Ripped and Stitched

44: Letting Go

"Alison and Brady sat on a log together in the cold. Brady took off his jacket and gave it to Alison who was shivering in her now dirtied silver dress. It had been a long night but neither felt like going home. After multiple attempts to start a fire, both gave up and just sat together quietly. They had lost the ability to feel long ago anyway. Nerve damage and such.

"Do you remember that one night in the basement where you tried to figure out a way to tap happy birthday to me?" Brady asked.

Alison chuckled. That night she had not been able to recall the tune to such a well known song. Brady had sat there puzzled in confusion for hours until he finally understood the tapping and smiled.

"It feels like forever ago since we last had to tap to communicate," Alison murmured.

Softly, she touched the log they were sitting on and gently tapped the rhythm to happy birthday for Brady.

Brady tapped back. The same way he used to when he needed to let her know everything would be okay.

She messaged him something else through the taps. Brady only needed seconds to understand. He needed minutes to come to terms with it though.

"I'm right though, aren't I?" Alison finally said aloud.

Brady nodded glumly. "Of course you are."

"Dammit," Alison sighed. "I hate when I'm right."

They stood up together and Alison slipped his jacket off and handed it back to Brady. They walked to the parking lot and stood there, waiting.

Waiting to crush their respected lovers' hearts into pieces.

It didn't take long for Julia and Max to arrive. They all stood in the parking lot, the four of them staring at one another. It was silent for a while. Almost as if everyone knew what the others were all thinking.

"Your phone," Max finally said quietly. He offered it to Alison who stared at the mud covered shattered device in Max's hand.

Alison took it from him and awkwardly and placed it on the hood of the car. Max then followed her a bit away from the other two.

Meanwhile, Brady and Julia simply stared at each other. She looked sad. Like she knew why Brady was running from her.

Tears were pricking her eyes as she looked up at Brady.

"You have to tell them about me, the real me, Julia," Brady said plainly.

"You know what they're going to say," Julia whispered painfully.

"I don't care," Brady said flatly. "You can't change me into someone I'm not. I can't be the guy who goes to law school and plays golf with your dad. Who gets your mom expensive wine and has dinner with your family in a clean white polo."

"I'm not asking you to change," Julia pleaded.

"But you're lying to them and asking me to back it up," Brady pointed out. "If you're embarrassed to be with me just say it."

Julia opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again. Finally she said, "I thought we were perfect, everything was fine between us. You never minded me hiding us from my parents before."

Brady stared at her for a moment. "Call it maturity," he said quietly. "But I can't be with someone who doesn't understand how important authenticity is to me. I'm not ashamed of who I am or the choices I've made. I'm not going to let you make me feel small when I know I'm not."

"I'm not judging you, Brady," Julia said exasperatedly.

"You're siding with your parents each time you lie," Brady murmured.