Scarlett came to visit me in LA and it was nice to have her here. I saw her on NYE my sisters threw a party and practically everyone in the industry was there. I just hung out with Scar and Flo the whole time. I've gotten to know Florence a lot better, we have a group chat and she's so sweet and funny it was kind of hard not to get on with her which I was glad about because I was really nervous about working with her. Scarlett and she had already done the black widow film together so they knew each other pretty well.
We were laid by the pool relaxing in the sun. "Have you seen Nell recently?" She asked casually just making conversation. "No, with all the holidays we kept missing each other. I'd fly out as she was flying in." I tell her. "You've not seen her since thanksgiving?" She asked shocked. "Nope," I say sitting up to match her positioning. "Have you?" She nodded. "We've hung out a few times actually. She's so funny." "You have?" She didn't mention that. Given when we would talk on the phone she'd focus on me and how I was doing and no matter how hard I tried to talk about her somehow we'd end up talking about me again. It's honestly like a superpower of hers. "Yeah, been to lunch, coffeeshop. The hastings is so cute. I love how lowkey it is despite it being pretty popular." I nodded agreeing. "And I stayed at her place after a night out." "You went on a night out together?" Seeing Scar when she was drunk around Nell when she was in front of people she knew led to them kissing never mind them not being with other people. "She's just easy to get along with you know. And she really doesn't give a rat's ass about who we are. And it's refreshing. She's so mature for her age." "She had to grow up fast," I say more to myself, she wouldn't want me telling Scarlett about her past, I had to get her mum to tell me before she would even mention anything to do with it. "Do you like, have feelings for her?" "She attractive. But she doesn't give much away." "She's a private person." "I'm a private person she is like a spy or something." She jokes. "She doesn't like telling me anything about herself." I chuckled understanding Scarlett's frustration. "Why is she like that?" She asked genuinely concerned. "Who hurt her?" "Her best friend passed away a few years back... I think that has something to do with it. But Scarlett I mean it, never bring that up with her unless she tells you herself because she'll literally never speak to me again." I tell her quickly. "Wow." "You have to be patient with her she'll tell you things eventually." She nodded.
"Have you invited her to your birthday?" "Yeah, she can't make it she's in Milan for work." She raised her eyebrow. "What work is she doing in Milan?" She asked impressed. "She's a photographer. An everything Photograph so it could be scenic commission pictures or fashion. Or a family holiday. She pretty much does everything." I explain. "Impressive." I nodded. "Why don't we do your birthday Dinner in Milan." "No." "Why?" "She'll kill me." "But you want all your friends there." "It's fine, she's busy I get it. Anyway, it's not a big birthday so I don't care." "It's not normal how much she works." She says laying back down. "She has the work ethic of a 40-year-old." She added and I laughed laying down again.
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"Why don't you just call her to hang out?" MK asked as we lay on her bed. "Because she hasn't texted me back from three days ago when I told her I was coming to New York for work," I explained. I haven't seen Nell in months now. Since Thanksgiving, it is now May. "You know how busy she gets, she's probably hunched over at her computer editing photos." "She would have texted back. Maybe she's just sick of me. That's probably it." "I'll call her." "Don't." We wrestle for her phone and she wins sitting on me so I couldn't move her hand holding both my wrists against the bed. "This is bullying I'm going to tell mum." "Grow up, Elizabeth." She says with narrowed eyes holding the phone with her other hand. It was on speaker.
"Don't pick up. Don't pick up." I mumble to myself my eyes squeezed shut. "Hello? MK? Is Elizabeth okay?" She asked quickly. "She's fine. Yeah just wanted to give you a call. I haven't heard from you in a few days." She says casually like it wasn't holding me down and lying. "Yeah sorry, I've just been super busy, not even looked at my phone. Oh, shoot. Elizabeth messaged. She okay?" "She's good. She's here actually. Say Hi, Lizzie." "Hi," I mumble shooting daggers at my older sister. "I'm so sorry. I haven't checked my phone in days. I've had this big. You know what it doesn't even matter." She dismisses. "How about dinner? At MK's tonight." I suggest. MK smiled at me. "I'm not in New York." "What?" "I'm currently in England." "Wow." "Sorry, Lizzie." "No, it's fine." "Who's that?" Was the Scarlett? "Oh, it's Lizzie on MK's phone." "Is that Scar?" "Yeah, she had a break in filming so she came with. It's been nice to have company." "Hey, Nell." "Yeah?" She replied to MK. "When you back?" "Tomorrow actually. Our flights in two hours." "Perfect, we'll do dinner then." She says smiling at me. "Yeah sounds great." Nell agreed. "Tell Ash I said hi." "Will do." "We have to go," Scarlett said. "Okay. Yeah. Bye." There was some movement.
"Liz?" "Yeah." "You have a few minutes to talk?" "Um yeah." I flip MK off of me and she giggles as I take the phone and stand up going into the guest room. "Hey," I say closing the door and taking it off speaker. "Hey." "I'm sorry I've been a sucky friend." "You haven't." "I've ignored your messages and I haven't seen you in months." "It's fine, we've both been busy working." "Yeah but I don't know. I found time to hang with Scar and your sisters so I guess I should have made time for you too." "You've both been in the same state so it helps." I joke. "Yeah, I guess." "Are you in LA next month?" "Yeah. I think as long as nothing pops up." "Well, Mum asked me to ask you if you want to join us for Cassie's birthday? None of her friends will be there just family so don't worry it's at our place on the beach." "Yeah, I'll be there." "I'll let mum know." I smiled. "What should I bring to dinner?" "Nothing, MK has Wine and I'll be cooking." "Okay, casual? Dressy?" "Sweats. You'll have just landed and jet leg will be bad." "Thanks." She chuckled. "Missed you, Liz." "Missed you, Nell."
We hung up and I went back to MK picked up a pillow and hit her with it. "See she was worried about you. The second she answered she asked about you." "Because I'm a mess she always has to clean up." "Not true it's because she cares." "You're so annoying," I said whilst hitting her repeatedly she was just laughing.
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I threw myself at her when I opened the door and she chuckled holding me up. I wrapped my legs around her waist and clung to her like a koala. "I missed you," I say, letting her carry me in. "Elizabeth you're being clingy." Ash teased peeling me off of her when we arrived in the lounge. "Hi, it's lovely to see you again." She hugged Ashley and then she and MK did this handshake thing. "Aren't you two besties?" I tease. "They hang out all the time," Ashley says with an eye roll. "Really?" MK didn't tell me that. No one tells me anything. Scar and Nell are going on work trips together and my sister and Nell are besties with special handshakes.
We sat at the dinner table ate together talking about random things. I mostly watched Nell missing her so much. MK and her went on the just dance game in the games room after dinner and Ash and I cleaned up. "Liz?" "Mhm." "Are you... Do you?" "Spit it out, Ash." I chuckled. "Do you have feelings for Nell?" I froze and turned to face her. "What?" "The way you looked at her at dinner when she was talking it was the way you used to look at Robbie when you first started dating." "And Robbie is a boy," I say like I was talking to a child so she understood my point. "So." "So I'm straight." "But it's okay if you're not. Like no one is going to care." "I don't have a crush on Nell. I missed her." "So if I told you, she and Scarlett have been dating for 2 months now you wouldn't care?" I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "They're dating?" And none of them thought to tell me? So now I have no friends. Great because they're fucking each other and they'll have no time for me. "Are you upset?" "I don't know," I say going back to washing the dishes.
"Do you like her?" I shrugged. "It doesn't matter now anyway." "Liz." She says softly. "I don't know okay," I say sharply turning to face my sister. "She makes me feel safe and I don't like when she's with Scarlett and I hated watching them kiss. And I've missed her a lot. But she's a girl and she's with Scarlett now." "I just said to make you react." "Ash." I scolded. "I think you need to figure a few things out." "But what if I like her more than a friend." "That's okay." I shake my head. "Lizzie, we don't care who you love we just want you to be loved, respected and happy." "But what will mum think or Dad or the media and my fans." "Who gives a fuck." She cupped my face. "If you're happy that's all that matters." I nodded.
"Hey. So MK is going to drive me home." Nell said appearing out of nowhere. I pray she didn't hear anything. "You can stay here." I offer despite it being MK's place. "I think dinner was enough, you guys have been so-"Shut up," MK said and everyone laughed. "You can share Lizzie's room so I don't have to get the guest sheets washed."
Ash and I kept talking and MK and Nell went elsewhere in the house. Talking through everything with my sister was nice, I was actually making sense of things. "I think I just had an attachment to her because of the way she stood up to Robbie and protected me. I don't think it's anything more than that." I conclude after an hour of talking it through with Ashley. "That makes sense I guess." She didn't seem so sure.
"What are the other two up to?" I asked finally realising they have been pretty quiet this whole time. "They're in the basement," Ash says so we head down there. They were still playing just dance. "You girls having fun?" I asked sitting on the sofa, Ash sat on my lap sideways as we watched them. "Shh. I'm concentrating." MK scolded me, MK was going for it and Nell was natural it was comical to watch. Nell won seemingly again. "That's it, I'm not playing with you anymore, you take all the fun out of it." "I was having fun," Nell says sitting on the floor facing me.
We play a few rounds and then head up to bed. We laid down and I rolled over to face her. "Hi," I whispered. "Hi." She smiled at me. "Thanks for coming, I know you're probably tired." "It was worth it." "Yeah?" She nodded. "I did miss you." "I missed you." "Oh, I could tell. You're not so chill." I shoved her and she chuckled. "I signed a contract with Rokh, I'm going to be their photographer." "That's great!" I jump up excited. "That's why I've been so busy." "Wow! Why didn't you tell me." "It's not what I do. I thought you were used to this by now." "Well, you're going to start telling me things." "Ew." "Why don't you?" "Because last time I did, they... You know Ria... So I just skip getting close to people." "Will you give me a chance?" "I don't want to replace Ria." "I'm not trying to I just want to be your friend. You know everyone has them." "Nope." "You have friends?" She shook her head. "When Ria passed I shut everyone out and fucked my life up and then dove into work with my dad. So I replaced a social life with work and work was the thing that saved me... that and dad but he's pretty dead right now so work it is." I pouted. "Are you doing okay?" "Honestly?" I nodded. "I'm really tired." I nodded and cupped her face with one of my hands before pulling away quickly realising what I was doing. "You're allowed days off." "I'm scared if I have a day off I will crumble." I didn't know what to say to her so I just held her, she tensed up at first and then relaxed. "I really miss him." "He'd be proud of everything you're doing." She nestles into me and I wrap my leg over hers. "We should sleep." She nodded. I pecked the top of her head.
"Goodnight, Elizabeth." "Goodnight Eleanor."