✦ ✧ ✩ Curtain Call ✦ ✧ ✩ - Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 41

(- I just wanted to say there will be mention of illness and death, nothing graphic. I don't want anyone anyone to feel triggered or IDK ?? something bc of this. Love y'all.)

[Eri's POV]

When the day of filming ended I headed straight home ignoring every text I got on my phone. Being on my feet all day was exhausting, I didn't know why I thought I could be walking around like that after not sleeping for 30 hours.

I got to the apartment and threw myself in bed. After a couple of hours I heard someone knock on my door gently.

"Come in!" I said, through a yawn "Hey", Maeve came through the door.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Just fine" She tilted her head at my response and looked at my disheveled hair and the mascara smudges on my face from falling asleep on a full face of makeup.

"Here" she said, handing me a wipe "You should've stayed in today. I could've kept you company"

"No I know Maeve I just really wanted to see the guys and Maddie" I replied, wiping my face vigorously, feeling my head spinning from waking up too suddenly.

"Ok, do you want to do something or do you want to sleep in? I have Maddie on speed dial"

"Yeah call her that would be nice."

"Should I call the guys too?" She said, and spoke with the sweetest of voices as if she was walking on eggshells. I turned to her and gave her a little smile.

"Sure why not? But after Maddie comes, so we can catch up"

"Ok I'll call her"

20 minutes later Maddie was downstairs. She ran and threw herself on the couch on top of me where I was waiting for the girls.

"Ah! Finally." She said, letting out a sigh "I was too focused today, now I want every detail, ok?"

"You amaze me" I said, holding on to her "I'll tell you everything"

"Everything?" Maeve said, opening her eyes wide. I knew she wanted me to let go with my friends in the same way Charlie wanted me to talk about it. I smiled at her and answered "Everything. Come sit."

We sat around the table and told Maddie and Savannah everything about Paris while Maeve cooked us dinner.

"Oh my god this so freaking sweet!" Sav squealed when I told her about Charlie singing to me in the restaurant. I felt myself blushing but then turned to Maddie who widened her eyes and looked to the side with a crooked smile.

"That's disgusting" She sentenced "I'm happy for you guys but I can't with this story"

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her.

"Wait til I tell you about all the kissing we did" I continued laughing while she pretended to gag.

I finished telling them the story in between "Ooooh's", "Aah's, "Aww's" and cheers for the deal I made in Paris and then I finally got to the part where my mom called me. I felt a knot forming in my throat when I started talking but I pushed it down with a gulp.

"And then my mom called me and gave me some awful news" I said, letting out a little giggly smile "I knew they were coming, it just didn't hit until they did"

"Is everything ok?" Maddie said turning serious "Is this why Charlie said you needed to talk to us?"

"Yeah I guess so. Is he doing ok?" I said, looking up at her and then at my hands when I realized he most definitely saw me crying on Matt's shoulders earlier today.

"Not really that important right now" Sav said, grabbing my hand, "It's ok if you don't want to talk about it"

"No no I want to. It's my dad. He is been sick for several years. It's something in his brain I never quite understood but it has all kinds of symptoms that make life miserable for him." I felt out of breath and stopped talking for a second when I felt all three of them grabbing me in some way. Feeling cuddled and protected I continued "And now it got to the point where there's nothing else they can do."

Everyone went quiet for a minute. Savannah looked up at me and smiled.

"I really don't know what to say but you can count us, I hope you know that" I just hugged them all and then stood up.

"Hey, there's nothing to say. I'm just really happy I have you guys." I continued, looking around at their expecting faces "Ok, so what are we eating? And let's call the boys! I really need them around too."

"On it!" Sav said, calling Owen that answered the phone rapidly, "Get your butts here"

She hung the phone and looked at us "They're on their way"

"I guess I need to talk to Charlie about the Matthew thing"

"I don't think you need to explain yourself to anyone right now" Maeve said, handing me a plate of what it looked like the most delicious pasta.

"Ok, because I really don't want to" I said, putting a huge bite in my mouth and talking with a mouthful "This is amazing" I continued.

"I know." She said, putting a napkin in my hand and then wiping sauce from my face.

10 minutes later the three boys came to the apartment out of breath.

"You guys came here running?" I said, walking up to them and standing in front of Charlie who put his hands on his knees trying to recover from the run.

"Savannah sounded very serious, and she can be scary sometimes" Jer said, while resting his forehead on the wall. I saw Maeve and Savannah bump fists through the corner of my eye. I let out a little laugh as they put me in a goofy mood and grabbed Charlie's chin making him stand up.

"Hey Mads" I said, and she looked up from her phone as I quickly gave Charlie a peck on the lips to which he responded by pulling me in even more.

"Oh my god STOP" She shouted, and we all died laughing.

"So, how are we doing?" He said "I'm sorry about today. Your business is your business I guess"

"I'll tell you about it eventually, don't worry, ok? I just can't now."

"Ok" He replied looking down at me smiling and I could tell he genuinely meant it this time.

"Ah yes I missed that" I said, smiling back at him, "Ok let's watch a movie or something, I really want to do something else but I don't think me and Charlie are going t make through if we don't rest a little"

"So what you are saying is that you're watching 10 minutes of the movie and then head to bed?" Sav asked, rolling her eyes.

I just gave her a playfully crooked smile and lifted my shoulders as Charlie put her head on my shoulders and exaggeratedly yawn.

We all sat down on the couch and the yawns got more and more repetitive after 5 minutes. I pointed to the room with my eyes and Charlie lightly nodded. We stood up and walked to the room while everyone booed at us. We got in bed and I rested my head in Charlie's chest.

"I'm sorry about earlier today" the words came out of my mouth like word vomit "I know you saw me and Matt."

"We are calling him Matt now, eh?" He said, and let out a little breath through his nose "I don't want to be that guy but," he said and I squinted my eyes waiting for his response while scrunching my nose "But HE is that guy, you know?"

"You're right. I'm sorry again. He just said something, he didn't mean to make me cry or anything, but I broke down, he just"

"Yeah he was a big part of it. Maeve told me" He cut me off letting out a little sigh and looked down at me, "Don't worry. Hey, I got a really cool hiking place to go and get you started" He said, through a yawn "I'll take you there next week"

"I'd love that" I said kissing him once last time before closing my eyes, knowing damn well I would not be in Vancouver next week.