ALREADY GONE.

          “My friends. They’re proving yet again why I keep them around. Whether that’s distracting me with food — which is always a winner, or just letting me be sad and miss Dom. And of course my fur-baby Finn, who knows that cuddle time is all the time at the moment.”

            “I’m positive he will. Whether that’s wherever he is, or if he comes back — he’s a good guy. One of the best, in fact. And despite how things ended, I hope he does find whatever and whoever he’s looking for.”

           “Me and dating don’t seem to be working out. I’m thinking it’s time to just put that to the side for now. But, a girl has needs too, so, who knows if all ‘taps’ will be out of the question?”

           “I lost my boyfriend, and my best friend, all in one day. How isn’t it affecting me?”

             It’d been some time since she dropped in and paid Lucas a visit, so, taking note of it being fairly quiet on the inside, she had decided to just that. And with goodies, for that matter. The brunette carrying a bag of baked deliciousness from a few blocks over. “I come bearing snacks, Luc.” She confirmed, smiling to herself as she did so, assuming he was probably out back, considering he wasn’t obviously within her eyeline. So, making her way over to the chair, she decided to take a seat, the normal kind, not the kind that would potentially leave her coming out with a tattoo, that is. Thankfully, it hadn’t taken long for the blonde male to emerge, causing the woman to rise to her feet as she held up the bag, rustling within her grasp as she did so. “If you’ve already eaten, that’s tough. ‘Cause you will be eating more.” This, the woman who could easily out-eat truckers triple her size, and proud of it for that matter.

             With school out, Cleo was pretty much thrust into a life of free time, which was both perfectly and awfully timed with the departure of her now-ex. So, she was doing a lot of things that essentially filled her time, and that included unannounced drop ins to friends. Including Dana, who she knew was handling summer clubs and activities. However, considering the time right now, she knew she would be finishing up, and ready to pack-up for the day, leaving the brunette to venture into the familiar buildings and locate the young woman. “Hey, you.” She muttered as she greeted her, a fleeting smile crossing her features as she did so. “How do you feel about being stolen away for a bite to eat?” The young woman asked, wondering through the empty classroom as she rested a hand against one of the chairs. “So, how was it today, anyway?” She hadn’t signed up for anything of the sort, but was beginning to regret that decision.

                   The Taylor house had seemed… er, quite as of late. His teenage son was becoming more and more independent, staying out for most of the days on the lake with the friends he made from football, his boys coming and going, and Wes left to his own devices to tinker around the house until he was left with nothing left to do. He was recovering from his accident months ago just fine, but he still wasn’t fully there yet. So, the tinkering this time around was working on the old Ford Bronco in his driveway, cleaning up the kennel in the back for the three pups and ensuring they were well hydrated in the southern heat, and unloading the groceries he ordered for pick up that morning. All of which earned him sweat equity and had the southerner catch the woman’s yell from the patio in the back, swiping his hand against his forehead, then moving his white tee from his belly to his forehead to clear himself off. “Woman, you ain’t drinkin’ my shake.” He joked upon moving the sliding door open only to shut soon enough to keep the air inside the house cool, walking on over to her without the cane to pluck that drink from her grip. “I’ve been waitin’ for this all damn day.” 

Usually, Cleo’s arrival meant that she was about to receive her fair share of serotonin for a while, and Aubrey usually jumped with joy, this wasn’t the case as soon as she’d opened her door and saw the expression on her best friend’s face. Something was terribly wrong, and her smile dropped. Quickly enough, she ushered the woman inside the tiny studio apartment and locked the door behind them. ‘’My God, Cleo–’’ She started off, a frown encroaching on her forehead. ‘’What– what happened? Are you okay?’’ It had to be the worst question she’d ever asked her, of course, given that there were tears trickling down the brunette’s cheeks, but she was so at a loss for words. ‘’Come, sit– tell me what happened. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.’’

             It didn’t take long for her best friend to realise something was up, the petite brunette rapidly ushering her into her place as she asked what was going on, and if she was okay. “Nothing.” She muttered, not wanting to scare her friend into thinking it was anything as serious as all that. “It’s just — Dom and I broke up. He’s gone.” From town, that is. Not dead or anything! “He got a job, and he knew he couldn’t turn it down.” Which ultimately meant he was leaving her behind, and whilst a part of her understood, that didn’t mean she wasn’t devastated that after they finally made a go of it after years, and telling one another they loved each other, he had decided to take off. A promise he made to stick around torn at the seams. “I just didn’t wanna be alone tonight. If that’s okay?” Thankfully, Finn was dropped off at her father’s, something he could manage at least.

“Yeah, well.” Samuel shrugged sort of uselessly then, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “Thanks for stopping in.” He offered a half smile, hand falling over hers for a quick squeeze. “You want to go sit by the pool? Probably a lot better than hanging around here.” He knew she didn’t need any real prompting, so he’d step aside to slip on his boat shoes, leaning over then to ruffle Bitsy’s ears before grabbing his key from the dish near the door. “Missed your face, you know? It’s so quiet around here now.” There was no mistaking the sadness in Sam’s eyes, dampened tone as they stepped back out into the daylight, turning to lock the door behind him before he started to make a slow shuffle towards the complex’s pool and patio. 

            “Sure.” Cleo agreed at the idea of heading outside to the pool area. He was right, it beat sitting around here with their glum expressions. They could at least dip their feet into the water and be miserable at the same time. “I missed you too, Sammy. I just needed some time to process.” She admitted, knowing she took a little while locked up in her place before she decided to venture into the world, knowing when she returned that Dom wouldn’t be out there for some time. The brunette knew she just had to look on the bright side of matters. He was off doing what he wanted with his life, and whilst that didn’t include her right now, she had her family and her friends here in Wilmington. Including Sam. “You know you can come by mine whenever, right?” To escape the quiet, that is. She was positive with Bitsy and Finn in the same place he wouldn’t get any of that. And with that, she followed suit towards the pool area, finding herself slipping off her shoes and rolling up her jeans before slipping her legs over the edge to cool down amidst the summer heat.

It wasn’t completely rare that Samuel was home, but still a sort of stroke of luck that Cleo had predicted he’d be around when the doorbell rang. Setting down his tea and copy of Bloomberg Businessweek, a yapping Bitsy already making her way to the door before Sam could catch up. With one hand looped through Bitsy’s collar to restrain her, Sammy would open the door only to be greeted with the makeshift bouquet and the ever familiar smiling face behind it. “Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Practically beaming, Sam would step aside to let Cleo come inside, releasing Bitsy to climb all over her while he snatched the flowers to put them in water. “No Finn? Bitsy’s having withdrawals.” 

           She was here to check in on Sam. He too would be one of the most effected by one of their favorite people’s departure. But the idea of bringing Finn by wasn’t ideal. She didn’t really want to be here too long, assuming a lot of Dom’s stuff would be there, and cause her to get upset again. “He’s at home. I just wanted to drop by on my way back to him.” Cleo added, forcing a smile the best she could as she shrugged it off, knowing he was aware as to why she was here, it was fairly obvious, right? Especially with a woman who wasn’t particularly great at lying. To herself, or to others, for that matter. “Wanted to check in, really."

               There it was. That damn shoe. The other one she was waiting to drop as soon as she experienced the level of happiness she had over the last few months. He’d gone. Dom. And what was worse? How could she be mad at the man she loved for seeking out his dream job? Unfortunately, it required him to leave town for a significant period of time, and ultimately, the demise in their short lived relationship. So, she turned up the only place she knew she could. Aubrey Taylor’s. The brunette fighting back the emotion that so desperately wanted to burst free, standing outside the door as she knocked. Her arrival unplanned. There was a chance the small brunette wasn’t even home, but if she needed to sit out here and wait, then sit out here and wait she shall. However, those tears very briefly began to fall, a few stragglers trickling down her cheek as she bit her bottom lip, hands running through her hair as she tried to compose herself.

Alexandria let out a small sigh at the other woman’s words. It always seemed to start pouring down rain whenever she had things to do, without fail. “I swear, the weather in this place is out to get me.” She replied, joking. Alexandria had checked the weather before she had left her house and it hadn’t supposed to have rained, and yet here it was raining so hard that you could barely see across the street. “I should really keep an umbrella with me at all times. Although, you are probably right about the fact that an umbrella won’t do me any good.”

           “You and me both.” Cleo countered, referring to being the one physically caught in the road a moment earlier, resulting in her less than dry look right now. “It specifically chose the moment I was unprepared. Mother Nature is a cruel mistress, I tell you.” That much was apparently in her most recent actions. And now? Well, now everyone was caught inside waiting for it to subside; which wasn’t likely to happen for a few hours at this point. “Since both of us are without umbrella’s, and I have no real desire to head back out there, fancy having a bite to eat? I’ve been craving mozerella dippers since the moment I left mine.” Cleo admitted, her stomach rumbling at the thought of them alone.

           It’d been a few weeks since she’d last annoyed Weston, and that in itself just couldn’t do. So, after agreeing with him prior that she was going to swing by, she noticed that the front door was already open, peering in as she realised nobody was closeby. It was likely Jake just forgot to close the door upon his departure, or arrival home. And with that, she wondered in further, the brunette searching as she tried to locate the company she’d dropped by for. “Wes?” Cleo called out, shaking her head slightly, hoping he hadn’t forgotten about her. “Oi, Taylor, where the heck are you?” She sniggered at herself as she called out. “Guess I’ll have to have these shakes to myself then, huh?” Anyone that knew Cleo knew that she wasn’t kidding. She’d happily drain these cups dry. Both of them.

                “Hope you’re hungry.” Cleo suggested, eyes glancing over to the passenger seat where Naomi was currently resting the brunette having stolen her away for a bite to eat, which seemed well over-due. “I specifically said to meet at this time, ‘cause it’s all you can eat.” A fixed cost, and as much food as you wanted from the buffet? Where was the downside? And, if Naomi was anything like her brother, she knew she had the right person for the job. Someone to match her own capabilities with chowing down copious amounts of food. “Is it pathetic that I deliberately didn’t eat breakfast so I could make sure to get my money’s worth for lunch?” She giggled at her own ridiculousness, but still, she was going to make the most of it.