When She Falls V2

Status: 2nd Draft

When She Falls V2

Status: 2nd Draft

When She Falls V2

Book by: graymartin

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Genre: Romance

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Content Summary


Just one month from med school graduation, Ethan Chase is about to start the life of his dreams, with a promising career and a supermodel-with-a-Harvard-degree fiancée. Problem is, he might want
something more, and he might have just found her.



Callahan Perrin is a young prodigy with a troubled past. Famous since childhood for her haunting and unique art, her gift is also her curse. Is she destined for a tragically short life like her
father or can she find another path?



I workshopped the first seven chapters of this WIP a few years ago. Lost the thread, but now I'm trying to pick it back up. Those of you who remember the story can pick up where I left off at
Chapter 8. Cheers, Gray

Content Summary


Just one month from med school graduation, Ethan Chase is about to start the life of his dreams, with a promising career and a supermodel-with-a-Harvard-degree fiancée. Problem is, he might want
something more, and he might have just found her.



Callahan Perrin is a young prodigy with a troubled past. Famous since childhood for her haunting and unique art, her gift is also her curse. Is she destined for a tragically short life like her
father or can she find another path?



I workshopped the first seven chapters of this WIP a few years ago. Lost the thread, but now I'm trying to pick it back up. Those of you who remember the story can pick up where I left off at
Chapter 8. Cheers, Gray

Author Chapter Note


Ethan meets with Jess's sister and learns some new and alarming things. There's some deep introspection in the first part, but I felt like Ethan needed it at this point. I hope you like Maddie.
She's a minor character, but I still hope her personality comes through loud and clear. Let me know if she's too over-the-top.

Chapter Content - ver.1

Submitted: August 26, 2020

Comments: 1

In-Line Reviews: 7

A A A | A A A

Chapter Content - ver.1

Submitted: August 26, 2020

Comments: 1

In-Line Reviews: 7

A A A

A A A

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Chestnut Hill Reservoir

Cleveland Circle near Boston College

Monday, 1:15 PM

 

Ethan

 

Ethan jogged along the gravel track that encircled Chestnut Hill Reservoir, looking for Maddie. They’d agreed to meet in front of the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum – a grand stone-and-brick building with a gabled façade, rounded arches and a tower that reminded him of the Trinity Church in Copley Square.

Richardsonian Romanesque. He remembered the eclectic style from an architecture class Jess had taken during their senior year. He’d snuck into the lectures from time to time, not to enjoy the slideshows but to make out with her in the back row of the dark lecture hall.

Regret washed over him. There were a thousand memories like that one. Gifts he’d taken for granted. Proof of the love he might have just thrown away.

What the hell have I done?

As if in answer, another memory flickered to mind. Callie skipping through mud puddles, emerald eyes laughing as she smiled back at him. What would it feel like to wrap his arms around her? To kiss the top of her head? To get so lost in each other that hours felt like minutes, years like days?

He’d never believed in love at first sight. That notion always made him cringe. Real love took time. It didn’t wash you away in a flood of lust and infatuation. It changed your heart slowly and steadily, like a river carving into a canyon.

But then why couldn’t he get Callie out of his mind? Why did even the little things, like the way she nibbled on her lip whenever she was deep in thought, make him want her so badly it hurt.

He remembered Jess’s warning. That’s what she does. She turns normal-seeming guys into stalkers. Maybe she was right, but it didn’t matter anymore. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stop this obsession.

He wandered toward the reservoir and leaned over the water. “What if I love them both?” he asked his reflection. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

He already knew the answer.

Choose one or lose them both.

 

Cool mist swirled in the air, clouds hiding the Boston skyline. The water, cobalt blue on a sunny day, looked like a slab of polished granite. He scanned the jogging path, eyes drawn to a brown smokestack that rose behind the Waterworks Museum. The structure reminded him of a cigar balanced on its end, low clouds floating above it like puffs of smoke.

He checked his watch. Jess would already be here, but this was Maddie. She might be on time, thirty minutes late, or forget to show up.

To his right, an old pumping station jutted over the reservoir, its stone foundation dipping into the water like mangrove roots. A group of teens or college kids milled about the square building, some smoking and others doing skateboard tricks on the steps. He was about to turn away when he noticed a familiar tuft of hot pink hair.

“Hey, Maddie!” He waved his arms above his head.

She looked up and gave him a lazy wave back, then hugged her friends and walked toward him.

“Hey, dick.” She greeted him with a lopsided grin. “God, I wanna hug you, but I fucking hate you too. Is that weird?”

“A little.” He returned her grin. “But I feel the same way about you.”

Sometime since they’d last seen each other, she’d traded her nose ring for a small diamond stud. Her hair was a nest of fuchsia curls, framing a pretty face that reminded him of Jess, but with fuller cheeks, more freckles, and a perpetual pout.

“It’s good to see you, Maddie. Even though your gossip rag is trying to ruin my life.”

“Whoa, dude.” She held up her hand, showing him a rainbow of nail polish colors. “You did that shit to yourself. Besides, I only wrote that first article on Prodigy Chick. When your name came up, I wanted to kill the story.” She pulled out a cigarette and lit up. “Didn’t Jess tell you?”

“She told me you tried. What’s with the smoking?”

She smirked and blew smoke in his face. “Yeah, right. I forgot. This shit’ll kill you, but shooting up is totally cool.”

He heaved out a sigh. “Guess I asked for that. So Jess told you?”

She shrugged. “We’re sisters. Besides, your druggie backstory is running in the next edition of Dirt, FYI.”

“What?” Blood rushed to his face. “Did you –?”

“Of course not! That info came from the same anonymous source as the last one. I think it’s someone at Belmont or your med school.” She patted his shoulder. “So put down the axe, Jack. Don’t go all Shining on me. I didn’t write the article, but I won’t be able to bury it either. Sorry.”

“Goddamn it.” Ethan wheeled around and kicked gravel into the water. “Someone’s trying to destroy me.”

Maddie crinkled her nose. “Any idea who?”

He shook his head. “For a moment there, I thought it was you.”

“Wrong guess. But if you hurt Jess” – she cracked her knuckles – “gossip smear jobs will be the least of your problems.”

He met her gaze. “You know I’d never hurt your sister.”

“Bullshit.” She flicked the cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it with the toe of her boot. “You already did.”

After a tense moment of silence, they started walking around the reservoir.

“Why did you want to meet in person?” he asked, pulling up next to her. “We could’ve just talked on the phone.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to keep my options open. You know…” She gave him a sideways glance. “So I could break your jaw or kick you in the balls if that’s where the mood took me.”

He laughed. “Should I be worried?”

“Not yet.”

A jogger ran past them, gravel crunching under his shoes.

“Any other reason for the cloak-and-dagger stuff?” Ethan asked.

When Maddie didn’t answer, his pulse quickened. “What?”

“You’re going to think I’m a conspiracy nut, but Prime Dirt covers my cell phone expenses, so…”

“Seriously? You think they’re spying on your conversations?”

“Shut up!” She shoved his shoulder. “I’m not the only reporter who’s got a burner phone, you know. But I lost it and didn’t have time to buy a new one. And anyway…” She stopped walking, gaze drifting to a pair of ducks bobbing in the water. “I wanted to see you. Texting doesn’t work for this kind of conversation.”

He followed her down a gentle slope to the shoreline. “You’re talking about me and Jess?”

“Duh. I can’t believe you go to Harvard.” She reached into her pocket to pull out a pack of Oreos. “You’re a doctor. Will this kill them? I mean, I know chocolate’s bad for dogs, but they’re birds, right?”

He laughed, fighting the urge to tousle her hair. Sometimes Maddie felt like his kid sister too. “I think they’ll survive.”

“Cool.” She broke off a piece of cookie and tossed it to the nearest duck. “What’s with Prodigy Chick?”

“You’re thinking of that photo?”

“Obviously. The hand holding could’ve been photoshopped.” She looked up at him. “But not those expressions. You two looked like freaking Edward and Bella.” When he gave her a blank look, she snorted. “You know, from Twilight.

Ethan sighed. “I won’t lie to you. I’ve developed feelings for Callie. Bur that doesn’t mean I don’t still love your sister.”

Maddie’s cheeks flamed. “Does Jess know about these feelings?”

“Yes. I told her everything this weekend.”

“Was that before or after you dropped a quarter of a mil on Prodigy Chick’s artwork?”

“After. We talked about it for hours.”

“I know. I was just testing you.” She crushed another cookie in her hand and fed crumbs to the growing crowd of water fowl. “You got ripped off, by the way. Not saying the girl doesn’t have talent, but that ‘fighting roses’ painting is hideous.”

“Yeah. I got sucked into this stupid bidding war with Bethany’s fiancé Jace. You know him?”

She pulled a face. “Sure. Total asshole. That girl always had the worst taste in guys.”

“Jess could’ve done better too.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s true. Your sister deserves better.”

A gust of wind whipped off the water. Maddie shivered and pulled her pink hoodie over her head.

“Listen, Ethan. I get it. I’ve researched enough stories about Callie to know why guys are so obsessed with her. She’s clickbait for a reason. And God knows I’m not the right person to give relationship advice.” She laughed. “I fall for the hot, bad boys every time. But you need to figure out what the fuck you want.”

Ethan sucked in a breath. “You’re right. I love your sister. But what if I have strong feelings for Callie too?”

Maddie walked away from the water and climbed back onto the berm. “You know why love triangles suck?” she yelled down to him. “Because they only happen when someone’s being a selfish asshole!”

The hill seemed steeper on the way up. He scrambled toward the footpath, trying to ignore the ache in his right knee. With all the running he’d been doing, the pain would only get worse later, but he couldn’t think about that now.

Maddie waited for him to catch up. “You do know how many guys Jess has turned down since you started dating, right?”

“I know about the relationship she had in law school,” he replied. “She told me about it over the weekend.”

“What did she tell you?”

“Not much. Just that she broke it off when we got back together. I think he was in her law school class.”

Maddie smirked. “Wrong. His name’s Jake Adler. He’s two years older than you. Runs a hedge fund with offices in Boston and London. The dude’s gorgeous, totally loaded, and surprisingly nice. Kinda serious and boring, but…”

Ethan bent down to rub his knee. “How do you know all this? Did you meet him?”

“Yeah. Our dads know each other. Jess started dating Jake in high school. They were still together when you guys met. So basically, she dumped him for you.” She held up two fingers. “Twice.”

The ache in Ethan’s knee suddenly shifted to his heart. How was it possible he didn’t know about this guy?

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

Maddie arched a brow. “Ask her. But what difference does it make? She made her choice, Ethan. Now man up and make yours. You’re right. Jess does deserve better. If you’re not all in, then get out."

He met her gaze. “I hear you. Thanks for telling me all this.”

She nodded slowly, exhaling through pursed lips. “The thing is, I love my sister. She’s disgustingly perfect. Sometimes she pisses me off so much I wanna rip out her Brunette Barbie hair. But I’ll always have her back.”

Ethan felt a pang of guilt, thinking of how Jess had just said those same words about having his back. “You’re a good sister, Maddie. And a good friend.”

She glanced at her watch and swore. “Shit. Gotta run or I’ll miss my train.”

She took a tentative step toward him, then backed away. “Almost forgot. Can’t hug you anymore.” She looked down, eyelids drooping. “Just be honest with her and she won’t hate you. Then I won’t have to hate you either.”

 

*

 

After Maddie had gone, Ethan took a couple of ibuprofens and sat on a bench to mull things over. With so many thoughts swirling around in his head, he didn’t know where to start.

How the hell did Prime Dirt find out about his drug problem? Grieves obviously knew those details, but what motive would he have to smear his reputation? Then there was Sophie Choi, but he still couldn’t see her dishing dirt to a sleazy gossip site.

Sara Jansen wouldn’t sell his story to Prime Dirt; she’d give it to them for free. But she had no way of knowing about his addiction history. Which lead him back to the idea of a hacker.

Unless…

He pinched his temples. Callie knew. He’d told her everything.

No. Oh, fuck. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

He stared out at the reservoir, cursing himself. Was this all a publicity stunt?

How could I have been such an idiot?

His cell phone buzzed as if it had the answer.

In disgust, he looked at the screen. Area code 212. Callie’s roommate Maya.

She’d texted just two words:

 

SHE’S HERE.

 

***


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