The Good Ones Go

Chelsea holds her purse close to her body as she stands in front of Travis' door. She would have let herself in as usual, but the new circumstances since he has come back are unclear, and she doesn't want to risk crossing any boundaries. She extends a shaky finger over and presses the doorbell. Adjusting her feet in her heels she wait anxiously until the door opens to reveal the familiar redhead with a blinding smile.

"Chelsea, right?" Madie asks with a grin. She's surprised the woman is still there, but her interest, and geniality, is genuine as far as Chelsea can tell.

Chelsea nods without a word suddenly feeling like she's about to faint. Travis said she'd be staying at a hotel, didn't he? It's been three days - why is she still here? The idea that she's been spending the nights makes Chelsea sick to her stomach.

"Your husband came by a couple days ago, it was nice to meet him," she's too pleasant for Chelsea to hate her. What's the purpose of that statement anyway? To let Chelsea know she's watching her every move? Maybe it's her passive aggressive way of saying she knows she's married so she should stay away.

"I'll just stop by another day," Chelsea says suddenly uncomfortable. The little bit of confidence she had is now gone. She's not here for small talk, and the woman in front of her is too beautiful to compete with.

"No, don't be silly. Come in. Travis is making breakfast," she says as she steps to the side leaving Chelsea enough room to step over the threshold.

Chelsea is hesitant, but if she runs away now she knows it'll seem strange. Maybe if she plays it cool then she can get out of there fairly quickly. She gives Madie a faint smile as she walks inside and kicks her heels off before hanging her jacket up on the coat rack. She notices it's alone up there, and it confirms her suspicion that the redhead never left to book a room. There goes the nausea.

"Chels," Travis' voice calls when she walks in. She can hear the surprise in his tone as she makes her way to the kitchen. He didn't expect her to be back. He didn’t call because he hoped she wouldn’t stop by again at least until Madie left.

"Hey," she says weakly before sitting down at the island. She really wants to wrap her arms around him and nuzzle her face into his neck, but it's a bad idea so she doesn't. It's been so long, and she misses him. This isn’t fair. She can barely keep her eyes off his naked torso as she scoots forward to lean on the counter. She's trying to be cool, but his gaze isn't helping.

"I didn't know you were coming," he says before glancing over at Madelaine who has her back turned to them as she pours herself a glass of water.

"Yea sorry, I should have called. I didn't know you had company," she says with a smile. She tries to hide the bitterness in her voice for the sake of the redhead, but Travis can tell that she's upset.

"Yea, I, uh, I just finished making breakfast," he feels awkward. "Do you want me to make you an omelet?" He offers. It's not a good idea to address what she's talking about right now.

"No thanks, I already ate," she says, and he knows it's a lie but he doesn't push her.

"I'm gonna go change, Trav, I'll be right back," Madie says. She can feel the tension in the room, and she wants to excuse herself to give them a moment of privacy. She doesn't understand what's going on, but she doesn't know if she even wants to. Her relationship with Travis is too fresh for her to meddle.

Travis listens to Madie's footstep until he doesn't hear them anymore. "I'm sorry if this is weird, Chelsea," he tells her with a sigh as he takes a bite of his eggs. He should have expected this. What if Chelsea had walked in on them?

"No. It's fine," Chelsea tells him without keeping the fake smile up anymore. She knows he can spot the lie so she doesn't care to hide the sour tone.

"If you need to talk about something I'm here for you," he tries to reason as his face turns to a frown at the sight of her scowl. If she wants to yell at him for leaving then she should just cut to the chase.

"To talk? About what? Like how you kissed me, told you love me, and then disappeared off the face of the earth?" she asks not bothering to keep her voice down.

"Chelsea, I'm sorry. I thought it'd do you good if I gave you some space," he sighs. She's hurt, and it's his fault. The guilt overwhelms him, and he pushes his plate away not hungry anymore.

"I didn't ask you for space. You dropped a fucking nuke on my already fucked up life, and just left," she's blaming him. He doesn't get to run away and be happy while she has to navigate this mess.

"Yea I told you I love you, and you went home to fuck Adam," it's his turn to accuse her now. The image is burned into his mind, and he can't fight the jealousy.

"He's my husband," she defends even though she feels guilty. Adam was right when he said she'd regret it.

Travis scoffs at her words, "yea, sounds like a good reason." His sarcasm translates well. "I can't be here forever, Chels. This isn't a fucking game of tennis." He wants her to love him back, but she doesn’t, and she can't expect him to hang around forever. He has to live his own life.

She can hear the anger in his voice, and Colson's words repeat over and over in her head. The good ones go if you wait too long. The sound of Madie's feet coming down the steps breaks her out of her thoughts.

"Everything okay?" The woman asks with a raised brow. Maybe she should have gave them more time.

"Yea, excuse me for a minute," Chelsea says before heading out to the back porch. She pulls her cigarettes out of her pocket and lights one with a shaky hand. She's fucking gorgeous. Skinny. Tall. Her bare legs in that dress are enough to strike a man dead. She's being pathetic.

This is not how she imagined it would be when Travis finally called her. She doesn't know what she expected, but not a girlfriend, and not a silent notice that he was done waiting for her. She was scared to admit that all the signs have always been there, but she was too blind to notice them. She was scared to admit that a relationship with Travis wouldn't be so bad. That's what she wanted all those years ago when they finally hooked up, but she was scared to admit that too. His friendship was too important to risk ruining that she kept her interactions to counsel and flirting. Is this what Colson felt when she left him? He told her she was better off. Maybe Travis is too.

Chelsea takes another drag of her cigarette before turning to see who opened the patio doors. Travis' body slides out now clad in a sweatshirt, and she lets out a heavy sigh. He doesn't say anything as he pulls a joint out from his pocket. He offers her a hit, but she declines for the first time in her life because she know she won't spend the day cuddled up to him. Instead she takes one last puff of her cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray, on the table, full of roaches and butts.

"Chelsea," Travis starts. He doesn't know what to say except to apologize. He didn't realize this was too soon for her. He assumed she didn't want him like that, but maybe she's overreacting because of the way he left her hanging.

"No, it's okay. You're absolutely right. You deserve so much better," she says with a sigh before stepping back inside the house and slipping his giant shoes off. She makes her way to the kitchen and grabs her purse.

"You're leaving?" Madie's voice calls from behind.

"Yea. I just wanted to stop by and see how he's doing. I've gotta get to work," she lies thinking about how she's wearing jeans and a tee, but she knows Madie will never know. The woman just nods, and Chelsea makes her way to the foyer to leave before Travis comes back in and tries to stop her.

"Where'd Chelsea go?" He asks as he walks back in to the kitchen.

"She said she had to go to work. I assumed she said bye," Madelaine responds with raised brows. Her hands are on her hips as she stares at Travis' awkward stance.

Travis looks towards the counter to see Chelsea's purse is gone, and he lets out a sigh. What the fuck does she mean he deserves better?

"What's going on Travis? She seemed upset," Madie knows she shouldn't pry, but she's curious why this woman has come around a second time and stormed away twice.

"She's been going through a rough patch with Adam the past couple months, and I've been away and too busy to talk so," Travis says. It's not really a lie. Still, his hands are in his pockets to keep himself from fidgeting.

Madelaine nods with pursed lips. It's not the whole story, and she knows. "Are you two having an affair?" she asks with arms crossed and gritted teeth. The secrets are kind of overwhelming, and she's having regrets about getting herself into this.

Travis gulps, "Madie, we're not having an affair." They were so close at times that maybe it might have seemed like crossing the line, but it wasn't an affair right?

"Don't lie to me, Travis. That's why you didn't want me coming with you isn't it? That's why she's so pissed to see me here?" Madelaine accuses.

"You're being dramatic. I was the best man at their wedding. They're my best friends," he tries to reason with her in all the ways that make his story seem plausible.

"None of this makes any sense unless the explanation is that you two are a thing," she says irritated. He should have told her before they left London. It would have been fine. She would have went back to LA and forgot all about him, but he let her stay. He let her think his could work.

"A thing? I already told you we're not having an affair, and you're out of line making an accusation like that," he's getting frustrated. She isn't here to make his situation with Chelsea more difficult, she's supposed to make him forget.

"You're lying to me," she huff with arms still crossed. She's not letting him off the hook that easy.

"Alright Madelaine," he starts, "maybe this isn't a good idea. You should go." He doesn't need more conflict. If she can't trust him when they're just fucking, then a relationship is out of question.

"Travis, come on," she's sorry she said anything. She thought he'd fight a little harder. There's no way that there's nothing going on. He wouldn’t give up so easily.

"I'm sorry, okay. This wasn't supposed to be anything other than sex. I'm really not looking for anything serious, and with the road this is heading down I thinks its best if we just quit while we're ahead," his words are firm and decisive.

"You love her don't you?" Madie says through a gasp. She didn't want to believe it, but it's written all over his face.

"Madelaine, please. Get your stuff, and go," he reiterates.

Madie nods, "okay, Travis, but you should tell her because she definitely feels the same way." She's upset that this won't work, but she'll get over it.

Travis watches her walk up the stairs as her words replay in his mind. The same way? He scoffs at the thought. Chelsea doesn't love him. She loves the idea of having someone there at her beck and call. He sighs and turns around to finish what's left of his coffee. How is he ever going to move past this woman? He's dedicated almost half of his life to her, and he doesn't know how to stop.

He feels the weed struggling to calm him, and he walks to the living room slumping down on the couch. This high is what he needs right now, but where does he go from here? So much for moving on.



"Where'd you go?" Adam's voice rings through the living room when Chelsea slams the door shut behind her.

"To see Travis," she replies and he can hear the anger in her voice.

"I meant the last couple days. I haven't seen you since the day you picked him up, and you went straight to bed at like 5," he says a little irritated. He doesn't know what's going on with her. He thought Travis coming home would make things better, not worse.

"Well, I went out with Colson the other day too to catch up after his daughter's treatment. I guess I've just been pulled in a lot of different directions," she tries to come up with an excuse even though she's been consciously avoiding him.

"Are you pissed about his girlfriend?" Adam asks knowingly. When she doesn’t respond he rolls his eyes, "you should tell him. He'd leave her for you in a heartbeat."

"Don’t be a dick, Adam," Chelsea sighs as she sits down on the sofa across from him and lights a cigarette.

"How many times have I told you to stop smoking those things?" he asks as he watches her take a drag.

"Too many to count," she counters inhaling the smoke deep into her lungs.

"I don't know who you are anymore, Chelsea. Obviously you don't want to work on this anymore. Are you ready to call it quits? You can't just keep me here in case your other options fall through," his words are mean, and he knows they hit home when he watches her face contort into a scowl.

"I do love you, Adam," she admits trying to keep her composure.

"Yea, but let's be honest, you love Travis more," he concludes realizing that this predicament was never about MGK.

"I don’t think that's true, and anyway, that ship has sailed," she says.

"Like I said, you don't get to keep me around as a safety net, Chelsea," he repeats himself with an eye roll.

"You're not a safety net, you're my husband, and I don't want to lose you over this petty high school shit," she tells him picking at the lint on her jeans.

"So are you deciding on us then? You'd better be sure you're done with this, because if you falter again I'm not staying," he almost threatens. When she says nothing he chuckles, "maybe you should take the weekend to decide."

"The weekend? You're acting as if you're asking me out on a second date, and I'm debating if I want to say yes. I think uprooting my life warrants more than a weekend," she huffs at him as she takes another hit.

"Yea well we've been at this for a few months now, and I deserve to be happy too," he's curt.

"Okay, Adam, I'll pack my shit," she concedes holding the tears back as she throws her cigarette in the ashtray.

"No, Chels, I got this house for you. If we're doing this, then I'll leave," he tells her hoping it'd change her mind.

"I can't accept that, Adam. I'll be out of here by the weekend," she tells him as she stands up.

Adam watches her put her coat back on. Her bare feet slide into her stilettos effortlessly before she grabs her purse and slams the door behind her. He lets out a groan as his face settles into his hands. If he just hadn't pressured her, she'd still be here.

Chelsea turns her car on with a heavy sigh. Where the fuck is she going to go? She decides not to feel sorry for herself as she puts the car in drive and speeds off to a hotel in the city. It's time to suck it up and face reality.

"Good afternoon, miss. What can I do for you?" the young man behind the counter asks her with a smile. His navy blue suit is fitted, and it doesn't even crease as he turns his body to greet her.

"Um, I'm gonna need a room for at least a week," she says rummaging through her purse to pull out her black Kate Spade wallet.

"Sure we can do that, what kind of bed would you like?" he asks. The smile is still plastered across his face, and it makes Chelsea feel sick because she could never be that happy.

"It doesn't matter. What if I need to extend my stay?" she asks handing over her ID and her credit card.

"Okay, I'll give you a queen, an if you decide that you'd like to stay longer you can let us know. If your room should be reserved we'd be happy to put you in a comparable one," he adds as his brilliantly white teeth glisten under the fluorescent lighting. He breaks eye contact as his manicured fingers begin to type away at the computer in front of him.

She stands there waiting for him to finish, but it's not long before her key card is in her hand and she's boarding the elevator. Once inside her room she looks around at the antique wallpaper. The blackout curtains are pulled back, and there is a pair of chocolate mints sitting on the fluffed pillows.

She throws her purse on the mattress before sitting down on it herself and dialing the familiar number. "Rico," she sighs his name out when he picks up. "Listen, I need you to cover for me tomorrow," she says biting her lip as if he could see her. She's asked him too many times, and she's scared he'll say no.

"Chelsea," he sighs, "you can't keep doing this. You know how many people would kill to have this position? You can't keep asking me to cover for you, I'm fucking swamped too," he's irritated with her. She's been taking too many days off, and he doesn't understand why she's throwing this opportunity away.

"Adam and I split up," she says feeling the pang in her chest as she hears her own words.

Rico sighs, "Alright Chelsea. I'll cover tomorrow, but this is the last time," he tells her before hanging up.

Her hand drops back to her side, and she takes her coat off before laying underneath the floral quit. There's no one to call - no one to talk to. She'd go through this alone, and she probably deserves that. She's taken a lot of people for granted in her life, and she doesn't deserve anyone to care anymore. Tomorrow when Adam goes to work, she'd go home and pack up her clothes, and then maybe she'd go look for an apartment.

Chelsea feels the tears stream across her face and onto the pillow her head is nestling on. This isn't how her life was supposed to be. She should've just removed Travis and Colson from her life. Adam treated her well. He'd be there for her. She could’ve been happy. Now she's alone, and not even Travis is there to make it better. He moved on. He deserved to be happy too. She's the only one that doesn’t. She'd brought everyone around her down, and the pain that she's feeling - she deserves that.



The next morning Chelsea is parked in Adam's driveway for what'll probably be the last time. She unlocks the door and lets herself into the empty house. Almost robotically, she packs one suitcase, and then another before dragging them both down the stairs and into the trunk of her car. It didn’t take long because she's scared he'll come home, and she'll have to face him. Walking back in she glances at the living room, and her eyes fill with visions of them arguing back and forth sitting on opposite couches. She turns to walk into the kitchen admiring the quartz counters one last time.

Chelsea glances down at her hand hesitantly pulling the blinding diamond off her finger. She places it on the counter along with her keys before forcing her feet to carry her back to the entrance. Walking out, a photo catches her eye. She's in her wedding dress holding Adam's hand, and the smile on both their faces is real. She'd never have that again. She looks away and locks the front door before stepping outside and shutting it.

Adam decides to leave work early today in hopes of catching Chelsea at the house. He'd resolved to ask her to stay, but when he gets home her car isn’t there. He lets himself into the house hoping she hadn’t stopped by yet, but as he walks into the kitchen to get a glass of water his heart stops.

Chelsea's ring is on the counter sitting next to a set of keys, and Adam reaches for something to hold onto as he feels his knees give out. His feet glide over, and his hand reaches for the ring, but once it's in his hands he collapses to the floor. The tiles are cold, but he doesn’t feel them as his life seems to flash before his eyes. He isn’t seeing things. The ring is real and he's holding it between his fingers. She left. The sob that leaves his throat is so sad that if he'd heard it from anyone else it'd bring him to tears, but they're already streaming down his face.

Chelsea's gone. He had forced her out. He told her he deserved to be happy, but her leaving is not happiness. Everything is falling apart, and if he'd just kept his shit together then she'd still be here. She loves him. She told him so many times, and he didn't believe her. Now she's gone, and he's alone. He deserves better, but this is not better, and he'd give anything to have her back.

He manages to pull himself up off the ground, placing Chelsea's ring back on the counter. If it's meant to be, she'd come back into his life, and maybe they could give it a second chance. It wasn't her fault. He'd blamed all her baggage, but it was him who couldn’t handle it. Next time he'd be ready, and if she ever decides to come back: he'll be waiting.