The Kindred Soul of Nora Faye: The Tethered Soul Series, Book 3

by Laura C. Reden

  “Hey, brother!”

  “Beck, say hi to Tanner . . . She’s on speaker,” Easton said.

  I smiled, though he couldn’t see me. “Hi Tanner, I can’t wait to see you,” I said.

  “Hey, neighbor!” Tanner said. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but I managed to hold on to a few memories of Tanner. From what I remembered, he wasn’t half bad. Of course, Easton was my favorite.

  “Well, listen, I don’t want to keep you from all the fun–she has a stripper–”

  “No way!”

  I rolled my eyes, having the news spread like wildfire.

  “Yeah. So go have a good time. Not too much fun, though, you hear?” Easton said. And there it was, the bit of worry I’d been waiting for.

  I laughed. “Alright,” I said with a big, goofy smile. Someone caught my eye in the dark of the night, and when I turned, startled, I was glad to see it was Brooklyn approaching me.

  “Now’s your chance, Bec. Once you're married to this fool, there will be no turning back!” Tanner yelled in the background.

  “OK, I’ll go have some fun. I look forward to seeing you again, Tanner. Make yourself at home.”

  “You know I will!” he replied.

  “I love you,” Easton said.

  Brooklyn sat down on the bench beside me. I smiled up at her and held up a finger. “I love you too. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Brooklyn put her arm around my shoulders. “Everything OK? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  “Oh yeah, I just wanted to call Easton.” I shook my phone.

  “You know that’s strictly against the rules, right?”

  I chuckled, and Brooklyn’s face cracked into a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, I’m terrible at this.”

  “Yes. You are. What’s the problem? Is he not hot enough for you? Because I told them to send the hottest one,” Brooklyn asked, half-joking, half-seriously confused.

  “No, god no. He’s . . . great. Um, he just makes me a little uncomfortable.” I smiled apologetically.

  Brooklyn laughed and shook her head. “Well, honey, I don’t get you, but that’s OK. You can’t be worse than Grace. She’s back there cowering in the corner. I think she might have locked herself in the bathroom when I left.” Brooklyn laughed.

  I laughed and clutched my hand to my mouth. “Oh no! Poor Grace. We should go save her.”

  “Yes, you probably should. Come on; it won’t be that bad. I promise.” Brooklyn stood and pulled me to my feet. We began walking back to the villa, and this time, I was sure we were headed in the right direction. “Are you OK with the whole Nolan thing?” she asked.

  “Oh my god! That was so awkward!” My eyes bulged as I grabbed hold of her arm and squeezed.

  “They don’t know it was Payton, huh?” she raised her eyebrows at me.

  “Not a clue!” I said, exchanging a look of unease between us.

  “What’s Easton doing tonight?” she asked, changing the topic.

  “He’s picking up his brother, Tanner.”

  “Oh! Is he single?” Brooklyn wagged her eyebrows. I laughed and gave her a light shove. She giggled and took the crown off my head. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. Just have fun, OK?” Brooklyn flashed a mischievous smile.

  We slipped into the room unnoticed. The stripper was down to a red thong, and his suspenders draped down the sides of his legs. His pelvis hadn’t stopped thrusting and rolling since I’d left. And I was pretty sure the drinks hadn’t stopped flowing, either. Brooklyn whooped and hollered, dancing up to Payton and placing the crown on her head. She didn’t think a thing of it as she shimmied with her empty shot glass. Brooklyn said something into the stripper’s ear, and he nodded. I had a feeling I was off the hook. I pulled the sash over my head and took a deep breath before joining the fun without a target on my back.

  The party continued for another couple of hours or so. When I thought I couldn’t possibly laugh any longer, I did. Terra fell off the bed at least three times, and Payton slow danced with the stripper. The other girls never stopped dancing as Grace and I cried with laughter. By the time the firefighter was dressed again and ready to go home, the party had clearly come to an end. The girls were beyond tired, and the music had died down to white noise. Shoulders were slumped, and mascara smudged as all the girls had outdone themselves. My cheeks hurt so bad; they would be sore tomorrow. I thanked the gentleman on his way out. I thanked each of my friends with hugs as they trickled out of the room and off to bed. And when the door finally closed, and all was quiet, I looked around to find Payton asleep at the foot of the bed. I looked to Brooklyn and shrugged.

  “That wasn’t too bad, right?” Brooklyn asked.

  I shook my head. “I haven’t laughed like that in a long time. I had a lot of fun. Thank you,” I said, sincerely.

  “Did you see him suck Terra’s toes?” Brooklyn’s eyes bulged.

  “Oh! Oh my god! I just about died! It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen!” I grabbed my stomach, still churning at the memory. We chuckled, recapping the night while we took off our makeup in the bathroom.

  When we were done in the bathroom, Brooklyn curled up in the bed that Payton lay across while I got the other bed to myself. I closed my heavy eyes and drifted off to sleep. But it wasn’t long before I woke to sounds of vomiting from behind the closed bathroom door. I squinted my eyes and assessed my surroundings. Payton was gone, and Brooklyn was fast asleep, mouth agape and snoring as she often did after a night of heavy drinking.

  I tiptoed into the restroom, holding a bottle of water. Payton’s cheek lay across the toilet seat lid. “Oh, Payton . . . are you OK?” I asked. Clearly, she’d had better days.

  “Nooo. I’erd too mush,” Payton mumbled.

  My head ached, too, but I was in no position to complain. “Try to drink some water,” I said, holding out the bottle for her. She took it, taking slow sips as if she had fallen back asleep between each one. Her body convulsed, and I grabbed the water from her. Awful sounds escaped her throat like the exorcist had been trying to escape. She retched, vomiting into the toilet. I gathered her hair, holding it back while she emptied the entire contents of her stomach. When her episode had calmed, I fetched her a wet wash cloth and ice. She wiped her mouth and nose while I tied her hair back.

  I sat down against the bathroom cabinets and rested my head on my knees. We sat in silence. Both probably drifting in and out of consciousness, until her voice brought me back sometime later.

  “I’m surry,” she slurred.

  I lifted my head and looked about the bathroom. “Sorry?” I asked.

  “I’m surry fer what I did.” Payton’s eyes had parted, and she stared at me through tiny watery slits of her lids.

  I took a deep breath, already having known that this apology would come after the dinner conversation had dug up the past. “We talked about this already. I know you're sorry. It’s OK.” The truth was, it was more complicated than that. I couldn’t control the standards that she held herself to, and we weren’t very close friends when it happened. And if it hadn’t happened the way it did, would I still have run into Easton’s arms? I wasn’t sure. I’d like to think so, but who’s to say. Did that make sleeping with Nolan OK? No. It didn’t. But it was hard to say I’d been damaged after I had come out on top.

  “Iz not OK. I’m surry,” Payton repeated.

  I watched her for a moment while I tried to gather my thoughts. The truth was, it all seemed so insignificant after James had died. Somehow, it seemed like it was a choice that she and Nolan had made about how they wanted to live their lives. And as long as I did nothing that I was ashamed of, I was honestly OK with what had happened. I didn’t feel like a victim because I lost nothing but a few nights’ sleep. And actually, it felt like I had nothing to do with it in the first place. I couldn’t understand where she and Nolan were coming from when they did it, but I didn’t need to.

  I said the only thing I could think of. “I forgive you.” Pay
ton closed her eyes, and a small lone tear crossed the bridge of her nose. It was true. I had forgiven her, but I wasn’t one to forget as easily.

  Chapter 4

  I opened the door, Brooklyn on my heels, holding my pillow. I tossed my bag in the entryway, where I typically kicked off my shoes. The subtle smell the house inhabited was like a warm hug telling me I was home and the party had come to an end.

  Tanner walked out from the hallway, his eyes grew large, and his brows peeked. “Bec!” He held his arms out wide, and I bounded into his embrace.

  “Tanner! Oh my god! Let me look at you!” I pulled away. My eyes traveling the length of his body. His golden sandy hair and dark chocolate eyes. His sun-kissed skin led me to assume he’d spent his days outside soaking up the rays, and I was jealous. “Man! You look great! I can’t believe how tall you’ve gotten!” A broad smile crossed his face, flashing with pride.

  Easton appeared, and though it had been over a year and two lives of being with him, my stomach still fluttered. “Hey! Wow! You’re sunburnt!” He scanned my face and shoulders. “I mean, how was it?” Easton asked, grabbing me around the waist and planting a kiss on my cheek. I winced when his chin scrapped over my sensitive skin.

  “It was so much fun. All of my friends came early so they could surprise me,” I said, turning to Brooklyn. She stood in the doorway, hugging my pillow. “Oh, I’m sorry. Tanner, this is my friend Brooklyn,” I said, motioning in her direction.

  She smiled with a coyness that I’d never seen before, and my brows pinched in confusion. She slowly placed the pillow on top of my bag and took a step forward to meet Tanner. “Hello,” Tanner said, shaking her hand. Her face flushed as she slid both hands into her back pockets. I turned to Easton, but he hadn’t seen what I did. “God, Bec, I swear, if someone told me when I was eight years old that my brother would marry the girl next door, I sure as hell wouldn’t have believed it!” Tanner chuckled. A smile appeared on Easton’s face as he drew me in for another kiss. This time on the lips.

  “You and me both, Tanner!” I said.

  “Well, I should go. I know you have a lot to do.” Brooklyn’s voice was soft, and even though she was a sweet soul, her tone usually came off more confident.

  “OK. I had a great time. Thank you!” I hugged her tight. She lingered for a moment before disappearing into the bright daylight in the front yard.

  “So, how was the stripper?” Tanner asked., causing Easton to roll his eyes. “What?” he shrugged.

  “He didn’t hold a candle to you two handsome men . . . even in his thong,” I said as the warmth spread across my cheeks.

  “Ewww!” Tanner laughed, batting a hand in my direction.

  Several wasted hours and one nap later, I made spaghetti for dinner. It was nice having Tanner around, as it reminded me of the old days. The days where all I cared about was how high I could jump on the trampoline. How famished I had become from running all day under the sweltering sun. And when I could see Easton next. The days where my biggest fear was what lay beneath my bed when the lights went out and the depth of the pool in the backyard. I longed for the time of my youth when I had not known of my cancer or the wreckage that stole my life. I wondered what would have happened if I never died and my cancer was cured. If Easton and I lived a long and happy life the first time around. I didn’t know for sure, but I assumed I wouldn’t have had the second chance at love that I was living now.

  I watched Easton laughing with his brother over our small dining table for four, and I had never felt more at home. For all the things that had happened in my life, all the uncertainty and pain . . . it just made sense when I was with Easton. And seeing him with his brother made my heart feel whole again.

  The boys looked at me expectantly, and the room grew quiet. My eyes pinged back and forth between them. “. . . I’m sorry, what?”

  “The bachelorette party. How was it?” Tanner asked.

  “Oh! Yeah.” I nodded. “Well, I had thought that it was just going to be Brooklyn and me at the villa getting massages, but when we came back from the pool–”

  “Now, is that where you got your third-degree burn? Or was that later on?” Tanner asked.

  I said nothing but shot him a snarky look. He laughed like I imagined my brother would when he poked and prodded at me for the same reaction. Is this what it was going to be like? Was Tanner going to be like a brother to me? I guessed it made sense, after all, seeing as he was going to be my brother-in-law. “Like I was saying when we came back from the pool–”

  “There was a naked guy in your room?” Tanner popped off again.

  “Damn it, Tanner!” I snapped.

  Easton and Tanner laughed, and I could tell that I had been outnumbered. I sighed before stabbing a meatball on my plate.

  “OK. OK. I’m sorry. Continue, please,” Tanner said.

  “No.”

  “No. Come on. Come on. I’ll be quiet.”

  “When we came back from the pool. . .” I said slowly, anticipating his next remark. When it didn’t come, I continued, “Audrey, Grace, Kennedy, and Terra had driven down early to surprise me. And um, Payton was there too,” I said. Easton was quiet, listening, waiting. Tanner bit his cheek. I continued cautiously, “We got massages, went wine tasting, had dinner . . . and then the stripper came–” I shook my head.

  “Ahhh!” Tanner belted and laughed out loud. I shook my head, trying to dismiss it, but it lingered until the next topic was well under way.

  “So, what are you doing these days, Tanner?” I desperately tried to maneuver away from the oil slick set of abs that had rolled mere inches away from my face. I knew we were all still thinking about it. But I prayed I was the only one envisioning it.

  “Well, I’m an Interpretation Analyst. I do a lot of interpreting and a lot of analyzing, and–”

  “You mean you sit on the couch all day playing video games?” It was my turn to fire off, and I intended to do so relentlessly.

  Tanner’s jaw dropped open, half insulted, half impressed at my quickness. “Uh, yeah. That’s exactly what I meant when I said I was analyzing. . .”

  “Oh my god!” I laughed. The banter extended well after dinner and flowed into the night. Tanner’s affection for Easton was apparent, and if I hadn’t of known any better, I’d have said that Easton was warming up to the idea of having him around for the week. It wasn’t like Easton to get close to people, but he’d expressed to me that he wanted to change and that he was ready to open his heart, even if it meant hurting more in the end. He started taking Tanner’s calls shortly after we got engaged. The boys talked on the phone about once a week until it had become second nature for Easton. I knew having Tanner stay with us was a big step for Easton, and I enjoyed watching him come around to the idea of family. I couldn’t be more grateful that I was the girl who got to share her life with these two special guys. And I could feel that I was growing a chosen family around me. I knew Tanner was thankful for the opportunity to have his brother back in his life, too.

  The seamstress pulled at the loose material around Grace’s waist. Grace and Payton wore terracotta rust, Audrey and Brooklyn were in the cinnamon rose dresses, and Terra and Kennedy in the desert rose ones. All would hold mauve, cream, and mustard flowers, complementing the warm sultry tones in their dresses. They were stunning, each and every one of them.

  Terra sat down on the sofa next to me in the fitting room. She handed me a mimosa, and we cheered our flutes together, causing a high pitch chime to echo in the air. “I know I give you a hard time about getting married at twenty-two, but I just want to say that I’m so happy for you. And I don’t doubt your instincts for a second.” Terra smiled at me, a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

  “Aww, Terra. I know. Thank you,” I said, squeezing her tightly.

  Terra sniffed. “I can’t wait to meet this mystery man. I mean, I know I’ll love him, but still. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  “I can’t wait!” I said, my jaw clenched tig
ht with nervous energy. I’d been planning the wedding for a full year now. I knew it wouldn’t be perfect—was such a thing even possible?—but I had been working tirelessly so that it would have the best chance possible. I loved Easton beyond this life, and I knew I wanted to marry him without a shadow of doubt. But would Grace’s dress still pucker at the waist? Would my vintage bouquet appear dull and lack luster instead of muted? Because I specifically wanted it to look muted. And I knew it was going to be weird that Easton only had three people coming compared to my thirty-five . . . But how weird? Weird enough to ruin the ceremony?

  “Becca?”

  My eyes snapped to Maripat, the seamstress. I released my fingernails from the meat of my palms and stood to follow her into the dressing room for one last try on. The dress was stunning. It hugged my figure, showing off my curves. The back cut into a low v and flowed into a long lace train. I had Maripat add spaghetti straps to the mermaid fitted dress so I wouldn’t have to worry about it slipping. The dress fit a little snugger than last time. Having fit like a second skin, I worried what would happen when we couldn’t button it before the wedding.

  “And you're still set on no veil? Correct?” Maripat asked. I nodded with a nervous smile. What if that was the wrong decision? “It looks beautiful,” she said.

  “Thank you. I love the straps. I would never have known the dress came without them.” I traced the stitching with my fingertips.

  “Thank you, dear. Now let’s get you out of this dress, and you can join your friends.”

  The afternoon unfolded with paninis and tea at a favorite local eatery. The girls filled me in on the funny stories that had continued after the bachelorette party, spilling over to their stay at the nearest hotel. I struggled to stay engaged as the wedding was closing in. My mind raced, double-checking and triple-checking lists in my head. And when I had finally gone over every single worry in my head, I’d create new ones.

  It wasn’t me. I wasn’t the type to turn into a monster as the wedding neared. But there was an undeniable shift that happened deep inside my mind as the prior forty-eight hours began counting down. My brain was dripping with worry, shorting out my circuits. Steam made of stress and anxiety expelled from my ears. I found it challenging to form complete thoughts as there was always a part of me stuck on the wedding. It wasn’t until later that night that Easton called attention to it. Further expressing his perfect match for me, he helped ground me and wash away the worry. It was the stories of our past life that I loved hearing the most. I had some of my memory back, but I had never gained full clarity. The pieces I uncovered were still fuzzy and somewhat questionable.