by Kahlen Aymes
When we finished for the day, I said goodbye to Cade and his parents. "So, we'll meet at the restaurant at 8:30, okay?" I would only be away from him for a few hours, but my heart still fell a little.
His hand ran down my arm. "Okay, love. See you later, then. I'll miss you," he bent down to whisper so no one could hear him but me.
"It's only a little while. Enjoy the time with your parents." I leaned into him and gave him a little shove with my shoulder as Jennifer ran up to us.
"Hey," she said, slightly out of breath. "I was afraid I'd miss you! I'm Jennifer Wade," she said warmly, extending her hand to both of them in turn. “It’s so nice to meet you!”
Cade finished introducing his parents to Jen and they were completely taken with her. She was gracious as always, flashing them a beautiful smile and asking them about their trip over from London.
"Happy Birthday, handsome. We'll see you all tonight," she said as she hugged Cade goodbye. Then we all got in the cars that took us back to the different hotels.
"BROOK IS REMARKABLE, son. The two of you together were wonderful," my dad said as we rode back to my hotel in the back of David's limo. "Your mum cried. All of you that we got to see today... just incredible work," he beamed.
"The scene was amazing!" Mum said, as she took my hand. "The two of you are beautiful together, Caden. I'm so proud of everything you've accomplished. Layla does her own thing, but your brother is a bit green."
I rolled my eyes. "Mum, it's not that big of a deal. I feel lucky to be on this series."
"Caden," my father admonished, "let the woman be proud of you. It's her right and you have done very well for yourself. And, you've gotten a wonderful girl in the process." He winked at me.
I smiled, "Yeah, I know what a lucky sod I am. So... it's great you've come to visit. I wish we were in L.A. or New York, though. I'll give you back the money for the airline, or I’ll buy you another trip."
"Brook arranged everything, honey. She said it was part of her birthday gift to you."
I took a deep breath. What?
"What is it?" Mum asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just... leaving, going to New York has been weighing on me quite a bit. I know Only Us is a great opportunity because of the director, and I'm probably a complete moron for not being excited about it, but I couldn’t care less. I'm really going to miss her. I’ve never dealt with this type of feeling before, and I worry about her."
My dad nodded. "Yes, I can see how much the two of you adore each other. It won't be easy, but you'll get through it and be even better for it," he said reassuringly. “You’ll see. Brook told your mum on the phone that she has a movie to film as well. You'll both be busy and the time apart will pass quickly, son."
“The saving grace is that Brook is filming in L.A. and can stay at her parent’s home.”
“That should make you more at ease.” Mum leaned her head on my shoulder and squeezed my hand. "Can we do anything to make it easier for you, my darling?"
"You being here today is amazing, but when I'm in New York, it would be great if you could encourage Layla and Oliver to visit me there. I’d especially love it if Layla could hop the pond. It’s a much shorter flight than L.A."
I was close to both of my siblings, but Layla was a lot of fun and had a way of getting me out of any funks. Brook would be busy and we wouldn’t be able to see each other very often, so I’d definitely have a few of those.
"I'm sure she'd love that, Caden," my mother said as she patted my hand. "Let's just concentrate on celebrating your birthday, now, shall we?
"Is your suite near mine?" I asked, trying to change the subject. The less time spent thinking about being away from Brook, the better.
"Yes. Brook’s manager told us that we were just across the hall from you, so that’ll make it easier to see you. I can't believe all of the mobs of people," Mum said as we pulled up to the hotel and the volume of the screams rose several decibels. "This is all for you? Is it always like this?"
"Sadly, yes. It's overwhelming. Wait until the doors open, you won’t believe how loud. While I appreciate it, I'm growing rather tired of it. I just want to be normal again. Making movies is fun, but the rest of this stuff is bloody maddening," I said as Peter opened the doors. "Just keep walking and don't stop or talk to anyone." I flipped the hood of my sweatshirt up, somehow gaining a little security from the fake shield it provided. It was crazy, but the clothes, the hats and sunglasses were all I had to hide behind. My world was open for observation and that wasn’t going to change.
The bodyguards were there to meet us and flanked us on all sides as I followed my parents out of the car. I was immediately barraged with fans asking for photos and autographs and then there was the never-ending stream of paparazzi and the blinding flashes of light. If the public viewed celebrities in sunglasses as a symbol of arrogance, it was more for function. Even at night, it was hard to see through the constant cameras.
“Holy hell!” my dad murmured as he wrapped his arm around my mother’s shoulders protectively.
“Cade! Cade! Ahhhhhh! Agghrrrr! Happy Birthday!” So many different people were screaming at me and women were thrusting flowers and gifts at me. My bodyguards put up their arms and pushed them back. Sometimes I thought it rude, but I couldn’t take the risk.
My parents stepped back as they watched me, and the paparazzi kept screaming questions at me and asking me to pose for photos.
"Cade, are your parents here for your birthday or to meet Brooklyn?"
"Cade, are you seeing Brook Halloway? Are you in a relationship with her? Is she your girlfriend? Did you break her and David up?"
"We saw you go to her hotel, are you guys seeing each other or just hooking up?"
"Do you have plans with her for your birthday?"
It was usually around the time they started mentioning Brook that I wanted to punch something. I ignored all of the rude comments and signed a few more scribbled autographs before extricating myself and guiding both of my parents through the hotel doors.
"Holy Mother of God! Caden, that's unbelievable!" my father said as he walked beside me and laid his hand on my shoulder.
"Dad, really, that was nothing. You’ve been at the premieres. It can be so much worse than this at the events. The hotel does have a few more than usual, I suppose, due to it being my birthday, but not by much."
Three hours later I was getting ready for dinner when my phone rang. I Will Remember You by Ryan Cabrera; the new song I’d just assigned as Brook’s ringtone filled the air. The song was so apropos of our movies, of me leaving… I was happy she was calling but filled with melancholy as I answered the phone.
"Hey, gorgeous." I forced a lighthearted tone. She was so happy and I didn’t want to bring her down with thoughts of our impending separation.
"Hi! Are you ready for your birthday party? I'm so happy your parents came."
"Yeah. It was amazing of you to ask them. Very sweet. They simply adore you, Brook," I said as I ran my hands through my hair a few times, then realized there was nothing to be done with it and gave up completely. "As do I."
"Hmm, well, it’s mutual. I'm just glad I was able to help make you happy today."
"You always do, love." I smiled into the phone. "Even when you're leaving me at the mercy of delusional, gay men." She laughed and the sound spoke directly to my heart.
"Did you get any, uh... packages today?"
I laughed. "Only from Ethan and Dawson. Those wankers!"
"Ethan mentioned he was sending you something, but wouldn't tell me what it was," her voice was anxious and lilted. "So? What was it?"
"Um...” I hesitated.
"Cade! Tell me! I'm dying to know!" She laughed into the phone.
"You won't say that after I tell you. Those jackasses," I said in exasperation. "They sent me a Julia blow up doll, or rather one they dressed up like you. They even got some of your costumes from the last film to dress the damn thing in. Happy now?" My face hurt, I was smiling so much.
She burst out laughing. "Ethan has such a twisted sense of humor. That's hilarious! At least it was dressed. Was there a note?"
I rolled my eyes as I bent to pull on my shoes. "Oh yeah, there was a note alright." I went to get it so I could read it to her. "It says; ‘Ryan, on the lonely nights when Julia can't blow you, you can blow her! We wouldn't want our boy to get blue balls while in New York. She can’t make lemon muffins, but you get the idea! Love, Daws and Ethan’." I said through my chuckles. "Dickheads."
Brook was giggling so hard she was gasping for breath. "Oh my God! I'm dying!"
"How in the fuck am I supposed to get rid of this bloody thing? If the press gets a hold of it, it will ruin me. I'll be a laughing stock! I should beat the hell out of them when I see them next." I tried to sound irritated, but in reality I was smiling. Okay, it was bloody hysterical, I have to admit it. "I'd suggest giving it to Mickey, but it lacks certain appendages that he might require," I added sardonically, as I threw on my black hooded sweatshirt and headed for the door.
"That's for sure. You know before you yell at Ethan, you should know that he helped make the arrangements for tonight."
"He did? He's a good guy, even if he is a fucker."
"Yes, he's great. I've got to run, babe. Meet you at Blowball... um, I mean Glowball," she teased, her eyes sparkling with glee.
"Yeah... keep it up, Brook. You're going to pay for that little stunt with Mickey earlier, too, so get ready." I knew she could hear the smile in my voice.
"Ummm... really can't wait. Love you," her voice dropped and took on that sex tone I loved.
I felt my body tighten in anticipation. "Mmmm... love you, sweets. See you in a few."
I went to collect my parents before heading downstairs to face another mob of fans, but I was so happy, nothing would ruin my mood.
AS I WATCHED BROOK with my parents throughout the evening, my heart swelled until I thought it would burst inside my chest. She laughed and played with my dad, and fell into easy conversation with Mum. She glanced and flirted with me as they spoke. I figured they were telling all sorts of horror stories from my childhood and she was eating it up and would certainly use it to blackmail me later.
I was talking to Martin about the possibility that he would direct A Love Like This. He was open to it, and I found myself hoping the suits would make him an offer to do it. He knew us all so well by now, and though he had a scheduling conflict, I would speak to Denise about getting the studio to work around all of our schedules. It was the last one and if anyone could do it justice, I knew it would be him.
The party was small. Jennifer, Jeff Jackson, and Martin were the only others from the cast there. It was very relaxing for the most part and I spent most of the night laughing with everyone. I had a beer and ordered Brook and my mum champagne cocktails, and we had some of the delicious pot stickers I adored, before ordering dinner. After we'd all eaten, the group of us moved into the lounge portion of the restaurant.
My mate, Daniel Mayfield joined us and I talked with him over a drink. He was working in Vancouver and Brook had called him to ask him to meet us out. We talked about his music and possibly working on some together in the near future. I didn't want to produce anything new during filming because I felt like I wasn't being true to the craft and that any success I would have would be more due to the films then the music. That wasn't how I wanted it to happen. It had to be about the music or it felt like cheating, somehow.
My parents gave me a new laptop with a built-in web camera, so Brook and I could use Skype to talk to each other. My dad winked at me, effectively telling me without words that the real purpose was so that I could use it with Brook while I was away from her. It was silly really. I had more money than they did and didn’t need them to buy me anything, but I shut my mouth and showed the proper amount of gratitude.
Thump. My heart dropped.
Despite my determination to keep my demeanor on an even keel, my throat thickened as once again our pending separation hung over me like a storm. Brook looked over at me and what I saw in her eyes took my breath away.
She was so beautiful; happy in her talks with my parents. It gave me so much pleasure to watch her with them. Seeing how well she fit into my family meant the world to me. I loved knowing how well they got on together and I could clearly see our future having children, building a life, growing older together. Her intense blue eyes roamed over my expression and the smile fell from her lips. I tried to shake it off and smile back at her because I didn't want her to feel the pain I was feeling.
It was asking for the impossible, but I wanted to try and alleviate as much of it as I could. I got up and walked over to where she was huddled up with my dad and mum.
"You look like you're having too much fun over here, without me." I smiled down at them, and my hand reached out to brush gently against Brook's chin.
Her eyes took on a worried expression as they met mine. "Are you okay?" she asked as her hand came up to cover mine.
"Yeah. Come outside with me for a minute? Mum, Dad, do you mind?"
We didn’t really wait for an answer and I barely registered the silent shakes of their heads. Brook and I went to sit behind a stonewall, sliding to the ground behind it in case there were any paparazzi lurking, so they wouldn't see us. The crowd of fans had been steadily growing outside since we'd arrived, and I knew it was due to everyone twittering our whereabouts. I hated it, but tried to push it down and block out the din of the screams. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to concentrate on Brook.
I pulled out my cigarettes and offered her one. She took it absently and held it between her fingers as I lit mine and blew out the smoke. It was a nasty habit we both needed to kick but I was anxious. She moved closer, so our legs and shoulders were touching and instantly I found myself calming down. I leaned my head back against the wall and looked over and down at her beautiful face.
Her eyes sparkled in the soft light as she studied my face. "We'll get through it, Cade. Somehow. We have to."
"How do you know me so well?" My fingers threaded through hers.
"You're a part of me. I know you inside and out. Just like you know me. That's what we have to hang on to. It's always going to be us." I could hear the trembling in her voice as she said the words.
Brook. I closed my eyes in reverence as her name ran through my mind. Finally, I opened them again so I could look into her face. I'd never get enough of looking at her; I wanted to devour every line of her face and memorize every second of this night.
Her features were softened with love and something more. The long hair, darkened for the film, fell over her shoulder as she leaned into me and the sweet scent of her shampoo engulfed me. My heart ached and beat faster at the same time, as I tried to commit it all to memory.
"It isn't that. It isn't that I'm afraid I'll lose you, but I'm going to miss you so much. I don't know how I'll get through those months without you. I'm trying hard to push it away and not think about it, but... I can't bloody help it."
She squeezed my hand and I saw the tears well in her blue eyes, as she tried to blink them back. "I'll miss you, too. Every day. Probably more than I'll be able to stand, but distance isn't going to change how I feel about you." She swallowed and her chin jutted out as she fought with the emotions. "You told me once that you'd make sure to remind me how much you loved me, remember?" I nodded, before she continued, "I'll do the same for you. I promise."
She leaned against my shoulder and I leaned my cheek on the top of her head. We sat side by side, and I traced circles on top of her hand with my thumb. I wanted to leave, to be alone with her, to lose myself in her and erase the anguish I knew we both felt. I wanted to store up memories of holding her, making love and telling her how she made me feel… I wanted to spend every minute we had left, alone with her.
"Let's go soon, okay? I know it's only eleven, but your parents are dealing with jet lag and it's 5 A.M. to them." She read my mind again.
"Yeah. Okay." I
stared into her face and snubbed out my cigarette on the slate of the patio. "I love you."
She smiled softly at me. "I know. Miracles do happen." I felt my lips quirk despite myself, as she repeated the words I’d spoken earlier that day in the makeup trailer. Just like me, she remembered the little things that were totally and utterly us.
BROOK CUDDLED CLOSE to me in the back of the limo as it drove us to our hotel. When we arrived, my parents and I got out at the front and she huddled down so fans and paparazzi wouldn’t see her, then Peter took her back in through the garage, as had become our covert habit.
My parents were beat so I said goodnight to them and went to my room to wait for my girl. I took off the button-down I had over my T-Shirt, kicked my shoes off and turned down the lights; leaving only a small one on over the TV. TV was something Brook and I rarely did. We preferred to spend our time playing music, talking, or making love.
Mmmm... The thought of her naked skin against mine made my body tighten in anticipation. I ran my hands through my hair as I went to move the gift from Dawson and Ethan into the closet. Ugh! I would ask Denise to bring in some scissors so I could pop the damn thing and she could take it out in her bag and dispose of it. I smiled despite myself. It was bloody funny, but for Christ's sake, I had to get rid of it, and fast.
I pulled down the sheets on the newly made bed, stripped all of my clothes off, and climbed in to wait for Brook. I sat, leaning up against the headboard and listened for her. It wasn't long before I heard the door open and her footsteps padding toward the bedroom door.
"Hey, sexy," she murmured as she moved into the room. When she got to the bed, she crawled across it to kneel beside me. Her little hand came up to grasp my chin as her lips came down in a soft, slow kiss and her tongue gently slid into my mouth. I groaned as my arms snaked around her to pull her closer. She gave in to the kiss for a minute or two before pulling her mouth away from mine.
"Wait. Cade, I've got something for you. Just give me a minute." She placed another soft, sensual kiss on my mouth that left my body clamoring for hers then moved away from me toward my iPod dock on the desk across the room. She removed mine and put hers into it before turning it on. My eyes followed her movements as the soft music filled the room.