Something shifted within her. It was massive and caught her off guard. Brody’s face flashed in her mind. Seeing Mom in her mental and physical state punched her in the gut. What if she left this life, leaving everyone around her with questions and no answers? It wasn’t fair. The difference was she had the opportunity to change it.
Rose would always welcome Reen into her life, as she did Mom. Forgiveness was innate within her. But Reen had to let Brody know she wasn’t the monster Missy thought she was. She’d come back to The Burrow to make amends with Mom, but Brody deserved closure too. It was time to stop living in the past and take hold of her future.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
On the way back to Rose’s apartment, Reen couldn’t stop her hands from sweating, no matter how many times she dragged her palms over the fabric of her dress.
‘Is Brody working at The Siren today?’ she asked, unable to delay the inevitable any longer.
‘Yeah,’ Rose said. ‘Why?’
Reen gnawed on her lip, wishing she’d said no. She didn’t want to deal with Missy.
‘Missy’s not there,’ Rose said as if reading her mind.
‘Okay.’
‘What’s going on?’ Rose pressed again.
‘I’m hungry,’ Reen said.
‘And?’ Rose dragged the word out but didn’t push any more when Reen said nothing.
They’d both had a draining day with Mom. Reen could have used a strong drink, but she had to talk to Brody first. She had no plan in mind about what to say but figured it would come to her. She’d never been much of a planner, so winging it was her only choice.
When they entered the restaurant, Reen’s body temperature spiked. There were already several customers in the dining area, but she only had eyes for the blond guy in the kitchen. His head was down as he worked on preparing orders, so at least she had the element of surprise.
Rose disappeared behind the double doors and walked into the small office next to the kitchen. Reen backed into the corner, watching Brody work. He was too focused to notice she was there. She cleared her throat.
But he didn’t turn around. Was he that upset with her?
She opened her mouth to say something, but Rose returned briefly and beat her to it. ‘I brought Reen along. If she bothers you too much, make her do dishes.’
Rose smirked and left the room again, as Reen shot a look at her sister’s back.
Brody glanced over his shoulder and did a double take. ‘Looking for another temporary job?’
‘No,’ she said, a little too roughly. Nothing went right when it came to Brody. ‘I wanted to see you.’
‘See me?’ he asked, dunking a basket full of chicken tenders into the hot oil fryer.
She stepped closer, tentative, as if the floor would crumble under her feet. ‘I wanted to apologize.’
‘For what?’ He still didn’t look at her, but his shoulders tensed.
She glanced through the open space where the servers took food to the customers. Everyone was busy. She wondered if she should have planned better. Waited for a time when he wasn’t so distracted. It was too late now. Reen got as close to him as she dared. She wasn’t sure Missy would care for any of her hair in the customers’ food. ‘For leaving and not saying goodbye. I was young and stupid.’
‘Understandable,’ he said.
‘Do you understand? You seemed pretty upset the other day.’
Brody shook his head. ‘Maybe I should apologize. Years of feelings sort of came up during the conversation.’
‘I don’t blame you.’ A vision of Mom at the beach flashed before her eyes. She blinked and the world around her blurred. She turned away from him, not wanting him to see how upset she was.
‘Anyway,’ she said, holding back the emotion in her voice. ‘I should get going.’ Why had she come there again? The act of apologizing wasn’t enough. She wanted to do something else, something more, but couldn’t figure out what. What could she do after betraying him?
‘Wait,’ he said, approaching her.
She turned and almost bumped into his chest. His blue eyes searched hers. ‘Reen—’
‘Brody,’ a voice said from the dining area.
He stiffened.
Their moment shattered the second she saw Krystal. Her pink lips twisted in a grimace and her eyes narrowed at Reen.
‘One second,’ Brody said, backing away from her.
Reen glanced at the back door. It would be easy enough to leave, but Krystal had already spotted them. Reen had the urge to try and explain, but this girl had had it out for her since the day they met. It wasn’t up to her to explain. Brody would do that easier.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ she asked, loud enough for a few of the customers to turn in their seats. ‘Is she why?’
‘No.’ Brody tried to take her arm, but she wriggled out of his grasp. He took a step back and waved his hand in front of them, leading her from the shared space.
Brody and Krystal had seemed fine the last time she saw them together. What had changed?
Brody returned to the kitchen, working his jaw.
‘What was that about?’ Reen asked.
‘I dumped her,’ he said, without looking Reen in the eyes.
‘Now?’
‘Yesterday,’ he said. ‘She’s leaving this week, and I didn’t see a reason for it to go on. Long distance doesn’t work for me.’
‘Then she saw us together.’ Reen’s cheeks flushed, but she could easily blame her reaction on the temperature in the kitchen. ‘Did you tell her we were just talking?’
‘I did, but she didn’t care. From her perspective it looked like…’ He trailed off.
‘I’m sorry,’ Reen said, feeling like a broken record. ‘Again.’ She headed for the back door. In the time she’d been home, she’d made enough trouble for him. There was nothing left for her to do.
‘Don’t leave,’ he said.
Facing him, she noted the pleading in his eyes. It disappeared quick enough, so she wasn’t sure if it had been there at all. But a pull from deep within her gut kept her feet planted on the ground.
‘Well, I’m not going to stand here all night. What do you need help with?’
‘You ever work in a kitchen before?’ he asked.
Reen smirked. ‘I’ve done a lot more than that.’
#
Like at the festival, Reen proved herself worthy of helping Brody with work. The next two hours flew by. They fell into a synchronicity she’d only experienced once before. When she and Brody were together, they bonded in such a way that she always had a hint of what he wanted seconds before he did.
She kept his side of the kitchen stocked with what he needed for each order while taking the finished dishes to the pass-through. He focused on the cooking, while she took care of the rest. It was a welcome distraction since she wasn’t sure what to say about him breaking it off with Krystal, and she knew he didn’t want to talk about it either. That didn’t mean she couldn’t think about it. She couldn’t help herself. Brody said Krystal was leaving, but he had no issue hanging out with her last year. A part of her wondered if he had broken it off thinking they had a chance? It couldn’t be the truth. She wasn’t sticking around forever. He had to know that.
While the idea created warmth in her belly, the conversation from the other day filled her mind. From the way he’d unloaded on her the other day, it seemed as if it would take longer to forgive her. Her wandering thoughts filled her mind through the rest of her time at the restaurant.
When the crowds died down a little, she wondered if she should go. She’d done her penance for him, hadn’t she?
‘Thanks for your help,’ Brody said, coming over to her with a stack of plates.
She tried to move out of his way, but there wasn’t enough room. Instead, they bumped against each other. He stopped, holding the plates above their heads. A stillness settled over them, and if she moved a few inches forward, they’d be close enough to kiss. Did she want to kiss him? Her
memories of them together were fuzzy, but electricity zipped through her faster than she could handle. Her mind might have tried to forget, but her heart hadn’t.
She pressed a hand against him to balance herself. ‘I should get going,’ she said, quick enough for it to sound like one word.
‘How did you get here?’ he asked, moving away from her. He placed the plates into the sink and rinsed them off. The busboy, Donnie, had flitted in and out of the kitchen throughout her time in there. She guessed he’d be back to clean up soon. She wanted to leave before then.
‘I took my car,’ Reen said, wondering if she should have had Rose bring her before her shift. Then, fate would have kept them together longer.
‘I’ll see you around, then?’ he asked.
A sense of urgency flooded her veins. Adrenaline coursed through her at the idea of not seeing Brody again as soon as possible. ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’
His eyebrows flattened. ‘I have the morning off. I might take the boat out.’
‘Your dad’s boat?’
He nodded. ‘Technically, it’s my mom’s. I’m saving up for my own.’ When they were together, Brody hadn’t thought much of his father. Even though he’d run a successful business, he was only there financially for his family. The rest of the time he spent staring down the bottom of a glass.
‘Do you want to come out with me?’ he asked.
‘Sure,’ she said before thinking about it. The two of them alone on the water without anyone there to intervene if things became awkward. What was she thinking?
Brody quirked his lips and came over to her, lightly brushing his hand over hers. ‘I’ll pick you up around ten.’
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was a good thing Reen had brought a bathing suit to town. While she wasn’t rushing to get back into the ocean, she knew it would happen at some point. She did wonder if the black and white striped bikini was too much for the boat. Trying it on the next morning, she felt more naked than she had in years. She grabbed a sarong she’d bought the other day and held it against her body. It covered her up, while the thin material gave a hint of the bathing suit underneath.
‘That’s cute,’ Rose said, passing by the bathroom. She stopped mid-step. ‘What are you up to today?’
Reen knew it was too much to hope Rose wouldn’t find out where she was going. The docks were busy enough with locals. It would get back to her eventually. And Reen was sure Missy knew or would at some point. Krystal and Brody’s breakup would have already spread across town. ‘I’m going on the boat with Brody.’
Rose’s eyebrows lifted. ‘He has a boat?’
‘His dad’s,’ Reen said, not wanting to go over the entire situation. It wasn’t a big deal.
They were two old friends getting together.
On a secluded boat in the middle of the ocean.
Nothing bad could happen there.
‘I didn’t know they still had his boat,’ Rose said.
‘Well, that’s where I’m going.’
‘Do you want to bring some food? I don’t have much in the cabinets, but you’ve been able to scrounge up some good meals from my pantry.’
‘Good idea.’ Reen looked at herself in the mirror. She’d gone with a simple palette of makeup, only foundation and mascara. She didn’t want to look like a tomato by the end of the day, so skincare was number one. She wasn’t sure if sunscreen could cover the flush in her cheeks, but it was worth a try.
#
Brody was on time to pick her up. The leather seats were cool against her legs as she slipped into the passenger side of the car. She placed Rose’s now-full cooler by her feet.
‘What’s that?’ Brody asked.
‘Lunch,’ she said.
‘I was going to stop by The Siren on the way.’
Reen thought of the many opportunities for the locals to ruin her day if they saw them together, especially Missy. She was grateful to Rose for suggesting Reen make their lunch. ‘Now we can just go.’
‘Are you sure you have enough in there for me?’ Brody said, rubbing his flat stomach.
‘I remember how you eat.’
He smiled and glanced in the rearview mirror before backing out of the driveway.
It was a warm day, and Reen was happy she’d packed extra sunscreen. She’d been on the Spare Change before, and there was enough deck space for several people to sit out and soak up the rays. The Barros women were always a golden shade of brown by the end of any summer. They rarely burned, but over the years, Mom had always advocated for them to use skin protection, and ingrained it into her daughters’ minds. Even though Reen wouldn’t have minded getting a twinge darker as the years passed.
As if both had made a silent promise to forget their argument from the other day, Reen found herself sinking into the leather seat, enjoying Brody’s company. When they were sixteen, he got his license first and insisted on driving them around town. Other than the illegal lessons, she usually let him drive, as she tended to enjoy people-watching more than keeping her eyes on the road.
On the way to the docks, Brody asked her more about her time away, giving Reen the opportunity to explain the mistakes she’d made when it came to her family and him. Her words were gentle, unlike her first day in town, but he deserved an explanation.
Surprisingly, he didn’t say much as she told him about why she’d left in the first place.
He could have kicked her out of the car and told her off, but he didn’t. He accepted her apologies for leaving him behind, and they both relaxed a little more with the big conversation behind them.
Until she came back home, Reen had never regretted her choice or understood the ripple effect it had on those she loved. Shaking the thought loose, she tried not to put Brody in that category. It was too messy and complicated to keep any roots anywhere, even in The Burrow.
Brody parked in the lot across the street from the docks. Seeing the boats bobbing with the current made her guts twist. Somehow, going out there with Brody felt wrong and right at the same time. She’d never warred this much with herself before. She wanted him as close as possible, yet far away at the same time. Her inner teenager clawed to the surface, desperate to grab on to his shirt and pull him against her. The hormonal girl wanted nothing between them. She wasn’t giving up until they were skin to skin.
Brody got out of the car, and Reen took a second to calm that part of her. Her hands fisted as she inhaled several shuddering breaths. By the time he opened her door, she smiled warmly and stepped out without launching herself at him. She allowed him to lead the way while she fought her inner self. Reen hadn’t had that experience with anyone else. Only him. She wanted to know more about Mom’s secret visit all those years ago, but she’d never get the opportunity. Even her relationship with Rose was still awkward and stilted. What was it about Brody that made it seem as if she’d left just yesterday instead of years ago? Her draw to him was unexplainable. He was the same good-looking, intelligent, and kind guy she fell in love with long before they began dating. Maybe that kind of love stuck harder than the rest.
The cries of the seagulls intensified as there were more humans to beg from at the dock. Reen licked the sweat from her lips and glanced at the sun climbing to its highest peak in the sky. She almost wished there was more shade on the boat. They approached Spare Change, and it was exactly as she remembered. The worn green trim along the edge of the boat comforted her as if some part of her past hadn’t changed.
Brody walked aboard as if he were entering his home or The Siren. This was his place. She stopped in her tracks and watched him. He glanced over at her from the bow and a funny expression crossed his face. ‘Don’t tell me you get seasick now.’
Brody laughed, and the sound struck her, enough to almost stop her again. The noise was carefree and came from deep within him.
Reen placed the cooler on one of the bench seats and adjusted her sunglasses. The creak of the ropes on the sailboat next to them caught her attention. She hadn’t lived i
n an inlet area since she’d left. There were too many memories to dredge up. But the familiar sights and sounds swelled within her, creating a swirling ache. Even though she was in the only place she ever considered a home it still didn’t feel right.
She wasn’t about to unpack any of it before enjoying a little slice of her past with Brody.
#
A few minutes later, the roar of the engine broke through the gentle lapping of water against the side of the boat, while her feet buzzed from the vibration.
Brody went to the steering wheel and started pulling them from the slip. ‘Hang on.’
His warning was too late. Reen grabbed on to the top of the bench seats and not-so-elegantly sat down.
Brody’s laughter carried over the sound of the motor.
She couldn’t help smiling too. Alone with Brody. There were no lookie-loo locals to comment on them being together and no ex-girlfriend to intervene. Even in the warmth of the sun, Reen shivered. The lust-filled teen resurfaced, and this time, she couldn’t stop the onslaught.
With the wind in her hair as Brody navigated the open waters, it wasn’t difficult to forget everything she’d been through. With Mom’s memory no longer intact, it was as if those years never existed. She’d always wished her mom regretted Reen leaving. If she did, those memories were long gone.
Once she got her sea legs, Reen joined Brody under the shelter and watched him control the boat. It was as if it were an extension of his body. It moved through him. He couldn’t be any more beautiful than he was in that moment.
‘What?’ he asked, tilting his head to the side. He glanced at her and then back to the water in front of them.
She smirked. ‘Nothing.’ It was nice having him on the other side of a secret.
Even though she couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, she sensed his mood had shifted. It had darkened, but not in a negative way. It reminded her of the first time he’d kissed her all those years ago. The details were a little fuzzy, but she remembered laughing with him about something, and then her entire world stopped as his lips met hers.
The Sisters' Secrets: Reen Page 11
