Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 73462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“I know, Brett.” River rakes his hand over his hair. “I know.”
I glance at Jake. His forehead is wrinkled as he stares at Misty.
I meet his confused gaze. “Jake, I don't know how to tell you this, but… Misty here is your sister.”
His shock is palpable. “I heard her say that. River told me. When he came and got me.”
“It’s a long story,” I say, “and I think River should be the one to tell it. You know, since he betrayed us all twenty years ago.”
Sebastian comes forward. “Hey, Brett. Easy. Let’s just be happy Jake is here.”
“You think I’m not?” I shake my head. “But fuck… They let us mourn. Grieve. They let us believe he was fucking dead!”
“I’m with Seb,” Alex says. “Let’s take care of Misty and just be happy that Jake’s here. They’ll explain themselves. But we’re all in shock right now.”
Shock?
That’s what Alex thinks this is?
No.
Shock was the first five seconds when I saw Jake standing in the foyer with River—when my brain tried to reject it and accept it at the same time.
No, this isn’t shock.
This is betrayal. This is twenty years of grief rotting in my gut. This is fury so thick it burns behind my eyes because I loved him. I loved him beyond friendship, in a way I knew I’d have to take to my grave.
And seeing him now…
Knowing he still exists in this world…
That love has come hurtling back, cracking my fucking heart in two.
“I don’t need time to process,” I snap. “I need the fucking truth. I need to know why River has looked us in the eyes for the last twenty years and let us believe Jake was gone forever.”
Alex runs a hand through his hair, his jaw tight. “Brett, you’re not the only one who’s hurting.”
“I know that,” I shoot back.
Alex and Seb don’t know. Only Riv knows. Only Riv knows how much I loved Jake, and he hasn’t known for long.
“Jake…” Misty finally says.
“Yeah, I’m here.” Jake’s voice. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but if you’re truly my sister, I’m here for you. I promise. Everything will be okay.”
“Yeah,” Alex agrees. “Jake’s here, and whatever happened in the past, everything will be okay now.”
“I can’t just act like everything’s okay,” I mutter. “Because it’s not.”
And somewhere deep in my chest, something fractures all over again.
Especially when I see Sienna—my beautiful Sienna who I love and want to marry—in the distance.
EPISODE 204
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Sienna
Emily is smiling and answering all of Ariel’s questions about fashion, while Evangeline takes notes on her iPad and Jazz flips off her shoes and wades in the ocean.
Ariel’s mother, Cheryl, is taller than her daughter, with light-brown hair cut short and streaked with the silver of age. The fine lines around her pretty brown eyes were carved by laughter and maybe by pain. She doesn’t hide her maturity, and I respect that. She’s the kind of woman you know stopped hearts when she was young. That kind of beauty doesn’t fade, not really. It settles into the bones and softens around the edges. She’s got a Southern drawl more pronounced than Ariel’s, and her demeanor is quiet and reserved. I like her a lot. Way more than I like Jazz.
She doesn’t say much but pays rapt attention to Evangeline and Emily as they make suggestions for the décor and menu.
While I’m feeling like a fish out of water. Too bad there’s no wall around. I’d be stuck to it like glue. How the hell did the dancing queen become the wallflower once more?
I walk away from the others and inhale the beachy fragrance of salt thick in the air, mingled with the scent of hot sand and faint traces of hibiscus on the breeze. The sun is high.
My stomach rumbles. Right, we haven’t eaten lunch yet. Funny. I don’t feel hungry, but my body betrays me. It wants food.
I head back. “Are you guys getting hungry?” I ask.
Ariel laughs. “Mama, Jazz, and I had a huge breakfast. But you all can go ahead back if you want.”
“I could eat,” Emily says. “If you’ll excuse us, then.”
Emily and I walk toward the concrete path, but then I change direction.
“Where are you off to?” Emily asks.
“I’m going to walk the shoreline,” I say. “See what I find.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
Right. She knows exactly what—or rather who—I’m looking for. I shrug. “I’m not sure about anything in this moment. Which is ridiculous because this morning I was sure I’d found the love of my life.”
“I hear that one,” Emily says. But then her voice softens. “You have to give it time. We both do. They all just found out their friend is alive.”
“I know,” I reply, looking toward the ocean.
“You want company?” she asks.
“Don’t you want to get some lunch?”