The Write Match // Bill Hader

Eighteen

Everyone made it to LA the day after Bill and I did. This is the first time I've been to LA since Adam died, and I'm having a fun time, but I would be lying if I said I don't miss New York. I hate LA, I always have, but I think I found the thing that will make me fall in love with it, and I'm looking at it right now.

He's smiling, laughing at something Fred said, I see the crinkles by his eyes, I hear his voice, and see the way he listens to every word Fred says, like he's so interested in what he has to say. I notice the way he looks at me every few minutes, making sure I'm okay. He takes care of me, but he does it slightly so I don't notice.

He let me sleep in today so I could get rest because he knows I don't sleep well anyway, and how he defends me whenever everyone starts giving me a hard time. He acts like he's the only one allowed to do that. I see how deeply he cares about me, but I pretended not to notice. I'm protecting myself.

It's one of our last days in LA and LA is beautiful, and hot, unusually hot for December. I never thought I could enjoy the warm weather so much though. I'm always in cold weather, except for right now. I convinced Bill to spend the entire day on the beach with me and he agreed, everyone is here.

The beach is somewhat private, just like I, along with everyone else, wanted. There are small cabanas, keeping us sheltered from everything around us. I feel the sun warming my skin.

"I love this." I breath out, laying myself back on the soft chair. I wear a black swimsuit, one of Bill button-ups acting as a cover-up. I get up from my seat, joining him on his. He scoots over, opening his arms for me join him. I rest my hands on his chest, my head resting on my hands so I can look up at him. He plays with my hair, pushing it out of my face.

"I'm so happy to hear that, I don't think I've ever heard you say that you love anything since I've known you." He tells me and I sit up.

"That's because we haven't done anything that I've actually enjoyed." I tell him, and his sunglasses rest on the bridge of his nose. I can see that his eyes are closed in content, every ounce of stress is gone.

"I don't think that's true, Meredith. You seem to enjoy our time in the bedroom an awful lot." He says, raising up, pulling his sunglasses down as he raises his eyebrows.

"I do, but this is just better." I tell him, and he sits up fully.

"Why is this better than anything else?" He asks.

"It's just us here. Normally there are screaming kids and people all over the place, but it's not like that here. It's ours." I tell him, and he smiles.

"You like this beach because I'm here." He says, a cocky grin on his face and I roll my eyes.

"There's the cockiness again." I say, and he closes the space between us.

"That's not going to work baby." He tells me, and kisses me.

He lays back, and I rest my head on his chest again. "Meredith?" He mumbles.

"Yeah?" I ask, and he pauses.

"Thank you for coming to LA. I know it's not your favorite place in the world, but thank you for coming. I love being here with you, I really do, and thank you for-" He stops, but I want to hear more.

"Go ahead." I tell him, and he sighs.

"I don't want you to get mad." He says.

"I won't get mad, if I don't want to hear it, I'll ignore it. Tell me, please." I plead, and he looks up at me.

"Thank you for letting me in." He tells me and I do ignore him at first, but I want to know more.