What Once Was, Is No More

“Would you look at that, I have a fucking rock star in my apartment.” Jason said with a laugh, walking into the living room.

The toothpick between Brendon’s teeth fell on his lap and he froze in place, immediately stop strumming his guitar. He stared at Jason as if he were the walking dead, trying to comprehend if he was real, or just a figment of his imagination.

He caught his breath, “Jason?” He asked setting his guitar on the couch.

“Damn cous, you sure don’t change much do you?” Jason commented as he watched Brendon stand up.

Brendon smiled half-heartedly, still in shock by Jason’s mere presence. “Haha you still look the same too.” He commented.

Jason laughed and walked up to Brendon to embrace him in a hug. “It’s good to see ya again.” He said patting Brendon’s back. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d get to see you. I thought you would’ve already gone back to California.” Jason confessed.

“Why would you think that?” Brendon asked curiously as they stood in front of each other.

“Just from what Olivia told me, you seemed much better than when you called me to come up to Seattle. I just figured you were ready to go back, but like I told you, you’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need to.” Jason said with a smile.

As if he didn’t already feel guilty; here was his cousin, who generously gave him a place to stay as he was going through a bump in life and to his dismay, one of the kindest people he’d ever met; while he, Brendon, was secretly in a love affair with his girlfriend, planning to go back to LA with her.

“Actually I’ll be leaving in a couple of days.” Brendon said apathetically.

“Oh really? I don’t want you to feel like you have to.” Jason replied.

“No no, it’s definitely not that. Our band starts recording so I actually need to get back.” He said sounding a little stressed about recording for the new album.

“I see, I see.” Jason said nodding his head.

“But why are you back so early? Olivia said you’d be gone for a month.” Brendon asked.

“Yeah I just told her that, but I really wanted to surprise her.” Jason replied.

Brendon looked at him curiously. “Surprise her? What do you mean?” He asked.

Jason looked down then back up at Brendon with a little smirk across his lips. “Can you keep a secret?” He asked Brendon.

Oh yeah. I’m only keeping the biggest secret from you. Brendon thought sarcastically. He nodded his head. “What is it?”

Jason held up a finger for him to hold on and knelt down beside one of his bags, rummaging through it to finally take out what he was looking for. Brendon felt nauseated when Jason held out a black velvet box and opened it to reveal what he knew was in it.

“I’m gonna propose to her on our anniversary. What do you think?” Jason asked Brendon, smiling from ear to ear.

Brendon’s heart dropped, stopped beating, flat lined, or at least it felt that way. He didn’t know what to tell Jason, but he did know he couldn’t tell him the truth.

“Wow, it’s-it’s beautiful. She’ll love it. Congrats man.” He was finally able to say.

“Thanks.” Jason replied closing the box and placing it back in his bag. “So listen, since you’re here and all, I thought we could all go out for dinner tomorrow night, on me. You can bring your friend. Um…Courtney is her name?” He asked looking back at Brendon who just nodded.

“Yeah that sounds good. I’m actually meeting her in a bit, so I’ll let her know.” Brendon said grabbing his guitar to put it up in his room.

“Oh hey, where’s Olivia?” Jason asked.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“You’re total is sixty-one forty-seven.” The cashier said.

Olivia handed the girl her credit card and watched as another girl carefully placed her purchase in a pink bag.

“This is so cute. For someone special?” The girl asked as she fussed with the tissue paper.

Olivia smiled. “Oh yeah, he’s definitely special.” She replied as she grabbed her card.

“Well here ya go. Have a good day.” The girl said handing her the bag.

“Thanks, you too.” She answered back.

As she rummaged through her purse to find her car keys, she felt someone bump into her. She took a couple of steps back before looking up to see whom it was.

“Olivia! I’m so sorry; I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She heard the woman say.

“Oh hey, Cheryl. No it’s okay, I wasn’t looking either.” Olivia said pulling her purse strap up her shoulder.

“Oo buying something for Jason?” Cheryl asked suggesting towards the pink bag.

Jason… His name repeated in her mind several times before she shook it off. “Yeah, it’s for Jason.”

“Well I’ll let you go. See you back at work soon.” Cheryl said giving Olivia a hug.

Olivia just smiled and nodded, not having the heart to tell her she wouldn’t be back to work. Her life in Seattle was slowly fading, soon to be coming to an end. She would miss the sun piercing through the clouds, the feeling of walking outside and knowing it was going to rain, the culture, and everything else she learned to love about the place she called home the past five years.

He loves you Liv. It’ll all be worth it. She assured herself as she walked into the elevator. She smiled at the couple next to her, cooing their baby. She hoped that one day that would be her and Brendon. When the elevator stopped at her floor, she hurriedly walked to her apartment so she could pack, and slip into the lingerie she just bought, for Brendon.

The apartment was empty, though Olivia felt like she wasn’t alone. From her bedroom, she heard the shower running and then it stopped. She smiled thinking Brendon had just finished taking a shower. Walking into her room, she saw a man with a towel wrapped around his waist, his head forward as he towel dried his hair.

She smiled and began to say, “Hey…” and then the man looked up.

Her facial expression changed from joy to terrified in one second. She held her breath, not blinking, just staring wide-eyed at her boyfriend.

“Jason?”