I'm sitting in the backyard of the house smoking a much-needed joint, I only have them when I was stressed out. Meeko is at my feet because he knows I'm sad and stays by my side the entire time. We both turn our heads when we hear steps behind us. I see my grandmother walking toward me with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"I didn't mean to scare you, sweetheart. I was hoping you'd share your smoky treat with me." She smiles, and I hand the joint to her.
"Smoking's not good for you, grandma." I tease with a half-smile.
"Neither is driving a car, talking on a cellphone, or flying, but I do all those too. I thought you could use a glass of wine." You have three boys pacing the window to check on you, but none of them brave enough to come out here."
I look behind me and see Nate looking out the window, I give him a little wave.
"I just needed a break. How are you holding up?"
She didn't say another word until she took a long drag. When my grandma turns to me, she looks refreshed and calm. I take the joint back from her. "He's no longer hurting or confused, that makes it a little better." She nods.
"Grandma, I'm so sorry. I should have come over and visited more the last couple of years." I tell her with tears.
"Sweetheart, you're a very busy girl these days. We both understand your life. Your grandfather and I had a wonderful life together and that's what I choose to remember. He was my world and I'll miss him deeply."
She holds up the wine bottle and I nod. I grab the glass she offers me and sit back in my chair. The two of us just enjoying the view in front of us and the silence. The sun is starting to set when she speaks again.
"What happened between you and Jackson? I always saw you with that boy. I would have bet everything on the two of you."
My bottom lip starts to tremble, and my nostrils flare out with the threat of a total breakdown. Quickly, I try to figure out how much I want to tell my grandmother.
"I did too. He's become this huge movie star and I'm just this nobody he knows." I say trying to make a joke to hide the pain.
It doesn't work.
"You love him?"
"I do." I nod with tears. "Grandma, can I ask you something?"
"Avery Grace, you can always ask me anything." She says reaching over to grab my hand.
Turning to look at her, I let everything spill out. I start with Jackson and me in Greece, how it felt so right when he kissed me. I describe in detail how he makes my body turn to fire and how I crave just the feel of his skin when he's close, she blushes and tells me that's a good problem to have.
I move on to everything my mom told me in New York about how my grandma cut my mom off when she married my dad. I tell her about Brad proposing to me, but I was too chicken to wear the ring in front of Jackson. I confess that I'm not sure about the whole thing and if it would be Jackson asking, I wouldn't have any doubts.
"But the one thing that's really bothering me is that mom said she slept with Jackson's dad and I'm the product of that affair. Jackson could be my half-brother and that's why I can't be with him. I can't be the one that tells him that his father was unfaithful to his mom. That's not my place, so I just run the other way and let my heart break over and over with what could be."
My grandma finishes her second glass of wine. "First, I will start with the easiest one. Jackson is not your brother. Sweetheart, you know that, right? You look like your father and this is just another one of your mother's tricks."
"I want to believe that, but I'm so scared that it could be true. He's all I ever wanted, and she took it away from me." I pout.
"Trust your heart. What is it telling you?"
It was my grandma's turn to hold nothing back. She tells me that she never cut my mother out of her life, in fact, she adores my dad and always thought highly of him. My mom left London because she wanted the American life she always dreamed about, the loving and doting husband. The perfect children that she could dress in the latest fashions, houses around the world where she could vacation when she felt like it, and enough money to keep those dreams going.
"She got greedy and wanted more. It wasn't enough to get the husband, the children, the houses, and the money she dreamt about. She wanted to be an actress and have her own fame. She hated being in your father's shadows, but she was a horrible actress." My grandma smiles.
"Why does she hate me?" I whisper.
"She doesn't hate you. A mother could never hate her child. She's harder on you because you got the life she always wanted. You have international fame and two wonderful guys fighting for your affection. Your mother is bitter, but that's her issue to deal with and not yours. Avery, you don't need to change anything for anyone else."
"Thanks," I say leaning over to kiss her cheek. "I love you, grandma."
"I love you too, darling. Now, what are you going to decide?" She asks with a grin.
"With what?" I ask confused.
"Are you going to tell Jackson how you really feel and the reason you are pushing him away or are you finally going to let your fiancé tell the world that he claimed you forever?" She smiles standing.
I shake my head and grin at her. She turns around and grabs her chest. "Jackson Thomas, OH MY! You almost gave this old woman a heart attack. What are you doing hiding in the dark?"
Standing, I turn around to see him standing behind us. From the look on his face, he knows about my engagement with Brad.
"I was coming out to check on you ladies and see if I could grab you anything to eat?" He nods at my grandma.
"I'm starving." My grandma says walking toward the house quickly.
I know what she is hoping will happen if she leaves us alone. The both of us watch until she gets to the French doors and opens them. Jackson turns his attention back to me and I swallow the lump in my throat.
"How much of it did you hear?"
"There's more than you being engaged to Brad?"
"Jax..." I hurry to his side and try to grab his hand, but he pulls it from my grip. "Please let me explain."
"There is nothing to explain. You've told me from the start of your relationship that you were with him, I just didn't want to accept it. This is hard to deny now; you're getting married to Brad. Congratulations. He really is a great guy." He turns and walks back into the house.
"FUCK." I shout to the night sky.
How did life get this complicated? Why couldn't I just tell him the truth?
Slowly, I walk over to the outdoor pool and walk right into the water. I wrap my arms around my legs and tuck myself into a tight ball. Above, I hear Meeko barking warnings towards the house. I want to die at the bottom of this pool.
Dying would hurt a lot less than what was waiting at the surface for me.
YOU ARE READING
Almost Everything
Romance*** Complete Story*** Avery Weber was Hollywood's new "it" girl and all it took was one big movie to help her get there. She grew up in Upper East Manhattan, attended the finest private schools and got everything she ever asked for - except time wit...
