Chapter 35
Andi
My eyes are a little strained from how long I’ve been squinting at the small text on my screen. Reading divorce proceedings on my phone wasn’t the best idea I’ve had. Especially because they’re the divorce proceedings of my parents.
Turns out, you can pay a dollar fifty to the county and get all the paperwork for this sort of thing.
“What’re you looking at?” Leo asks, sliding into the seat next to mine.
I hesitate for a split second, freezing like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar.
It takes a conscious effort, but after a couple of deep breaths, my heart rate and bitter perfume are finally under control.
This is Leo. Not my mom. I’m not going to get yelled at.
I tilt my phone screen toward him so he can see.
He leans forward, squinting a bit so he can read what’s on it.
It makes me feel a little better about my current eye strain.
This document is one of the property division documents.
Apparently, my mom wanted half of everything, including assets he’d acquired before the marriage and bonding.
Considering he’s a bit older than her, she wanted a lot.
Including stuff to do with his production company and films.
I was always told that he left us destitute, and if it weren’t for the show, we’d be metaphorically and financially fucked. But apparently, the guy paid child support for me. Lots of it, too. We’re talking over fifteen thousand a month until I turned eighteen.
I wonder where the hell that money went?
With the way my mom talked about money, we were one bad season away from homelessness. It’s why I rarely spend money on myself. Most of the things I have are from brand deals or gifts from companies.
“Edison Wade,” Leo says quietly.
“Yeah.”
He pauses, glancing up at me. He doesn’t say it’s a bad idea. He also doesn’t say it’s a good one, either.
“What are you thinking?” he asks.
My gaze drops back down to my phone, onto the screensaver of the Milky Way from the night before, in the field the guys brought me to. Something settles in my chest at the memory of lying on the picnic blankets surrounded by people I didn’t have four months ago.
“I want to take a detour,” I say, quietly. “Before I lose my guts.”
“To your Dad’s?”
“Yeah.” I swallow past the lump in my throat and open up the document on my phone again. “I have his address. I don’t think he’s moved; the address has stayed the same for the past twenty years.”
Leo nods slowly.
“You’re not going to say no?”
“Why would I? You’ve been giving this a lot of thought recently, haven’t you?”
“Y—yeah.”
“Well, I trust you, Lucky Duck. You can count on me. Doesn’t matter what’s up your sleeve.”
“You mean that?”
“Of course I do,” he says, lacing our hands together, his lips quirking into a small smile. “Was it meeting Eli’s dad that... you know...”
“Sort of, yeah.” I glance past Leo to the row across from us to see Beck passed out, his head drooping onto Eli’s shoulder.
“I think it made me curious about what my dad was like. I mean, maybe he’s an asshole, like my mom has been telling me all my life.
Then I can handle that bridge when I come to it... but… what if he’s not?”
My chest squeezes as I stare down at the paperwork.
“My mom... she says all this stuff about me that isn’t true. No matter how much I try to convince her. What if it’s the same thing with my dad?”
“You won’t know until you meet the guy. Until you can form your own opinions.”
“Exactly. Beck’s dad seemed like a sweetheart. It’d be—it’d be nice if my dad was like that, wouldn’t it?”
“It would,” Leo murmurs softly, leaning forward and brushing a soft kiss against my forehead. “For your sake, I hope he is. You deserve a parent who loves you.”
“My mom loves me,” I say, the words leaving my lips automatically. They’re like a reflex.
“Loves you in a way you receive,” Leo corrects. “Your mom may love you, but from the way you’ve described it to me before, it definitely doesn’t feel like love, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t. You’re right,” I sigh. “You’re honestly always right.”
“Not always.” He grins. “Do you want help asking the guys for the detour?”
“Nah, I got it,” I say, standing from my seat.
It’s a tight squeeze to slip past Leo, but I don’t think he complains about me pressing up against him.
“Where are you headed?” Everett asks, glancing up from his phone as I near the front of the van.
“Asking for a detour,” I say, determined.
“Where?”
“My dad’s.”
He raises a single brow in surprise, but doesn’t protest.
“Are we invited?” It’s the only thing he asks.
“Do you... want to be?”
“I’m sure we all do.” He nods. My own determination seems to be mirrored in his expression, which confuses me. I think I’m still getting used to the idea of these guys caring for me.
Two for two when it comes to support.
I slip into the seat next to Cameron, who’s typing away on his laptop. Probably working on the article after the interview from yesterday.
“Hmm?” he asks, tugging his wired headphones out of his ears.
“Who uses wired headphones anymore?” The snarky comment leaves my lips before I can stop myself.
“They’re functional,” he huffs. “I have more important things to get myself than Bluetooth headphones with worse quality.”
“I’ll have to give you some of the ones I have lying around. I’ve gotten sponsorships from a couple of brands before. I don’t use them all.”
He blinks at me, his expression shifting into an equal mix of confusion and amusement.
“Did you really come here to insult my choice of headphones?”
“No,” I say, with a shake of my head. “I was actually wondering if... would it be possible to take a detour?”
“Where? Are you hungry? We can—”
“No, I’m not hungry. I uh... was wondering whether we could stop by my dad’s.”
“Your... father? Edison Wade?”
“Yeah.”
“The one you haven’t seen in, like, forever?”
“Yeah,” I repeat, my jaw working. “I’ve recently been... overcome with an urge to meet the guy.”
I’m expecting Cameron to say no, considering how long he seems to take to think it over. But his next question surprises me.
“Can I come?”
“You want to come?”
“I mean, he’s kind of my idol,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “At least, as an artist and videographer, you know?”
“Is that why you were a dick to me when we first met?” I ask, letting out a soft huff and crossing my arms over my chest. “Because of how nasty that divorce and unbonding was between them?”
“I mean, I guess that might have played a part. The media’s done a good job painting you and your mom to be... well, you know.”
“Yeah, I know…”
“You’re not like that,” Cameron says, jerking his gaze back to mine. “I know that now.”
It’s my turn to fall silent for a while. I can practically feel him buzzing next to me. I think I get what the other guys mean when they say I have a sparkle in my eye when I talk about the stuff I love, because Cameron has that same look.
“Who am I to stop a guy from meeting his idol? Only condition is if he’s a dick, we’re leaving. And if you’re not coming with us, you’re finding your own ride back.”
“If he’s an asshole, I’m obviously going to leave. I wouldn’t... I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Okay, then we have a deal,” I nod. “How’s this going to work?”
“Let me talk to Aspen. They’re going to want to be dropped off first so they can get back home to their family. I can also drive us, since our driver’s going to want to head home too. That okay?”
“Of course,” I nod, standing so he can get past me.
“Thank you,” he breathes out, looking down at me, his expression lighting up with a smile that completely transforms his face.
The van sways as we make a turn, and I sway right along with it. Cameron’s hand gently grips my waist to keep me from toppling over.
“What?” I say, blinking up at him, my heart hammering away in my chest at the sight of his expression.
“Thank you,” he repeats. “For including me.”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” I say awkwardly, when he releases his hold on my waist.
He ambles up to the front of the van to talk to Aspen and the driver.
“What’s going on?” Beck yawns, stretching his arms over his head.
I sink down into the seat in the row across from Beck and Eli, right next to Leo.
“You guys down for a detour?”
“Where?” Beck asks, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes.
“My dad’s.”
“Oh my God, Starlight, that’s—” Beck pauses, letting out a soft cough before toning down his enthusiasm. “Sure, if that’s what you want.”
“It is what I want,” I say, offering him a small smile of reassurance.
“Count me in, I owe you anyway,” Eli grunts, his gaze intense over Beck’s head.
“You don’t owe me for that—”
“I do.”
“Well, then I guess it’s your turn to play guard dog then.”
“We’ll all play guard dog,” Beck says, playfully baring his teeth.
“Ideally, none of us have to be guard dogs,” Leo chimes in from behind me.
“Yeah, what Leo said,” I say, flashing Leo a grin.
After we drop off Aspen and the driver, Cameron stands at the front of the van, calling our attention.
“Everyone here headed to the detour, Andi?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I nod. “Unless anyone has any objection?”
At the silence from the rest of the van, Cameron nods. “Could you send over that address?”
I text it into the group chat, drumming my fingers nervously against my lap as we start driving.
Something strange happens when we hit the roads of Beverly Hills.
I lean past Leo, my eyes glued to the window outside.
Do these roads seem... familiar?
That nagging feeling gnaws at me the entire drive up. We pull up outside the address on the paperwork, and my pulse starts to pick up.
I remember this place.
There are rose bushes. And a purple maple tree that’s significantly larger than what I remember.
“You alright, Andi?” Everett asks softly.
I jolt, my gaze jerking towards his.
Everyone is staring at me.
“Sorry, yeah, I’m fine,” I say, hefting myself up to my feet. “Let’s do this.”
Another wave of déjà vu washes over me the moment I step out of the van and take a deep breath.
The smell of the street is strangely familiar to me.
I’ve never had that reaction to a smell before.