finally managed to move, I launched at him, wrapping my arms around him, holding him tightly, repeating the same word over and over again:
"Yes."
There was a pained hiss from Ross under my crushing embrace and I released him awkwardly, apologising as I delicately ran a hand over his face.
"Don't be sorry," He smiled, "Pain's never felt so good."
I laughed, shaking my head at the cheesy line.
"I love you, Ross, and I'm never going to let you go again."
"Ditto," He whispered.
His lips softly brushed mine, and I poured all the love that I'd ever had for him into our rapidly deepening kiss, overjoyed that finally, my life was back on track, and better, richer, than I could ever have hoped because despite everything, love had come out on top and I had my soulmate at my side. We would make this work, I knew it in my heart and soul. Today was the first day of the rest of our lives.