Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, the town, or it's characters. I'm just a
college student.
Chapter 46 uses "Breakable" by Fisher
Chapter 46: Breakable
A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for reading my fic. Check out my other A/N at the end of this chapter!
Ephram's breath rose and sank shallowly in his chest; his mind was numb . . . if only his heart could've been so lucky. Instead, the blood that pumped through it seemed as if it should've been cold . . . why not, the rest of his body was. And as he and Bright stepped through the entryway of the Abbott house for the first time since the girl they loved left, the emptiness that Ephram remembered only sat in his stomach the months after his mother died, returned. If they would've had the strength they might have asked how everyone was holding up . . . but Harold Abbott's face said it all.
"The note's upstairs on her bed . . ." he said softly as he saw the concern in both their eyes.
"And Mom?" Bright asked with anger in his voice.
"Your mother left . . . she wanted to spend time with her family," he said closing his eyes.
"But we ARE her family!" Bright said as a gentle tear made its way down his cheek.
"If I'd have stopped her I'd have only made things worse," he said, as if trying to convince himself.
Ephram began to walk up the stairs, remembering how he used to see Amy slide her delicate hand down the banister as she smiled at him. His hand smoothed the texture of that same banister as he tried to absorb any thing she had touched. He could've said a million things when Bright asked him if he was sure he wanted to go up first. *Yes, I love her, damn it, I want to know why she's done this,* or *No, Bright, I can't go up at all, how can I go up first?* or *Why does she always do this to me?* or *She's been through a lot, I'll be here through everything* so instead, he said nothing, he just continued walking.
He lay on her bed, resting his head on her pillow, taking in the remainder of the scent of her shampoo. *Just like her* he said, rubbing his ring finger with his thumb to feel the ring on his finger. Bright bent down to lift the tear stained note off his sister's bed. He read it aloud, hurtfully watching the sorrow in Ephram's eyes grow as he didn't hear his name in the beginning . . .
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Do you always have to tell him everything
On your mind?
You know that too much honesty can be
So unkind
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"I will be in contact with Ephram and let him know where I am. Please, don't look for me. I know that's a stupid request, but I mean it. I think it's the best thing for me. I'm not leaving forever . . . I'll be home when the time is right. I love you . . ." Bright read, but Ephram interrupted before he could finish.
"How can she just think we'll let her go without looking for her?" he said, his voice suggested hurt and pain.
"I'm surprised my dad hasn't gone all insane looking for her yet,"
"She gave me a promise ring! She looked me in the eye and she told me she loved me! How can she just leave and expect for me to not care?!" he said beginning to cry out of resentment and hurt.
"She said she'd contact you," Bright said, tears welling up in his eyes, "she loves you,"
"And I love her . . . but sometimes I wonder, is love enough?" he said closing his eyes then pausing. He shook his head and reopened his eyes, "of course it is," he said regretting he even questioned his relationship with Amy, "But I won't honor her wish. I won't let go this easily,"
"Neither will I . . ." he said handing Ephram the note and looking out the window. "Where do you think she went?"
"I don't know, but I need to get home . . . the testimony's tomorrow, and I'm already feeling like shit," he said getting up, slapping Bright on the back and walking out the door.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And every time you throw him to the floor
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?"
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Now put your things down here, honey," the old lady said, "my family will be here to pick us up in a few minutes,"
"Okay . . ." Amy said narrowing her eyes, "I don't even know your name . . . isn't this a bit awkward?"
"The names Addy Clarkson," she said smiling, the lines in her face showing years of smiles.
"Amy . . . Brown," she said extending her hand to shake the elderly woman's.
"You must be pretty tired honey, forgetting your own name," she said smiling and then breaking into a wave as she flagged down a navy blue ford focus that pulled up to the bus stop. Inside was a man about 35, a woman about the same, and a girl who was about 13, her hair brown and straight. All three stepped out of the vehicle and hugged Addy.
"Grandma!" the girl said throwing her arms around her, "How are you?" Addy leaned down and hugged the girl gently,
"Hi, Belle, sweetheart," Addy responded as the girl removed her embrace to let her parents hug her grandmother.
"Emma, Daniel, how've you been?" she asked smiling.
"Things are going well, mother," the tall, blonde man said hugging her. "Did you get everything taken care of"
"Yes, the banking is finally getting straightened out. Your father had so many accounts I didn't even know about," she said sadly, "he was a great man," Emma hugged her.
"We all miss him," she said.
Addy then turned to Amy, who was awkwardly looking at the floor. "I'd like you all to meet a new friend of mine," she said as Amy looked up, "This, is Amy Brown," Amy blushed at the mention of Brown as her last name. She didn't normally like to lie, but she had to remain somewhat anonymous. "She needs a place to stay for a little while . . ."
"Hi," Amy said softly, her cheeks reddening. "It's nice to meet you all,"
"We'd LOVE to help you, Amy," Emma said touching her shoulder. Amy was surprised at how welcoming they were being. "Where are you from, dear?"
"I'm from Phoenix, Arizona," she said lying.
"Why'd you get a bus in Everwood, Colorado then, dear?" Addy asked suspicously.
"I was resting there for a night," she tried to make a plausible story.
"Of course, how silly of me," Addy said as they all got into the car.
"How old are you?" Belle asked. She seemed excited to have another girl around.
"I'm sixteen, how old are you?"
"I'm thirteen," she said proudly, "Wow, so you drive?"
"Yes," Amy said laughing. The girl's smile reminded her of Delia's . . . her heart clenched in her chest.
"Cool," she said hopefully, "Maybe if you stay with us for awhile we can go shopping?"
"Well, if it's okay with your family, then sure!" Amy said. She was glad she'd be able to establish a new personality while she was in Denver.
Maybe she should've picked a farther away location than Denver. In her heart she wanted to believe that Ephram and Bright and Dr. Abbott would let her be . . . but something told her it wouldn't go that easily.
As they pulled into a driveway, Amy's eyes washed over the beautiful red brick house. She almost gasped at its tranquility. "It's so sophisticated,"
Daniel smiled, "Thank you," he said. "Your room will be next to Belle's" he said as they walked into the beautiful foyer.
"Yeah, follow me!" Belle said waving. After a few hours, as it became dark outside, Belle asked Amy if she wanted to watch a movie.
"Actually, I need to make a phone call," she said nervously, "but don't worry, I have a cell phone,"
"Oh, right," Belle said whispering and winking, "I'll give you your privacy. I know how much I hate it when people listen to MY phone conversations," her voice raising, making her parents and grandmother chuckle.
"Thanks," Amy said pulling out her phone. Her hands shaking, she dialed Ephram's number. She prayed he'd pick up . . . if not she'd call back. She wouldn't let anyone else know it was her.
"Hello?" a tired, weak familiar voice said on the other side. It sounded as if he'd either just woken up or been crying for a long time. Her heart sped up, she gathered the strength to respond,
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"You always try to find what's holding him
Away from youBut do you ever see your anger standing there
Right between you?
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `
"Hi," she said and her tears began to flow freely, quickly.
"Who, who is this?" he asked angrily, "Kayla, if this is you just say,"
"It's not Kayla," Amy said through broken words, "It's me, Ephram," his eyes shot open, his teeth clenched. Anger and resentment and pain and worry and love . . . they each ran through his brain intersecting with the others.
"Why'd you go?" he asked fiercely. It broke her heart to hear him sound this way, but she knew she deserved it.
"I don't know . . . I was fine . . . and then mom . . ."
"So you left everyone else just because you had an argument with your mom? Amy . . . you have no idea how much pain you caused everyone else . . ."
"I'm sorry . . . I love you, Ephram . . . I do! Please know I'll never stop. I'll come back and we can be together forever, I promise,"
Andy Brown entered the room, not knowing who Ephram was talking to, "Ephram, the testimony's been cancelled for tomorrow . . . so you can sleep in tomorrow . . . I know you need it," he said half smiling, but more out of pity.
"Well what's going to happen with Tommy and Micah and Faith?" he asked, covering the phone so Amy didn't think he was talking to her.
"Nothing . . .Ephram . . . Mr. Callahan killed himself last night . . ." he said sadly. That day's news was just getting worse and worse. Mr. Callahan was a bad man . . . but no one's so bad that they need to kill themself. "The Callahan's are moving back home," he said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you while you're on the phone," closing the door as he exited. Ephram's heart was beating quickly, everything was going horribly wrong that day. He removed his hand from the phone and began to speak to Amy once again,
"I love you too . . . but don't promise . . ." it hurt him to say these words.
"But I do promise! I love you . . . I just need to figure out who I am. I need to . . . Ephram I need to grow up," she admitted.
"If you can't grow up in Everwood, I don't know where you can grow up. Everyone who cares about you is here! I don't know where you are . . . where ARE you?" he asked, stopping his train of thought.
"I can't say," she said, knowing this would make him angry.
"You can't even tell me? I thought you said you'd let me know!" he said, his voice brimming with accusation.
"In time," she said crying.
"I'm going to find you . . . I'm going to come and find you, wherever you are,"
"No, Ephram, no," she cried.
"Yes, Amy, you don't get it! I love you. Bright loves you. Your mom and dad and Edna and Irv and Delia and My Dad . . . We ALL love you . . ."
"I don't mean to hurt you . . ."
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And every time you throw him to the wall
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````
"You already have. Just tell me where you are and let me come and get you. I'll come right now. I'll drive in the middle of the night, in the morning, in the afternoon, for days . . . Just tell me! Please," he said, she knew he was bawling now.
"I can't," she repeated, "I'm sorry,"
"Then don't call me until you can," he said moving to hang up the phone but picking it up again and whispering in it, "I'll love you til the day I die . . ." finally resting the phone back on the hook, his face soaking with tears.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Tell the world that he's breaking your heart
Go tell the world nothing's ever your fault
Go tell them all"
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
In Denver, Amy cried too. She cried long and hard. Maybe she was dumb, maybe she should've just lied and said she didn't love him . . . but she never lied to Ephram . . . not to Ephram.
"Amy? Are you okay?" Belle said seeing her new friend crying.
"I'm fine," she said, putting on a smile. . . but even Belle, who'd only known her for a few days, could tell it was fake. Belle shook her head, showing she didn't believe her.
"Is it about a boy?" she asked blushing.
Amy nodded.
"Do you love him?" she asked. Amy nodded again. "What's it like to be in love?"
"Its sort of like . . . when you've been outside for a really long time in the cold and you sit in front of a fire when you come inside. It warms you up, from head to toe," she said smiling.
"It warms all of you?" she asked, inquisitively.
"Yep. It even warms your heart," Amy said smiling, even though her heart was breaking with each moment she was away from Ephram.
"Then why are you crying?"
"I just realized I have to be outside in the cold for a really long time before I can come back inside and warm my heart," she said, her face falling into her hands.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And every time you throw him to the floor
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?
And every time you push him to the wall
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?"
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
To Be Continued . . .
A/N: Hey Guys! I'm really looking forward to writing the sequel to this. As I said before, thank you all for hanging in there. I appreciate the reviews you've sent, they've been extremely helpful! Please send your final thoughts and comments in reviews for this chapter and let me know your feelings on how this went. Stick around for the sequel, which will probably show up in a week or so, maybe sooner if time allows. Thanks again, and Happy February!
Chapter 46 uses "Breakable" by Fisher
Chapter 46: Breakable
A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for reading my fic. Check out my other A/N at the end of this chapter!
Ephram's breath rose and sank shallowly in his chest; his mind was numb . . . if only his heart could've been so lucky. Instead, the blood that pumped through it seemed as if it should've been cold . . . why not, the rest of his body was. And as he and Bright stepped through the entryway of the Abbott house for the first time since the girl they loved left, the emptiness that Ephram remembered only sat in his stomach the months after his mother died, returned. If they would've had the strength they might have asked how everyone was holding up . . . but Harold Abbott's face said it all.
"The note's upstairs on her bed . . ." he said softly as he saw the concern in both their eyes.
"And Mom?" Bright asked with anger in his voice.
"Your mother left . . . she wanted to spend time with her family," he said closing his eyes.
"But we ARE her family!" Bright said as a gentle tear made its way down his cheek.
"If I'd have stopped her I'd have only made things worse," he said, as if trying to convince himself.
Ephram began to walk up the stairs, remembering how he used to see Amy slide her delicate hand down the banister as she smiled at him. His hand smoothed the texture of that same banister as he tried to absorb any thing she had touched. He could've said a million things when Bright asked him if he was sure he wanted to go up first. *Yes, I love her, damn it, I want to know why she's done this,* or *No, Bright, I can't go up at all, how can I go up first?* or *Why does she always do this to me?* or *She's been through a lot, I'll be here through everything* so instead, he said nothing, he just continued walking.
He lay on her bed, resting his head on her pillow, taking in the remainder of the scent of her shampoo. *Just like her* he said, rubbing his ring finger with his thumb to feel the ring on his finger. Bright bent down to lift the tear stained note off his sister's bed. He read it aloud, hurtfully watching the sorrow in Ephram's eyes grow as he didn't hear his name in the beginning . . .
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Do you always have to tell him everything
On your mind?
You know that too much honesty can be
So unkind
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"I will be in contact with Ephram and let him know where I am. Please, don't look for me. I know that's a stupid request, but I mean it. I think it's the best thing for me. I'm not leaving forever . . . I'll be home when the time is right. I love you . . ." Bright read, but Ephram interrupted before he could finish.
"How can she just think we'll let her go without looking for her?" he said, his voice suggested hurt and pain.
"I'm surprised my dad hasn't gone all insane looking for her yet,"
"She gave me a promise ring! She looked me in the eye and she told me she loved me! How can she just leave and expect for me to not care?!" he said beginning to cry out of resentment and hurt.
"She said she'd contact you," Bright said, tears welling up in his eyes, "she loves you,"
"And I love her . . . but sometimes I wonder, is love enough?" he said closing his eyes then pausing. He shook his head and reopened his eyes, "of course it is," he said regretting he even questioned his relationship with Amy, "But I won't honor her wish. I won't let go this easily,"
"Neither will I . . ." he said handing Ephram the note and looking out the window. "Where do you think she went?"
"I don't know, but I need to get home . . . the testimony's tomorrow, and I'm already feeling like shit," he said getting up, slapping Bright on the back and walking out the door.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And every time you throw him to the floor
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?"
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Now put your things down here, honey," the old lady said, "my family will be here to pick us up in a few minutes,"
"Okay . . ." Amy said narrowing her eyes, "I don't even know your name . . . isn't this a bit awkward?"
"The names Addy Clarkson," she said smiling, the lines in her face showing years of smiles.
"Amy . . . Brown," she said extending her hand to shake the elderly woman's.
"You must be pretty tired honey, forgetting your own name," she said smiling and then breaking into a wave as she flagged down a navy blue ford focus that pulled up to the bus stop. Inside was a man about 35, a woman about the same, and a girl who was about 13, her hair brown and straight. All three stepped out of the vehicle and hugged Addy.
"Grandma!" the girl said throwing her arms around her, "How are you?" Addy leaned down and hugged the girl gently,
"Hi, Belle, sweetheart," Addy responded as the girl removed her embrace to let her parents hug her grandmother.
"Emma, Daniel, how've you been?" she asked smiling.
"Things are going well, mother," the tall, blonde man said hugging her. "Did you get everything taken care of"
"Yes, the banking is finally getting straightened out. Your father had so many accounts I didn't even know about," she said sadly, "he was a great man," Emma hugged her.
"We all miss him," she said.
Addy then turned to Amy, who was awkwardly looking at the floor. "I'd like you all to meet a new friend of mine," she said as Amy looked up, "This, is Amy Brown," Amy blushed at the mention of Brown as her last name. She didn't normally like to lie, but she had to remain somewhat anonymous. "She needs a place to stay for a little while . . ."
"Hi," Amy said softly, her cheeks reddening. "It's nice to meet you all,"
"We'd LOVE to help you, Amy," Emma said touching her shoulder. Amy was surprised at how welcoming they were being. "Where are you from, dear?"
"I'm from Phoenix, Arizona," she said lying.
"Why'd you get a bus in Everwood, Colorado then, dear?" Addy asked suspicously.
"I was resting there for a night," she tried to make a plausible story.
"Of course, how silly of me," Addy said as they all got into the car.
"How old are you?" Belle asked. She seemed excited to have another girl around.
"I'm sixteen, how old are you?"
"I'm thirteen," she said proudly, "Wow, so you drive?"
"Yes," Amy said laughing. The girl's smile reminded her of Delia's . . . her heart clenched in her chest.
"Cool," she said hopefully, "Maybe if you stay with us for awhile we can go shopping?"
"Well, if it's okay with your family, then sure!" Amy said. She was glad she'd be able to establish a new personality while she was in Denver.
Maybe she should've picked a farther away location than Denver. In her heart she wanted to believe that Ephram and Bright and Dr. Abbott would let her be . . . but something told her it wouldn't go that easily.
As they pulled into a driveway, Amy's eyes washed over the beautiful red brick house. She almost gasped at its tranquility. "It's so sophisticated,"
Daniel smiled, "Thank you," he said. "Your room will be next to Belle's" he said as they walked into the beautiful foyer.
"Yeah, follow me!" Belle said waving. After a few hours, as it became dark outside, Belle asked Amy if she wanted to watch a movie.
"Actually, I need to make a phone call," she said nervously, "but don't worry, I have a cell phone,"
"Oh, right," Belle said whispering and winking, "I'll give you your privacy. I know how much I hate it when people listen to MY phone conversations," her voice raising, making her parents and grandmother chuckle.
"Thanks," Amy said pulling out her phone. Her hands shaking, she dialed Ephram's number. She prayed he'd pick up . . . if not she'd call back. She wouldn't let anyone else know it was her.
"Hello?" a tired, weak familiar voice said on the other side. It sounded as if he'd either just woken up or been crying for a long time. Her heart sped up, she gathered the strength to respond,
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"You always try to find what's holding him
Away from youBut do you ever see your anger standing there
Right between you?
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `
"Hi," she said and her tears began to flow freely, quickly.
"Who, who is this?" he asked angrily, "Kayla, if this is you just say,"
"It's not Kayla," Amy said through broken words, "It's me, Ephram," his eyes shot open, his teeth clenched. Anger and resentment and pain and worry and love . . . they each ran through his brain intersecting with the others.
"Why'd you go?" he asked fiercely. It broke her heart to hear him sound this way, but she knew she deserved it.
"I don't know . . . I was fine . . . and then mom . . ."
"So you left everyone else just because you had an argument with your mom? Amy . . . you have no idea how much pain you caused everyone else . . ."
"I'm sorry . . . I love you, Ephram . . . I do! Please know I'll never stop. I'll come back and we can be together forever, I promise,"
Andy Brown entered the room, not knowing who Ephram was talking to, "Ephram, the testimony's been cancelled for tomorrow . . . so you can sleep in tomorrow . . . I know you need it," he said half smiling, but more out of pity.
"Well what's going to happen with Tommy and Micah and Faith?" he asked, covering the phone so Amy didn't think he was talking to her.
"Nothing . . .Ephram . . . Mr. Callahan killed himself last night . . ." he said sadly. That day's news was just getting worse and worse. Mr. Callahan was a bad man . . . but no one's so bad that they need to kill themself. "The Callahan's are moving back home," he said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you while you're on the phone," closing the door as he exited. Ephram's heart was beating quickly, everything was going horribly wrong that day. He removed his hand from the phone and began to speak to Amy once again,
"I love you too . . . but don't promise . . ." it hurt him to say these words.
"But I do promise! I love you . . . I just need to figure out who I am. I need to . . . Ephram I need to grow up," she admitted.
"If you can't grow up in Everwood, I don't know where you can grow up. Everyone who cares about you is here! I don't know where you are . . . where ARE you?" he asked, stopping his train of thought.
"I can't say," she said, knowing this would make him angry.
"You can't even tell me? I thought you said you'd let me know!" he said, his voice brimming with accusation.
"In time," she said crying.
"I'm going to find you . . . I'm going to come and find you, wherever you are,"
"No, Ephram, no," she cried.
"Yes, Amy, you don't get it! I love you. Bright loves you. Your mom and dad and Edna and Irv and Delia and My Dad . . . We ALL love you . . ."
"I don't mean to hurt you . . ."
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And every time you throw him to the wall
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?"
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````
"You already have. Just tell me where you are and let me come and get you. I'll come right now. I'll drive in the middle of the night, in the morning, in the afternoon, for days . . . Just tell me! Please," he said, she knew he was bawling now.
"I can't," she repeated, "I'm sorry,"
"Then don't call me until you can," he said moving to hang up the phone but picking it up again and whispering in it, "I'll love you til the day I die . . ." finally resting the phone back on the hook, his face soaking with tears.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Tell the world that he's breaking your heart
Go tell the world nothing's ever your fault
Go tell them all"
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
In Denver, Amy cried too. She cried long and hard. Maybe she was dumb, maybe she should've just lied and said she didn't love him . . . but she never lied to Ephram . . . not to Ephram.
"Amy? Are you okay?" Belle said seeing her new friend crying.
"I'm fine," she said, putting on a smile. . . but even Belle, who'd only known her for a few days, could tell it was fake. Belle shook her head, showing she didn't believe her.
"Is it about a boy?" she asked blushing.
Amy nodded.
"Do you love him?" she asked. Amy nodded again. "What's it like to be in love?"
"Its sort of like . . . when you've been outside for a really long time in the cold and you sit in front of a fire when you come inside. It warms you up, from head to toe," she said smiling.
"It warms all of you?" she asked, inquisitively.
"Yep. It even warms your heart," Amy said smiling, even though her heart was breaking with each moment she was away from Ephram.
"Then why are you crying?"
"I just realized I have to be outside in the cold for a really long time before I can come back inside and warm my heart," she said, her face falling into her hands.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"And every time you throw him to the floor
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?
And every time you push him to the wall
Why are you surprised to see he's breakable?"
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
To Be Continued . . .
A/N: Hey Guys! I'm really looking forward to writing the sequel to this. As I said before, thank you all for hanging in there. I appreciate the reviews you've sent, they've been extremely helpful! Please send your final thoughts and comments in reviews for this chapter and let me know your feelings on how this went. Stick around for the sequel, which will probably show up in a week or so, maybe sooner if time allows. Thanks again, and Happy February!