Like a Dream Come True

THANKS AGAIN FOR CONTINUING TO READ THIS STORY. HERE ARE SOME RESPONSES I HAD TO THE REVIEWS I’VE GOTTEN RECENTLY:

CATEY – I’M TRYING TO DRAW FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES, TOO. IT FEELS GOOD TO KNOW I’M NOT ALONE.

DISAPPEAREDCAT – I KNOW SOME STUFF IS CLICHÉD, BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIT – SOMETIMES LIFE IS CLICHÉD, TOO!

LADY RAIN AND KALI – YOU BOTH THINK A LOT LIKE ME.

CONNIE – THANKS FOR CLEARING UP THE APARTMENT ISSUE FOR OTHER REVIEWERS. AND I WASN’T OFFENDED BY YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY, AND YES, I DID INTEND READERS TO GET FRUSTRATED WITH LIANNA. HAVEN’T YOU EVER KNOWN A GIRL LIKE THAT? I ALWAYS HAVE. BUT I’M HOPING TO ALLOW READERS TO WATCH HER GROW OVER THE FINAL FEW CHAPTERS.

ADAEE – I ACTUALLY WANTED TO SHOW ALL SIDES OF THE ISSUE WITH LIANNA. I’M SORRY IF IT SEEMED LIKE I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THE CHAPTER WAS HEADING. IT WASN’T MY INTENTION. I ACTUALLY DO KNOW WHERE I PLAN TO TAKE THIS STORY, IF THAT HELPS ANY.

AND JUST A BIG THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT TO RENEE, MEMORY CHASE, CU-KID, IOTC247, GINGER, LUVJD, CARIAD AND THE ANONYMOUS POSTER THAT GAVE ME FIRST 100TH REVIEW ON THIS SITE!

------

“This place is great,” Lianna told Eddie’s friend, Vicky, as they ended the short tour of the apartment. “It’s exactly what I’m looking for.” The place was a one bedroom, but it had a separate dining area and a small balcony overlooking the busy downtown street where it was situated. It was much nicer than the apartment that Lianna had been renting before moving in with Joseph.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that!” Vicky was a small, round, smiling girl with startlingly violet eyes. “I don’t want to break my lease, because I’ll forfeit my deposit that way. But I was afraid to sublet to someone I didn’t know because, well, I’m responsible for the place in the end.”

“Well, in that case,” Eddie grinned from his spot leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest. “I think Lianna may be a bad choice. I mean, she’s known for her wild parties and a mild case of pyromania.”

“Shut up, Eddie,” both girls said in unison, and then laughed.

“Fine,” Eddie threw up his hands. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Vick.” He smiled warmly at the girl who he had known since grade school. They had both moved to New York around the same time, and had stayed in touch over the years. It was comforting to have someone who knew so much of your history, especially when you were in a new and oftentimes intimidating city.

Rolling her eyes, Lianna turned to Vicky. “Ignoring him,” she said. “No, I’d be really interested in moving in. You said it’s okay that I have a cat, right?”

“That’s fine,” Vicky said in reply. “We’re allowed one pet under twenty-five pounds without a pet deposit.”

As the women discussed the specifics of the apartment, Lianna felt like her heart was heavy. It wasn’t that the apartment was bad; it was actually very nice, and convenient to her work. It was just that discussing the lease, talking about security deposits and storage areas, it all made things with Joseph seem more final. Staying with Madison for the last week and a half had allowed things to feel temporary, as if Lianna could return to Joseph and the condo at any time. Now, she knew she was no longer going to call the condo ‘home’. It was all just a little sad.

“Okay,” Lianna pulled her checkbook out of her purse. “Here’s the security deposit and first month’s rent. You said I could start moving things in here the weekend after next?”

“That’s right,” Vicky smiled. “And don’t worry. I’ll put together a standard renter’s agreement that we can both sign before I leave. I’m really glad this is going to work out for both of us. All kidding aside,” she turned towards Eddie with a grin. “Thanks, Eddie. This is the perfect solution for me.”

“Me too,” Lianna smiled at Eddie, who waved off the compliments quickly. Since their uncomfortable lunch a few days earlier, Lianna had been nervous to spend time with him. But they had gone to dinner before going to Vicky’s apartment that evening, and things seemed to be going back to normal. He had asked once about Joseph, but just a friendly casual question about whether Lianna had spoken to him yet. The answer, which was no, hadn’t seemed to affect him one way or the other. Lianna was beginning to believe his strangeness had all been in her head.

Clapping his hands together, Eddie stood up. “Well, I am glad this worked out, but I should be going now,” he told Lianna and Vicky. “I have a paper I need to edit for a class tomorrow. Lianna, do you want to split a cab? I’m heading in your direction anyway.”

“Thanks,” Lianna smiled at him. “But I’m actually going to stop by the office before I head back to Madison’s, to pick up some paperwork. But really, Eddie, thanks so much for your help.” She reached over tentatively to give him a hug, and relaxed when she felt him embrace her in a friendly way.

“No problem. And you,” Eddie turned towards Vicky, giving her the same sort of hug. “I’m going to be very pissed off if you don’t put aside a night or two to hang out with me before you leave town, okay?”

“Okay, Dad,” Vicky replied sarcastically, but she was smiling widely.

Lianna began gathering her things as Eddie left the apartment. “So you’ve known Eddie a long time, huh?” she asked Vicky conversationally.

“Since we were both ten,” Vicky nodded. “He’s a great guy, a good friend. And I have to say, I haven’t seen him crushing this bad on a girl since Meredith, his high school girlfriend. He doesn’t stop talking about you, you know.”

Blush immediately filled Lianna’s face. “Oh, no,” she insisted. “We’re just friends. Eddie doesn’t think of me like that.”

Looking like she thought Lianna was crazy for a second, Vicky quickly nodded. “Oh, okay,” she said in an unconvinced tone. “My mistake. What do I know about guys, anyway? I’ve never had a relationship that lasted more than a month.”

Biting her lip, Lianna felt like bile had risen in her throat. “Anyway, I’ll give you a call this weekend to set up a time to meet and sign that agreement.”

“Perfect,” Vicky also looked like she was nauseated. It was obvious that the girl was uncomfortable about having revealed Eddie’s crush to Lianna.

As Lianna took the elevator down to the ground level, she tried not to think about what Vicky had said. It felt like every relationship Lianna had with a man, with the exception of her father and Tavian, turned out to be complicated and difficult.

-----

“I’m going to miss having you around, believe it or not,” Madison said as she sat down next to Lianna on the couch and handed her the bag of chips she was holding. “This has been like one big long grownup sleepover.”

“Yeah,” Lianna rolled her eyes, reaching in the bag to grab a handful of chips. “Exactly, except for no hairstyling, no nail polishing, no pillow fighting, and all the boy talk revolved around killing, maiming or crying.”

“What kind of sleepovers did you go to as a kid?” Madison replied with a straight face. “Because that’s all me and friends did when I was in junior high.”

Smiling, Lianna shook her head. “Well, you’re still stuck with me for another week and a half,” she reminded Madison. “But then you can have back your apartment, basketcase-free.”

Looking over Lianna for a moment, Madison gave her a sympathetic grin. “Have you figured out what you’re going to do yet?” she asked, her voice filled with concern. “I mean, I know you’re getting your apartment, but in relation to what’s going to happen between you and Joseph… have you figured it out?”

Biting her lip, Lianna looked at her friend. “Yeah,” she said sadly. “I’m going to end things, as soon as I grow some balls. I officially have eight days until he goes on tour. That’s enough time to gather the courage to tell the person you love most in the world that you want nothing to do with them anymore, right?”

Studying Lianna’s sad expression, Madison reached over and squeezed her arm. “Is this the right thing to do?” she asked supportively.

Leaning over to rest her head on Madison’s shoulder, Lianna sighed. “It’s the only thing to do, I think.”

-----

Saturday was one of those beautiful fall days in Central Park, the sun shining and a calm breeze keeping the air a cool comfortable temperature. Lianna sat down on the grass, biting her lip and dreading what was going to come. She was nearly half an hour early, but Joseph arrived just ten minutes after her.

“Hey,” Joseph’s expression was nervous and hopeful at the same time as he approached Lianna. He sat down across from her and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “I’m so glad you called last night. I really want to talk to you.”

Looking at Joseph, Lianna’s stomach tumbled. He was in a simple pair of jeans, a black hoodie and a baseball cap, but when he lifted his head to look in Lianna’s eyes, she had to swallow. Besides being undeniably gorgeous, he had a pure look in his sparkling green eyes that was going to make this even harder for Lianna. “Well, I’m glad you could meet up today,” she finally replied.

“Seriously, I would have been here no matter what,” Joseph told her, pulling off the hat and running his fingers through the shiny black strands. “I meant what I said. I will do whatever it takes to make things work between us.”

Looking down, Lianna pulled a blade of grass out and twirled it in her fingers. She had promised herself she would do this, but with Joseph sitting right before her, it was so much harder. Finally, she looked up, knowing her eyes were glassy. “I appreciate that, Joseph, and I need you to know that what I’m about to do isn’t meant as a punishment,” she gave him a sad look. “But this has to be it. We can’t be together, I’ve figured out. I just… I think we should make a clean break of it.”

Joseph’s whole face clouded over as he listened to Lianna. “Can’t we talk about this more?” he asked softly. “Can’t I do something?”

Shaking her head, Lianna felt a tear escape and make its way down over her cheek. She reached up and wiped it away with her fingers, willing herself to stay in control. “Like I said,” Lianna felt her voice getting tight, but pushed on. “This isn’t a punishment. I just spent the last few days thinking, and I realized that… that we have to break up for good. I wasn’t myself half the time when I was with you, and that’s not your fault. But after what happened… with, uh, you and… um, Frankie… I realized that I also didn’t really get to know you either. I didn’t think you were someone who could do something like that.”

“I can’t begin tell you how sorry I am about what I did,” Joseph told Lianna. “And I know I wasn’t supportive of your job like I should have been. But I’ve been thinking about this since the other day when you first said it, and I think it’s bullshit to say I don’t know you, because I do. I do know you. I know that you used to bring a sandwich to the homeless woman on the corner every day on your way to your internship. I know that you got Starsky at the pound after you and your ex broke up. I know you’re scared of spiders, and that you love strawberries, and that you snore just a little at night if you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Joseph-” Lianna tried to interrupt, but he wouldn’t let her.

“No, I have to finish this,” Joseph told her. “I know a lot about you, and every new thing I learn excites me. It thrills me, because it makes me feel that much closer to you. And as for you knowing me, you do. You know how I go up to the roof of the building to write songs – nobody else knows that. You know that I’m a sap for old romance movies – you think I’d let that be public knowledge? You know what motivates me, you know what pisses me off, you know me in a way no one else in the world does, even Tavian. He knows who I was and who I am now, and he merges those together in his head. You have no then or now about me, you have me at my essence.” As Joseph grew more emotional, he stopped meeting Lianna’s eyes. “I am a fuck up, Lianna. I get that. And if you want to break up with me for that, I’ll have to accept it. If you want to break up with me because it’s too hard to date someone on the road all the time, I’ll have to accept that. But don’t use a bullshit excuse like we don’t know each other. I love you, and I’ll accept whatever you decide, but realize that it’s your decision. Just know why you’re doing it.”

“I… I, um,” Lianna didn’t know how to respond. She had told herself that she was going to break up with Joseph because they didn’t know each other, but he was right. They did. She was just trying to take the martyr’s way out of the relationship. No, her reasons for ending things were a little more straightforward. “You’re right,” Lianna’s voice was soft as she spoke to Joseph. “I’m breaking up with you for a combination of reasons. One is because it’s really hard to date someone who’s away a lot. It’s also hard to have you in the media spotlight. And I’m still hurt and confused about why you didn’t take my job seriously. And I don’t like how insecure I made myself feel when I was with you – and I realize that’s not you’re issue. You were very good at telling me I was special, that’s for sure. But mostly… I can’t get past it. I just can’t. Frankie? I mean, you know how cruel she has been to me. You know what a calculating bitch she is. You know that she doesn’t care about anyone but herself. But you were still able to sleep with her, and then to tell me you loved me while she was still in the condo. I can’t get past that, Joseph. I just can’t.” Tears were streaming down Lianna’s face now.

Just nodding his head for a moment, Joseph said nothing. “Okay,” he finally replied in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper. He looked like he was trying to stop himself from crying as his green eyes looked up from the grass to meet Lianna’s glassy gaze. “Okay, I get all that. I wish things were different, but I understand what you’re saying. I wish I could change what I did, but I can’t now. And I appreciate you being honest. But Lianna, I just want you to know one thing. You are the only woman I have ever loved. No matter what a fucking idiot I was, please just always remember that, okay?”

Nodding slowly, Lianna looked at Joseph’s face. This was it. They had really ended it. She stood up, feeling her legs wobbling below her, and Joseph did the same. They looked at each other awkwardly. “So, I leave next Wednesday,” Joseph said. “I’ll leave a copy of the key with security for you, so you can get the rest of your stuff.”

“Thanks,” Lianna felt her lower lip trembling. “And Joseph, I want you to know I love you, too. A part of me always will.” Immediately, Joseph reached out for Lianna and pulled her to his chest. She held onto his sweatshirt as she cried, and he stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. Finally, after several minutes, Lianna’s sobs subsided. “Good luck on tour,” she gave him a wan smile as she pulled back.

“You take care of yourself,” Joseph told her in a serious voice. “And if you ever need anything – anything at all – please, don’t hesitate to ask. For your whole life, I will always do whatever I can to help you…”

Nodding, Lianna bit her lip again, trying to dull the pain in her heart by breaking the skin with her teeth. “Bye, Joseph.”

“Bye, Lianna.”

-----

“Thanks for doing this Tavian,” Lianna said as she unlocked the door to Joseph’s condo the following Saturday. They had a U-Haul parked downstairs, and Tavian had offered to help Lianna move her things out. There wasn’t too much that was heavy, with the exception of the couch that had been crammed into the den when she moved in there, but Lianna was pretty sure Tavian was there for moral support more than anything. “This would be really hard to face on my own.”

Shrugging, Tavian gave Lianna a lopsided grin. “I’m glad to help,” he said kindly as he entered the condo. “And what better way to spend a beautiful autumn Saturday than lugging boxes across town. Party!”

Laughing, Lianna walked into the living room. Immediately, a lump formed in her throat. This was likely going to be the last time she ever stepped foot in the place. Everywhere she looked, there were memories of her time with Joseph. Suddenly, the room grew blurry as her eyes filled with tears.

“Come here,” Tavian immediately noticed the emotions that had overtaken Lianna. He pulled her into a warm, brotherly hug. “Are you sure you want to do this? I can take care of most of the stuff, and I’m sure the security guard would help me with the couch. You can just go back to Madison’s place, if you want.”

Sniffling, Lianna pulled back and shook her head. “You are almost too nice a guy,” she gave Tavian a rueful smile. “But no, I’m not leaving you here in your former best friend’s condo to pack up the remnants of your girlfriend’s crazy ex-neighbor’s relationship.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Tavian replied with a grin. “Maybe I’m nuts for being here in the first place. You should have some sort of licensed therapist with you, no?”

Shoving Tavian’s shoulder, Lianna smiled and wiped her tearstained cheeks with the back of her hand. “Look at the pot calling the kettle black,” she joked. “No, let’s just get this over and done with as quickly as possible. I only have a few boxes of stuff I need to pack up in the bedroom, if you wouldn’t mind getting the TV from the den. It shouldn’t be too heavy.”

“As you wish,” Tavian grinned and headed into the den. Lianna then walked upstairs towards the bedroom, feeling her pulse rate increasing with each step. Looking around the room, she felt a flood of emotions. She would never sleep here again. She would never curl around Joseph late at night and have him hold her close. She would never make love to him on that bed, or anywhere for that matter. And she would never stand in front of the mirror naked with Joseph, his strong arms wrapped around her, having him complement her, having him ask her if she wanted to have kids in the future.

By the time Tavian came upstairs to check on Lianna, she was sitting on the floor crying. He knelt down beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, but said nothing. He just waited patiently while she worked through the feelings she was experiencing. As her tears subsided, she looked up at Tavian. “Sorry,” she said sadly.

“Sorry for what?” Tavian asked. “I always spend between fifteen and twenty minutes every Saturday afternoon crying on the floor. Like clockwork. Doesn’t everyone?”

Smiling a little, Lianna allowed Tavian to help her up. “You probably think I’m such a putz,” she told him. “I don’t mean to be, you know.”

“I know,” Tavian nodded. “Neither does Tom Cruise, but these things happen. Now come on and let’s get packing. The game starts at 4, and I can’t miss the... start.”

Putting her hands on her hips, Lianna grinned. “Tavian, to avoid really embarrassing you, I’m not even going to ask you what teams are playing. I’m just going to ask what sport this supposed game is.”

“Football?” Tavian looked hopeful.

“Then the word you were looking for is the kickoff, not the start.”

“I feel emasculated.”

“You should.”

-----

“You could have stayed here tonight,” Madison told Lianna on the phone later that night. “You don’t even have a bed. You’re just sleeping on that couch.”

”I think it’s good that I start this next chapter of my life as soon as possible,” Lianna told her friend, looking around her mostly empty apartment. “But thank you for the offer. And thanks so much for all you’ve done for me, Maddie. You’re an amazing friend. Now thank Tavian for me again for this afternoon, will you? And you guys get some well deserved alone time. I know you won’t even go over to that hole he shares with that lunatic roommate of his, so you’re probably dying for some… time together.”

Laughing, Madison agreed. “Okay,” she told Lianna. “But I’ll be over tomorrow to help you unpack, and after we’ll go shopping for some of the stuff you ended up getting rid of when you moved the first time.”

“Sounds good,” Lianna was appreciative. “Goodnight, Maddie.”

“Goodnight, Lee.”

“How’s she doing?” Tavian asked as he walked into the room with two bottles of beer in his hand and settled down beside Madison. “She seemed pretty upset this afternoon. I felt really badly.”

“Did you ever end up calling Joseph?” Madison asked suddenly.

Nodding, Tavian took a swig of his beer. “I did,” he said. “I called on Tuesday, the night before he left. It was a pretty… intense conversation. And I know you don’t want to hear this, but I actually felt for the guy – after I called him an asshole. He is completely heartbroken about Lianna.”

“He’s the one that fucked Frankie,” Madison grumbled. “Excuse me if I don’t exactly feel badly for him.”

“I know that,” Tavian slid his arm around Madison’s shoulders. “But I called wanting to tell him how much he fucked up, and he beat me to the punch. He apologized to me; he told me how guilty he felt about hurting Lianna; he spent twenty minutes talking about how he feels like he messed up with the one girl he could have spent his life with. And this is a guy that, last year, told me he would never fall in love and he would never get married. Gotta say, he sounded bad off, but he also sounded a lot more like the guy I was roommates with than he has in years.”

“Too little, too late,” Madison said.

”Remind me never to piss you off,” Tavian gave Madison a smirk, to which she stuck her tongue out. “Oh, that’s right… thanks for reminding me.” He leaned down and brought his mouth to Madison’s, kissing her softly. “I’ve been waiting weeks for this.”

“We’ve done stuff in that time,” Madison reminded him as they both put their beers on the table and she wormed her way onto his lap, straddling his hips. “Just two nights ago, in the kitchen, remember?”

”While I’m very appreciative that you did that,” Tavian slid his hands under Madison’s hair, tossing it back over her shoulders. “And not to sound ungrateful, but I have missed doing more than getting a blow job at the kitchen table, scared stiff that Lianna would walk in the door at any moment.” His hands rubbed her shoulders tenderly. “No, tonight I want to make up for lost time.”

Running her hands over Tavian’s chest, Madison grinned mischievously. “Well sir,” she dropped her head so she could lead a trail of kisses across his throat and to his ear. “Tonight looks like it will be your lucky night.”

“Any night with you is my lucky night,” Tavian murmured as he ran his hands over Madison’s back. “You know that just because I feel sort of bad for Joseph doesn’t mean I’d ever do something like that, don’t you?”

Pulling back to look Tavian in the face, Madison gave him a warm smile. “I know you wouldn’t baby,” she told him. “Because I’d kill you if you did.”

With a laugh, Tavian pulled Madison to him and enveloped her in a hug, whispering over and over how much he loved her.