Broken Record

Chapter 35: Stevie

"Call me later." Benton leaned over the console of his sports car and kissed Stevie gruffly, wishing like hell he could be selfish and keep her to himself this weekend.

"I will." Stevie smiled shyly before sliding out of the car, itching to take off the ridiculously girly dress she'd worn to see Benton. Knowing he loved her personal style, her quirkiness, her shortcomings...know he loved her? It meant the world. But stepping into her apartment and seeing her older sister huddled up on the couch, her pretty green eyes streaky with dark makeup, had Stevie realizing the darker side of love too. Heartbreak.

"Olivia, are you okay? Shit, I knew I should've come out with you last night--"

"No, no. It's fine. I'm fine. I'm just glad you're here now." Oliva dragged a sleeve of her sweatshirt under her eye and Stevie tilted her head as she made her way over to the Keurig machine. As fancy as Benton's coffee had been, she was still operating at a caffeine deficit compared to her normal daily intake.

"Is that Aero's sweatshirt?" Stevie sat down across from her sister, folding her legs under her with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. Olivia looked down at the black sweatshirt with Aero's label on it, and then back up at Stevie, her eyes widening a fraction for a moment.

"You failed to mention that your work friend, Aero, is none other than freaking Aeronox and not some LA hipster named after an ancient weapon!" Olivia threw a small couch pillow at Stevie who let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Woah, wait. You weren't being sarcastic the other day? Like you had no idea who Aero was when you met him at the studio?"

"No, Stevie! I mean, those famous DJs like Diplo, or let alone Marshmello with that thing on his head, I mean it's not like everyone who knows their songs knows what they freaking look like."

"Damn," Stevie couldn't contain her laugh, covering her mouth, "you must have been pretty shocked last night then."

"Oh, just a little." Olivia rolled her eyes but she was still smirking so Stevie figured she must've had a good time even after probably embarrassing herself a bit in front of Aero.

"Well, did you have fun?" Stevie pulled the coffee cup to her lips, looking over the rim at her beautiful but weary sister.

"Oh, Stevie," Olivia let out a heavy sigh and ran her hands through her long, tangled hair, "I don't know how to go back home. Back to Derrick. It's like, these past few days I've been able to pretend that's not my life. That I'm not a twenty-six-year-old new bride married to a serial cheater. That my whole life up until this point has been a lie."

"Olivia," Stevie stood and went over to sit next to her sister, taking her hand in hers, "your whole life isn't a lie. I'm still your annoying but way cooler sister. Mom and Dad will love you no matter what you decide to do about your marriage. You're still incredibly smart and confident and perfect. The only lie in this whole situation is Derrick. You can't stay with him." Stevie's voice dipped lower on her last sentence, hoping like hell that Olivia didn't have any plans to forgive Derrick and move forward with him. There was no way Stevie could find a way to support that decision.

"I know, shit, it's just so hard, you know? I wish I could just snap my fingers and it could all be over and dealt with. I could move out here with you, get a new job, start the next chapter of my life." Olivia looked down in her lap, tears starting to fall. "Could it really be that easy? Will I be able to get through this?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper and Stevie embraced her in her arms, rubbing her back in circles.

"Well, it won't be easy but it will pass. That's for sure. And I'm here for you, whatever you need. A roommate, a support group, a hitman--"

"A hitman?"

"I wouldn't mind at least getting one square punch in Derrick's lying smug face." Olivia erupted in laughter at the seriousness in Stevie's threat, her tears a mixture of sadness and laughing.

"You're pretty scary when you're mad."

"Damn right I am."

"It's cute."

"Olivia, I am NOT cute."

Olivia stood up from the couch, the oversized black hoodie brushing the tops of her knees. "Let's go to the beach. Before I fly back tomorrow. I want to see the water here in California."

"You know you really can come move here with me, right? I mean, I don't know how permanent this apartment situation is, but I know I'm staying in LA. This is where I want to be."

Olivia pulled the hoodie over head, smiling back at Stevie. "And does this decision have anything to do with whoever you were with last night?" Olivia wiggled her eyebrows and Stevie rolled her eyes even though she was secretly dying to talk about it.

"Maybe a little..."

"We're going to the beach and you're going to tell me everything!" Olivia grabbed Stevie's hand pulling her up from the couch and into the bedroom to change, "no more secrets!" Stevie laughed, grateful to still see bursts of her upbeat, bossy sister despite her current sadness. No more secrets. No more secret meetings with Mr. X, no more pirating illegal songs, no more of Olivia spending her life with a liar. No more secrets. That was worth celebrating on the beach.

As the two girls frolicked in the sand, jumping into the cold water only to quickly escape back to the warmth of the beach, Stevie felt both like a true adult woman coming into her own and like a child again, playing freely with her older sister. Stevie would tell Olivia everything. Well, everything except about The Den and the mutual needs that she and Benton shared. That was for the two of them only. As Stevie laughed, out of breath, plopping onto her beach towel in the sand, she realized that the greatest rebellion she could have, the biggest statement against the man, against the world, against the norm was to simply be herself. She didn't need to steal music or make out an industry to be evil. She didn't need to dress a certain way or carry herself like she didn't give a fuck. She just needed to be free. To be loved, to be honest, to tap into herself. And Benton of all people, the epitome of the very thing she'd spent her entire young life rebelling against, was the one who brought her closest to understanding herself.

Olivia plopped down next to Stevie, her skin naturally more golden, glinting perfectly in the sun. She shook out her wet long hair, sliding on a pair of oversized sunglasses as she settled onto her back.

"Okay, Stevie. Confession time. I want to know everything."