Keeping Her Love

by Tiger Hill

  Rhett could appreciate his beauty considering how much he looked like his sister. If the guy were more social, he probably could have had any girl he wanted. Why he had chosen to go out with a person like Layla, Rhett had no earthly idea. He mainly assumed that Max dated her for the convenience. It was hard to say no to someone who was so easy to have. Layla certainly didn’t seem like she was holding anything back from Max that he might have wanted.

  I wonder how many girlfriends he’s had, Rhett found himself pondering. Tula never mentioned anything about it. I assume he’s had more than a few. You can’t have a baby face like that without attracting at least one girl in high school or college. Who knows, though—he could be one of those guys that just doesn’t want anything to do with relationships. Awkward, pensive types.

  Tula had informed them all about a lovely bakery she heard about beforehand, so Rhett made certain to keep the place in mind as he tried to prevent sleep from taking over his mind. At around nine thirty, they all got out for this little Eastern European bakery on the sea, bought their treats along with an obligatory coffee drink, and then slowly started up their jabbering about what was on their minds. Layla took the lead, going on about how expensive the bakery had been. She also remarked on the terrible cappuccino she had ordered.

  “I can’t believe how disgusting this drink is!” She stated, glaring down at the paper cup as she stuck her tongue out. “There’s nothing even here. The stupid barista stiffed me. It’s just bitter and gross.”

  Tula, picking up on the clues of her complaints, responded, “Layla, do you know what exactly a cappuccino is?”

  She stared at her blankly. “It’s supposed to be milky and sweet, right?”

  “You’re thinking of something else. A cappuccino is just a shot of espresso and foamy milk. It’s not supposed to be sweet.”

  She looked back down at her drink. “Oh.”

  “So what are you all looking forward to at the beach?” Asked Rhett, sipping his own black cup of joe.

  Layla swung her arm around Max’s enthusiastically. “Long walks on the beach with my beaux!”

  She never fails at making me feel nauseated, thought Rhett with a grin as he looked in the rear view mirror. And by the looks of Max’s face, he seems to feel the same way.

  “Just being there is pleasant,” said Tula. “And of course, being around you and my family is extra nice. I haven’t been to the beach since I was a little girl. I guess I just didn’t have the time to go on any trips.”

  “Max?” Inquired Rhett after a gap in the conversation.

  His eyes darted to the mirror, looking as if he hadn’t been paying attention. “Being with Layla is all I’m thinking about.”

  The drive continued for another two hours. They played car games, went over everything they had brought to eat, and more importantly, drink for the night. Tula had insisted on baking her own cake, a beautiful mess of strawberries, cream, and some kind of special sauce she had been tinkering on for a few weeks. To finally did arrive at the special spot, they had to drive along an unkept dirt road that felt like rolling over a thousand tiny bumps. Tula’s car was completely covered in dust by the time they parked, but when they opened the door, it all felt worth it. The sea breeze was wonderfully pleasant to breathe in, and in the distance a few children were flying colorful kites in the azure sky. Getting over the sand dune, there was nothing but the gentle roll of beach and thousands of miles of ocean.

  The girls kicked off their shoes, running off along the dry sand until they reached the tide. They laughed at each other as they ran off like children towards and away from the rolling water, pulling and pushing on each other playfully. Rhett smiled at seeing it, and apparently Max did as well.

  “Nice, isn’t it?” Rhett mentioned.

  “Yes, it is.”

  Not wanting to interrupt the nice reverie that Tula and Layla had created, the men decided to unpack all of the supplies they would need and found a campsite next to some driftwood. While slightly chilly because of the spring season, they couldn’t have picked a more pleasant day to visit the shore. Rhett found Max to be agreeable enough when it came to carrying heavy objects and dropping them off where directed. He just wasn’t very sociable.

  Maybe he doesn’t have anything against me, thought Rhett. It might just be the way he is. He’s quiet. If that’s the case, then I suppose I don’t have a huge problem with him. In the beginning, he was picking on me a little. At this point it’s just a few words passed between us. I can deal with that. I mean, I am banging his sister. I suppose it’s not a comforting thought to have in the back of a brother’s mind. I’m an only child, so I don’t really have to deal with any of that.

  Rhett took is upon himself to set up a campfire in order to begin cooking the food for lunch and dinner. Having never started an outdoor fire before, his first attempts were comically bad. He could never seem to start lighting up the tinder well enough to grab onto the progressively larger sticks. He was glad that Max had decided to go for a light jaunt while he made an ass out of himself trying to get a fire going. It seemed like one of the most basic things a man should be able to do, lighting a fire in the wilderness… If one could consider the beach a wilderness area. In the end, he was lucky enough to have a sliver of reception on his phone in order to look up a basic guide on how to start a campfire.

  Building the basic structure needed in order to get the flame going, he had a roaring fire going in no time. Proud of his achievement, everyone came over just as he was placing a grate over the fire.

  “Nice,” said Tula. “Maybe this is how I’ll get my bakery going, huh? Think you can do that every morning at three AM?”

  He looked at her with a smirk, pushing his sunglasses down. “Anything for you, babe.”

  The cooler was filled to the brim with food, beer, and champagne—probably far more than they needed, though Layla took it upon herself to be extra prepared for the trip. Rhett didn’t mind, besides the fact that he had to lug the thing a quarter mile towards their temporary home.

  “Have you guys figured out the catering for the wedding?” Asked Layla.

  Great, more wedding talk, thought Rhett as he prepped some chicken thighs.

  “Mm, not quite,” responded Tula as she opened a bag of chips. “We’re thinking of doing a lot of the cooking ourselves, or even doing a potluck thing. We want to save money, so it just seems like the best option. Besides, Rhett makes some mighty good meat balls. Don’t you, Rhett?”

  Before he had time to respond, Layla interjected, “You can’t do that! Everyone will call you hicks. No, you must find some kind of caterer. I don’t care if it’s the cheapest in town, but you can’t ask people do bring their own food.”

  Tula and Rhett shared a look.

  “I’m sure whatever they decide to do will be lovely,” said Max with a ready sneer for Layla.

  Layla appeared to have some loaded ammunition to fire back at the comment, but fully realizing it was Max who had said it, decided to hold her tongue. Rhett placed the last of the chicken thighs on the grate and decided to turn the conversation towards more amiable topics.

  “How is school going for you, Max?”

  “Just fine,” he responded, a complacent expression on his face. “I should be finished soon enough. Then I’ll be able to move out and start a new life.”

  Rhett nodded, checking what else they had in terms of food while he made conversation. “Good to hear. I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard for an engineer to find work.”

  His eyes flicked over to Tula, then back to Rhett. “No, I imagine not. I’ve already received offers from businesses in the area, but I’m not inclined to leave the program or sidetrack my studies.”

  “Good. I can tell you have good decision-making skills already.”

  “I do my best.”

  Visibly bored by the turn of conversation, Layla excused herself to go searching along the shore for starfish and other items that may have washed up from the sea. Rhett watched her go, s
haking his head.

  I don’t know how any man could stand a woman like that, let alone Max. I can’t imagine he’s interested in anything long-term, especially after he spoke over her as he did.

  “Crap,” mentioned Rhett. “Has anyone seen the bread and water? I don’t see any here.”

  Tula and Max looked at him blankly, sipping from their Mexican beers.

  “I’ll have to go,” said Rhett. “We might be able to go without buns for our hot dogs, but we can’t miss out on water, especially with all the booze. I’ll go into town and then come back with it.”

  “Are you sure, Rhett? I could go with you,” said Tula.

  He waved her off. “Don’t even worry about it. It’s your party—you shouldn’t be worrying about runs into town. I’ll be back in a half hour, tops. Just keep an eye on the chicken, will ya?”

  “Sure,” said Max.

  Rhett walked off, his feet buried in the sand for every step he took. The ride into town wasn’t a long one, only a few miles up the road once he’d passed the dirt road. He was a little frightened that he might pop one of the tires on the dirt, being a city boy who was unaccustomed to rough roads. While Rhett shopped, he was amused to see that there was actually a section for video rentals. It was a small and shabby old town, so he supposed that he could see how there would be a demand. He assumed that there must have been a substantial number of old people, since Netflix didn’t require any driving around at all.

  Buying a few gallons of water and the bread, he drove back down to the beach. As he was walking to the camp site, managing to keep everything he had bought in his arms, the scene before seemed unusual from the start. He could smell something burning before he got close enough to say anything, and Layla was still gone. Max was to the side setting up the two large tents while Tula poked at the burnt chicken, looking despondent.

  “What happened, baby?” Rhett asked, setting down all the stuff.

  “Nothing,” she said simply, her head down. She didn’t appear like she wanted to cry, but she also didn’t look happy. With Max around, Rhett didn’t want to go into too many details about the situation.

  “It’s just a little burnt,” he said, taking one of them off of the grate and plopping it on a paper plate. He peeled the skin, revealing white flesh underneath. “The inside is still good. See?”

  She looked over, acknowledging it. Something was wrong, Rhett knew, and he had a feeling that it didn’t have anything to do with the chicken.

  “Want to go for a walk?” He asked. “It’ll make you feel better.”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “Please, will you walk with me?” He took her hand, looking into her pale-blue eyes.

  She looked to him, forcing a smile before standing up. Rhett steered them in the opposite direction of where Layla was, wanting to avoid mixing any more salt in whatever wounds were festering. He didn’t say much at first, just holding her hand and looking at the beach. He stopped to take his shoes off, laying them to the side for when they rounded back to camp. Tula sighed a few times, a good sign as far as Rhett was concerned.

  She must be mulling over in her head whatever had just happened while I was gone. I know for a fact that it couldn’t have been burning the chicken. I’m thinking that some confrontation caused her to be distracted, and as a result, the chicken burned. Did Layla come back to give her a hard time about the wedding stuff? If so, she might have a punch to the nose coming right at her.

  “Beautiful, don’t you think?” Rhett asked.

  “Yes,” she responded, looking over at the crashing waves.

  “I’m glad we both agree on something. Why else would I marry you? You’re beautiful inside and out.”

  She gave him the smile of a women who had been charmed by a pick-up line.

  “Wanna tell me what’s going on? You’ll feel better, I promise.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Complicated, how?”

  She turned to look at him for a moment before focusing back on the packed sand. Rhett noticed that his feet took on a pleasant tingle as they walked along the shore.

  “It’s my brother,” she said. “He’s just being difficult.”

  Rhett had never seen them share much in terms of conversation. He thought it may have just been because Max was introverted. Now, however, he wondered. Were there words shared behind his back all this time that he wasn’t meant to hear?

  “What happened?” He probed.

  “I’d rather not get into it. It’s stupid.”

  “Hey… How are we going to fare as man and wife if we can’t talk about things going on in our lives? We can’t keep secrets from one another if we’re serious about being married.”

  Her grip tightened around his hand. She kept her mouth shut.

  “Come on, Tula,” said Rhett. “It couldn’t be all that bad. He didn’t hit you, did he?” He didn’t think it was likely, especially considering that he didn’t see any signs on her of that being the case.

  “No, he didn’t hit me,” she responded right away.

  “Then what is it?”

  She let out an audible sigh. “Look, it’s my birthday. If you must know, I will tell you. But not today. Let me just enjoy the rest of the weekend. Did you bring vodka back with you when you went to the general store? I need someone to help me relax right now.”

  Tula was not one known to drink, and especially was not known as one to specifically request alcohol. Whatever had happened between her and Max must have been something abrasive, thought Rhett. I respect her desire to just enjoy her birthday, but damn! Something really bad must have happened if she doesn’t want to tell me and she also needs a stiff drink to forget about what happened. I’ll be keeping a much closer eye on this Max guy from now on. Whatever slightly warm feelings I might have had for him have now dissipated. Nobody messes with my girl and gets away with it.

  He swung her hand playfully, deciding that if he couldn’t get her to spill the beans about her troubles, he would help her forget about it by putting a smile back on her face.

  “You know that I’m desperately in love with you,” he said.

  Despite herself, a blush came on her cheeks. “Yes, I figured your feelings for me might be a bit on the romantic side.”

  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Whatever problem you have, you can come to me. I’d do whatever I could to help you.”

  When he said it, he knew that Tula could feel the conviction in his words. He was wild about her, and felt that if a person didn’t have something they treasured so much in this dark world, life wasn’t worth living.

  “I’ll tell you,” she said. “Just give me time.”

  They eventually walked back to the camp site and started shredding the chicken. The tents were set up and Layla had collected a large menagerie of dead sea creatures displayed down on at their feet. The food was served, some shredded chicken tacos, and were tasty despite the fact that the chicken was burned. Tula’s cake was delicious beyond words, even better than her usual standard. Once the champagne was popped and the sun set, the entire atmosphere of the party turned upside-down. Tula was laughing, Max was chatty, and Layla managed to speak without offending anyone.

  After about an hour and a half of drinking, they all spoke louder than usual and went into more personal topics. Max decided it would be a good idea to start some drinking games, especially ones that involved hard alcohol. They all did their best to hold their liquor, but with Layla being as small and young as she was, she just couldn’t keep up with the rest of them when it came to maintaining stability.

  She toppled over after six shots of vodka, begging to be taken home that moment. Rhett, seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, decided to escort her away from everyone else and get her to the bushes located near the parking area. She made it the entire way, thankfully, and Rhett took it upon himself to hold her hair back as she spewed a whole lot of undigested food into some sea grass. He felt bad for her, but ultimately felt that
she had the whole thing coming to her.

  She was the one who poked around and butted herself into inviting herself with us, he thought. She had this coming, as far as I’m concerned. It was supposed to be just Tula and I. I think her birthday would have gone a lot better if it had been only us. No crazy drinking, no Layla being herself. Max had been bugging her, too. Maybe moving into her parents’ place had been a bad idea. I’ve been able to save more money, but with the headaches Tula has been having to go through… It’s starting to feel like it’s not worth it. Maybe it’s time to abort this plan. We need our own space.

  Layla groaned from beneath him, ultimately collapsing onto the sand.

  “You okay?” Rhett asked.

  “Just leave me here,” she groaned, curling up into a ball. “I want to die right now.”

  Rhett sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Just wait there. I’ll come back with some water. Okay?”

  A vague groaning was her only response.

  Rhett set off across the beach, his bare feet planting in the sand once again for every step he took. His mind was so caught up in its own thoughts and the events that had transpired before that he barely noticed that there was no one left at the location of the bonfire. Picking out a bottled water, he gazed around a moment, wondering where Tula and Max had gone. He walked for a bit in the opposite direction he had come from, not seeing a trace of either of them. There was a ledge that formed over the stretch of beach, so Rhett took it upon himself to climb along the path that lead up to the top. Before he even got close to the ridge, he saw a figure standing under the moonlight… Or what he thought was one figure. When he observed more closely, he realized that he was gazing at the forms of Tula and Max joined in an embrace.