Chapter 16
In the morning, after Edison left, I decided to make use of the newly connected Wi-Fi. I contacted my agent, and she helped me craft a message to be shared with the label and included an offer to be available for a virtual meeting at any time. It was important that Chap wasn’t the only voice they were hearing from. If he and Darla were attempting to cover me in dirt so the label and fans turned on me, I wasn’t going to make it easier for them.
Edison’s bedroom was large while being cozy at the same time. The bed was positioned so it overlooked his beautifully landscaped property. The house and surrounding land were like night and day. Outside was a sanctuary and the interior, aside from the primary bedroom, was very much a work in progress. I cataloged all the little finishes that would make Edison’s place feel more like home.
Because that’s what he was to me, home. It had been years and without missing a beat, he and I fell into our familiar cadence with sex as a bonus feature. Last night I let him know he was mine. Something in me was itching to make things official. And before you start, this doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that my life was a dumpster fire. I didn’t have shit figured out, but I knew who my heart belonged to.
Releasing a big yawn, I plotted out the rest of my day. I could help Edison by taking pictures of some of the items that needed to be posted online for sale. I’d also spied a guitar in one of the rooms, maybe I could work on tuning it. And then I had to get dinner sorted. A text message popped up, interrupting my restless scrolling.
Darla: When can we expect you back in LA?
I was taken aback by the intrusion. One minute you’re looking at pesto chicken recipes and the next your conniving best friend is texting you like she didn’t have a care in the world. And did you catch the WE? Who the fuck was we? Her and Chap? They were a collective now. Not Darla and Chap but WE. I was going to kick their asses, individually and as a fucking group. Everyone could get these hands.
Fancy: Did you sleep with Chap?
Darla: …
I secretly hoped she would type back “Eww, I could never.” Or better yet she’d get mad at me and cuss me out for ever entertaining the thought she would betray our friendship. Edison asked if she and I would be friends if it weren’t for Whiskey Wild. Darla had been in my life forever, not being friends never really felt like an option. I stared at my phone, watching those three little dots appear and disappear. She was a coward, and her lack of a response was all the confirmation I needed.
Fancy: Just so you know. It’s on sight when I see you.
Darla: Fancy please.
Fancy: ON FUCKING SIGHT.
I probably wasn’t going to do shit, but I wanted her to think I was locked and loaded so she stayed far away from me. The most I’d do was probably unfollow her on social media and let the fans speculate over the reason why. Shit, Chap was claiming I was an addict, maybe I should show them bad press works both ways. Okay, who was I kidding. I wasn’t going to do that either but imagining all the ways I could burn the happy couple was filling a void.
Downstairs I poured a cup of coffee and noticed the brown paper bag on the kitchen counter. Edison had forgotten his lunch. It was a little past nine, so I hopped in the shower, dressed, and then set off to make a special delivery.
When Cotton Candy and I pulled up to Figs and Twine, I secured her to a nearby pole. The parking lot was already littered with cars. Figs and Twine wasn’t the only place in town that sold plants, but it was the biggest. It was situated on a huge plot of land with room to grow. It would be interesting to see what Edison and Dial would make of the place once their parents moved away.
Hume residents stopped me looking to say hello, most of whom had known me before I was even born. Ms. Upton gave me updates on her grandkids accompanied by a slideshow on her phone. Nathan, who was once the star football player informed me he now worked at the hardware store. I waved to a couple I’d never met but who seemed to know me, they must have moved to town after my departure.
At the front entrance, I found Dial outside watering some large potted plants. Dial was always no nonsense; she was a bit of a bookworm, and she’d only let her hair down if she felt comfortable with you. Because our families were close, I was fortunate enough to get a glimpse at the real Dial Birch. Growing up I remember admiring her independent spirit. Even though she was only a year older than me, I thought there’s a woman who knows what she wants and she isn’t going to let anyone stop her.
“Hey Dial, is Edison here?”
Dial turned to face me, almost spraying me with water from the hose. “No, he went to town.”
I shook the bag in my hand. “He forgot his lunch, so I thought I’d run it to him.”
Dial’s forehead wrinkled. “His lunch?”
“Yeah, he forgot it on the kitchen counter when he left this morning.”
Her eyes narrowed like she was processing new information. I guess Edison hadn’t told her about us. “I’ll make sure he gets it.” She practically snatched the bag from my hand.
I wasn’t sure what I’d done to warrant the attitude and frankly I was two seconds away from losing my shit. It was probably best I make a quick exit.
“Thanks, that would be great.” The thing about me is I didn’t like it when people played in my face. First Chap, then Darla, and now Dial. Was it so damn hard to be cordial? Not fake, not phony, just cordial. Was that too much to ask? I turned to leave, but the chilly reception was nagging at me, so I spun on my heels. “Did I do something to offend you?”
“What makes you think that?”
“You just seem … cold. I didn’t expect you to roll out the red carpet upon my return, but I didn’t anticipate this.”
“Have you returned to Hume?”
I hopped a shoulder. “I’m back for a bit.”
“Sure until Los Angeles starts calling.” She turned her attention back to the plants. The spray from the hose made carrying on a conversation difficult. But I didn’t back down.
“If you have something to say, stop gnawing on it and spit that shit out.”
Dial released the handle, and the hum of the water ceased. Setting the hose at her feet, she wiped her hands on the legs of her overalls. “I’ve never had a problem saying what I mean.”
“Well then shoot, because this passive aggressive stunt isn’t working for me.”
“The last time you left Hume, it took months for Edison to recover. I know you’ve been back since and I appreciate you keeping your distance. But I need you to remember you agreed to leave him alone.”
“Yeah, because you bullied me into submission. And now I’m realizing that wasn’t what Edison wanted, it’s what you wanted.” About a year or so after leaving Hume, I returned home with Darla. We were in town for a few days, and I had every intention of connecting with Edison, but I ran into Dial first. She informed me Edison was away at college. Then she asked me to keep my distance from him and claimed he went into a depressive state when I left. Dial made me believe I was bad for him.
“Because you’re a taker Fancy. You just take and take until there’s nothing left.”
“That isn’t true.” Hearing Edison’s words from a few nights ago regurgitated out of Dial’s mouth caused me pause. Shit, maybe she’d gotten into his head too.
“You came back to town and needed an ego boost, and you knew just where to look.”
“I didn’t come back for Edison.” I shrugged off her words.
“Do you think that makes it better or worse? Edison’s feelings were never a consideration for you. You had one foot out of this town for years but still strung him along.”
“He was my best friend.”
“He was your lap dog,” Dial spit out.
It was no secret there was no love lost between Dial and us Palmer siblings. She’d dated Oz and he broke her heart, or she broke his. I wasn’t privy to the details, but ever since she’d had a hard on for me and him. She didn’t have to like me, but she was trying to control my relationship with her brother and I was sick of it.
“I don’t know what I did to make you so angry with me.”
“You hurt my brother. That’s all the cause I need.”
“Edison and I are in a good place, a really good place. So you can pack up your cape.”
“He’s soft on you and willing to look past shit easier than me.”
“And isn’t that his right? Seeing how my relationship with Edison is between me and Edison.”
Dial stood rod straight. Even though she was a few inches shorter than me, she had the power of intimidation on her side. I don’t know if it was the slant of her mouth or the balled-up fist, but it was clear she wasn’t looking to play games. “If you hurt him again, I will fly to LA and whoop your ass all across the golden state.”
“I’d like to see you try.” I squared my shoulders, never one to back down from a fight. Truthfully, Dial was stronger than me and could easily best me in a fight, but I was scrappy and wouldn’t go down without connecting a few blows to her face and ribs. We stared at one another for a bit like those boxers do at weigh in before I walked away in a huff. Getting into a fistfight with his sister would probably do me no favors with Edison.
“Go back to LA,” Dial shouted, not caring who heard her. “No one wants you here.”
“You better get used to this face Dial.” I pointed right at my mug. “Because when you see Edison, you’re going to see me standing right next to him holding his hand. Cry about it.” I unhitched and mounted Candy before trotting away.
Back at Edison’s spot, I obsessed over everything. The situation with Darla, my fight with Dial. Darla was a two-faced liar and she and I would cross paths soon enough and when we did, I don’t know if I was interested in talking so much as whooping her ass. Chap cheating, I could get over. Fuck him, he was a dumb guy who took me for granted. A mistake he would regret for the remainder of his days. But Darla was my best friend. She knew everything about me, even the things I normally kept to myself. That kind of betrayal cuts deep. And it wasn’t something I could easily move past. What that meant for the group I wasn’t ready to think about.
Then there was Dial. It’s funny how I came to Hume to escape my problems and just ended up picking up new ones. I didn’t need us to be besties, but we had to find a common ground. One thing about Edison, he didn’t play about his family; he loved his parents, and his siblings fiercely, so disliking Dial wasn’t a route I was willing to take. If Edison and I were going to work, I needed to fix things as best as I could with her. Because if he was forced to choose, he wouldn’t pick me.
Speaking of, where did all this protective, “Hurt my brother and I’ll kill you” attitude come from? What exactly had Edison said about me to his sister because whatever it was appeared to make me out to be the bad guy. Which was absurd. But Edison didn’t believe in shades of gray. There was only black and white. So, if he was the victim, that had to make me the villain.
I tried to keep busy, but I found myself stewing for the rest of the day. I checked on the animals, swept the porch, and cooked dinner, but all I could think about was Edison’s perception of my leaving Hume all those years ago. It was never about him. I was doing what was best for me. When Edison entered the house, I met him at the door, my feelings turned up to ten.
“What did you tell your sister about me?”
“What do you mean?” He placed a shopping bag on the floor and removed his ball cap.
“Exactly that. What did you say to her because she has a real bad taste in her mouth whenever she says my name.”
“Hello, my day was good. Thank you for asking.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” I tapped my foot, still waiting for an answer.
“It smells great in here.” Edison approached me, looking for a welcome home kiss.
“Answer my question.”
“I don’t understand the question. What are you talking about? Our relationship?”
“No, I’m talking about when I initially left Hume for LA. What did you tell her about that? About us.”
Edison shrugged. “You expect me to remember shit from ages ago?”
“Whatever you said stuck with your sister like a piece of popcorn caught in her molars.”
“When you left, I was hurt, and she consoled me.”
“She said you were depressed.”
“Dial exaggerates. I was upset and I was a bit of a downer to be around for a few months.”
“Does she know I asked you to come to LA before I left and after?”
“Yes, and to be fair that’s probably one of the reasons she dislikes you. You were trying to steal away her little brother.”
“She doesn’t dislike me. People dislike pop music, the beach, black and white westerns. Your sister hates me.”
“I disagree.”
“She threatened to kick my ass.”
“And I will talk to her about that.” Edison’s hand found my waist. “You know Dial, she’s always putting twenty on ten.”
I shook my head. “So, I tell you your sister threatened to beat me up and your response is cool story bro?”
“My response is it’s Dial. And one thing she’s going to do is hold a grudge.”
“I should have never listened to her when she told me to stay away from you. I thought she was speaking on your behalf but?—”
“What are you talking about?”
I was worked up and the words had just tumbled out. I fidgeted with my fingernails, hoping the sentiment flew over his head. “Nothing, never mind.”
“When did we start lying to one another?”
I swallowed hard. I’d already said too much. The last thing I was looking to do was drive a wedge between Edison and his sister. “I don’t feel comfortable talking about this. I think you should take it up with your sister.”
Edison moved in close. “Did she say something to encourage you to stay away?”
My eyes pleaded for him to drop the subject. “Please don’t …”
I’ve probably seen Edison truly pissed a handful of times. And the glint in his eyes hinted he was ready to go to war. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Will you be good alone for about an hour or so? I need to talk to my sister.”
Wrapping my arms around him I said, “Stay with me. Your conversation with Dial can wait a day.”
“It really can’t.”
I’d made the mistake before of coming into a conversation hot. And when I did, I said shit I didn’t necessarily mean because emotionally I was fired up and ready to inflict damage. I needed Edison to take a beat. Him getting into a screaming match with Dial over me wouldn’t do any of us any favors.
“It can and it will. Gives you a chance to choose your words. Plus, I already cooked dinner. Stay awhile, kick off your shoes, eat, and fuck me on the staircase.”
His shoulders retreated from his ears. “You could have just led with fuck me on the staircase,” he teased. And after eating my expertly prepared chicken, he did just that. Fucking me on the entryway stairs until every single thought that didn’t involve me and him vacated our heads.