Almost A Decade // Ryden

Chapter Twelve.

I wake up at my parents house. The sun is beaming through the drawn curtains that I forgot the pull shut when I got here last night. I was too emotionally drained to care. I don't even remember lying down. I cried the entire way home from the studio.

I left Ryan again. I couldn't help it. But, today is a new day ... I am going home today. I'm excited to see my pups, and get back into my own studio where I don't have to worry about my ex boyfriend popping up.

I hear my mom's voice echo through the stair case, "Brendon, we should probably head out in 30 minutes!" I roll over and grab my phone, and I see a text from Ryan.

Ryan: I'm sorry for coming at you so strong. I just need you to know that I love you, Brendon. I always have, and I always will. I'm leaving to go back home today, and I know you are, too. If you have any hope left in us moving on from the past, and working it out, please meet me tonight.

There was an address to some unknown place linked in the text, then it continued:

You can either show up, and we can work things out. Or you can go back home to your miserable life, keep going with your already falling apart marriage and continue to die in Los Angeles.

I just shut my phone off. I decided to get up and head to the bathroom to shower quick before I get on the plane.

My parents haven't asked me about Ryan coming over. I think things were far more complicated than they had originally anticipated, so they chose to turn a blind eye. When they dropped me off, they both hugged me tighter than usual. "Do what makes you happy, bud." My mom said, kissing me one last time.

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I'm back in LA, and I am so excited to get home and continue working on the album. After everything that has been going on, I feel like I have a lot of personal shit to work with in order to make these last few songs.

Spencer picks me up from the airport, and demands we go get dinner before he takes me back home. "Of course we can, but first ... there's somewhere I need you to take me."

I put the address into Spencer's GPS and he is blindly following it. He's asking me how my parents are, making small conversation as we wind around the hills of Hollywood. We finally pull up in front of a beautiful, blue home. "Who lives here?" Spencer asks, admiring the house through the windshield. I just laugh and slip out of the passenger door, and head up to the house.

I ring the doorbell, and I stand there looking down at my shoes. After a few minutes I hear footsteps, the door handle click, and I see a smiling face standing in the doorway.

I immediately start speaking, "I can't do this alone. It's going to be tough, but we are going to work through all of this any way we can. But, I just need you to know that I love you, more than I ever have before. And I'm ready for things to go back to how they were."

Sarah darts out of the door, and into my arms. "I love you, Brendon. I'm so sorry." She cries into my shoulder.

"It's ok," I assure her, swiping her hair out of her face and stepping back to take a look at her, "You don't have to apologize for anything. Let's just go home."

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Sarah and I have been swiftly getting back into the swing of things. It's been about a month since I've returned from Las Vegas, and things are going better than ever.

We're seeing a marriage counselor to help us get through the last few bits of the hard stuff, but overall, things are moving in the right direction.

Spencer and Linda have been coming over for dinner once a week so we can all just hang out, and have some fun together. I had to learn to forgive her for what she did, even though it really wasn't her fault... Plus I've enjoyed the time with Spencer, and getting our friendship back in good standing.

I haven't heard from Ryan. I'm guessing he just took it on the chin when I didn't show up to wherever he wanted to meet.

Now, I am sitting comfortably in my studio, back where this all began. I am putting the finishing touches on my album that I have decided to name Pray for the Wicked. I am listening to it through one last time before it is set up for the final process, and I can't help but to shed a tear at the last song.

Nobody knows you, now....
When you're dying in LA.