More to This

by Tess Keeler

  “Shhh,” Mason whispered, his hand resting on the back of Henley’s head. “I can’t imagine how bloody hard this is.”

  Once he had cried everything he could out, he awkwardly peeled himself from Mason’s drenched t-shirt, once baggy and now forming to the chest. He was afraid to look him in the eyes. He wasn’t often pathetic, but Mason had seen those occasions more than he would have liked.

  “Why aren’t you with Everly?” Henley croaked, his throat as sore as his eyes.

  “Pierson told me you didn’t seem right, so here I am.”

  Mason was grinning, a little less mischievously than normal. The hollowness hadn’t disappeared or lessened; it was now accompanied by a raging headache.

  He lifted his light eyes to Mason’s dark ones. He and Everly both had brown eyes, but his were a deep chocolate with no other colors swirling around. He admired them both for different reasons.

  “Thanks, Mace,” he finally said.

  A few minutes passed as Mason checked a text on his phone, replying wearing the same smile. Henley could hear the ticking of the clock behind him and the shuffle of the personnel all throughout the floor. Why didn’t anyone else try to help him, or did Mason beat them to it?

  “Do you want to say goodbye before River and Aiden take off to the hotel? Elijah’s good to go.” Mason flashed him the blue and grey bubbles on his screen, showing the texts from his boyfriend.

  “I should probably be there with Everly,” he replied, not wanting to think of saying goodbye to his first born child. Did he get any pictures? Did he want any?

  With a nod, Mason lead him away from the too-white walls to his waiting girlfriend. She had been incredible during the delivery and recovering from it. She was the strongest woman he knew, and she continued to impress him every day. Their life had only proven that they were made for each other. The experiences they created together only molded them into better people and companions. Life before her didn’t feel real anymore.

  They entered the room, everyone’s attention falling on them. His eyes felt swollen and too big for their space on his face. Everly frowned, concern shaping her eyebrows as he walked toward her bed.

  “We were about to leave,” Aiden said, his voice less laid back than the last time he had seen them.

  Henley’s head bounced a little, resembling a nod. There were no tears as his chest shook and his head throbbed again. Sleep was what he needed. “Make him happy,” Henley said, his lip quivering. “I know he’s in safe hands.”

  Joining hands with Everly as she laid on the bed, he continued, “We both do.” Everly was following his every move with her gaze.

  “Thank you for giving us a beautiful and healthy baby boy,” Aiden said, a small smile pulling at the corners of his full lips.

  River had tears running down his face, his arms cradling the peacefully sleeping baby. “You both have made us so happy.” The deep tone of River’s voice still surprised Henley as he spoke.

  Everly cleared her throat, “I know you won’t be leaving town right away, so if you have any questions or need anything before you leave, you can give either of us a call.”

  The nurse walked in, interrupting their moment. Mason and Pierson were cuddled together on Henley’s chosen chair, while the four of them had formed a circle with Everly’s hospital bed.

  “Is Elijah ready to go home?” The nurse wore a genuine smile, causing Henley’s heart to skip around in his chest.

  Goodbyes and see you laters were moving around the room before silence was sealed with the closing door. Everly moved to the side of her bed and patted the empty space next to her. Henley climbed in, careful not to hurt her as wrapped his arm around her shoulders and welcomed her head on his chest.

  “Hi,” he whispered into her hair, at the very top of her head.

  “Hi,” she whispered back, more quietly than he did.

  Rustling from the other side of the room grabbed his attention, and he saw the other couple standing to leave. “We’ll see you at home,” Mason said, his hand leading Pierson out the door.

  When the door closed, the room all to theirselves, he rubbed his thumb over the bicep stretched across him. “Are you okay?” he asked her, his eyes closed as he inhaled what remained of her lavender scent.

  He could feel her leaning her head back, presumably to look at him. Blinking slowly, he beautiful face came into focus. Her fingertips stretching to cover his cheek.

  “I’ve been better,” she said, reassuring him that he wasn’t alone in his feelings. “How are you?”

  Henley pursed his lips as he gazed down at her, the hand behind her lifting to brush down her long hair. It was currently untamed, much like his own. At least she had an excuse.

  “I’ve been better,” he repeated, mirroring her tone.

  He thought about how close the baby still was to them, and that they wouldn’t be leaving for at least a couple of days. Maybe they should have arranged to have the child in Seattle, not that it would have helped them. The baby had came way earlier than expected.

  The gentle nod of her head felt like a nuzzle as they cuddled closer together. The silence was comforting now that they were alone. The hardest part was over. Henley wondered if they’d be able to bounce back from giving away their first baby.

  It was still the best decision.

  Wasn’t it?

  1

  More to This

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Everly

  It had been a week since Elijah left with his wonderful, adoptive parents, but more often than not, Everly found herself wondering about him. How he was doing. Was he maintaining a healthy weight for his age? Especially once they ran through what she had pumped for them while they were still in Colorado. Henley, on the other hand, didn’t say Eli’s name once since he had left. As a matter of fact, Everly couldn’t recall if he called him Elijah at all.

  When Henley was not at home, Everly would have crying fits if she thought too hard about the baby. It got her thinking deeper into her future than she ever had before. Maybe that was the one good thing that came out of giving Elijah up. It made her know what her real dreams are.

  And they had shifted. She had her plans written out when Henley wasn’t even close to being in her life. When she fell in love with Henley, she realized so much more about life and what was truly important. She wanted to start a family with him. They could do that and still be successful, as long as they were willing to work hard for a few years.

  She needed to talk to Henley, and tell him how she really feels.

  Maybe he would talk to her if she brought it up.

  What if it hurt him too much to talk about it?

  Sighing, she decided she had to. They needed to talk about it if they wanted to remove the possibility of resenting the other. Relationships need communication. It was the right thing to do.

  It was a Sunday evening when she finally got up the nerve to bring it up. She had made beef stew in their slow cooker, since it was a cooler day. The temperature wasn’t supposed to get warmer than 66 degrees, so it’d be a perfect, comforting meal to cushion their impending conversation topic.

  Or so she hoped.

  They were on the couch, full from the stew and cuddled up together. She had put on Henley’s favorite movie, Insidious, and she relished how their relationship didn’t seem to skip a beat when they were together. She had to make sure everything emotionally was good, too.

  “H, you’re still happy with me, right?”

  Henley looked to her, searching her expression before he answered, “Of course I am, Ev. Why do you ask?”

  “If I’m being honest, I’ve been worried. Because, of Eli...”

  He lowered his eyebrows, his eyes moving between hers. “I thought this is what you wanted.”

  “And I thought it was what we wanted.” She countered, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

  Shaking his head, he lowered his voice to a whisper, “It was supposed to be best for us, but god.. it hurt so
bad, Everly.” He took in a deep breath, blowing it out slowly before continuing. “Maybe I didn’t know what I wanted.”

  Her eyebrows lifted in curiosity, her heart slamming in her chest. It did fucking hurt. “What do you want?” Her voice was quiet, and gentle.

  Maybe this conversation would come easier than she thought.

  “I want to be with you.” Like word vomit. All coming out at once. “I want nature to take its course. And if that means we have a baby in college, then we have a baby.” He stopped, clearly trying to keep his emotions under control. “What do you want?”

  Everly blinked at him a few times, processing his words. His hair was falling into his eyes as he looked down at her, curled against his body. “For so long, I’ve had this idea of what I thought was the best for my future. But all of that pre-dates you, and falling in love with you made everything different for me.” Even though she was getting through her response, she still spoke carefully. “I want to start a family with you, Henley. And if that means we need to arrange some things for us to achieve our degrees and be parents, then so be it.”

  “Really?” He asked, his eyes softening as her words soaked in.

  “Really.” She smiled, sweetly, flashing her teeth at him. “Making the decision we made was a hard one to make so early in our relationship. While I wish we would’ve realized what we wanted earlier, I’m glad we’re here now. Because I’m so in love with you. And I have no doubt in my mind what decision I would make now.”

  His eyes were wide and filled with emotions. His lips parted only a few seconds before he decided to just kiss her. It was what he always did when they had an especially intense moment, and he didn’t know how to put what he was feeling into words. She smiled at the passion behind it, knowing her words had obviously made him so very happy.

  ————

  Mason’s foot was tapping the hard concrete beneath him as Everly sat across from him.

  He had texted her to meet him for lunch randomly, and while that wasn’t completely out of character, his escalating chain smoking and anxious behavior had her concerned. She hadn’t seen him like this in so very long.

  “Mace, what is going on?” She asked, folding her arms on the table in front of her.

  He pulled out another cigarette, and she sighed, grateful to not still be pregnant with how much he was lighting up. She could tell by the way he fought himself to avoid her eyes that he was freaking out internally.

  “I know you too well, bestie.” That got his attention, and his lips tried to smile at her.

  “Your dad got me a really great job opportunity.” He blurted out, slowing himself down with another drag before finishing. “The Nixon Brooks tour as his personal photographer.”

  Everly’s jaw dropped, and she felt the excitement boil for a moment. “Mace! That’s….” She stopped, closing her parted lips into a pout. “How long would you be gone? How does Pierce feel?”

  “You’re the first person I’ve told.” He admitted quietly, his puppy dog eyes focused on the small bit of the cigarette he was putting out. “And it’s an fourteen month tour. I wouldn’t even be back until Thanksgiving, and it’s only a few days. Then I’d be back for Christmas, only two weeks.”

  Everly did the math in her head. It was April. She wouldn’t see him for seven months. Pierson wouldn’t get to see him for seven months.

  “It’s an incredible opportunity. Nixon is also super cool.” Everly shrugged, pulling her lips together. She felt useless in helping her best friend. “What are you leaning towards?”

  Mason’s shoulders lifted and fell just as quickly. “I dunno, Eve. I’m crazy about Pierson. Totally, deeply in love with him. He’s, hands down, the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  She smiled at him, her heart full as he spoke about his boyfriend. “Perhaps talking it over with Pierson will provide some clarity?”

  “What would you do?” he asked Everly, almost pleading for her to give him answers.

  Everly shook her head, releasing a big sigh. “If Henley couldn’t go, I wouldn’t go.” She pulled her lips together, shaking her head. “I’ve turned into that girl that doesn’t want to be away from her boy.” Laughing softly, she tucked hair behind her ear. “And I’m okay with it.”

  Mason let out a small chuckle, brushing his own mess of curls back with his fingers. “You and Henley are good for one another, though. And if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

  1

  More to This

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Henley

  After a long day of classes, the last thing Henley expected to walk in on was Mason hunched over on the couch, sniffling into his hands. He looked around for Everly, who was nowhere to be found. He could have sworn she was done with classes a long time ago, but that didn’t always mean that she would be coming home right away. Setting his bag down, he walked the short distance to the dark cushions supporting his friend’s crumbling frame. It was role reversal—a chance to repay his debt. Henley sat down next to him, close enough to rub his back with his palm. What did he say?

  “Pierson broke up with me,” Mason mumbled through the cracks between his fingers, finally looking up to acknowledge him. But only for a second.

  The swollen part of his eyes showed how long he had been crying. It looked like the worst of it had passed. His voice was gravely, but there was no evidence of tears on his cheeks. At least in the glimpse he got.

  “Why?” Henley asked, sure his expression shared how confused he was by the sudden break up. “I thought you guys were doing well.”

  “Great,” he corrected, beginning to rub his eyes. Like that would help ease the puffiness.

  “Then what happened?” Henley continued, his hand dropping to his side. Waiting for the bomb to drop. Did Mason do what Henley had done? Was he caught with another person?

  Mason straightened up and stared into Henley’s eyes. Did he know Henley’s assumption? “I refused to leave him for an opportunity to tour with a really popular musician.”

  “Oh,” Henley managed, his head cocking slightly to the side. “So, he broke up with you?”

  “Aye,” Mason snapped too quickly. “He didn’t want me to miss out on the opportunity, so he’s giving me no reason to stay.”

  Pursing his lips, he thought about the amount of selflessness Pierson had to break things off with his first successful relationship in a while. He wished he was less selfish—a little more like his brother.

  “He’ll wait for you,” Henley said, his voice softer. Mason’s eyes danced around as a small smile played on Henley’s lips.

  “What if he finds someone better?” Mason asked, his lip quivering ever so slightly.

  “He could do that with you around,” Henley countered, one side of his lips lifting higher. Everly always said it emphasized his dimples when he smirked, but he knew she said that because she liked to see them.

  “”S true.”

  “Who would you be shooting for?” Henley asked.

  “Nixon Brooks.”

  Henley had always been more into alternative rock music, but everyone knew who Nixon was. He was discovered when he was young (seventeen maybe), and he had continued to take the world by storm ever since. Ironically, Pierson had listened to him since the beginning.

  “Wow. That’s great for you.” Henley wet his lips, trying to help them with a solution—for Mason to do both. “Can Pierce go with you?”

  Mason shook his head, “I leave next week.”

  He went on to explain that the photographer before him, the one who usually toured with Nixon, had bowed out unexpectedly. Noah had gotten him the gig by chance. Henley took a break and grabbed them a few beers, to ease the pain Mason was feeling. It was obvious that this was something Mason didn’t handle well. The brown liquid was being chugged back in an instant.

  Interrupting his self-destruction, Henley asked, “Are you going to get a better opportunity?”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

 
He couldn’t wrap his head around them just giving up what they had worked for. Henley lowered his eyebrows as he spoke, “Can’t Pierson agree to a long distance thing? It can’t be that bad.”

  “He didn’t budge when I suggested it…” Mason’s words were more of a sigh. Henley could tell he was giving up. Another few large swallows and his beer was gone.

  Maybe his brother understood what kind of man Mason was. Much like Henley, it would be difficult not being physical with another person for a length of time. Besides all of that, every person suffered from insecurities, and maybe he didn’t want them to worry about the constant “What if”s in their minds.

  Everly came home during their discussion, and Mason had to retell the story to his best friend. While they had their moment on the couch, Henley ordered them pizza followed by emptying the fridge of the remaining beer and loading a bowl of his favorite strain.

  When everything was said and done, Mason picked a movie to rent, and they formed a huge pile on the ground. Henley and Everly were next to each other, and Mason had his head on Everly’s thighs, all watching the screen.

  The night consisted of drinking and laughing, and Henley felt a little pang of sadness for the months to come. It would be weird not having Mason around, and he was sure to feel it in Pierson’s company. How was Pierson handling it? He pulled his phone out of his pocket to ask before laying it beside them. He was probably pretty gone himself, dealing with his own version of the pain.

  There was excitement seeping through his empathy, for Everly and Henley to know what it was like to live completely alone. With the exception of her independent cat, of course.

  “No more babies,” Mason threatened. “Not while I’m gone.”