Thanks to luvtaread for editing.
*
All four woke knowing this would be their last day together, at least for a while. Buy days end they would each head home. Brandon's flight to Chicago left that evening, Mel and Katy were headed Boston around the same time. As for Ashley, her grandparents were coming in from Georgia that afternoon to presumably take her back to the family estate.
Ashley was not looking forward to this meeting in the least it seemed. Given her history with her family Brandon could not say he blamed her. He was not entirely sure that they were here for her benefit or to make the family name look better. Not that a lot of people connected her with them. As Ashley apparently had chosen to use her father's last name since her mom had died.
As she introduced the pair to her three friends it was clear that they had noticed the way Ashley had talked about, and carried herself around, Brandon during her time in front of the press. It was evidently clear that Sam and Cassandra Carthington disapproved of Brandon highly.
For that matter they were not huge fans of Mel either. Katy, being from money like them and well versed in social graces was more up to their standards, but they even looked down on her as they did not approve of her association with Brandon and Mel.
After a tense introduction and brief discussion with the pair Brandon, Katy, and Mel left the room to give Ashley time to talk to her grandparents. Brandon waited outside for Ashley on her request and although he could not here everything he knew the meeting was not going well right off the bat.
In fact it was rather short and full of shouting from both sides. When Ashley finally flung the door open in anger it was clear she was crying. Brandon did his best to comfort her before they headed back to the suite.
"Brandon when you go tonight I'm coming with you." She said when they had sat down on the couch in the suite. "I'm not going back there, I'm going to Chicago. There is nothing for me in Georgia anymore."
Brandon just nodded, unable to tell her that her was worried he might not be able to help. He needed time, time to get things back to together. If for no other reason than he had been dead for over two months. He knew his family would help him, but as ecstatic as they would be to meet Ashley, now was not a good time to bring an extra burden. He loved her and he wanted to spend his life with her, but being together right now would spell trouble for both. Both were broken in some way. His problems were easier to fix, but would still need some time.
At the same time he worried that the burdens on Katy and Mel were too much for them to help her at this time too. Katy had to deal with the loss of her family, and Mel had a career to worry about. He hoped they would find a way to help her. If it came to it he would, of course, help her rather than send her to Georgia.
His resolve to help grew when he received a mysterious summons to meet someone at a hotel room. He arrived to find it was Mr. Carthington who had summoned him. He entered the room, and after being directed to a chair and offered a drink, Mr. Carthington got down to business.
"So, Brandon, I imagine you are wondering why you are here." He said in a slow southern voice. Brandon nodded and Mr. Carthington continued, "The thing is son, is that we are well aware of our granddaughter's attachment to you. Now mind you neither Cassandra nor I have never really seen eye to eye with her."
"That's and understatement," Brandon thought while nodding.
Mr. Carthington continued on, "But she is our granddaughter all the same. We'd really hate to see her throw away her life chasing silly dreams."
