The Last Thing

by Gaitan, Briana

  Chase

  I turned off the TV and sat in silence on my bed. Chloe’s story had run a few days ago. Her sob story of how I got another girl pregnant behind her back. It was disgusting how she used this story for her own personal gain. I was right though, the studio wasn’t happy about what she had done. They didn’t like the type of negative publicity it was drumming up, and they wanted her to retract the statements. As soon as Quinn’s name had been leaked, I sent Randall out to pick Quinn up. Photographers sat out in my street, trying to get pictures every time I walked outside. I would have to hear them when I left in a few minutes. I picked up my phone and tried my mom again. She was supposed to be on her way into town. We kept missing each other’s calls, but she had left a message telling me she was still flying in on Saturday. That was today.

  “Hello?”

  “Mami…” I knew my voice sounded whiny, but what can I say? I’m a mama’s boy.

  “¿Que rayos esta pasando? My phone is ringing off the hook about you getting some girl pregnant?”

  “It’s true, but before you say anything, Chloe’s story is fake.”

  “So you weren’t dating that little blonde pop star?”

  “No, we were never together; it was always only me and Quinn.”

  “Good because that girl needs to put on some more clothes. Every time I see her, she is half-naked.”

  I chuckled slightly, yup that was my mom talking.

  “The media’s been hounding me all morning. I can’t get a second’s rest; you may want to stay at a hotel instead of here.”

  “And miss meeting this new girlfriend of yours? Too late, I am in the taxi right now. I’ll be there soon.”

  “Well, about that. We had to take a break until all of this settles down...”

  “Chase Crowley! I saw the pictures. She looks pretty far along. I’m very disappointed in you. You don’t abandon your family. ¿Ama usted a esta chica? Do you love this girl?”

  “Yes, Mami.” I loved her, but I didn’t want to be responsible for ruining her life.

  “Then you stand by her side. I don’t care what some studio says. Your career is nothing without family. Are you happy alone?”

  I didn’t answer. She was right. It wasn’t my job to protect Quinn, she was doing fine all by herself.

  “You don’t understand…”

  “Oh, I understand, I understand that you’re pushing her away when things get hard. You’ve always been too obsessed with that career of yours.”

  She was right. I promised Quinn I would never leave her. I’d promised her a lot of things, but I ran at the first sign of trouble. How was I supposed to know what you did in a normal relationship? I had never had one.

  “Did you hear me, Chase. You go find the mother of your child and you go be with her.”

  “What about you?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I will let myself into your place.”

  Without saying goodbye, I hung up and dialed Quinn’s number. I needed to hear her voice and know that she was okay. I needed to apologize for choosing my career over her. When it went straight to voicemail, I knew I needed to find her.

  With my keys in hand, I walked downstairs to where my car was parked. The crowd had died down, but a few strays ran up as soon as I hit the sidewalk. They waved the cameras and microphones in my face.

  “Chase, is it true that you cheated on Chloe James?”

  “Chase Crowley, rumor has it that your new girlfriend is pregnant. Is it a boy or a girl?”

  Their questions kept coming, but I kept my head down and got into my car. They kept flashing the cameras as I drove off, but I didn’t care. The only thing on my mind was getting to Quinn. The drive to Hollywood took about twenty minutes, but it felt like forever. Would she take me back? Was I too late? I pulled into Ginger’s driveway and jumped out of the car, not even bothering to turn the car off.

  “Quinn!”

  I pounded on the front door persistently until the door flew open. Ginger stepped out onto her front pouch, her eyes wild and her mouth set in a hard line. I didn’t even get a word out before her right arm swung back and punched me straight in the jaw.

  “Fuck!” I yelled out. For being such a delicate looking girl, she could really pack some power into her punch.

  “Where is she?” I gritted my teeth in anger.

  “Like you deserve to know.”

  “I deserve that. Trust me, I screwed up. Now where is she?”

  She put her hands on her hips and took a step back into her house.

  “Fucking tell me, Ginger!” I yelled right as the door slammed shut.

  “You don’t deserve her,” she said from behind the door.

  My right fist went out to pound on the door a few more times.

  “Ginger, please. I messed up. I was afraid she’d hurt herself. I was afraid my career would be ruined. I was afraid to fight for her…”

  She was right. I didn’t deserve her. I never did. I turned around and sat down on the ground, she’d come home soon, and when she did, I would be right here waiting.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Quinn

  I spent the better part of the last few days at the new house. A part of me hoped Chase would show up, but when he didn’t I continued painting the baby’s room. By now, I had detailed the mural and ceiling. I extended out a cursive lyric across a window that said

  “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

  It was a quote from a Roman philosopher named Seneca. My psychiatrist said it to me once, and it always stuck in the back of my mind. It fit. My child was my new beginning, but it was the end of the fresh start I’d moved to LA for. Things would turn out better this time. Using the brush, I painted my emotions, all the ones that I’d hidden for the past year. My heart was raw. I stood in the doorway and admired my finished work. It was the most extensive piece I had ever made.

  My phone died this morning, and I hadn’t packed a charger. Ginger would probably be worried sick that I hadn’t called to check in. I wasn’t ready to return though, so I did my best to scrub the paint off my body. I had overworked myself the past few days, and wanted to take a nap.

  After I cleaned my body, I climbed back into the big bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. That was when it came to me. What was once foggy had cleared up. It was as if my mind was ready to accept the truth. I remembered. I remembered that night.

  My eyelids are heavy, but somehow I pry them open enough to realize what is going on. The seatbelt digs into my hips as I try and move, and my head aches.

  “What happened?” I hear the sound of water pouring in from somewhere, but I still can’t comprehend what is going on. Everything is pitch black. I wrack my brain for my last memory. Yes, I remember. I was driving Bash home. I remember fighting, yelling, and then he grabbed the wheel. I remember metal crunching as the car flipped. He ran us off the road. I look over to my right. Sure enough in the passenger seat, I can see the outline of Bash’s large body. I reach out to shake him, but my strength is weak.

  “Bash, wake up.” He doesn’t respond so I scream as loud as I can. I scream until I can’t scream any longer. It’s only been a minute, but time moves slowly. My mouth hurts and my throat is raw. Afraid that he’s dead, I struggle with my restraints. It’s no use, they are stuck.

  “Shit, Shit…” I cry out as I move around. There is a sharp pain near my ribs, and I’m pretty sure something is broken. Whatever it is, it hurts like hell. I’m going to die here. My eyes dart back and forth, the water is filling up faster now. It’s almost at my knees. I reach up to feel for the car light. When my finger smashes the button, the entire car fills with a dull, flickering light.

  “Quinn?”

  I blink back the tears so that I can see clearly. My vision focuses in on the only other person in the car. I let out a sob and hold my hand out to Bash.

  “Bash, I’m scared.” He squeezes my hand.

  “It’s okay, Quinn. I’m so sorry. I didn
’t mean to crash the car—”

  “You can apologize later.”

  I shake my head. No, it wasn’t his fault. I shouldn’t have started the fight. I shouldn’t have broken up with him while I was driving; I couldn’t take the drugs and fighting anymore. He was killing himself and me in the process.

  “Can you get out?” he asks me. I struggled against my seatbelt again before giving up.

  “I’m stuck. Bash, I’m scared. Help me.”

  “Listen, I need you to pull my pocket knife from my pants pocket. Cut yourself free. Hurry.”

  “I can’t reach.” The truth is I don’t want to move. It hurts too much. I begin crying all over again.

  “Quinn, stay with me! Please listen. I can’t feel my legs. I can’t move.” He speaks softly as if not to scare me. That is when I notice that his side of the car is smashed up. His long legs are trapped under the dash and blood pours from a cut on his head.

  “Dammit, hurry. Please Quinn.” The panic in his voice urges me to move so I slowly reach out to his jeans pocket. My fingers graze his pocket, but the water is so high I can’t see what I am doing. I fumble until I feel his familiar pocketknife within my grip. Pulling it out, I lose my grip on it and it falls into the water.

  “Shit!” I scramble around with my fingers, feeling for the blade. I find it quickly and try to hand it to him.

  “No, babe. This is all you.” His voice has a slight chuckle as if it were hilarious that I would try and save him.

  Without thinking, I use the knife to start cutting at my seatbelt, but it isn’t cutting as fast as I would like. I try and ignore the water but I can’t focus.

  “I can’t,” I cry out in frustration.

  “Quinn. You aren’t going to die tonight. Now cut!”

  He keeps encouraging me as I saw away at the seat belt, but it’s hard when I can’t see through the murky water. The water is almost to my shoulders before I feel the belt release.

  “I’m out.” I breathe a sigh of relief and scramble out of the seat belt. I do my best to ignore the pain as I move in the water towards Bash.

  “I’m getting you out.” I tug on his seat belt, but it’s stuck as well. I waste no time grabbing his belt and moving the blade back and forth along it.

  “Just go, I can’t….” Bash is mumbling now. He’s lost to much blood. No I can’t lose him. I love him. He’s been by my side since we were fifteen.

  “I love you, Bash. Don’t leave me.” I put my head against his face as I continue to cut the seatbelt. With my last remaining strength, I try and pull him from the seat. It’s no use; he is twice my size and jammed pretty good in there. I stay by his side until the car is filled, but after a minute, my lungs are screaming for air.

  I won’t leave you

  I wake up in the same cold sweat, but this time I know it wasn’t just a dream. A piece of me died that night in the car with Bash, and now I had it back. The truth. No matter how horrible it was. I’d tried to save him, but Bash saved me. Like that, my guilt melted away.

  Chase

  “You gonna sit out here all day?” I turned around to see Ginger standing behind me with a coffee cup in her hands.

  “I messed up,” I confessed.

  “She hasn’t been here in for a while.”

  “What?” My head jerked up. “What do you mean? Where is she?”

  Ginger shrugged. “She needed time alone to figure some stuff out. She’s at your new house. That’s where you should be too.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because Quinn is happy with you. You screwed up, but you’re fighting for her. That should count for something. Every girl deserves a man who will fight for her.”

  “You’re a good friend, Ginger.”

  She nods as if she wished she could believe it.

  “Think she will forgive me?”

  “Of course, but do you remember when I told you I would cut your balls off if you hurt her…”

  Something about the way she said it, caused my balls to shrivel up inside my body in fright.

  “Yeah…”

  “One more chance, now go get her.”

  I stood up and gave Ginger a quick hug. Maybe she didn’t hate me as much as I thought.

  I jumped in my car and drove to our house. It was where I should have been all along.

  When I got there, I ran up the driveway to the front door. After unlocking it, I went inside half expecting to see her in the kitchen eating. The entire house was empty, and I panicked for a moment. Then I saw the stack of papers on the kitchen table. I walked closer to get a better look. She was sketching again. That was a good sign. Looking through the sketches, a smile lifted on my face.

  There were sketches of costumes, funny -looking creatures and one of a bridge. I ran my fingers along the edge of the bridge. Was this the place where it had all happened? It was an old cement bridge surrounded by a woody area. If she was drawing, maybe she was painting as well. I took the stairs two at a time to the baby’s room. The windows were open and the sunlight lit it up. Sure enough, covering the wall was a huge naked white tree with branches that expanded along the other walls. I put my hand out to the paint; the details in the bark made it look so lifelike. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something blue. I gasped as I took in the scene. I craned my neck back. She made a mural of clouds, stars, and a moon that swirled in different shades of blue, gray, and black across the ceiling. A feeling of pride engulfed me. She had found herself again.

  “Chase?” a soft voice said from behind me.

  Spinning around, Quinn stood there with her brown hair sticking up all along her head. She had on one of my old white shirts.

  “You did all this? This is beautiful, Quinn. I knew you could do it.”

  She fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt for a moment before looking up at me.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered. Her voice was hoarse as if she had been screaming.

  “Looking for you.” I reluctantly took a step closer but she put her hands out to stop me. Tears rimmed her eyes and she shook her head. I could feel everything spinning. She wasn’t going to forgive me for what I did. She wasn’t going to listen.

  “Why? You’ve been gone for days. I waited here for you, but you never came.”

  “I was confused. I was wrong. I should have trusted in us and put you before my career.” I searched her eyes for compassion, for something that told me she could forgive me.

  “Wait, Chase. I have to tell you something. I need to say it before I lose my nerve. I love you; I can handle whatever problems come our way. Whatever scandal Chloe tries to drum up, I can stand by your side. Just let me try. Please don’t push me away. I can handle this.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. My voice wavered with uncertainty. Was she saying what I thought she was saying?

  She nodded. “I was scared before, but now I’m certain I can handle anything. Just look around.” She held her hands out to the side and spun around a few times.

  “I have my inspiration back and it’s because of you. You’ve helped me learn to open up again. A piece of me died that night in the water, but you brought me back to life. I can let my emotions flow through my art again. All because of you…” She stepped closer and put a hand out to my heart. It pounded against her palm. I enclosed my own hands over hers and leaned forward so that our bodies were up against one another.

  “I’m sorry that I left you to handle this alone. I’m always making you cry, and it kills me. I was afraid of losing my career. A part of me pretended that this was all about protecting you, but deep inside, I was being selfish. I’m so sorry.”

  “Shh,” she said. She caught my eye and moved her hand up to my face. “People always left, but they never came back, not until you. Do you hear me?”

  “I love you, Quinn. I was scared, but that won’t happen again.”

  “I love you, too.”

  I pulled her to me, pressing my lips firmly against her mouth. She relaxed
against me; letting me plant kisses against her cheeks and face. A year ago, a relationship would have been unthinkable, but now I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

  “People are going to talk about us, but I don’t care what they think, as long as you’re by my side.”

  Epilogue

  People screamed Chase’s name and asked him to pose for photos, all while lights flashed in our eyes. Chase held his hands out to me, his brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

  He had to use two hands to pull me out of the limo since my stomach had grown to a tremendous size. As I stood up, I gasped at the size of the crowd. Hundreds of people had shown up for the premiere and they were all here to see my boyfriend, my wonderfully talented boyfriend. I could feel their eyes on my stomach. Chase’s mom got out behind me and squeezed my hand to comfort me.

  “You will be okay, hija.”

  She gave us both a kiss on the cheek.

  “Go with Randall, mami. He will make sure you get seated safely.”

  She patted Chase softly on the cheek before walking off with his bodyguard. Meeting her had been nerve-wracking, but I’d grown to love her motherly care. I understood why Chase was such a mama’s boy.

  This was the first time I’d appeared in public with Chase since the scandal. The same scandal that Chloe had begrudgingly retracted only days later. People hounded him for a few weeks, but eventually the stories died down and they found better things to do.

  Rhea hadn’t been too happy about Chase’s decision to stay with me, but when Chase threatened to fire her, she quickly got her act together and helped him clean up the mess. A few stories ran about my screwed up past, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. This time I wasn’t alone. I had Ginger and Chase by my side the entire time.