‹ Prequel: Just Go With It
Sequel: I Could Never Pretend ›
Status: Completed
Nothing Is Ever Simple
The Beach
AMELIA
It was the second day of the year and after spending the previous day lounging around the house and nursing a horrific hangover, Amelia decided she would take Madison and Brandon for a walk on the beach that morning. The sun was out and it looked like it was going to be another beautiful day. Amelia wanted to spend some quality time with her little boy and make the most of the beach and the weather. She was also keen to take a little time away from Johnny so that she could assess her feelings and attempt to work out what she was going to do next.
She was still reeling from the shock of Johnny admitting that he was in love with her. Despite the times they had kissed and the close relationship they shared she had never really entertained the notion that he felt anything more for her than friendship. The first kiss had been little more than one friend comforting another and the second had been a drunken mistake, or at least that’s what she had convinced herself of up until now, and she was starting to realise how naive she had been. Johnny had not left her with much choice but to admit the truth to him too. But where did this leave them?
Amelia pulled up in a car park on the sea front and stood back as Madison helped get Brandon out of the car. Going out without his pushchair had proven to be a challenge throughout the week but it was giving him plenty of practice on his feet. The three of them made their way carefully down to the beach and on to the sand. Madison and Brandon ran ahead towards the sea and Amelia strolled calmly behind them, shades down and hair tousled by the wind coming from the sea. It was not long before Madison and Brandon had taken to paddling in the water with their shoes off and Amelia smiled as she scooped their shoes up and continued walking.
She remembered the last time she had been on this beach during the filming of Number Two when she had received the phone call from Ehren telling her that Bam was in hospital. They had fallen out then too because he felt she was spending too much time with the other guys. It was silly really. How was she supposed to do her job without being around them? Luckily that time she and Bam had patched things up and everything had been ok in the end. Perhaps she should have seen things coming though? Their relationship had not got off to a smooth start with Bam’s constant mood swings and of course the fact that he had deserted her when she needed him most. It had been Johnny who was there for her then and Johnny who had brought Bam back.
It was funny really. So much had changed in the space of a year. This time twelve months ago she and Johnny had just rekindled their emailing and now, well, now things had gone so fast. Despite the fact that their feelings were out in the open, Amelia had no idea what she really wanted. She was a married woman now, all be it an unhappy one and she had Brandon to think about. He needed a father. But was Bam really what he needed? Johnny had split up with his wife but Madison seemed happy.
She could go back and try to work things out with Bam, but if he was still adamant on cutting her out of the show then where would that leave her? Jeff had all but offered her a job at Dickhouse but that would mean moving to Los Angeles permanently. Regardless of the situation between her and Johnny, did she really want to leave Bam and Westchester? She needed to decide what was more important, her work or her family? No, put like that it did not quite sound right. Maybe the question she should be asking was her happiness or her marriage?
Amelia groaned out loud. She knew she was going to have to return to Westchester. She could not leave things up in the air as they were. She needed to talk to Bam. She loved him. Maybe if she went back with a clear head they could work things out, after all they had only been married for a few months. However she remembered what Rose had said and Bam had still not got in touch with her. Maybe he had made his own mind up, but whatever happened she was going to have to go back and try to set things straight.
All she knew was that she wanted to be with Johnny. The thought alone created a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. The idea of waking up next to him every morning sent shivers down her spine, but she could not trust her feelings just yet, she had Brandon to think of first. Her main priority was to make sure that she did best by him and if that meant negotiating with Bam then so be it. She owed it to her son to at least try and make a go of things with his father.
Amelia came to a stop and sat herself down, kicking off her shoes and socks and digging her feet into the soft grains of sand. She loved the beach. It reminded her of the family summer holidays when she and Rose were little and neither of them had a care in the world, just like Madison now. She remembered being Madison’s age. The thought of boys had still not quite entered her head and she was quite content in her own world of books and music. She watched as Madison and Brandon hurried over to her. Madison took a seat beside Amelia and Brandon threw himself into his mother’s arms. She smiled and pulled him onto her lap, kissing his head. She still wondered where the past ten years had gone. It only felt like yesterday that she and Rose were building sandcastles with their father. Now Amelia had a child of her own. She looked down at Brandon, who seemed so much happier than normal this week. He loved spending time with Madison and Johnny and his speech seemed to be improving every day.
“Are you staying with us now Amelia?” Madison asked, lying back into the sand and staring at the clear blue sky.
“I don’t know honey.” Amelia sighed, still wrestling with her conscience.
“I think you should stay. I want you to and I know dad does too.”
Amelia blushed slightly. She found it strange how Madison did not seem to have a problem with whatever was going on between her and Johnny. “You do?”
Madison sat back up and nodded enthusiastically. “Dad’s been so much happier since you got here. Before you came he was just sitting moping around doing my head in. He was so depressed. But you make him happy.”
“He was depressed?” Amelia frowned. She had never known Johnny to be anything other than his usual hyperactive and super confident self. She had a nagging feeling that she was responsible if he had been feeling down lately.
“Yup. I think he gets lonely when I’m at mom’s. I know he’s always busy filming and stuff and he has loads of friends but mom says he’s not had a girlfriend in ages.”
Amelia stared at Madison. Johnny’s daughter was incredibly observant. She wondered just how much she had picked up about Amelia over the past week.
“So please stay Amelia. ” Madison continued. “You’re really cool and young and pretty and you make my dad so happy.”
Amelia laughed slightly and held out her arm to pull Madison into a hug, wondering how to reply to that.
The wind was picking up and Brandon was beginning to get tired so Amelia ushered them back to the car with the promise of ice cream. As she drove through the streets of LA she continued her battle with what she wanted and what she needed to do for the best. In the end, the best won out. She wanted to be with Johnny but she needed to do was best for Brandon. She would return to Westchester and try to reason with Bam and sort her head out. She was feeling ok about talking to Johnny. She knew he would understand.
It was the second day of the year and after spending the previous day lounging around the house and nursing a horrific hangover, Amelia decided she would take Madison and Brandon for a walk on the beach that morning. The sun was out and it looked like it was going to be another beautiful day. Amelia wanted to spend some quality time with her little boy and make the most of the beach and the weather. She was also keen to take a little time away from Johnny so that she could assess her feelings and attempt to work out what she was going to do next.
She was still reeling from the shock of Johnny admitting that he was in love with her. Despite the times they had kissed and the close relationship they shared she had never really entertained the notion that he felt anything more for her than friendship. The first kiss had been little more than one friend comforting another and the second had been a drunken mistake, or at least that’s what she had convinced herself of up until now, and she was starting to realise how naive she had been. Johnny had not left her with much choice but to admit the truth to him too. But where did this leave them?
Amelia pulled up in a car park on the sea front and stood back as Madison helped get Brandon out of the car. Going out without his pushchair had proven to be a challenge throughout the week but it was giving him plenty of practice on his feet. The three of them made their way carefully down to the beach and on to the sand. Madison and Brandon ran ahead towards the sea and Amelia strolled calmly behind them, shades down and hair tousled by the wind coming from the sea. It was not long before Madison and Brandon had taken to paddling in the water with their shoes off and Amelia smiled as she scooped their shoes up and continued walking.
She remembered the last time she had been on this beach during the filming of Number Two when she had received the phone call from Ehren telling her that Bam was in hospital. They had fallen out then too because he felt she was spending too much time with the other guys. It was silly really. How was she supposed to do her job without being around them? Luckily that time she and Bam had patched things up and everything had been ok in the end. Perhaps she should have seen things coming though? Their relationship had not got off to a smooth start with Bam’s constant mood swings and of course the fact that he had deserted her when she needed him most. It had been Johnny who was there for her then and Johnny who had brought Bam back.
It was funny really. So much had changed in the space of a year. This time twelve months ago she and Johnny had just rekindled their emailing and now, well, now things had gone so fast. Despite the fact that their feelings were out in the open, Amelia had no idea what she really wanted. She was a married woman now, all be it an unhappy one and she had Brandon to think about. He needed a father. But was Bam really what he needed? Johnny had split up with his wife but Madison seemed happy.
She could go back and try to work things out with Bam, but if he was still adamant on cutting her out of the show then where would that leave her? Jeff had all but offered her a job at Dickhouse but that would mean moving to Los Angeles permanently. Regardless of the situation between her and Johnny, did she really want to leave Bam and Westchester? She needed to decide what was more important, her work or her family? No, put like that it did not quite sound right. Maybe the question she should be asking was her happiness or her marriage?
Amelia groaned out loud. She knew she was going to have to return to Westchester. She could not leave things up in the air as they were. She needed to talk to Bam. She loved him. Maybe if she went back with a clear head they could work things out, after all they had only been married for a few months. However she remembered what Rose had said and Bam had still not got in touch with her. Maybe he had made his own mind up, but whatever happened she was going to have to go back and try to set things straight.
All she knew was that she wanted to be with Johnny. The thought alone created a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. The idea of waking up next to him every morning sent shivers down her spine, but she could not trust her feelings just yet, she had Brandon to think of first. Her main priority was to make sure that she did best by him and if that meant negotiating with Bam then so be it. She owed it to her son to at least try and make a go of things with his father.
Amelia came to a stop and sat herself down, kicking off her shoes and socks and digging her feet into the soft grains of sand. She loved the beach. It reminded her of the family summer holidays when she and Rose were little and neither of them had a care in the world, just like Madison now. She remembered being Madison’s age. The thought of boys had still not quite entered her head and she was quite content in her own world of books and music. She watched as Madison and Brandon hurried over to her. Madison took a seat beside Amelia and Brandon threw himself into his mother’s arms. She smiled and pulled him onto her lap, kissing his head. She still wondered where the past ten years had gone. It only felt like yesterday that she and Rose were building sandcastles with their father. Now Amelia had a child of her own. She looked down at Brandon, who seemed so much happier than normal this week. He loved spending time with Madison and Johnny and his speech seemed to be improving every day.
“Are you staying with us now Amelia?” Madison asked, lying back into the sand and staring at the clear blue sky.
“I don’t know honey.” Amelia sighed, still wrestling with her conscience.
“I think you should stay. I want you to and I know dad does too.”
Amelia blushed slightly. She found it strange how Madison did not seem to have a problem with whatever was going on between her and Johnny. “You do?”
Madison sat back up and nodded enthusiastically. “Dad’s been so much happier since you got here. Before you came he was just sitting moping around doing my head in. He was so depressed. But you make him happy.”
“He was depressed?” Amelia frowned. She had never known Johnny to be anything other than his usual hyperactive and super confident self. She had a nagging feeling that she was responsible if he had been feeling down lately.
“Yup. I think he gets lonely when I’m at mom’s. I know he’s always busy filming and stuff and he has loads of friends but mom says he’s not had a girlfriend in ages.”
Amelia stared at Madison. Johnny’s daughter was incredibly observant. She wondered just how much she had picked up about Amelia over the past week.
“So please stay Amelia. ” Madison continued. “You’re really cool and young and pretty and you make my dad so happy.”
Amelia laughed slightly and held out her arm to pull Madison into a hug, wondering how to reply to that.
The wind was picking up and Brandon was beginning to get tired so Amelia ushered them back to the car with the promise of ice cream. As she drove through the streets of LA she continued her battle with what she wanted and what she needed to do for the best. In the end, the best won out. She wanted to be with Johnny but she needed to do was best for Brandon. She would return to Westchester and try to reason with Bam and sort her head out. She was feeling ok about talking to Johnny. She knew he would understand.