Reen glanced at Brody, but his eyes were far away. Was he upset with her for staying? Did he think he was going to get in trouble with his girlfriend if she stuck around? For fear of everyone knowing her business, Reen kept her mouth shut. She could live wherever she wanted, temporary or not. Brody would have to deal with it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The closest store to Rose’s apartment was Stew’s Market. There weren’t as many options as there were in a bigger grocery store, but there were enough unique items and fresh produce to make a satisfying meal for her sister. Rose hadn’t exactly needed Reen to go to the store, but it was the least she could do to repay Rose for allowing her to stay for free at her place.
As she browsed the refrigerated section, she wondered why, after all these years, Rose was still so eager to reunite her family. Stubbornness ran through their blood, but even Reen had given up on a lot in the time she’d been away. Why hadn’t Rose? Especially since Reen hadn’t been the most caring sister to her. Whenever Reen gave Rose any of her temporary addresses – which hadn’t been for a while – there were always greeting cards showing up in her mailbox. If not coming to a physical address, Rose had texted with the same sentiments on the more significant holidays.
Reen didn’t understand the family bonds between some people. Brody and Missy were a strange set of siblings who clung to each other no matter what. Maybe it had been too long for Rose and Reen. As children, they were thicker than thieves and spent every moment they could in the water. Until that bond shattered when Rose’s insane fear of the ocean prevented her from doing anything fun. After that, Reen and Mom became inseparable on the beach. Over the years, well into Reen’s teens, they seemed to have a unique language. Until Dad passed.
Reen rarely dredged up thoughts of Dad. After his car accident, she’d blamed herself for his death, but in the short time she saw a local therapist, he reminded her that she hadn’t caused her father to have a heart attack on the way to her swim meet and crash into a guardrail near the highway.
The series of events clicked into her head like a puzzle with previously missing pieces. First, Rose pulled away, then Mom. Mom couldn’t handle losing Dad and fell into a severe depression. It affected both girls, yet Reen and Rose woke up every morning and moved forward with their lives. It was what people did. It was what they needed from their mother, yet never got.
No wonder Reen didn’t want to be close to anyone. They always abandoned her whenever she needed them.
She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
The summer after graduation, Reen had turned down her full ride to the University of Florida, packed up her things for good and never looked back.
By the time she made it to the checkout counter, a dull buzzing coursed through her body. It was the same feeling she’d had every single day for the last few years. But, unlike those times, she could do something about it.
Knowing Shane was at work, she dropped the groceries at Rose’s apartment before driving to her childhood home. Her mind went on autopilot while her nerves spiked as she neared the familiar street. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but the magnetic draw to the ocean pushed her foot harder against the gas pedal.
A part of her hoped Shane would be home so that she wouldn’t do something ridiculous. But the driveway was empty. If someone saw an unknown car there, he or she might inform him. If she parked nearby, the friendly neighbors might think she was a passerby who wanted to look at the ocean views. It wouldn’t be the first time someone stopped to snap pictures of the water.
In that area of The Burrow, the private beaches had the most unobstructed view of the ocean without having to share the sand with tourists. Growing up, Reen always knew how lucky she was. She had never imagined living anywhere else in their small town where she might have to walk a distance or drive to the water.
After parking the car, she headed toward the rock jetty. The moment she reached the sand, she kicked her flip-flops off.
Energy pulsed through her, starting at her toes, and moving up her body as if the granules were tiny wrecking balls slamming into her body. It stole her breath for a moment, but then she continued toward the water. Her mouth went dry and her skin prickled with each step toward the waves. The crashing sound filled her ears, and the prickling turned to ripples of tingles rolling up and down her skin. It was hot enough outside that she knew it wasn’t the weather making her feel that way. She was finally coming home, and once she reached the water, she wasn’t sure she’d ever leave.
Unlike the last time she was here, Reen didn’t hesitate as she stepped into the surf. The water curled over her feet, and she sucked in a breath.
Flashes of memories flickered in her mind as if she were watching a projection video of her entire life. Her earliest memories of toddling around on the beach with a young Rose and with Mom struck her core. Within seconds, a more vivid memory of herself, a little older, and stronger in the water. She’d run from the house with Mom only steps behind her. Reen loved racing, seeing who could dive in first. She usually won. She wasn’t sure if Mom allowed it or not. But it didn’t matter.
Once she was fully submerged, all sounds in her life muted. She would press her thighs together and kick her legs as one, gliding through the water. Her fingers dug into the ocean floor. The soft velvet sand fell through her fingers. Twisting upward, the shimmering sunlight cut through the water, reflecting down toward her. Tilting her head back she closed her eyes and swore she could feel the rays on her body, warming her soul.
The movement of the water forced her eyes open again, and she spotted Mom swimming closer.
Mom’s face broke through the brackish water, and her eyes were open and bright. The sunrays reflected off her hair, adding beams of light throughout the strands. She reached for Reen, wrapping her arms around her, and pulled her to the surface.
Once they broke through, Reen shook her head and looked up at Mom. ‘Beat you.’
‘You know you scare me when you stay under that long,’ Mom said.
Reen tugged her Mom’s hand, wanting to go back under, to feel the same way she had seconds ago. ‘I’m fine. Really.’
Mom shook her head and lowered her body into the water. With her head facing the sun, Reen watched her mother breathe in and out as if the droplets were pockets of air filling her body.
#
As suddenly as Reen fell into the memory, she snapped out of it. The ocean blurred through her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. She reached up, wiping tears from her cheeks.
Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, her shins plunging into the soft, damp sand. The water moved against her and then back into the ocean. She watched the cycle of movement for what felt like an hour. The memories came quickly: some she wanted, and most she didn’t. She’d never thought she and Mom would lose their bond, but when Dad died, everything had changed. The water never seemed like a stranger until Mom did.
When she was finally able to take a full breath without her body shuddering, she stood up and walked further into the water. The heat from the day barely touched her as the cool water around her knees kept her body temperate.
‘Reen,’ a hoarse voice said from behind her.
She stiffened, expecting a nosy neighbor, someone from her past to get her in trouble. Though, no one in town had recognized her right away. Except for Brody.
It wasn’t Brody, but Shane. Dressed in his uniform. Reen catapulted into the past where she’d met more than a few men in that outfit. Even though she was trespassing, she didn’t move from her spot. ‘This is still my family’s house.’ Defiance against authority hadn’t left her.
He smiled, and his rugged exterior cracked. ‘I know. I wasn’t going to kick you out. I got a call from a neighbor about someone on the beach.’
‘Of course you did,’ she snorted.
He stepped closer, but not enough to get his shoes wet. ‘What are you doing here?’
She shrugged. If it were Rose, she would have made
up some excuse, but Shane was a stranger to her. It wasn’t as if she’d planned to see him again after her visit. ‘Just taking a trip down memory lane.’
‘You two and the water,’ he said.
‘Rose hates the water.’
‘Maybe once,’ he said. ‘Now Rose can’t get enough of it. She doesn’t go swimming, but she does come out here more often.’ He smirked. ‘When we investigated the girl, Syrene—’
‘Don’t tell me you’ve bought into this mermaid stuff,’ she said. ‘Aren’t you a practical officer of the law?’
His eyebrows knitted together. ‘Of course I am. Which is why I believe something isn’t practical about all of this. I’ve had to stretch my imagination. Do you ever wonder why the two of you have such a connection with the water? Why you can hold your breath for an inhuman amount of time?’
‘How do you know that?’ Reen asked, even though she already knew the answer. Rose.
‘Because I am practical, as you say. Rose and I have been through all the details. How does some girl appear in the ocean and then disappear without coming to shore? She had gills. for Chrissakes.’ He wiped his hand over his mouth, and Reen noticed a slight tremble. He lumbered closer to her.
‘Well, we’ll never know,’ Reen said, turning back to the expansive ocean. ‘Mom can’t tell us anything about our past. I’m not sure I’d believe her either.’
Shane was quiet, and for a moment she thought he’d gone. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, sensing his nearness. He was right about her connection to the water. Standing there, she felt calmer than she had in years. She wasn’t sure about the gills situation, but that didn’t stop her from absently running her fingers over her neck.
‘I wouldn’t give up on her so soon,’ Shane said.
Reen glanced over her shoulder and watched him leave. A minute or two later, an engine roared to life. The police cruiser headed down the street, forcing Reen into seclusion once again.
With Shane putting ridiculous thoughts in her head, her mood faltered, and she no longer wanted a reminder of what she’d lost.
Leaving the water was more difficult than she imagined. The continuous pull worked against her as if she were slogging through muddy water instead of sand. Gritting her teeth, she pushed through. She glared at the houses down the beach, wondering who’d called the police on her.
When she reached the car, she was more than winded. She wasn’t sure if her memories were bogging her down or if it was the persistent questions in her head about what Rose and Shane saw in the water.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Rose hadn’t been inside the apartment for more than a minute before she said, ‘Shane told me he saw you at the house today.’
‘It’s not against the law, is it?’ Reen had spent the rest of the afternoon driving through town. She’d stopped at the lighthouse and walked down to the tip of The Burrow, which looked out over the water and the break wall in the distance. Behind that was the vast ocean. When she’d arrived at Rose’s apartment, it was nearing dinnertime.
‘Don’t pull your claws out yet,’ Rose said.
‘Did he tell you he tried to convince me that mermaids exist?’
‘He told me he mentioned what he saw and what we’ve discussed.’
Reen shook her head. Inwardly, she knew the women in her family were different. But once they found out more about Mom’s past, it would make logical sense. Athleticism ran in some families, but that didn’t mean they were supernatural.
‘How about a glass of wine?’ Rose asked.
Reen nodded, and Rose pulled a fresh bottle from the cabinet.
‘Did he give you any information about your little investigation?’ Reen asked, changing the subject.
‘I looked into Aunt Carolina’s past.’
‘Why are you so stuck on her?’ Reen asked.
‘She was so angry with Mom. Even after all these years. I know she’s keeping something from us. I wanted to check if her family knew anything from that time. But both her parents are gone, and she’s an only child.’
No wonder she was such a brat. No one had taught her how to share.
‘Someone has to know more about Mom,’ Reen said. ‘Does she have a birth certificate?’ It seemed like a backward step, but she hadn’t asked before.
‘Mom told me a flood destroyed all her personal effects.’
Reen snorted. ‘How convenient.’
‘I don’t know what to do about all this,’ Rose said.
She didn’t have to do anything. None of this would prove mermaids existed. Reen wasn’t digging on her sister. She wished she could have been that comfortable in one place and care about it as much as Rose did.
‘What else did you do today?’ Rose asked. They were at a dead end, and Reen was happy for it. Rose would spin whatever information they did find toward a mermaid conclusion anyway.
‘I met up with Nadine,’ Reen said.
Rose smirked. ‘How’s she doing in this heat?’
Reen tilted her head to the side, watching her sister. Rose had never liked Nadine. In her later years, she claimed that girl wasn’t right for Reen’s reputation or criminal record. Reen wondered if Rose didn’t mind her now because she’d settled down. It was possible Reen was reading too much into the issue.
‘She’s running the music and arts festival.’
Rose nodded as she pressed the corkscrew into the top of a red wine bottle. ‘She takes care of most events in town.’
‘She does?’
Rose nodded, twisting on the metal screw. ‘We’re happy to have her. Our events are even more well attended and run smoother with her at the helm.’
Reen smirked. ‘You’re best friends now?’
‘You know how it is around here,’ she said. ‘We’ve grown up.’
‘You mean, she’s grown up.’
‘We,’ Rose said firmly. ‘A lot has changed around here.’
Reen snorted. ‘Like what?’
Rose pulled a little too hard on the cork, and she nearly smacked the bottom of the bottle against the counter. ‘People have changed. We didn’t freeze in time while you were gone.’
The way she said gone rubbed Reen the wrong way. It was as if she had evaporated into thin air, rather than choosing to move on from this place. She didn’t want to get into an argument though. They were finally getting along, and she didn’t care to make her stay more awkward than necessary. ‘I offered to help Nadine with the sound booth.’
Rose’s thin eyebrows shot up. ‘Really?’
‘Don’t sound so surprised.’
‘You were never one to participate,’ Rose said. ‘But I’m glad you are.’
‘I have experience.’ Anger crept into her voice.
‘I know,’ Rose said, pouring two glasses of wine, and placing them on the table.
‘Not just in school. I worked at a playhouse when I was gone.’
‘That’s great.’
Reen whirled around, expecting to see Rose with a playful smile on her face, and possibly an eye roll.
But her sister wasn’t making fun. She sat in her chair, her legs crossed, interested in what Reen had to say.
Her heart rate slowed, coming down from the angry roller coaster she was about to plummet down. Her constant need to be on the defense hammered her emotions.
‘Where else did you work?’ Rose asked, clearly sensing a lull in the conversation.
Reen thought of her conversation with Nadine. Don’t mention the egg donation, she repeated in her mind. She and Rose were on a good path. Her sister would never understand the need for money the way Reen had. Rose had a steady job and rent money from the house to pay for whatever she needed. If anything, Missy, or anyone else in town, would take her in within seconds.
Reen gave her sister a taste of the odd jobs she’d done over the years. After two years of working, the regret over missing college had faded to a dull ache in the back of her mind. With her full scholarship, she wouldn’t have had any debt out of
school, but her life would have continued on the same path. She probably would have broken up with Brody anyway. She’d still have the guilt from Rose over not being at home. At least she had life experience. Not that it helped her getting out of living paycheck to paycheck.
‘That all sounds exciting,’ Rose said.
‘It’s not glamorous.’ She held her tongue, not wanting to complain about the lifestyle. Even though it had been a snap decision, it was her life, and she lived it with no one checking in with her.
‘Well, I wouldn’t expect it to be, but you know you always had Mom’s and my support, right?’
Reen glanced over her shoulder but couldn’t fully face her sister. ‘Don’t cover for her.’
‘I’m not,’ Rose said. ‘When she was more aware of things, she’d talk about you all the time. She knew she’d screwed up, but I don’t see how blaming her for that now is getting you anywhere.’
‘I’m not blaming her,’ Reen said. ‘I stopped caring a long time ago. She could have come to me. I gave you two enough information for her to find me.’
‘She did try,’ Rose said.
‘No, she didn’t.’
The chair scraped across the tiled kitchen floor. ‘Yes, she did. About a year after you left. She went to California. I bought the ticket myself.’
‘No,’ Reen said. ‘I never – she didn’t.’
Rose sighed. ‘She told me she went. Maybe she couldn’t find you, or something. It’s not as if we can ask her.’
Silence fell over the room. Rose sipped from her glass and Reen stared. She had no idea what Rose must have thought about her when Mom returned empty-handed. At the time, her family didn’t have much money. The small gesture and the rest throughout the years built up in Reen’s mind.
‘I didn’t know,’ Reen said.
Rose nodded slowly. ‘Whatever happened, it’s in the past.’
Reen wondered if she’d ever be able to let go. For now, it was enough to share time and space with her sister. She wished she would have known about Mom coming to find her. How different their lives would have turned out if Mom had come to her shitty apartment to take her home.
The Sisters' Secrets: Reen Page 8
