Thank you for your continued support on this story. I appreciate it. Thank you as well for those who are kind in taking a minute to leave feedback. I hope you enjoy this next update.
Holly: Thanks for the review! Poor Loren indeed. She will go into more detail in Chapter 10 about what happened with her mom and Trent.
Kathryn L Malone: Thanks for the review! I will forever be a 'Leddie' fan even if their moments together are rare. I plan on adding drama in the next couple of chapters.
Hhlover112414: Thanks for the review! I will definitely keep updating for my fans. hehe.
LisaNicholeSolis: Thanks for the review! Glad you love the story.
Marirosa1979: Thank you so much for your kind reviews. Welcome by the way! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Chapter 10
(After a few minutes of Loren crying in Eddie's arms, she breaks free. With a look of embarrassment across her tear-stained face, she chuckles)
Loren: "I'm sorry."
Eddie: (confused) "For what?"
(She takes a moment to wipe her face with the sleeve of her shirt. After that is done, she faces Eddie guiltily)
Loren: "Because we barely know each other. Our first encounter with each other wasn't exactly ideal."
Eddie: (chuckles nervously) "Yeah, I didn't come off very well." (sighs) "I'm sorry about that. I've been burned in the past and I thought the way to get over it was to change my entire attitude."
Loren: (nods) "Don't worry. I've been burned, too." (chuckles dryly) "It's not fun."
Eddie: (shakes his head) "No, it's not." (sighs deeply) "My ex, Chloe, cheated on me with a friend of mine. To say that I don't talk to them anymore is an understatement."
Loren: (scoffs) "It's sad that it's the ones closest to you who hurt you the most."
Eddie: (nods) "Yeah, it is. After it happened, I spiraled out of control and the negativity of my last two albums didn't help."
Loren: (nods) "Yeah. I read about that."
(Eddie is almost afraid to ask her opinion on the subject. It was so weird because he barely knew her. It shouldn't matter to him that she had an opinion on anything about him. Honestly, though? Something told him, maybe it was his gut, or his heart, that she could be trusted. That she cared about him, not what he could offer her. What was it that fascinated him so much? No girl that Eddie has ever known showed an actual interest in him. He sighs with uncertainty)
Eddie: "Do I dare ask what you think?"
(Loren chuckles slightly before looking at him sweetly)
Loren: "The way I see it, people will react the way they want to. No matter what songs you write or sing, there will always be haters. You can never win either way. Your true fans will stay with you no matter what."
(Eddie couldn't help the grateful face he showed. In his opinion, Loren turned every negative thing he heard or read about himself into something positive. Chloe never did that. Neither did his manager, Jake. Eddie knew his dad, Max, was trying to help. At the time, in Eddie's mind, Max was siding against him. Eddie nodded at Loren)
Eddie: "I see your point. Let's just say that I let the negativity get to me. Like you said, there will be haters everywhere."
Loren: (nods) "There will be. While your last two CDs were different, I still liked them." (smirks) "No offense, but they sounded like you were angry and trying to get over a girl who hurt you." (tilts her head) "Am I right?"
(Eddie chuckles in response. He had no idea how someone, practically a stranger, knew his innermost thoughts. Granted, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the meaning behind those songs. He was still impressed at how much she knew)
Eddie: "Yes, you're right. Yeah, my manager didn't care too much for them. My father knew deep down I could have written better. That those weren't my best songs. I was in a dark place with my ex that I just didn't give a damn." (sighs) "So, between my manager telling me this and my dad, I just wanted to shut out the world. In the end, I changed my attitude, as well."
Loren: (chuckles) "Yeah, it seemed like all your misdeeds were in the tabloids."
Eddie: (curiously) "Did you read them? The tabloids?"
Loren: (shakes her head) "No. I didn't feel like reading whatever gossip was in it." (chuckles dryly) "Of course, that didn't stop my classmates from discussing it. Sometimes I think they have nothing better to do."
Eddie: (shrugs) "I'm surprised because it seemed like everyone I came across told me their opinions."
Loren: (shakes her head) "I'm not most people."
Eddie: (nods & smiles) "I'm definitely realizing that. You're different than other girls I've been around. That's a good thing, of course."
Loren: "At first, you were a real jerk."
(Eddie laughs hard at Loren's comment)
Loren: "Now? You're not so bad." (smirks) "I guess you're okay."
Eddie: (chuckles) "Well, thank you. Throughout everything, Ian has been by my side. Of course, he likes the party scene. I thought I'd try something different."
Loren: (curiously) "What do you think of the party scene?"
Eddie: "It was fun, at first. I didn't care about life, so I gave it a whirl. I don't mind it, at times, but I'm starting to realize that there is more to life than partying."
Loren: (shrugs) "There's nothing wrong with having a good time once in a while." (raises her eyebrows) "As long as you don't let it go to your head."
Eddie: (curiously) "Let me guess...I did sometimes?"
Loren: "I try not to judge as no one is perfect." (sighs sympathetically) "I just feel bad for you because even though you never said it, I could tell you were mad or sad and trying to cover up your feelings."
Eddie: (nods) "You're right. I was trying to hide my feelings."
Loren: (shrugs) "You're not the only one who was doing that." (acknowledges) "I'm to blame, as well."
Eddie: (tilts his head) "Was that why you were crying? Because you couldn't hold it back anymore?"
Loren: (nods & whispers) "Yes."
Eddie: (sincerely) "You don't have to tell me why you were crying if you don't want to."
Loren: "Melissa knows why and she has tried to get me to open up to my mom. It has to do with my mom. I didn't want to talk about it before...too much sadness."
Eddie: "And now?"
(Loren thinks for a moment before she comes to a realization)
Loren: "Even though I don't really want to, I know I need to get it out." (chuckles slightly) "Interesting how it's with you."
Eddie: (sincerely) "Just because I opened up to you doesn't mean you have to do the same. I don't know why, but I feel safe with you."
Loren: (nods) "I feel the same way. You're not like what people say. You do have bad days, just like the rest of us."
(They both smile at each other. Loren looks down and sighs before facing him)
Loren: "I'm twenty-one years old. I'm in my senior year of college. During my senior year of high school, I uncovered a secret that my father, Trent, was hiding from my mother. I didn't mean to uncover it. However, when your dad is outside on the porch making out with another woman who is not your mom and you can hear it late at night when you wake up to get something..." (scoffs) "I did not want to be the one who saw that. I was half asleep when I saw it. I was going to the kitchen to get something to drink when I thought I heard a noise outside. When I peeked through the curtain that covered the front window, I saw him kissing his coworker."
Eddie: (scoffs) "He sounds like an ass."
Loren: "I went to sleep afterwards and thought it was a dream being everything was fine the next morning." (rolls her eyes) "Needless to say, more signs popped up. I mentioned this to mom, but she thought it was all in my head." (shrugs) "I left it alone...or tried to."
Eddie: (confused) "What happened next?"
Loren: "When I caught my dad in the act...I confronted him. Mom asked me to give him something at work. I parked my car and saw him about ten cars down across the parking lot not far away. He was laughing with the same woman. He then started kissing her. I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped out of the car and ran towards him. I yelled at him, wondering if mom would like him kissing another woman. At first, he pleaded with me to not say anything. When that didn't work, he told me mom would never believe me."
Eddie: (shakes his head angrily) "Pathetic excuse for a man."
Loren: (scoffs) "I told him mom deserved to know...that she didn't deserve what he was doing to her. When he claimed this was the first time, I told him I saw him before with the woman. I then threw the document mom wanted me to give him at him and told him that mom trusted him. I left and went home to tell mom what happened." (shakes her head) "I thought she would yell at him after I told her everything. He came back and denied it all." (tearfully) "She believed him. I have never lied to her, not one damn time in my entire life. She took his side as there was 'no' proof'."
Eddie: (angrily) "I can't believe him. You would think being he was caught red handed practically...!"
Loren: (sadly) "That was the day I cut her out of my life. Thankfully, school was almost done. I came straight here as soon as I could."
Eddie: (sighs) "That must have been awkward to still live with her when the shit hit the fan."
Loren: (raises her eyebrows) "You're telling me." (sighs) "Mom tried to speak to me once the truth about Trent came out, but I wanted no part of it. Unfortunately, Melissa was caught in the middle as mom tried to speak to me through her. Mom eventually got the message when I refused to take her calls. Melissa and I came to blows a few times over it. A long time has passed and she felt I should talk to my mother." (shakes her head) "I couldn't, though. The hurt was still there." (shrugs) "Mom admitted she was in the wrong with Trent and the whole situation, but the damage was done as she held him on a pedestal."
Eddie: (shakes his head) "I don't blame you for not wanting to speak to her. You don't seem the type of person to lie." (sighs deeply) "Unfortunately, it will take a while to stop feeling the hurt."
(Loren scoffs lightly in doubt)
Loren: "Over three years?"
Eddie: "Everyone gets over things at their own pace."
Loren: (chuckles slightly) "Now you know my story."
Eddie: (chuckles slightly) "And now you know mine."
(It was then realized without words being spoken that they came to an understanding on everything. The other knew why they were the way they were. The question was...where do they go from there? Bigger question...how does Melissa fit into that? Will Loren and Eddie start to realize they have feelings for each other and admit them or will Melissa's feelings for Eddie get in the way of that? Time will tell)
Chapter 10 Done
I was debating whether to put both Eddie's/Loren's past in this chapter or just Eddie's. I decided on both. Even though there was a breakthrough, there will be drama coming up. Thank you for reading. If you're still with me and this story, I would love to hear from you on what you think. Until next time!
A/N #2: (Also on 'HH's: The Other Side' update) My lovely readers, I'm planning on compiling a list of songs (songs that add up to a CD) for Eddie to sing at his concerts/his CD/to Loren/etc. I have thought of a list, as well, as I will be asking my beta (who will be proofing 'HH's: Accident Gone Wrong' and 'HH's: Season One') for her ideas as well as opinions on the songs. I am also asking you if there are any songs you personally think Eddie would sing/like. The songs I have thought of are:
1. All I Ever Wanted by Kelly Clarkson
2. All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Palisar (Juno soundtrack)
3. Breathless by Better than Ezra
4. Sorry by Buckcherry
5. You've Got This Hold On Me by Cassidy Ford
6. By My Side by Cassidy Ford
7. That's the Way It Is by Celine Dion
8. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
9. Fall into Me by Emerson Drive
10. Light 'em Up by Fall Out Boy
These songs would either be about Eddie describing his bad boy attitude scenes, his feelings for Loren, about his life, or anything just what he's feeling in the moment. Keep in mind that the songs I thought of are only the first draft. I may not use all of them. I would like to know what your thoughts are on the songs and/or if there are any songs you personally think would fit Eddie. Any ideas, please leave them in a review. These future songs will be featured on one/all of my Hollywood Heights stories. I don't know when they'll be shown, but I plan on having them in the future. If I use your songs, I will give you credit in an A/N note. Thanks!