Billboards and Benches

Chapter 48

She plasters on her best smile marching into her favourite nail salon. Being here makes her happy and she needs a little bit of joy in her life right now. She needs to be calm when she walks back into her house. "All alone today?" Her favourite nail tech pouts offering her a seat. She's here before they open so that she can have less to deal with.

"Yeah unfortunately." She mumbles scamming the colours quickly before she gives up. "How well do you think you would be able to do camouflage?" She hums sitting down. Her nail lady nods ordering another to get all of the colours. She's the only one in the salon that's used to seeing Dylan. She's generally at her house but today she needed to be out of the house.

"For Shawn? He leaves soon doesn't he?" She gives a slight frown. Dylan nods holding her hand out. Shawn said he had something he needed to do in preparation and she hates being in the house when he does things like that. She called in really last minute in hopes of getting her mind off of it. She just needs a minute away from everything. "How's everything been for you two?"

"It's crazy at home right now!" She sighs while she gets to work removing the previous polish. "He had training for a while we were trying to plan our wedding that we can't have anytime soon. He's been stressed over everything." She sighs letting her head fall into the palm of one of her hands. She hasn't been the same neither had he. He hasn't been able to do anything lately. They got back from their little trip and he went straight back into the gym. He started talking about getting tattoos and a motocycle. She's never been more afraid about him or their relationship. She already doesn't know if she'll survive when he's gone but now she has to survive him being in the same house but no where near her.

"I'm sure it's a very difficult time for both of you." She nods applying the gel. She didn't realize how much she's talked. Dylan completely forgot that she's getting her nails done, she just needed someone to talk to. Her boyfriend disappeared on her again and she's lonely. She needs friends but all of her friends live in other countries. She could've called Ryan and Katie but she feels bad calling them to help herself. She feels like she's using these kind gentile people.

"It really is." She sighs looking at the design shes started. "Could you do this one black, and then put his badge number?" She smiles at herself slightly but earns a nod from her nail tech. She's a very difficult person and she knows that but she means well. She thought her boyfriend understood but maybe he doesn't. Maybe she made a mistake maybe she needs to call Gerald again and reconcile.

"I've been looking everywhere for you." He huffs sitting next to her. She stares at his long sleeve shirt. It's the hottest it's been all year and he's wearing a long sleeve shirt. "These are cute!" He smiles at her looking down at her hands. He's desperately trying to avoid the conversation about his shirt. She'll find out eventually but he would rather it not be in public. He sent in an anonymous tip to the paparazzi saying that she's at the nail salon. She did it to him a lot when they first started dating he figured he could bring back some old traditions. He needs her to feel special in these last two weeks. He needs her to understand that he's still here and he still loves her. It may be eleven o'clock and he may not have seen her since eight last night but he's still here for her and he wants her to know that.

"Sto sposando un idiota." She mumbles. He gives a confused frown. He wants to learn her language so badly he wants to know more about the accent her mother has or the faint dying accent she has. He thinks it's cute that she can't say some things without an accent added to the word. How she can not say any type of Italian food the English way and she's forced her boyfriend into doing the same. He's terrible at it and listening to him try to say it in Italian is almost worse for her than it is to hear him say it in English but he tries and she admires that.

"Baby girl I don't know what that means." He pleads kissing her temple. She brushes it off as if it means nothing but she knows damn well saying she's 'marrying an idiot' would be a big deal for him. He wants to fix himself for her but the only way he can make it better is by breaking what he has, what he wants and she won't let him do that.