City Of Dreams

Seventy-Three

I awoke to people yelling in the living room.

My hand ventured through the covers to find Darren's arm, but it wasn't there.

I yawned sleepily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"D?"

The shouting in the other room continued.

I stood up and walked through the cracked door.

"I don't want you in my apartment at three in the fucking morning!"

"Please, Darren. I just really need to talk to Charlotte and I have to leave for Cali in a few hours."

I turned the corner to see Darren, tense and clenching his fists in the doorway.

Standing in front of him is Oak, disheveled and with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"At three in the morning, Oak?!"

Oak's eyes find mine.

Darren notices me in the room.

"You can go back to bed, Charlotte."

He mutters under his breath, setting up to close the door.

"Wait....Just let him in for a minute."

Darren shoots me a look, but opens the door wider to let Oak in.

I motion to the couch.

He takes a seat uncomfortably.

"What is it?"

Darren sits next to my chair on the floor, glaring hard at Oak.

"I need your help. Both of you."

I look down at Darren before nodding to Oak.

"Addie wants a divorce, but I still want to try and make this work. I want to try and keep it going. Not just for me, but for the kids."

You can see the dislike for Oak on Darren's face and the hatred in his eyes.

"Why should we help you? What have you ever done for us? I'll tell you what you did-"

Darren stands up, moving closer to Oak.

"You accused Charlotte of things she didn't do. You influenced her to leave New York. You fucking hit her in the face! You constantly beat her down and spit on her."

I grabbed his wrist to keep him from moving closer.

"Darren, that's enough."

He rips my arm away from him.

"You tore us down, even before you and Addie started dating. Why should we do anything for you?"

He looks up at Darren, who is now towering over him.

"It's not for me. It's for Addie."

My heart skips a beat.

"Sorry."

He turns his head to look at me.

"I can't be friends with Addie right now."

Darren points to the door.

"Out."

He looks at me with desperate eyes.

"Please..."

I shake my head and go back to bed.

Darren joins me a minute later.

"Darren?"

I wait for a response.

"Yes, Dear?"

I turn on my side to look at him.

"Am I doing the right thing?"

He turns to face me as well.

"What does your head tell you to do?"

I laugh a bit.

"To nosedive off a cliff."

He winces a bit, but I chuckle to say I'm kidding.

Sorta.

"What does your heart say?"

I think for a moment.

"To defy gravity."

He smiles and brushes a piece of hair out of my face.

"Then do it. Defy gravity."

I look at my hands.

"And if that means that you have to change your friends, then so be it. Just do what you think is right. Your heart will never fail you."

I smile. 

"Thank you."