(no subject)
Title: Ready For A Fall (4/?)
Author: Chelle Storey-Daniel
Rating: PG
Pairing: Callie/George implied, Callie/Alex friendship, George/Izzie implied Mark/Addison implied
Summary: Sometimes the most unlikely people will catch you when you fall. And sometimes, they're falling too.
One
Two
Three
*~*~*~*~*~
Callie made a quick pit stop by the vending machine in the lobby of the hotel. She didn’t have much experience with female friends but one language was universal in female and that language was chocolate. With her arms laden and her belly full for the first time in days, she rode the elevator to Addison’s room with a smile on her face. She had to knock on the door with her foot and after a few minutes, the redhead opened it and peered out.
"Hey." Callie nodded at the wine glass in her hand. "Whatcha drinking?"
"Rum."
"Is the rum gone?"
"What are you doing?"
"Sorta quoting ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean', which you loved as much as me."
"Oh." Addison watched her closely, trying to gauge whether or not Callie felt remotely guilty for what she had done. "So, what *are* you doing?"
"Nothing says I’m sorry like carbs and I’m really sorry that I missed dinner." Callie moved her arms a little and almost dropped a package of donuts. "Ack! Can I come in?"
"Sure. Why the hell not? I should just leave the door open all the time."
Callie glanced at her, noting the way she slurred her words, before moving past her and dropping the assortment of goodies on the table nearest the door. Taking off her jacket, she turned and smiled at her friend, opening her mouth to speak. That smile slowly faded when she saw that Addison was not alone. George was curled up on the sofa, a blanket pulled around him like a second skin, his knees drawn upward. His snore broke the silence and pulled Callie from her shock. "What the fuck, Addison?"
Addison drained her glass, shut the door behind her and crossed her arms. "Well, I can only imagine, seeing as how I wasn’t there to witness it myself, that him seeing you and Alex Karev making out in front of the entire hospital hurt his feelings. I imagine his feelings aren’t nearly as hurt as his face, though. Nice job being mature and grown up, Callie."
"Wait!" Callie held a hand up. "Wait. WHAT!?"
"This is your *husband*, Callie. Your *husband* and he made a horrible mistake. What you did today, though? That was on purpose. You intentionally broke him."
"I didn’t do anything!"
"You didn’t hit him?"
"He hit me first!"
"Did he mean to?" Addison took a step forward. "Did he mean to hit you? Or was he aiming at someone else?"
"Someone else."
"Who?"
"He was aiming at Alex," Callie replied.
The redhead’s eyes widened and she put a hand on her chest. "Really? And why is that?"
"Why is what?" Callie questioned.
"Why were you with Alex?"
"Gee, I don’t know, Addison. Could it possibly be because we had lunch together?"
"Is that what it was? I heard that you were practically having sex with him on the cafeteria table!"
"Who told you that!?"
"Joe. He heard it from Izzie."
"OH! OH! Of course he did!" Callie shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "Of course it has to be the truth! Because Izzie fucking Stevens is apparently a walking prayer book. We already had a Virgin Mary. She can be the Virgin Whore."
"What are you doing with Alex? Trying to make George jealous? Look at him! He’s living in his car, he’s been drinking himself into a stupor every night, and he loves you! I know that he loves because-"
"Because you have been in his shoes! I know!"
"I was going to say that we’ve had a lot of conversations while you were gone and I’m really getting tired of you throwing my past in my face." Addison’s hands were shaking so she shoved them into the pockets of her robe. "Were you with Alex tonight?"
"Yes, mommy. After being punched in the face, humiliated beyond belief, and finally finishing my shift I went to see a movie with him and then we had dinner. And the night before that we had Italian food."
"That’s where you were!? I - I knew it! I told you that Alex had apparently met someone and you just stood there acting like you had no clue!"
"You told me that you and Mark, remember him, the guy you broke *your* marriage apart for, were getting back together because he loved you!"
"So then you *are* with Alex!"
"No, I am not!"
Addison shook her head, her eyes narrow. "I know that you don’t have many female friends and I really don’t have to wonder why now, but let me school you a little just in case some other unsuspecting girl comes along and *tries* to like you. When you know that your friend, that would be me, has been fantasizing about someone, in this case that would be Alex, and they confide that in you ... YOU DO NOT FUCKING DATE THEM, BITCH!"
Callie’s jaw dropped in anger. And shock. It took all of her resolve to keep from lashing out. She took a deep breath and turned, clutching the back of the chair so tightly that her fingers hurt. She gathered her jacket in her fists and exhaled slowly before facing Addison again. Her tears were hot on her cheeks when she said, "You’re drunk. And because of that I’m going to go and I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just say that to me."
"Truth hurt?"
"Stop."
"Get the hell out of my room." Addison glared at her, then opened the door for and with a tilt of her head, made it very clear that Callie was being dismissed.
Callie walked to the door, and since she was as tall as Addison, looked her right in the eye. "I’m sorry to bring your past up again, because you’re clearly in denial about it, but if we’re going to talk about schooling someone then let me tell you one thing. I was Team Addison. I protected you from the raunchy prom sex that I walked into." She saw the shock on Addison’s face. "Oh yeah. I didn’t say a word because I didn’t want to see you hurt and I didn’t even know you at the time. I have never judged you and I have never questioned your decisions, but now? Now I’m walking around in Derek’s shoes and I know exactly what it felt like for him when he came home and saw you and Mark together in his bed. Now some people may say that you were hanging around Seattle and were about to pick things up with Mark again because you know how much that would hurt Derek, but-"
"That’s a -"
"That’s a lie? Wow. That sounds like the exact same lie that Izzie told about me and Alex. He’s my friend, Addison. And it’s really nice to know that I have one left." She looked back at the sofa, where George rolled onto his side and snored again. "Have fun with your little brother. Apparently you trained him well."
"Callie-"
With her jacket over her arm, Callie stalked toward the elevator and didn’t look back.
*~*~*~*~*~
At noon the next day, Callie was reclining in a lounge chair beside the pool. Her sunglasses, fashionably overlarge and far too expensive, hid the puffiness in her eyes. Untouched magazines were on the ground next to her chair and her Gameboy, well charged from lack of use, lay against her thigh. She watched with mild interest as a couple of women walked past and flopped into vacant seats a few feet away. Two weeks ago, Callie and Addison had been in that same spot doing exactly what they were doing: gossiping, laughing, and enjoying a day off.
Callie picked up her Ipod and stuck the bud in her ear. After ten minutes of changing every song choice, she gave up and made a mental note to replace every stupid love song with angry girl music. She adjusted the strap of her red bathing suit and attempted to get comfortable. She was close to dozing when a shadow fell across her.
"What? You can’t nap in your room?" Mark Sloan took the empty lounger to her left and flopped out on his stomach. "Want to put sunscreen on my back?"
"And decrease your chances of catching skin cancer? Never!"
He held the tube up and said, "I already did my front. Come on, please?"
"No."
"Why not. Afraid that the memories will be too much for you?"
"Shut up."
Resigned to the fact that she was not going to help him out, Mark made a big show of rolling over and putting his arms behind his head. The Speedo he wore would have been ridiculous on anyone else, but the way he wore it was anything but. "So, what are you doing?"
"The same thing you are."
"I’m looking at your boobs. Are you looking at your own boobs, freak? Is that why the glasses are so big?"
"There are about thirty empty spaces out here, Sloan. Why don’t you move? I’m trying to enjoy my day off."
"Hell. So am I."
"Hush."
Callie enjoyed the silence and attempted to relax again, but her cellphone vibrated for the millionth time and she picked it up, gazed at the number, and laid in back on her lap where it continued to vibrate.
"You can’t really expect me not to mention the fact that you are purposely letting your phone vibrate *there*." Mark rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Is that your husband?"
"I don’t have a husband."
"You didn’t have a boyfriend either. Funny thing, that. Because I would swear that you eloped with your *boyfriend* not long after we hooked up."
"Am I gonna have to call security?"
"No." Mark grinned at her. "I saw your non husband pounding on your door earlier. I think he’s still sitting up there."
"Great." Callie pulled her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose, which was aching more today than she would have liked. Several Tylenol had not stopped it and neither had the three White Russians she had enjoyed for lunch.
Mark saw how red and swollen her eyes were and said, "Wanna talk about it?"
"Negative."
"For what it’s worth ... Addison looks worse."
She put her glasses back on and stared at him. "What does she have to do with anything?"
"Well, she drunk dialed me at midnight, crying her eyeballs out because you two had a fight. I had to go round up Kleenex, with aloe of course, and hold her hair while she puked all night. And the Prince Charming who isn’t your husband slept through it like a baby."
Callie sighed. "I need a vacation from my life. And I need to get out of this hotel."
"Addison’s finally asleep, by the way."
"Good for her."
"You get that she was drunk, right? Anything she said-"
"Wow. That excuse has become so popular. Sleep with your best friend? It’s supposed to be okay because they were drunk. Call your best friend a bitch and I’m supposed to just overlook it because someone can’t hold their rum."
"She loves you. You’re the best friend she’s ever had and -"
"Did she send you down here?"
"She suggested that maybe I could run interference. She wanted me to remind you that she’s got a temper to match her hair," he said. "What did you guys fight about anyway?"
"Not really your business."
"She wouldn’t tell me either."
"Then stop nosing around." Her phone vibrated again and she checked the number.
"Why don’t you just talk to him?"
"Mark-"
"Look, I really don’t want to catch Frodo on Addison’s sofa again. I have a plan where she’s concerned and while I’m sure your little man could stand to learn a thing or two I’d rather not have an audience. So take one for the team and suck it up!"
"Jackass."
Callie stood, grabbed her sarong and shoved her feet into her flip flops. Saying nothing, she gathered her belongings and stormed past him. It wasn’t until she saw George sitting outside her hotel room that she remembered that Mark had given her fair warning. She tried to turn, but he saw her and jumped to his feet. "Callie! Wait!"
Mumbling every swear word she had ever heard and a few that made no sense, she turned and purposely held her head up as she walked past him and unlocked the door. The room was a mess and the suitcase that she had taken with her to North Carolina was upended and the contents were scattered around the floor. She had done that the previous night and made no apologies for the carnage as George followed her into the room and softly closed the door behind him.
She went to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans, which she slipped over her swimsuit and hastily buttoned. Next, she yanked a white button down shirt from the hanger and tied it at her waist. When she finally turned to face George, he was leaning with his back against the door, watching her. "Are you planning on blocking me again?"
"No."
Callie was glad that she still wore her sunglasses because seeing George in this state, no matter how much he deserved it, got to her. It reminded her, as he drew the back of his hand across his eyes, of his father’s funeral. As they had made their way, hand in hand, to the open casket for the first time he had leaned close to her and whispered, ‘Stay close to me.’
And she had.
Anger quickly erased the memory and she turned to the window, refusing to look at him. "Addison said that she made sure you got all your things from the room."
George sniffled a little. "No, I left something."
"Then get it and go, George."
"All right." Suddenly he was behind her and his arms were around her waist. "I’ve got it, but I don’t want to go."
She bit her bottom lip when his chin rested against her shoulder and his cheek pressed against hers. She stiffened and he moved one of his hands so that it was resting over her heart. "I love you," he said and it was the cracking of his voice that stilled her, that prevented her from pushing him away. "Callie, I really, really love you and I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t mean much, but you have to believe me. I mean, you see that I’m here. You see that I haven’t been within five feet of her since-"
"Stop." Callie shrugged him off and turned to face him.
"Talk to me."
"You want me to talk to you? Fine."
"Just tell me what you’re thinking."
"I’m just - I’m just done, George. You know? I’m done. I’m tired. I’m tired of doubting you and chasing you and begging you for your time. I’m tired of feeling like someone you settled for -"
"That’s not how I feel."
"Stop it!" she shouted. "That is exactly how you feel. You stood in that exact spot and told me that Izzie didn’t have feelings for you. You *laughed* at me, George. You laughed at me for telling you the truth and then you put me down! She’s the supermodel and I’m the curvy nothing who was too stupid to realize that nothing would change after we got married."
"But-"
"You asked me to talk to you and bygod, I’m not finished." She held up her hand to stop him. "As hard as it is to hold my head up at the hospital when I know that everyone is laughing at my expense ... that pales in comparison to how dumb I was to believe you when you came here and asked me to marry you. That is the humiliating part because you’re the bad guy who cheated, but I’m the complete moron who actually thought that some great guy could love me. Me, George. Not my money, because you didn’t know about it. Not my father’s big business, because you didn’t know about that either. Not because I was ahead in the program and aced the intern exam and you could cheat off me. You were on your knee asking *me*. And I fell for it."
"Is that - have guys done that to you before? Dated you for you money? Because of who your dad is?"
"I already told you that. Remember? You were too busy yelling at me for not telling you about my money that you didn’t pay attention to the part where I said that it had cost me every relationship I’ve ever been in."
"Wait." George shook his head. "You told me that I was the only guy you’ve ever loved."
"Which is true. Which clearly illustrates that I’m better off in a string of dead end relationships than chasing after one that I can never have."
"You have me. All of me. Callie, don’t - don’t you remember? Remember when we had lunch with your dad and he spilled the drink on my lap."
"Mmm, I should thank him for that." She grabbed an elastic band and piled her hair in a pony tail. "I have to go."
"Listen to me!" He grabbed her, forcing her to look at him. "At lunch that day, with your dad? That’s when I remembered. When he spilled the drink on me. I didn’t even remember it until then which is what I’ve been trying to tell you."
"It took a glass of cold water on your crotch to make you remember?"
George nodded, wide eyed. "That ought to tell you something. And I still don’t - I mean, I only remember bits and pieces. I was so drunk that I don’t even know how I did it."
"Well, you did." Callie shrugged. "And this isn’t something that I can just deal with. This changed everything."
"Are you sleeping with Alex?"
She laughed. It was a cruel, hateful sound. "You don’t get to ask me anything about my sex life after what you did."
"Are you? Just --- are you?"
"It’s none of your business."
"You’re my *wife*."
"Not for long." She grabbed her purse and put it over her shoulder. "I’m seeing a lawyer next week."
"No - no, don’t do that."
"Don’t worry, George. You won’t have to go empty handed. I’m sure that the fact that I paid off your student loans won’t really matter. You’ll still get plenty."
"What?!"
"Oh, right. That was gonna be a surprise." She glared at him. "Yeah, I paid off your student loans and I was going to give that to you for your birthday so you wouldn’t have to worry about it while we looked for a house. But now you’ll be able to buy a house anyway because I’m sure that your lawyer will take at least half of everything I have and then you can spend it all on your bestest friend."
"I - I don’t want your money! I want you!"
Callie said nothing for a while, just gazed at him. Finally, she said, "Don’t you see what you’ve done? I’ve lost respect at the hospital. Addison’s on your side. My family will disown me once I shame them with a divorce and I’m stuck here for at least two more years. I have to see your face for two years, until I’m done with my Residency. Until I can get the hell away from you."
"But-"
"You don’t want me, George!" she yelled and the severity in her voice shocked both of them. "You’ve taken all I have! I have nothing left to give!"
She purposely bumped her shoulder against his as she stormed past him. The door slammed behind her and she stalked down the hallway, not sure where she was going, but convinced that she had to go.
George sat down on the bed, his face buried in his hands. And he cried.
Twenty minutes later the phone rang and out of habit he picked it up. "Hello?"
"O’Malley?" asked a man.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Is my daughter there?"
"Who?"
"O’Malley, how many women do you live with?"
"Right, uh, hello, Mr. Torres."
"My child is not returning any phone calls. Would you happen to know why?"
"I’m sorry. I don’t," he lied. "I - I know she’s been really slammed at the hospital."
"Well, tell her that her mother has arranged the wedding party for the two of you and since we understand how your schedules are we’ll be bringing it to you."
"Excuse me?"
"Roughly one hundred of our friends and family members as well as anyone she wants to invite there. Melaina, that would be Callie’s mother, has made arrangements for the grand ballroom there at the Archfield. Mark your calendar for not this Saturday, but the next. If memory serves that was a date that Callie implied would be free for both of you. We’ve chartered the flights already so don’t let her change the date. I’m sure you’ve seen by now that she’s stubborn as hell so tell her that it’s concrete and if she backs out she will not like the results. Okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"And Mr. O’Malley?"
"Sir?"
"My wife is not nearly as kind as I am so you’ll want to make a better impression on her than you did me."
*~*~*~*~*~
Author: Chelle Storey-Daniel
Rating: PG
Pairing: Callie/George implied, Callie/Alex friendship, George/Izzie implied Mark/Addison implied
Summary: Sometimes the most unlikely people will catch you when you fall. And sometimes, they're falling too.
One
Two
Three
*~*~*~*~*~
Callie made a quick pit stop by the vending machine in the lobby of the hotel. She didn’t have much experience with female friends but one language was universal in female and that language was chocolate. With her arms laden and her belly full for the first time in days, she rode the elevator to Addison’s room with a smile on her face. She had to knock on the door with her foot and after a few minutes, the redhead opened it and peered out.
"Hey." Callie nodded at the wine glass in her hand. "Whatcha drinking?"
"Rum."
"Is the rum gone?"
"What are you doing?"
"Sorta quoting ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean', which you loved as much as me."
"Oh." Addison watched her closely, trying to gauge whether or not Callie felt remotely guilty for what she had done. "So, what *are* you doing?"
"Nothing says I’m sorry like carbs and I’m really sorry that I missed dinner." Callie moved her arms a little and almost dropped a package of donuts. "Ack! Can I come in?"
"Sure. Why the hell not? I should just leave the door open all the time."
Callie glanced at her, noting the way she slurred her words, before moving past her and dropping the assortment of goodies on the table nearest the door. Taking off her jacket, she turned and smiled at her friend, opening her mouth to speak. That smile slowly faded when she saw that Addison was not alone. George was curled up on the sofa, a blanket pulled around him like a second skin, his knees drawn upward. His snore broke the silence and pulled Callie from her shock. "What the fuck, Addison?"
Addison drained her glass, shut the door behind her and crossed her arms. "Well, I can only imagine, seeing as how I wasn’t there to witness it myself, that him seeing you and Alex Karev making out in front of the entire hospital hurt his feelings. I imagine his feelings aren’t nearly as hurt as his face, though. Nice job being mature and grown up, Callie."
"Wait!" Callie held a hand up. "Wait. WHAT!?"
"This is your *husband*, Callie. Your *husband* and he made a horrible mistake. What you did today, though? That was on purpose. You intentionally broke him."
"I didn’t do anything!"
"You didn’t hit him?"
"He hit me first!"
"Did he mean to?" Addison took a step forward. "Did he mean to hit you? Or was he aiming at someone else?"
"Someone else."
"Who?"
"He was aiming at Alex," Callie replied.
The redhead’s eyes widened and she put a hand on her chest. "Really? And why is that?"
"Why is what?" Callie questioned.
"Why were you with Alex?"
"Gee, I don’t know, Addison. Could it possibly be because we had lunch together?"
"Is that what it was? I heard that you were practically having sex with him on the cafeteria table!"
"Who told you that!?"
"Joe. He heard it from Izzie."
"OH! OH! Of course he did!" Callie shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "Of course it has to be the truth! Because Izzie fucking Stevens is apparently a walking prayer book. We already had a Virgin Mary. She can be the Virgin Whore."
"What are you doing with Alex? Trying to make George jealous? Look at him! He’s living in his car, he’s been drinking himself into a stupor every night, and he loves you! I know that he loves because-"
"Because you have been in his shoes! I know!"
"I was going to say that we’ve had a lot of conversations while you were gone and I’m really getting tired of you throwing my past in my face." Addison’s hands were shaking so she shoved them into the pockets of her robe. "Were you with Alex tonight?"
"Yes, mommy. After being punched in the face, humiliated beyond belief, and finally finishing my shift I went to see a movie with him and then we had dinner. And the night before that we had Italian food."
"That’s where you were!? I - I knew it! I told you that Alex had apparently met someone and you just stood there acting like you had no clue!"
"You told me that you and Mark, remember him, the guy you broke *your* marriage apart for, were getting back together because he loved you!"
"So then you *are* with Alex!"
"No, I am not!"
Addison shook her head, her eyes narrow. "I know that you don’t have many female friends and I really don’t have to wonder why now, but let me school you a little just in case some other unsuspecting girl comes along and *tries* to like you. When you know that your friend, that would be me, has been fantasizing about someone, in this case that would be Alex, and they confide that in you ... YOU DO NOT FUCKING DATE THEM, BITCH!"
Callie’s jaw dropped in anger. And shock. It took all of her resolve to keep from lashing out. She took a deep breath and turned, clutching the back of the chair so tightly that her fingers hurt. She gathered her jacket in her fists and exhaled slowly before facing Addison again. Her tears were hot on her cheeks when she said, "You’re drunk. And because of that I’m going to go and I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just say that to me."
"Truth hurt?"
"Stop."
"Get the hell out of my room." Addison glared at her, then opened the door for and with a tilt of her head, made it very clear that Callie was being dismissed.
Callie walked to the door, and since she was as tall as Addison, looked her right in the eye. "I’m sorry to bring your past up again, because you’re clearly in denial about it, but if we’re going to talk about schooling someone then let me tell you one thing. I was Team Addison. I protected you from the raunchy prom sex that I walked into." She saw the shock on Addison’s face. "Oh yeah. I didn’t say a word because I didn’t want to see you hurt and I didn’t even know you at the time. I have never judged you and I have never questioned your decisions, but now? Now I’m walking around in Derek’s shoes and I know exactly what it felt like for him when he came home and saw you and Mark together in his bed. Now some people may say that you were hanging around Seattle and were about to pick things up with Mark again because you know how much that would hurt Derek, but-"
"That’s a -"
"That’s a lie? Wow. That sounds like the exact same lie that Izzie told about me and Alex. He’s my friend, Addison. And it’s really nice to know that I have one left." She looked back at the sofa, where George rolled onto his side and snored again. "Have fun with your little brother. Apparently you trained him well."
"Callie-"
With her jacket over her arm, Callie stalked toward the elevator and didn’t look back.
*~*~*~*~*~
At noon the next day, Callie was reclining in a lounge chair beside the pool. Her sunglasses, fashionably overlarge and far too expensive, hid the puffiness in her eyes. Untouched magazines were on the ground next to her chair and her Gameboy, well charged from lack of use, lay against her thigh. She watched with mild interest as a couple of women walked past and flopped into vacant seats a few feet away. Two weeks ago, Callie and Addison had been in that same spot doing exactly what they were doing: gossiping, laughing, and enjoying a day off.
Callie picked up her Ipod and stuck the bud in her ear. After ten minutes of changing every song choice, she gave up and made a mental note to replace every stupid love song with angry girl music. She adjusted the strap of her red bathing suit and attempted to get comfortable. She was close to dozing when a shadow fell across her.
"What? You can’t nap in your room?" Mark Sloan took the empty lounger to her left and flopped out on his stomach. "Want to put sunscreen on my back?"
"And decrease your chances of catching skin cancer? Never!"
He held the tube up and said, "I already did my front. Come on, please?"
"No."
"Why not. Afraid that the memories will be too much for you?"
"Shut up."
Resigned to the fact that she was not going to help him out, Mark made a big show of rolling over and putting his arms behind his head. The Speedo he wore would have been ridiculous on anyone else, but the way he wore it was anything but. "So, what are you doing?"
"The same thing you are."
"I’m looking at your boobs. Are you looking at your own boobs, freak? Is that why the glasses are so big?"
"There are about thirty empty spaces out here, Sloan. Why don’t you move? I’m trying to enjoy my day off."
"Hell. So am I."
"Hush."
Callie enjoyed the silence and attempted to relax again, but her cellphone vibrated for the millionth time and she picked it up, gazed at the number, and laid in back on her lap where it continued to vibrate.
"You can’t really expect me not to mention the fact that you are purposely letting your phone vibrate *there*." Mark rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. "Is that your husband?"
"I don’t have a husband."
"You didn’t have a boyfriend either. Funny thing, that. Because I would swear that you eloped with your *boyfriend* not long after we hooked up."
"Am I gonna have to call security?"
"No." Mark grinned at her. "I saw your non husband pounding on your door earlier. I think he’s still sitting up there."
"Great." Callie pulled her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose, which was aching more today than she would have liked. Several Tylenol had not stopped it and neither had the three White Russians she had enjoyed for lunch.
Mark saw how red and swollen her eyes were and said, "Wanna talk about it?"
"Negative."
"For what it’s worth ... Addison looks worse."
She put her glasses back on and stared at him. "What does she have to do with anything?"
"Well, she drunk dialed me at midnight, crying her eyeballs out because you two had a fight. I had to go round up Kleenex, with aloe of course, and hold her hair while she puked all night. And the Prince Charming who isn’t your husband slept through it like a baby."
Callie sighed. "I need a vacation from my life. And I need to get out of this hotel."
"Addison’s finally asleep, by the way."
"Good for her."
"You get that she was drunk, right? Anything she said-"
"Wow. That excuse has become so popular. Sleep with your best friend? It’s supposed to be okay because they were drunk. Call your best friend a bitch and I’m supposed to just overlook it because someone can’t hold their rum."
"She loves you. You’re the best friend she’s ever had and -"
"Did she send you down here?"
"She suggested that maybe I could run interference. She wanted me to remind you that she’s got a temper to match her hair," he said. "What did you guys fight about anyway?"
"Not really your business."
"She wouldn’t tell me either."
"Then stop nosing around." Her phone vibrated again and she checked the number.
"Why don’t you just talk to him?"
"Mark-"
"Look, I really don’t want to catch Frodo on Addison’s sofa again. I have a plan where she’s concerned and while I’m sure your little man could stand to learn a thing or two I’d rather not have an audience. So take one for the team and suck it up!"
"Jackass."
Callie stood, grabbed her sarong and shoved her feet into her flip flops. Saying nothing, she gathered her belongings and stormed past him. It wasn’t until she saw George sitting outside her hotel room that she remembered that Mark had given her fair warning. She tried to turn, but he saw her and jumped to his feet. "Callie! Wait!"
Mumbling every swear word she had ever heard and a few that made no sense, she turned and purposely held her head up as she walked past him and unlocked the door. The room was a mess and the suitcase that she had taken with her to North Carolina was upended and the contents were scattered around the floor. She had done that the previous night and made no apologies for the carnage as George followed her into the room and softly closed the door behind him.
She went to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans, which she slipped over her swimsuit and hastily buttoned. Next, she yanked a white button down shirt from the hanger and tied it at her waist. When she finally turned to face George, he was leaning with his back against the door, watching her. "Are you planning on blocking me again?"
"No."
Callie was glad that she still wore her sunglasses because seeing George in this state, no matter how much he deserved it, got to her. It reminded her, as he drew the back of his hand across his eyes, of his father’s funeral. As they had made their way, hand in hand, to the open casket for the first time he had leaned close to her and whispered, ‘Stay close to me.’
And she had.
Anger quickly erased the memory and she turned to the window, refusing to look at him. "Addison said that she made sure you got all your things from the room."
George sniffled a little. "No, I left something."
"Then get it and go, George."
"All right." Suddenly he was behind her and his arms were around her waist. "I’ve got it, but I don’t want to go."
She bit her bottom lip when his chin rested against her shoulder and his cheek pressed against hers. She stiffened and he moved one of his hands so that it was resting over her heart. "I love you," he said and it was the cracking of his voice that stilled her, that prevented her from pushing him away. "Callie, I really, really love you and I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t mean much, but you have to believe me. I mean, you see that I’m here. You see that I haven’t been within five feet of her since-"
"Stop." Callie shrugged him off and turned to face him.
"Talk to me."
"You want me to talk to you? Fine."
"Just tell me what you’re thinking."
"I’m just - I’m just done, George. You know? I’m done. I’m tired. I’m tired of doubting you and chasing you and begging you for your time. I’m tired of feeling like someone you settled for -"
"That’s not how I feel."
"Stop it!" she shouted. "That is exactly how you feel. You stood in that exact spot and told me that Izzie didn’t have feelings for you. You *laughed* at me, George. You laughed at me for telling you the truth and then you put me down! She’s the supermodel and I’m the curvy nothing who was too stupid to realize that nothing would change after we got married."
"But-"
"You asked me to talk to you and bygod, I’m not finished." She held up her hand to stop him. "As hard as it is to hold my head up at the hospital when I know that everyone is laughing at my expense ... that pales in comparison to how dumb I was to believe you when you came here and asked me to marry you. That is the humiliating part because you’re the bad guy who cheated, but I’m the complete moron who actually thought that some great guy could love me. Me, George. Not my money, because you didn’t know about it. Not my father’s big business, because you didn’t know about that either. Not because I was ahead in the program and aced the intern exam and you could cheat off me. You were on your knee asking *me*. And I fell for it."
"Is that - have guys done that to you before? Dated you for you money? Because of who your dad is?"
"I already told you that. Remember? You were too busy yelling at me for not telling you about my money that you didn’t pay attention to the part where I said that it had cost me every relationship I’ve ever been in."
"Wait." George shook his head. "You told me that I was the only guy you’ve ever loved."
"Which is true. Which clearly illustrates that I’m better off in a string of dead end relationships than chasing after one that I can never have."
"You have me. All of me. Callie, don’t - don’t you remember? Remember when we had lunch with your dad and he spilled the drink on my lap."
"Mmm, I should thank him for that." She grabbed an elastic band and piled her hair in a pony tail. "I have to go."
"Listen to me!" He grabbed her, forcing her to look at him. "At lunch that day, with your dad? That’s when I remembered. When he spilled the drink on me. I didn’t even remember it until then which is what I’ve been trying to tell you."
"It took a glass of cold water on your crotch to make you remember?"
George nodded, wide eyed. "That ought to tell you something. And I still don’t - I mean, I only remember bits and pieces. I was so drunk that I don’t even know how I did it."
"Well, you did." Callie shrugged. "And this isn’t something that I can just deal with. This changed everything."
"Are you sleeping with Alex?"
She laughed. It was a cruel, hateful sound. "You don’t get to ask me anything about my sex life after what you did."
"Are you? Just --- are you?"
"It’s none of your business."
"You’re my *wife*."
"Not for long." She grabbed her purse and put it over her shoulder. "I’m seeing a lawyer next week."
"No - no, don’t do that."
"Don’t worry, George. You won’t have to go empty handed. I’m sure that the fact that I paid off your student loans won’t really matter. You’ll still get plenty."
"What?!"
"Oh, right. That was gonna be a surprise." She glared at him. "Yeah, I paid off your student loans and I was going to give that to you for your birthday so you wouldn’t have to worry about it while we looked for a house. But now you’ll be able to buy a house anyway because I’m sure that your lawyer will take at least half of everything I have and then you can spend it all on your bestest friend."
"I - I don’t want your money! I want you!"
Callie said nothing for a while, just gazed at him. Finally, she said, "Don’t you see what you’ve done? I’ve lost respect at the hospital. Addison’s on your side. My family will disown me once I shame them with a divorce and I’m stuck here for at least two more years. I have to see your face for two years, until I’m done with my Residency. Until I can get the hell away from you."
"But-"
"You don’t want me, George!" she yelled and the severity in her voice shocked both of them. "You’ve taken all I have! I have nothing left to give!"
She purposely bumped her shoulder against his as she stormed past him. The door slammed behind her and she stalked down the hallway, not sure where she was going, but convinced that she had to go.
George sat down on the bed, his face buried in his hands. And he cried.
Twenty minutes later the phone rang and out of habit he picked it up. "Hello?"
"O’Malley?" asked a man.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Is my daughter there?"
"Who?"
"O’Malley, how many women do you live with?"
"Right, uh, hello, Mr. Torres."
"My child is not returning any phone calls. Would you happen to know why?"
"I’m sorry. I don’t," he lied. "I - I know she’s been really slammed at the hospital."
"Well, tell her that her mother has arranged the wedding party for the two of you and since we understand how your schedules are we’ll be bringing it to you."
"Excuse me?"
"Roughly one hundred of our friends and family members as well as anyone she wants to invite there. Melaina, that would be Callie’s mother, has made arrangements for the grand ballroom there at the Archfield. Mark your calendar for not this Saturday, but the next. If memory serves that was a date that Callie implied would be free for both of you. We’ve chartered the flights already so don’t let her change the date. I’m sure you’ve seen by now that she’s stubborn as hell so tell her that it’s concrete and if she backs out she will not like the results. Okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"And Mr. O’Malley?"
"Sir?"
"My wife is not nearly as kind as I am so you’ll want to make a better impression on her than you did me."
*~*~*~*~*~