Baggage - B.GILBERT

1.

Callie's POV

Life's a bitch.

Small inconveniences, I can handle all day, easily. Having your world turned upside down drastically in the matter of 30 seconds? Yeah, not something that I want to happen to me again.

Walking in and finding my now ex husband in a very compromising position with my childhood best friend / publicist wasn't something I saw coming, yet it changed the course of my life in a matter of seconds. Marie had been there through it all, she was the one person I thought I could trust with just about anything.

Clearly, I couldn't trust her around my husband.

Wilson Myers came into my life like a hurricane right before my 21st birthday, I was just getting started in the industry, and he had just moved to town for a new job at a smaller label.

It was almost as if fate came into play, he was even able to get Marie a job at the same label as well. From there, I ended up signing with a bigger label, Wilson ended up changing jobs, and Marie was stuck by my side.

Imagine my shock when I found out the two of them had been sleeping together for months. Spoiler alert, it wasn't pretty.

I immediately threw them both out and called my brothers to town, along with my best friends. Both of my brothers got on a plane, Chase was in the car before we hung up the phone, and Carly was right behind him. The next morning, I made a call to my lawyer and got the divorce started.

Of course, once Wilson caught wind of me filing for divorce, he started to do anything in his power to stop me. From begging, gifts, you name it, the bribe came. Once he realized I couldn't be bought, he and Marie teamed up to throw my name through the mud in any way possible. From small articles to the ones that sent me packing.

He started claiming that I was the one cheating on him, and it stuck.

A few days after the first round of articles were posted, he showed back up at the penthouse we shared, stating that he would say it was all a misunderstanding and that we could just move on with our lives. That he would stop all of the articles if I stopped the divorce, and forgot that anything ever happened. 

I gave him a big fuck you and left town that night.

After almost a year away from the public eye, I'm starting to feel like myself again. The North Georgia mountains have been a solace for me. Peace and quiet has given me time to really realize where things went wrong, and what I want to do going forward.

"Please tell me you're almost here" I say, picking up my phone.

Chase let's out a sigh, "I wish I could say I was. Unfortunately, Kerri called a last-minute meeting to go over tour stuff before we hit the road. I told her that I was planning on coming to see you, but there was no way I could get out of it" he responds.

Chase Rice was one of the first people I met in Nashville.

He was nearing the top, and I was just starting out. I just happen to be playing at the bar he was at with some friends, and he started talking to me about one of the songs I had played that night. From that day forward we became inseparable.

He's my best friend, my person if you say that. If my brothers can't be there, Chase is the person I call if I need him.

I wouldn't have made it through this if it wasn't for him. He found me this place, he made sure that I had everything I needed, he was even at the old house when Wilson came to get the rest of his stuff. 

"Damn you Chase. I've got to get to the store, and I really don't want to go alone. Plus, I think I'm starting to go crazy out here, I need human interaction soon" I tell him.

Chase lets out a chuckle, "I've got everything taken care off Cal. I have a buddy that lives nearby. He agreed to come drop some stuff off for you so you don't have to go out today, it'll be enough to last you until either me or one of your brothers can come into town. He's a stickler for privacy, so he won't say a word that you're there to anyone. Just be nice, it'll be good for you" Chase tells me. 

"Is this really a good idea?" I ask, letting out a sigh.

"Your brothers agree with me that it would be good for you to be around someone that isn't one of us, and for you to stop hiding from the rest of the world. So yes, it is a good idea, and well I can't stop it because he's at the gate. Love you!" Chase says quickly, before hanging up the phone. 

Damn you Chase Rice. 

Brantley's POV

Pulling through the iron gates at the address Chase sent me a little while ago, I wonder just who Chase has me pulling up to drop groceries off to. 

When Chase called and asked if I had some free time to drop some stuff off for a friend of his that was nearby, I agreed to help a buddy out. When he called, he sounded stressed, worried, among a few other things. 

Pulling my truck behind the white 4Runner with a Tennessee tag, I get out of the truck, and make quick work grabbing the groceries that Chase had preordered ahead of time. 

As I make my way to the house, I look up hearing the front door open, only to see the last person I expected to be here. 

Nashville's sweetheart, Callie Mae. 

While Callie was a popular topic in headlines a few months ago, I haven't heard her mentioned in Nashville in weeks. Who knew that she had been hiding out a few miles from my house for months now. 

"Brantley, right?" Callie asks, softly. 

"That's me, it's nice to meet you. Chase sent me with the groceries and a few other things he said you needed" I say, lifting up the bags in my hands. 

Callie opens the door behind her, a small smile on her face. "Come on in, the kitchen is straight back. You can just set everything down on the counter" Callie says.

When I step inside, I finally get a good look at her. Her signature long blonde hair is thrown up in a bun sitting on the top of her head, the oversized Chief's shirt hits the top of her thighs, almost as if it was a dress. Looking in her eyes, I can see the hint of vulnerability shining as she looks at me.

The two of us reach the table, and I set everything down. "Thank you so much for doing this, I hope it wasn't too much trouble" Callie says, wrapping her arms around herself. 

"It's not a problem. I was going to be out this afternoon anyways" I respond.

Callie gives me a nod, before starting to unpack the bags in front of us.

"So, why are you in Georgia?" I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.  

"Chase found this place once everything started going to shit. I was going to go spend some time with one of my brothers or my parents, but we all figured it would be quieter if I went somewhere more remote. Chase and I ended up buying this place a few weeks after I came down. We figured it would be a good writing spot, or just a get away from the noise spot" Callie explains. 

I nod, understanding where she's coming from.

With us having similar people in both of our circles, I heard about everything that happened as it was going down. I was with Chase and a few others writing when Callie called him that everything went down, I swear I've never seen that man move faster than he did in that moment. 

I don't know much about Callie, call that her being 5 years younger than me, or just the fact that I normally stick to myself, but she doesn't deserve everything that she's been through.

From what Chase explained, the plan was only to lay low until things went away and she would continue with her life how it was. But of course the articles and the backlash kept coming, and she just wanted to escape it all. 

"Well, I'll get out of your hair. Chase has my number if you need anything, even if it's just someone to sit with for a few hours. Don't hesitate to call" I say, catching her attention.

Callie turns to me, a smile on her face. "Thank you for all of this Brantley and thank you for the offer" she responds.

I walk out the door, more questions in my mind than I did walking through it.