"If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all."

~Bambi

~~~~~~~~~

"So why does Jane get Mr. Bingley?" Ethan asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

"Because she loves him?"

"Oh," he murmured, as if it were a new concept.

Kelsey glanced at him sideways with a smile. He'd been trying to get the names right during the entire movie, and was just now getting the hang of it.

"And why would Lizzie go for that rich guy? He's such a jerk. He won't even dance with her."

"Just watch the movie, Ethan," Kelsey reminded.

Ethan settled into a contemplative silence.

Kelsey found Ethan's relationship with movies quite entertaining. His back never touched the couch; he was always leaning forward, attentively dissecting every part of the movie as if it were a lecture.

Thus, she was left relatively alone on the couch, with Roadkill snuggled up next to her with his head on her lap.

Fifteen minutes later, Ethan said, "Okay, so he's not really a jerk?"

"No."

"Good."

After Mr. Wickham and Lydia had run off together, Ethan sat bolt upright. "No way! Mr. Darcy's going to go find her, right? She can't marry that scumbag."

"Just. Watch. The movie."

"Right. Sorry."

Ethan managed to stay quiet for the rest of the movie, and when Mr. Darcy and Lizzie kissed at the end, he offered a dramatic "aww".

The credits played in the background as Ethan sat back.

"Did you like it?" Kelsey asked.

Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, he said, "Yeah, I think so. But you wanna know who I didn't like?"

"Who?"

"Lizzie's dad."

"Mr. Bennet?"

"Yeah. He played hardcore favorites! Like, no wonder Lydia ran off, and Jane thought Mr. Bingley couldn't love her. And the other sister, the one with glasses?"

"Mary?"

He nodded emphatically. "Her. I mean, she was kinda weird and stuck up, but her dad literally told her that her piano playing sucked. But he thinks Lizzie is perfect."

Kelsey had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. "I'm glad to hear you're so passionate about it."

He shrugged and reclined back on the couch, draping an arm across her shoulders. "I'm just trying to be open-minded."

Kelsey laughed. "Right. The only reason you watched it in the first place was because we made a deal—if I played Call of Duty with you, you'd watch Pride and Prejudice with me."

"And I liked it! Sheesh."

"Just wait until we watch the 1995 version. It's even more amazing."

"Can't wait."

Kelsey snickered and nestled into his side, breathing in the faint scent of his cologne. They were quiet for a long time, lost in thought.

"Becca says people wear clothes worth millions of dollars to movie premieres," she said.

Ethan kissed the top of her head. "Don't listen to Becca, Kelsey. Only people like her wear million-dollar outfits."

"But there will be so many people judging me," Kelsey said, trying to sound casual and hiding the real fear that made her stomach twist into knots.

"Kelsey, Kelsey," he sighed. "If you wore overalls from Goodwill, you'd still be beautiful."

"You're only saying that because it's in the contract."

"The contract?"

"The dating contract."

"Right," Ethan said loftily. "You know, my mom was the first one to go with me to a premiere."

Kelsey sat up to look at him. "Really?"

"Yeah," he pulled out his phone and began scrolling. He turned the screen around to show Kelsey.

There was a picture of a younger-looking Ethan sporting a tuxedo standing next to a middle-aged woman with long grey and brown hair. It was curled and neat, and her deep purple-sequined dress matched her lipstick.

"She's beautiful," Kelsey said.

"You know where she got her dress from?"

"Where?"

"Macy's."

Kelsey laughed. "That makes me feel better."

As if on cue, Kelsey's phone buzzed and her mom's name lit up the screen. Her heart froze in her chest. "Um, excuse me for a sec."

"Everything okay?"

Kelsey flashed a quick smile. "Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine."

She retreated to the bathroom and her finger hesitated over the "accept call" button. She firmed her lips and answered. "Hello?"

"Hi sweetheart, it's mom!"

The sound of her voice brought instant tears to Kelsey's eyes. She chewed the inside of her cheek and whispered, "I—It's so good to hear from you."

"I know, honey," her mom said. "I know. I'm so sorry."

Kelsey swallowed hard.

"It's been so long, and I should've called," Her mom seemed to be waiting for a response, but Kelsey couldn't squeeze out a word. "I wish I could've seen you when you were here."

"Me too," Kelsey managed to say.

"I'm sorry about the house—redecorating and all."

Kelsey let out an involuntary laugh. The house? That was what she was sorry about?

"And everything else," her mom was quick to say. "I don't even know how to do this. Sweetie, I know things looked bad, and it was wrong, but you know things have been stressed with dad and me for years now."

Kelsey clutched her phone tightly, not hearing the rest of the sentence. Memories of all the times she'd needed her mom flashed through her mind like a reel of pictures, one after the other. Where had she been? At another guy's house? Drinking away her problems?

Kelsey had been disappointed more times than she could count.

At any other moment in time, she would've wanted to forget the past. To move on. To tell her mom about everything that had happened in L.A. just like she had with her dad.

She'd forgiven so many people and just this once she wanted to hold a grudge against the person who had hurt her the most.

"You know what, Mom?" Kelsey said lightly. "I'm actually busy right now. I'd love to catch up sometime, though."

"Oh," her mom said quietly. "Okay then, I won't keep you. Well, I love you Kelsey."

Kelsey hung up.

She shut her eyes to keep the tears at bay before shoving her phone back in her pocket and turning on the warm water.

She placed both palms on the cool countertop and looked in the mirror.

People had always said she looked so much like her mom. The tan skin, black hair, brown eyes. Her straight nose, the one dimple on her left cheek.

But Kelsey was suddenly revolted at the idea of being anything like her mom.

Weren't girls supposed to want to grow up and be like their mother? Wasn't that how it was supposed to be?

Kelsey ran her fingertips underneath the sink before splashing the water across her face.

She blew her nose and smiled in the mirror, making sure that the feature was still working.

She made her way out of the bathroom, where Ethan was teaching Roadkill how to balance a treat on his nose, wait for his command, and snap it up midair.

It wasn't working.

Ethan looked up and grinned. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said, taking her purse off the counter and slinging it onto her shoulder. "I should probably head out, it's getting late and I have to work tomorrow."

"Okay," Ethan said cautiously. "You sure everything's alright?"

Kelsey smiled. "Yup."

He walked her to the door, Roadkill sniffing at her feet as if he were asking her to stay.

"Bye buddy," she said, kneeling down and letting Roadkill lick her chin.

She straightened and gave Ethan a quick hug. "See you tomorrow."

"Hey, Kel?"

She turned.

Ethan leaned against the doorframe. "You can talk to me, you know," he said. "Whenever you feel like it."

Kelsey stepped back inside and kissed him. "I know."

She offered a wink before retreating down the hallway, a sad expression taking away her smile.

Guilt gnawed at her stomach, refusing to subside no matter how Kelsey justified herself.

She was busy, hanging out with the boyfriend her mother never cared to know about. She was busy living in an unfamiliar state, cooking for movie stars, and having one as a roommate.

For the first time, her mom wasn't part of her life anymore.

Kelsey got into her car and swallowed back a sob.

Still, did her mom deserve a cold shoulder? Didn't she deserve a second chance too?

Kelsey eyed her cell phone sitting in the cup holder, but shook her head before making her way home.

She pulled into the driveway and yawned tiredly, missing the keyhole to the door twice before unlocking it.

It was nearing midnight and Kelsey was exhausted. Becca was still out, having said she was missing her "party friends", as opposed to Ethan and Kelsey, who she had deemed her "mom and dad friends".

She took a long shower, using up the last of her vanilla-scented shower gel and letting the conditioner sit in her hair for a few minutes.

Her mom's voice still echoed in her head. What was she thinking right now? Kelsey had never hung up on her before.

She wanted to be callous towards her mom; she didn't want to care, but her heart still ached every time she thought about it.

And the image of her mom brought a sense of homesickness with it.

Kelsey let the warm water cascade down her back as she allowed herself to remember the life she used to live.

Kelsey, her mom and dad, and Jacob, would all be sitting around the fire by this time of year in September. The air would be shifting back home in Kansas. Not quite cold yet, but carrying a chill that was perfect for a knit sweater.

Her mom used to love the cold weather, and by September first, she would have all the summer flowers out of the house and replaced with fall bouquets from the Dollar Store.

The house would magically smell like cinnamon and allspice, even though her mom hated scented candles.

Her dad would be forced to go chop wood for the countless amounts of bonfires they'd have during the season, wearing a red flannel he'd had for fifteen years.

They were the family that geared up for every holiday and season almost a month ahead, ready to embrace the festivities.

It was one of the few things they could all have fun doing when things were tough.

When Kelsey opened her eyes, the water had gotten cold and she was back in sunny Los Angeles, where it was always summer, and shorts were a year-round staple.

She toweled dry before climbing into a pair of her fluffiest pajamas and curling up in bed, piling her pillows on top of her, and watching cooking videos for the next hour.

She was in the middle of a Tasty food compilation when an idea popped in her head.

Without thinking, she pulled out her phone and clicked on Jacob's contact.

She typed her message with one thumb.

-Hey, want to come to California one weekend?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

~Do you think Ethan *really* enjoyed Pride and Prejudice? =P

~Will Kelsey call her mom back?

~How do you think it will go if Jacob comes to L.A.?

~General thoughts?

Thank you so much for reading! {Don't forget to comment, vote, and share!}