The Beautiful Truth

// 155

Not for the first time since bringing him back to Berkeley Wednesday night, I walked across the street to Barton's house. It was Friday now, and he was leaving tomorrow afternoon for New York. I was driving him to SFO. But, before that, we'd somehow wordlessly agreed to spend as much time together as possible.

I walked into his house to find him sitting on the edge of the couch, pulling out a familiar riff on his guitar.

Up & Go.

I smiled. Of all the riffs in history, that one might have been my favorite. A rudimentary pick—the Starting Line?—but my favorite all the same.

He smiled. "Hi Sawyer."

"Hi."

He stood up and crossed the room for me. I met him halfway and leaned into his chest. I was going to miss this. We were both going to miss this. So much had gone unsaid, but talking really wasn't necessary. After we'd caught up on each other's lives in the car on Wednesday night, there wasn't much more to say. 

We'd always seemed to get each other without even trying. I supposed time hadn't done anything to change that.

We had talked a little about his leaving for New York. I understood—it was something he needed to do for himself. If anyone understood the need for self-reflection, it was me. I'd spent the last two years—the better part of it without him, or Micki, or Talyn, really, in my everyday life—coming to grips with who I was as a person. Maybe he needed to do the same thing. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't take him as long as it did me.

We had made no promises to wait for each other, or even to visit each other. Those things weren't needed. What was important right now, was making the most of the time we had together in the immediate sense. I'd only gone back to my house to shower and change, really.

"Let's go see Charlie, yes?" Barton asked, looking down at me with silvery eyes. The sparkle had returned to his eyes in the last few days, I'd told him. Micki wasn't home from Las Vegas yet, but I was sure she'd have noticed that my own eyes had brightened, too.

I laughed softly to myself. "Sure."

"Yeah, I might be trying to make him a little jealous," Barton winked at me over his shoulder, grabbing his keys and wallet from the kitchen bar.

I blushed. "Charlie is only biding his time at the bar until the movie comes out and he's all the sudden Hollywood's next big thing. And remember, he might have kissed me once, but a couple days after that, he got to make out with both Hadley and Jordan Hollandsworth for hours at a time."

Barton chuckled. "Fair enough."

We walked close together, our shoulders brushing, but otherwise not touching, taking the long way to our favorite spot in town. The sun was just going down over the Bay, and the night air was warm and calm.

I walked into the bar first. Business was picking up, but Charlie saw me and immediately flashed me the smile that was about to make him famous. I returned it with a warm smile of my own, and Barton walked in behind me.

Charlie's expression changed to one of sincere surprise before walking quickly out from behind the bar to greet our long-lost friend.

"Hey man!" Charlie exclaimed before he'd even finished crossing the room.

The two exchanged a big hug, and I laughed happily.

"Thanks for taking care of my girl while I was...gone," Barton winked at him knowingly.

Charlie looked at me with apprehension, then back at Barton, then down at the floor. "Uh—"

"Relax," Barton laughed.