There's No Place Like Home [Tag: Cleo (Jacob?)]

[KAYDEN MACKENZIE]

Kayden wasn't really entirely sure why she'd felt the need to move back to New York. It wasn't like she really had any family there. Except for Cleo. Cleo was like a sister to her. Jacob as well in the brotherly sense. They were all she really had in New York.

And she hadn't even told them that she was back yet.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd sent a letter to either of them, let alone called. After her miscarriage she hadn't really wanted to talk to anyone- she was just such an emotional wreck. Crying all the time, not eating, the whole shebang. She was a complete mess, and there was no way she was going to worry Cleo over it.

So there she was, sitting in the food court of the mall, her pastry in front of her- the one that Cleo always used to give her and force her to eat. The one that Cleo always brought her when she was craving something sweet while she had been pregnant.

Kayden was somewhat lacking in appetite at the moment, but she was hoping that Cleo's favorite pastry would kind of spur some kind of genius idea in how to tell Cleo that she was back. It wasn't like she'd really been planning on moving back to New York. She really had no intention of it, actually, when she left for London. But somehow, London didn't feel like home anymore. All of her good memories were here, in New York. Cleo, Jacob, Jared. God, the name alone still made her cry.

She pushed the uneaten pastry away from her and lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes. She couldn't think about that now. She had to figure out how she was going to surprise Cleo that she was back, and how she was going to explain that she was there without Cleo's goddaughter. She hadn't told Cleo much of anything lately.

Finally, Kayden was about ready to give up. Pick up her bags, take the pastry to give to someone who looked hungry, and go. In fact, she started to. She fixed her dress, the white one with the black corset on it that Cleo had actually helped her pick out, grabbed her bag, and was about to reach for the pastry when she spotted red hair.

No way. It couldn't be Cleo, could it?

Kayden froze and stared for a minute before managing to quietly call out, "...Cleo?"

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[CLEO EVERETT]

Alright, so the candy store in the food court was one of her guilty pleasures. So sue her! You try finding a place with fudge that delectable. It was outrageously expensive – even more so than Gingey’s, which was saying something. She spent almost all of her money on Gingey’s. Which made this place all the more surprising: that she’d be willing to spend more HERE than she would at her FAVORITE bakery.

That’s why she was at the mall today. Normally, Cleo would be swimming right now or hanging out at the aquarium, maybe pretend working so she could swim in the aquarium later like a mermaid with Robyn. Usually she wasn’t at the mall because she didn’t like the mall. Too many teenagers who thought they were the best thing since cookie dough brownies. As if, she would think, giving them disdainful little glares.

There was also the food court. Period. The food court just being here was tempting. It was taunting her. Every little food place (except for the Mexican and pizza ones because food court pizza was DISGUSTING) was calling out to her. Panda Express was playing on her love for Orange Chicken and Taco Bell knew how much she loved their cinnamon twists. It was always so difficult for her to leave the food court without getting a meal.

Today, though, she was focused. Determined. She was practically marching to the little candy shop in the corner, refusing to look any other way. The sounds of the mall-goers around her were weirdly quiet, like she was wearing earmuffs. That’s how determined she was. It was actually pretty cool. In fact, because she was so single-minded, she almost missed somebody calling her name. It wouldn’t have been entirely her fault. They were speaking quietly.

But this is Cleo and she’s always paying enough attention to hear her own name. There was also a little nagging in the back of her head, saying she recognized that voice. Stopping so quickly, a couple had to break apart and walk around her, Cleo whipped her head around. Her hair fell in her face and she had to push it all back before she could find who had said her name. The food court was crowded and for a moment, she thought maybe she’d been hearing things.

But then, right there, so obviously right there. Cleo shrieked. “KAYDEN!” Cleo pushed by a group of older women and skipped around the tables and chairs before launching herself at the blonde. “Kayden! Ohmygod!

” Cleo said breathlessly, pulling away from the hug for a moment and then wrapping her arms more tightly around the woman. “You’re back!! When did you get back?![/color]”

It was entirely different with Kayden. Kayden had actually told Cleo she was leaving. Everybody else who had up and disappeared hadn’t said a word to her. And people wondered why Cleo was so afraid of commitment – why she hated getting close to people. It was because they left. That’s why. And it hurt. It really, really hurt. Kayden had said something, though. Kayden had told her. And Cleo had completely understood. It was why she was ecstatic now to see her, standing here in the food court.

Suddenly, Cleo was so very happy she’d decided she needed some fudge today.

notes; i'll make an outfit when i have more time! c:
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[KAYDEN MACKENZIE]

Kayden stared for what seemed like ages, and when the redhead didn't turn right away, she thought that perhaps she'd been wrong. Still, she stood there, the pastry in her hands, her bag over her shoulder as she waited, hoping that maybe it really was Cleo. It might save her the trouble of figuring out how she was going to show up at Cleo's. If only she'd remembered the present she'd bought her. The new swimsuit she'd gotten to try and distract her from the fact that she hadn't given any real warning.

As she faltered, biting her lip as she started to turn, then things changed. The redhead turned, and in a Cleo way, shrieked and came running. Kayden grinned and barely had time to brace herself before the girl launched herself at her. She wrapped Cleo up in a hug, "Cleo! I'm so happy to see you!" She laughed a bit. Only Cleo could make her laugh when she felt as awful as she did, "A couple days ago, actually. I'm sorry, I don't have your present with me. I got you and Jacob each something."

She took a step back, then started pulling Cleo back toward the sweet shop she was obviously headed for earlier, "So. Shouldn't you be at the aquarium or the pool or something? You always are. You're a sea monkey, I swear." She looked at the sweet shop display, then at Cleo, "So what're we getting? My treat." She gave a grin, just trying to cover up her worry.

She hadn't told Cleo about losing the baby, and she had no clue how she was going to take it. The only person who was as excited about the baby as she had been, had been Cleo. She had been the one that made sure Kayden gave in to every single sweet craving she'd had during the pregnancy. Kayden was sure that her daughter would have wound up just like Cleo.

Still, she would have to tell her sometime, and she had no clue how to even start. She had lost everything that day, with Jared gone and her daughter gone before she was even really there. The only things she really had left were what Jared had given her- like the engagement ring she still wore and the necklace he'd given her before he left on his trip.

Now she was just trying to distract herself with getting back to normal life so that maybe she could forget about some of it.

{outfit}

[CLEO EVERETT]

“Happy doesn’t even begin to explain it!!

” Cleo exclaimed, apparently too loud for she was receiving glares from nearby shoppers. A couple days? Kayden had only been back a couple days. Good! She hadn’t been here for weeks, hiding from Cleo somehow, wasting time that could be spent catching up and all that other wonderful stuff people do when one comes back after being away for a long while. “Presents![/color]” Cleo grinned; oh how she loved presents. It could wait, though. She could wait. Her smile faltered only a little; Kayden hadn’t known Jacob had left for California when she moved. Cleo had kind of lost both of her best friends, hadn’t she?

Catching up with a short skip, Cleo laughed. “Oh, I do so much swimming nowadays.[/color]” She’d have to tell Kayden about the little goldfish living in her head. She had to. This was Kayden. “I’m friends with somebody now, though, that works at the aquarium.[/color]” Cleo nudged Kayden with her elbow, winking. “If you catch my drift.[/color]” She would be a mermaid someday. She was determined. Just like she had been moments ago to get some fudge. “Have you had their fudge?[/color]” Cleo asked, looking around, almost as if she were about to tell a secret.

“I spend more money here than I do at Gingey’s just for their fudge.[/color]” She said it at an almost whisper, as if it were a big deal (it kind of was). “You’ve got to try it.[/color]” So distracted by Kayden’s return and the idea of free fudge, Cleo had completely spaced on the fact that her friend had been pregnant when she left. Cleo looked around, as if Kayden’s daughter would be here now. It was probably unlikely; if anything, she was at home with a babysitter. How old would the girl be now? Cleo’s dates were all sorts of mixed up. … But wouldn’t Kayden have said something by now?

Her stomach was suddenly a jumble of knots and she glanced at the blonde with a worried expression. Did something happen while she was in London? Cleo looked away, back towards the candy shop where she gave the cashier a tight smile, too busy thinking about what (if anything) could have happened. Cleo may have been overreacting but that was just part of who she was. Certainly, somebody would have mentioned their child by now? Deciding to wait until Kayden said anything, Cleo ordered the same fudge she got every time (the cashier seemed to recognize her which meant, wow, she must have come here more often than she thought).

too lazy to make my own outfit
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[KAYDEN MACKENZIE]

Kayden remembered just how much she'd really missed her lovely little redhead as she squealed, apparently beyond happy to see her. Kayden held Cleo close for a long minute before releasing her with a laugh, "Yes, presents. I couldn't really come back without getting you something fabulous!" It was a distractor. And a poor one at that. It could never distract Cleo enough to keep her from noticing that her goddaughter wasn't there.

Kayden wished so badly that she didn't have to tell Cleo any of this. She wished that it wasn't a problem, and all she had to tell Cleo was that she couldn't sleep anymore with Jenica waking up every hour or two. Of course, none of that was happening. Cleo would notice. Kayden would have to tell her the whole story. It was coming.

Still, she tried not to think about it. Instead she shifted her attention back to Cleo, blinking a bit, "I'm not sure I do... Catch your drift, I mean." She smiled and laughed, shaking her head, "And no, I haven't have their fudge." She looked at Cleo, shocked for a moment as she said that she spent more here than Gingeys, "But... Cleo.... You love Gingeys. How is that possible?" She smiled, "Must be some fantastic fudge. I do believe I will try it."

She stepped up behind Cleo and held up her fingers in a two, "Double that order, please." She smiled and pulled her wallet out of her bag, shuffling through its contents before pulling her card out of it and handing it to the cashier, taking it and the wrapped up fudge as they were handed to her. Thanking the cashier, she pulled Cleo away, "Come on, let's catch a cab back to my place. You can keep me company and try on your present while I work on unpacking my things. You'll have to forgive the mess at my place."

A short cab ride later, and she was unlocking the door to her old apartment, pushing it open to the mess that was an apartment full of boxes.

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[CLEO EVERETT]

Everybody liked presents. Everybody. It was a given. It was a fact. If you didn't like presents, somethign was wrong with you. Nothing was wrong with Cleo because she loved presents. She loved everything about presents: giving and receiving, wrapping and unwrapping, the satisfaction when the other likes their present, the joy at liking her present. The only tiny little wrong thing she could ever imagine with presents would be the spending money part, but even then, making homemade gifts was easy and cheap and way more sentimental than buying something.

"Ooh, 'fabulous.' I like the sound of that.

" Already, she was trying to guess what Kayden could have bought her. It was from London so it must be something exotic-ish. Well, it didn't have to be. Cleo was just assuming that out of country meant exotic which meant presents she couldn't even imagine. Despite being so distracted by the idea of a present, she was still, of course, wondering about her goddaughter. (Goddaughter, wow, that was fun to say!) Cleo grinned and shrugged, simply answering with: "mermaid.[/color]"

It was almost funny, how shocked Kayden looked. At the same time, it disappointed Cleo. Seriously, why was she spending so much money on some fudge? This money could be going to her FAVORITE pastries at her FAVORITE bakery. She shook her head and threw her arms up, as if that would help explain herself. "I don't know!! It's outrageous. Gingey's is, like, my life. I love every single one of their pastries, but...[/color]" She paused, eyeing the fudge in the glass case. "It's so goooooooooood here.[/color]"

Kayden not only got her a present, but was buying her fudge for her. Beaming, Cleo thanked the cashier just before Kayden pulled her away, suggesting they head back to her apartment. "Sounds like a plan! And thank you so muc for buying my fudge. I can't... Kayden, you are just the best.[/color]" Cleo was feeling as if EVERYthing was just... better, lately. Jacob was back, and now so was Kayden, and it almost felt like they'd never left. Almost. Cleo perked up, grinning, "you said 'try on!'[/color]" Yes! Accidental clues were the best!

During the cab ride, Cleo couldn't help but wonder how Kayden wasn't finished unpacking. If she'd already been back a few days... Maybe it was just Cleo that unpacked everything right away. She hated not being able to get into her things easily. Cleo hadn't been to the Jacobs Apartment Complex in what felt like a long time... in fact, the last time she could remember coming here was when Kayden invited her over... and well, that was just something she did not want to think about. Kayden's apartment was... boxes. Everywhere.

There was no babysitter, and no goddaughter... Cleo thought maybe that was alright. The babysitter would probably watch the little girl at their apartment. Still, she had to ask. "So... where is my darling goddaughter?[/color]" Cleo frowned for a second, wishing she hadn't sounded so... unsure. Then she was mostly smiles again, making her way to the kitchen.
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[KAYDEN MACKENZIE]

Kayden nodded a bit, laughing, "It is outrageous!" She really couldn't believe that Cleo would ever spend her money anywhere but Gingey's.

Still, there they were, with fudge from another store entirely. Kayden had unpacked all of her kitchen utensils already, so she was able to grab a knife from the drawer to cut pieces of the fudge. She set her bag on the counter, popped open her box of the fudge, and cut a slice off.

As she popped it into her mouth, she went to dig through her boxes, finally pulling out what she was looking for. It was a white shopping bag, inside of which was a new swimsuit for Cleo. It was a light blue color tankini, and had goldfish embroidered on it. It was really adorable, and it had immediately made Kayden think of Cleo.

She returned to the kitchen, bag in hand, stopping short when Cleo asked about Jenica. She floundered for a moment, then dropped the bag on the counter in front of Cleo to distract her. Then, she dug for her phone in her bag, "Uhm... I'm going to text Jacob and see if he wants to come hang out, okay? I haven't told him I'm back yet either." Finally, she pulled her phone out and typed out a quick text to Jacob,

'Jacob! Hey, I'm back in town. Cleo and I are having fudge... Come hang out with us! Door's unlocked, so just come on in!'

She smiled over at Cleo, "Jacob'll probably come hang out with us. You should go try on your present. I'm going to work on unpacking some stuff until he gets here. Then we can watch a movie or something?"

{outfit}

[JACOB HARLOW]

Trying to clean up his own apartment was proving to be a difficult task. Jacob was also lazy when it came to unpacking, and though he’d been back for quite some time—he still hadn’t managed to get everything out of the boxes yet. So when he heard his phone blip from his back pocket, he balanced the box of books on his hip, and pulled the phone out with his other hand. It took him several times before he actually understood what he was seeing—before promptly dropping the box on his foot. And dropping his phone too. He howled in pain, and hopped on one leg, clutching his foot, before dropping to his knees to scramble across the floor grabbing at his phone which danced out of his fingertips due to the frantic grabbing.

It took Jacob a good few minutes to stop scrambling, breath, and get his shoes on. He hadn’t even bothered to text back. Was Kayden even at the same apartment? He hardly had time to really consider texting her back, before he was flying out the door, his long legs taking him to a few buildings down. Living in the same damn—really, Kayden? How long had she been back in town? How did he not see her moving in? Either way, Jacob hurried to where her old apartment used to be. Please don’t be a naked old woman, please don’t be a naked old woman. He mouthed to himself silently, before pushing open the door. And being greeted with an awfully familiar scene.

Boxes, everywhere. But there was that strange energy in the house that he knew belonged to Cleo. He didn’t even have to see her to know that his Fishgirl was nearby, but there was also that extra sense of another body. Jacob waltzed right in like he had always been there, stomped into the kitchen, and promptly wrapped his lanky arms around Kayden and squeezed her. “Lady, you got some ‘splainin to do.” He released her from the hug, and gripped her upper arms and stepped back, offering her that lopsided grin that made the corners of his vivid eyes crinkle, and that made his face come alive with dimples, and the raise to his already sharp cheekbones. “I missed you, Lady. How’ve you been? You look really good.” Gently, his skinny fingers rubbed her upper arms, before grasping her again and leaning in to kiss her forehead, the scruff on his face more than likely tickling her skin.

“Where’s my Fishgirl, and where’s my niece?” So Jacob wasn’t entirely sure that he had been dubbed Uncle Jacob, or Uncle Whatever—but Kayden was basically his sister. Which meant that Jenica was basically his niece, and he was fine with that. The second he asked it, he stopped. What was one thing that parents always had, even if they just moved? Toys. Toys laying out, bottles or children’s dishes in the sink. Jacob glanced at the sink, which held no traces of colorful plasticware. His smile faded, and he turned his blue eyes back towards Kayden, his brows causing a shadow over those icy eyes. His full mouth went to a straight line, and he stared at Kayden. No, something was amiss. Something was horribly amiss.

“Tell me that Cleo’s in the back changing her diaper or something. Kayden, please tell me that everything’s okay.” Jacob’s knees bent, so he was no longer towering over Kayden, but instead looking at her, his eyes losing the shadow—but gaining an almost panicked plead. “Please?”

--
OUTFIT

[CLEO EVERETT]

The fudge was just as good as she’d remembered. Cleo always had this weird worry that, someday, somehow or another, her favorite pastries would taste different. It hadn’t happened yet, thank God. Everything tasted as it was supposed to taste. She didn’t even want to imagine the day something did go wrong. Cleo figured she’d probably throw a fit, demand an entirely new batch be made, and that she taste test it because clearly she is the only one who knows what it is supposed to taste like.

Nibbling on her fudge, sighing contently almost every time she finished a bite, Cleo looked around the apartment. It was kind of weird, seeing the place so… not put together. “Do you need help unpacking?

” Cleo asked, looking at Kayden. She was happy to help, of course. Cleo liked unpacking. She liked it a whole lot than she did packing. (Packing always meant leaving, which sucked. Yeah, even for vacations). Cleo hardly had any time to be nosy before Kayden was giving her the present. Shoving the rest of the piece of fudge in her mouth, Cleo fumbled with the bag, suddenly only caring for whatever was inside.

Nodding, only half-listening to whatever Kayden was saying, Cleo quit trying to open the bag and just scooped it up, skipping to the bathroom. “Oh, surprises all around![/color]” She called back, having finally swallowed the fudge. She wasn’t really one to talk with her mouth full. Yeah, it happened, but she avoided it if she could. Cleo only mostly heard Kayden but she felt like giving her opinion anyway so just before closing the bathroom door, she all but yelled: “HARRY POTTER.[/color]”

Cleo opened the bag, focusing now, and pulled out the tankini. She ooh’d and aah’d, laughing a bit at how appropriate it was. Her goldfish (who had been taking a nap up until now) approved very much so of the design. She wondered if Jacob even lived in the same complex. She was pretty sure he’d mentioned something about Jacobs (… ha ha, Jacob at Jacobs) but all she could think of now was her new pretty little bathing suit. It was while she was changing that Cleo realized Kayden had not answered her question. She scowled a little, having never ever liked when her questions went unanswered. However, any irritation was quickly smothered by worry. Why wouldn’t Kayden tell her about… why hadn’t she said anything… anything at all?

And of course, it was then that she noticed there weren’t any sort of bath toys and kids’ hair care in the bathroom. Had she seen any toys in the living room? Anything? Shoving her own clothes into the now empty bag, Cleo tossed it in a corner and made her way out of the bathroom and back to the kitchen. There was already something about the apartment that told her Jacob was here – but somehow, it wasn’t good. Everything seemed to go okay from not-so-okay in seconds. She stopped in the living room, staring at Kayden and Jacob from a distance, hating everything about his posture. He was upset. “Uhm.[/color]”
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[KAYDEN MACKENZIE]

Kayden laughed a bit as Cleo hurried into the bathroom to change. At the same time, she cut herself another slice of fudge, popping it into her mouth and letting it melt on her tongue. She laughed as Cleo yelled out a movie selection, "Alright, Harry Potter it is. You've got it."

Kayden grinned when Jacob came in the door and immediately pulled her into a hug. As he pulled back, she shook her head, "I know, I know. I didn't get everything unpacked yet...." She chuckled, trying to make a joke. The smile stayed as she nodded, "Thanks Jacob, you too. You look taller.... Did you grow?" She shook her head in disbelief. He was tall enough already. If he got any taller he'd have to build a place with extra high ceilings just so he wouldn't risk hitting the ceiling every time he put on a t-shirt.

Of course, her jokes obviously hadn't distracted Jacob from the fact that there weren't bright colored plastic things everywhere, and 'locks' on all the cabinets. She dropped her gaze to the floor, chewing on her lip as he begged her to say that Cleo was in a back room with her daughter, his niece basically, since Jacob was more like a brother than her actual brother. "I... Uhm... Jacob... I..." She froze up, looking like a deer in headlights for a moment as Jacob bent down to put himself on her level.

Thankfully she was bought a second when Cleo came out of the bathroom in her suit. Kayden snapped her attention over to Cleo, smiling, "Suit looks great, Cleo! When I saw it, I thought of you immediately." She was just praying that she could figure out some kind of explanation as to why her daughter wasn't there before they asked again.

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[JACOB HARLOW]

Kayden was deflecting. And if Jacob knew her well enough, if he gave her an inch—she’d use whatever she had to distract him. And by the looks of it, that’s how she got Cleo. He turned his head when Kayden spoke to her, and Jacob turned around and looked at his redhead. He smiled, but it wasn’t those light, I’m-incredibly-happy-to-see-you type of smiles. It was almost sad, more polite than anything. “Hey Fishgirl. Looks good on you.” After all, Jacob wasn’t exactly rude, and the bathing suit suited her extremely well. But his attention was drawn back to Kayden.

He let go of her arms finally and took a slight step back, before again looking at Cleo. “I don’t suppose you know where Jenica is?” His arms crossed over his chest, but his long fingers were grasping his elbows. More out of worry, than anger or frustration. Jacob chewed on the inside of his cheeks, his full mouth puckering slightly with the motion while those blue eyes tried to stare at Kayden hard enough to see into her mind. “Kayden, what aren’t you telling us? Is she with Jared? Or is she with family overseas? What is going on?” Ooh, no use of Lady. Kayden was on the spot now.

Before Cleo walked in, Kayden demeanor had completely changed. It only further aided that feeling of foreboding, and that sick feeling starting up in the pit of his stomach. Without actually sweating, he felt a slight wave of heat just rush over him. Something was bad, very, very bad. Jacob was rather good at worrying though, and making mountains out of molehills. This was one of those times that he was hoping it wasn’t nearly as bad as he was thinking. Hoping that Kayden would laugh off his insistent worrying. Tell him that Jenica was still overseas while she got everything set up here. But even then—with the way Kayden mother-henned, he wasn’t entirely sure that she would have left her daughter so far away.

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OUTFIT

[CLEO EVERETT]

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Folding her arms over her chest, Cleo forced a smile at the both of them for the compliments. To be honest, she knew it had to look good on her, simply for her well it suited her. “Thanks,” she mumbled, so as not to speak over Jacob. Grabbing a blanket from the couch and wrapping it around her shoulders (it seemed colder in the apartment, somehow), Cleo went and joined them both in the kitchen, having long lost the smile. Cleo went wide eyed for a second before shaking her head, almost with too much force. “No. No, I don’t.”

Looking back to Kayden, curiosity and worry etched onto her face, Cleo waited for an answer from her best friend. Where was Jenica? Even if she was overseas, Kayden certainly had to have said something by now. You don’t just go this long without saying anything about your daughter. Yes, so the entire pregnancy had been stressful, so much so that Kayden actually did go to stay with her family, but if one makes it through something like that, they’d certain…ly… It felt like her heart froze for a moment, and then it was beating again, but a bit too quickly for her liking. What… it was too painful to even consider, but what if Kayden hadn’t… made it through… and something had happened…?

Clenching her fists and biting down hard on her tongue, Cleo looked away from Kayden and Jacob and she shut her eyes tight. Don’t say anything. She couldn’t say anything. This was Kayden’s daughter. These were Kayden’s questions to answer. And it certainly wouldn’t help if Cleo said something now, or burst into tears, or interrupted. She just needed to keep quiet. Keeping her hands closed into fists and her arms still crossed, she tried not to appear as tense as she had to be. Everything about her just screamed on edge, and she could only hope it wasn’t as obvious as she thought it was.

notes; this banner just seems wrong now tbh

[KAYDEN MACKENZIE]

"Kayden, what aren’t you telling us? Is she with Jared?"

Kayden choked at that. Jacob obviously forgot why she'd gone home in the first place. She couldn't stay in the place she had meant to start a life in with Jared.... When he died... She couldn't handle it. Still, it gave her a cop-out type of answer.

Mumbling, she dropped her gaze to the floor as she chewed on her lip, "Y-yeah, Jacob... She's with Jared..." She then hurried herself over to dig through some bags, trying to find her sweatshirt. Well, Jared's sweatshirt. His favorite one. She always wore it now. Especially when she was home. For some reason, being in her old apartment, made her feel so incredibly hollow, so she tried to cover up the holes with something from when she was happier.

When she was with Jared- Engaged, pregnant with Jenica -she had felt so whole. She didn't know she could feel so broken now. But she did. At least when she was with Cleo and Jacob she felt like she was mostly together.

Frustrated when she couldn't find it, she sank down onto the couch, "Jenica's gone. She's gone. I lost her while I was in London. I had a miscarriage. She's gone. Jared's gone...." Dropping her head into her hands, she gave a heavy sigh, "Jared left everything to me. I own the Sahara, but I hired someone to run it all, so I don't really need to work ever, but I do the modeling, and receptionist work, and the dancing and choreographing to try and keep my mind off of it."

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{notes}
it's all olley's fault. feels!

[JACOB HARLOW]

It was hard to focus on Cleo and how she looked in the swimsuit. Had everything been in the right state of mind, he would have offered to drive the girls to the beach, or the pool. But the tone and the mood had gone from happy to drastically wrong. It weighed heavy on Jacob’s scrawny shoulders, his bright blues focused on Cleo. Slowly, they dragged back to Kayden when she spoke. He could feel the tension in Cleo, even standing a distance away. But Kayden…that choked sound. The mumble. Something wasn’t right with his Lady.

His thick brows knitted over his eyes as she bustled over bags. Jenica was with Jared. Why did that seem so sinister? He had been in California for the past year—he was sure he had read an e-mai----oh no. Color drained from his face. Someone had sent him an e-mail, he couldn’t recall who. He had been busy. Guilt gnawed at his stomach. He had ignored it instead of getting on the first plane to New York. His legs felt like jelly, numb, even as he walked over to Kayden and sat next to her on the couch.

He wasn’t the greatest at comfort, but his throat burned. He wanted to cry, he wanted to hang his head in his hands like Kayden. Instead, those long, lanky arms wrapped around Kayden, and he pulled her in. Fingers curled into her blonde hair as he pressed his jaw against the top of her head. His eyes looked at Cleo—moist, misted, full of tears that he wouldn’t let fall. “I’m so sorry, Lady.” He murmured into her hair, one hand gently lowering to rub her back.

What do you say to a sister that lost everything? Lost her fiancé, lost her daughter. What do you say? No amount of words could take that hurt away, smooth it away and erase it. He sighed into her hair and closed his eyes for just a moment, loosening his arms without withdrawing him. He could provide the arms, but he couldn’t provide the words. Moving his hand from Kayden’s back, he crooked his finger at Cleo to gesture her in. More than ever, he regretted his escape from New York. He should never have left Kayden alone with this.

--
OUTFIT

[CLEO EVERETT]

No, no, she wasn’t with Jared. She couldn’t be. And that made this all the more painful, that Jenica couldn’t be with Jared because Jared wasn’t here. Blinking quickly, as if it would help to keep the tears at bay, Cleo focused on Kayden as the woman navigated her way to a pile of unpacked bags. What she was looking for, Cleo couldn’t guess. Though if she had to assume, it would be something to wear, something that was just a bit big on her. Something that reminded her of better times, before… Cleo shook her head, trying not to remember why she understood Kayden’s frantic search so well.

Jacob moved to join Kayden on the couch, but Cleo found herself rooted to the spot as she listened to her dearest friend, at long last giving them the truth. A miscarriage. It seemed to repeat itself over in her mind, the word gone as if it were echoing around the quiet apartment. Why hadn’t she said anything sooner? Why had it taken so long for either of them to reach out to Kayden, to find out if she was still in London, or if she was back? When was she coming back? Why hadn’t she done anything? Kayden shouldn’t have been left on her own, having to throw herself into work to keep her mind off of… everything. What kind of friend was she to not have actively gone looking for the blonde woman, to not have kept in touch?

It wasn’t until Jacob looked at her and she found his eyes much like hers that she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She stifled the quiet sob that escaped with the blanket she still had wrapped around her shoulders. No. No, she couldn’t cry. Not now. When he motioned at her to join them, Cleo finally moved, feeling stiff and uncomfortable after standing so still and so tense for so long. She collapsed on the couch on Kayden’s other side, tossing the blanket over her two closest friends. “Kayden, I… I’m sorry.

”
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