AN: I haven't updated in a little while so sorry people! I just needed a little time away from this story to think because I gotta make it interesting, since I feel like people are losing interesting so. Haha. And to the one person who asked how many chapters this will have, I'm not quite sure yet but I'll let you know in advance. It won't be anytime soon, I'm pretty sure. Also...this chapter isn't in a point of view...I'm doing it different this time, but it'll be back to Charlotte's POV in Chapter 9. I just wanted to get other characters sides of the story! Anyway, here's Chapter 8!
Chapter 8
6 Months Later:
It was now early October in Los Angeles. The hot weather has toned down and it's now a bit more chilly than usual. Apart from the change in weather, many other things have changed. Six months have passed since Addison and Charlotte have gotten together. The whole start of their relationship was pretty shocking for both of them but they got over it. Some would think that their relationship went pretty fast, since they admitted that they loved each other rather quickly, but the two women didn't think so. They thought it was right and that's all that mattered to them. They knew that what they felt was different than anything they've ever felt before so they trusted each other. Even though it's been six months since their first date, most people were unaware of Addison and Charlotte's romance. Sure, there were people at St. Ambrose who started rumors about the two attractive women, but most people didn't believe it. They knew that Addison and Charlotte were two of the straightest women around...or that's what they thought anyway. The only two people that really knew the truth were Violet Turner and Amelia Shepherd; the somewhat nosy therapist and the dirty, loud mouth neurosurgeon. You would think that you wouldn't be able to trust two women of this caliber to handle a secret like this but somehow, they didn't tell anyone about Addison and Charlotte. It was either a miracle or they just really knew how to keep something under wraps. That or they were really trustworthy! Whatever it was, Addison and Charlotte were grateful for it. Addison wouldn't mind that much if people found out about them but Charlotte was a different story. It was acceptable though. It was Charlotte after all. Since these six months passed by, Addison and Charlotte's relationship stayed pretty steady, although they did have a few fights. It was nothing major though, so that was good!
It was early in the morning when Amelia entered the Practice. She knew that no one was really going to be there yet, and she wondered what the hell she was doing there so early as well. It would at least be over an hour until everyone would start coming in to work. Maybe I should just go back home and sleep for a while. She thought to herself as she approached the front desk. Nah. Screw it. She would take advantage of the time and get a head start. I might even get to leave early! She grinned to herself as she grabbed her files for the day and headed toward her office. She was about to head to her office when she saw Violet sitting in hers. On second thought...I'll catch up on my gossip! Amelia approached Violet's cozy office and knocked on the doorframe.
"Hey Violet!" Amelia smiled at the therapist and held her files tightly in her hands.
Violet wasn't expecting anyone to walk in, so she looked up from her file slowly. "Oh, Amelia...I didn't expect you to come in..." She urged the neurosurgeon to enter and Amelia did just that.
She slumped down into a chair in front of Violet and grinned at her. "Does anyone ever expect me to come in? I mean, come on. You know how much I love to intrude on everyone." She grinned cheekily.
Violet nodded softly. "Oh yes, I know that very well. But I like that about you, Amelia. You don't let anything hold you back."
Amelia smiled proudly. "Yep! I don't! No one can stop me!" She winked playfully and sat up in the chair. The neurosurgeon came a long way since she went to rehab. She was better now, although, she could slip at any time. She wouldn't let it happen though. She saw all the pain it caused her and her friends so she vowed to herself that it couldn't happen again. "So...how are you and Pete doing? Is everything fine?"
Violet raised an eyebrow slightly. "Why, yes. We are doing rather well. I think that therapy and talking it all out has really helped us...why do you ask?"
Amelia shrugged. "No reason. I was just curious. I feel closed off from everyone in the Practice...well, not everyone, but you know what I mean. I only talk to you, Addison and Charlotte anymore."
"You can change that, Amelia. I'm sure Sheldon will still talk to you." Amelia made a disgusted face and Violet tilted her head. "Uh...okay...I'm guessing you don't like Sheldon anymore..."
Amelia bit her bottom lip. "It's not that, I just...I feel betrayed...ever since what happened, he hasn't really been there for me. I don't think he cares about me."
Violet shook her head. "No, he does care about you, Amelia. I can honestly see that, but you have to think of his perspective too...maybe he thinks that you don't care anymore..."
"I doubt it..." Amelia replied back and Violet just kept looking at her. "You know what? Guys are just stupid, okay? There are no good guys around here anymore. Pete's with you, not that I would date him anyway. Sam is...Sam. I couldn't. Cooper...yeah...I'm not attracted to him, and Charlotte would kill me if I ever even thought a dirty thing about him." She explained and Violet leaned forward with an interested look on her face. "Sheldon...we would never work out...and Jake...I actually like him but...I don't know..." Amelia pretended to rip her hair out dramatically and leaned back in her chair.
Violet chuckled lightly and grinned at the younger woman. "Hey...love is strange. Sometimes you have to stop looking for a while and it'll come to you."
Amelia looked at her like she was crazy. "Yeah...riiiiight...and since when is life like one of those romantic stories?"
"What I said does not sound like a romantic story." Violet replied back. "I am being completely honest with you right now. The more a person obsesses over love, the more it doesn't happen."
Amelia rolled her eyes. "I'm not obsessing." Violet laughed under her breath and Amelia glared slightly. "You know...maybe I should take a cue from Addie and Charlotte...you know, become a lesbian! It seems like it's going okay for them!"
Violet smiled happily at Amelia and shrugged slightly. "It's not always that easy...but I do think women are more understanding than men though so if that's what you're looking for..."
"It's settled then...I'm gonna become a lesbian too!" Both of the women share a laugh. Amelia shook her head. "Nah...probably not...but speaking of Addison and Charlotte...they look pretty comfortable with each other, don't they?"
Violet nodded. "Yes...at least I think so, or that's what I can observe from what Addison tells me about her. They're still keeping it a secret from everyone so I don't see any public display of affection from them."
"I am surprised they didn't tell everyone by now...but in a way, I'm not surprised. Charlotte's a pretty private person, and Addie...isn't that private, or not as much as Charlotte is anyway." Amelia explained to the therapist and tapped her foot unconsciously. "So...you're meaning to tell me that you didn't tell anyone?" Amelia questioned her with a grin. Violet shook her head. "Not even Cooper?"
"Not even Cooper." Violet repeated back to Amelia with a smile.
"But he's your best friend...wouldn't you tell him something like that?" Amelia gave her a weird look.
"I realize that...but Addison is one of my close friends as well, and she made me promise that I wouldn't talk to anyone about this except for you and her. I will admit that I broke some promises in the past but I keep my promises now." Violet told this to Amelia with a straight face. "Cooper will get over it whenever he finds out and I know that he will understand my decision. I won't betray Addison like that, and besides, Cooper is Charlotte's ex-husband. I can't tell him, because I don't want to have a reason for Charlotte to come kill me in the middle of the night." Amelia coughed out a laugh. "I am being serious, Amelia. You know that she will do that...and did you tell anyone by chance?"
"I am laughing because I know it's true...and no...I didn't tell anyone, because even though Charlotte is my closest friend, she'd kill me in an instant if I told anyone too." Amelia grinned widely. "It's just us, Violet! It seems that we'll be taking Addison and Charlotte's secret to the grave, unless everyone finds out soon!"
"They'll find out in good time...but as long as we're not the reason as to why they find it out, then we are safe and sound." Violet returned a grin. "I will not end up on Charlotte's hit list."
"Oh, I'm with you, woman! I don't want to be there either." Amelia laughed obnoxiously with Violet. These two women were never really close friends but the more they talked, the closer they got to each other.
As these two different women share an early morning laugh, they assume that they were alone. Unfortunately, they weren't alone at all. A normal person wouldn't expect someone to be eavesdropping on their conversation but this was the Practice. They should've expected something.
Seaside's pediatrician, Cooper Freedman, stood outside his best friend's office. He headed there in hopes of just talking to Violet but he got a bigger surprise instead. He heard enough of Amelia and Violet's conversation to leave him standing there with a shocked expression on his face. Cooper couldn't believe what he just heard. They were just kidding. He thought to himself. There's no way Charlotte is with Addison. Charlotte isn't a lesbian...she isn't even bisexual. Addison's straight. Cooper couldn't believe it. Amelia said this so it made him question it because Amelia says a lot of crazy things but Violet agreed with her so it had to be true. The pediatrician shook his head and headed off in the opposite direction towards the kitchen.
Once Cooper gets there, he ruffled in the fridge for a can of soda. All he could find was a Sierra Mist so he popped it open and chugged it. He hasn't talked to Charlotte for about a year, although that's hard to believe. They only talked at work and even that was brief. Other than that, they were like strangers. The divorce was difficult on both of them and Cooper regretted it. He still loved Charlotte...more than anything. He always thought that Charlotte still loved him, but if this rumor was true, then she must've moved on. He finished the can of soda and set it down forcefully when he noticed Pete walking down the hall.
"Hey Pete!" Cooper called out to him and he looked over at him. "Come here for a second!"
Pete changed his direction and walked into the kitchen. "Yeah...what's up?" He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and stood across from the pediatrician.
"Have you noticed…anything strange going on with Addison and Charlotte?" Cooper asked Pete curiously.
"Anything strange?" He shrugged as he opened the bottle of water and sipped on it. "No...I don't think so. Charlotte's the same snarky and bossy person she always used to be and Addison is the same too...why?"
"It's nothing...I just overheard something a few minutes ago and it's stupid." Cooper explained as he moved the empty can back and forth on the kitchen island.
"I'll be the judge of that...tell me...I need to hear something amusing or I won't make it through the day." Pete smirked at Cooper and took another sip of water.
"I eavesdropped on Amelia and Violet...and they said that…Addison and Charlotte are...lesbians..." Cooper whispered the last part. Pete's eyes widened and he spat out the water that was in his mouth, causing it to fly all over the counter, and onto Cooper's face as well. "Eww!" They both wiped off the water and stared at each other.
"Wait, wait, wait...you're telling me that Addison and Charlotte are...together?" Pete asked and Cooper nodded. "No...no way!"
"That's what I said!" Cooper replied. "I think it's some kind of sick joke Amelia thought up...you know how she is...but the weird thing is that Violet is going along with it..."
"Well...Violet hasn't told me anything about Addison or Charlotte..." Pete told Cooper. "Hold on...the other day, she said that Charlotte and Addison seemed happier nowadays and she wondered why that was..."
"Hmm...I don't know..." Cooper had to admit...Pete was right by saying that. He wasn't that close to Addison but he did notice that Charlotte did seem happier lately.
"I'm Violet's husband and she didn't tell this to me...you're her best friend...did she say anything to you?" Cooper shook his head. "Really? Wow...I guess you're not her best friend after all."
"Come on...I really don't know what's going on...this has to be made up...right? I mean...Charlotte...a lesbian...and Addison, a lesbian...no...no, no, no…" Cooper laughed hard and looked up to see Pete with a straight look on his face. "What? You're actually believing this?"
"I don't see what the big deal is if it is true, Cooper." Pete began to explain. "It's their lives and if they are together, we shouldn't stop them."
Cooper was shocked. "But...come on...they're not lesbians. It's ridiculous."
"Maybe they're bisexual or bicurious...maybe they're experimenting!" Pete suggested to Cooper. "Open your mind a little bit. It's not the end of the world if they are."
"You're sounding more and more like Violet every day...you realize that, right?" Cooper asked him.
"That's what I get for marrying a therapist...but it's a small price to pay!" Pete smirked and shrugged. "It wouldn't surprise me if Charlotte is bi...you were married to her, so you should know, Cooper."
Cooper shrugged then crossed his arms. "You think I would know but I don't. She never talked about girls in that way..."
Pete nodded slowly then grinned widely. "I see what this is about...I get it."
"What? You get what?" Cooper looked at him with a confused look.
"You're making a fuss over this because you still love Charlotte." Pete stated in a matter of fact tone.
"I'm not making a fuss...and I am not in love with her..." Cooper lied straight to Pete's face.
"Sure..." Pete didn't believe it for one second. "If you're still in love with her, then why did you divorce her in the first place? What happened?"
The only person that really knew why they divorced was Charlotte. He didn't even tell Violet. He really didn't like talking about it. "It's…complicated, alright?"
"I was just saying..." Pete sighed softly. "If they are together...that's good for them...they deserve to be happy...seeming as they almost went through this whole Practice looking for love already."
"Maybe I should...I don't know..." Cooper thought of an idea but shoots it down immediately.
"Hmm?" Pete looked over at his friend.
"Would it be wrong to ask Charlotte about it?" Cooper asked him.
"In my opinion...yeah, since you've only talked to Charlotte professionally and haven't had a real conversation with her in months. But hey, it's your life and your call!" Pete smiled at him.
Cooper looked out into the lobby when he heard the elevator ding and open. It was none other than his ex-wife, Charlotte and possibly her current girlfriend, Addison, walking onto the 5th floor. He stayed silent and watched them intently.
Pete followed his gaze and grinned. "Well, this looks like your chance...I think you should take it." He leaned over and patted his shoulder.
Cooper narrowed his eyes at him and sighed nervously. It had been forever since they've talked but this was killing him. "Okay...I'll do it..."
"Good choice, my friend. I'll be here if you need any help...but you're on your own." Pete smirked slightly and sipped on his water again.
Cooper walked out of the kitchen slowly and shook off his nervousness as he walked down the hall to approach his ex-wife. Depending on how his conversation would go, he may or may not find out the truth soon enough!
AN: Okay…that was Chapter 8. It's shorter than the others but it wasn't a POV this time either. I may do more chapters like this in the future, just to change it up a bit, but it will be back to Charlotte's POV in the next chapter. So, give me a review and some feedback and lemme know how I did! Thanks once again people!