Subtle Reminders

by D. J. Pierson

  “BC, please. I really want to show you something.”

  “You’re so annoying.”

  “But I’m cute,” I gloated, resting my forehead on hers.

  “Someone’s been lying to you.” I loved how she made me smile.

  It was still a little chilly at the early hour. Once my hat was on my head where it belonged, I grabbed a hoodie from the closet. BC groaned something inaudible as I put it on her. Unenthusiastically, she pushed her arms through the long sleeves. If it were possible, she’d probably sleep standing up. I grabbed the beach umbrella and blanket Mom left in the hall for me.

  BC frowned. “Why do you need those?”

  “Why do you ask so many damn questions? Can’t you just trust me?” I replied, opening the front door.

  She glanced at the stairs, which led to the bedrooms, then back at me. “Won’t your parents wonder where we are?”

  “Nope.” Not that I had to tell them, but I already discussed it with Mom the night before. It wasn’t the first time I had left the house at that hour, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

  Holding the door, I motioned for BC to get moving. She exhaled, then grabbed the blanket from under my arm as she passed by. Even tired and irritated, she was adorable. It only took a brief second to turn the key in the lock, so I caught up to her before she made it to the bottom of the driveway.

  “I hate when you’re angry,” I whispered, tugging her to me.

  Wrapping her arms around my neck, she kissed my cheek. “I couldn’t possibly be mad at you.”

  “It’s because I’m cute, right?”

  Her body gently shook as she chuckled. “Where are we going?” She pulled her arms away, leaving me feeling empty. I hated that damn feeling. She had that effect on me from the very beginning. I never stood a chance.

  BC intertwined her fingers with mine as we began our walk to the beach two blocks away. We strolled silently, simply happy to be together. There were only a couple people out at the time, which spooked her, but it was to my advantage. She eliminated the small gap between us, so our sides touched.

  We reached the ramp leading to the boardwalk. She didn’t question me until we crossed to the stairs on the other side.

  “We’re going to the beach? Isn’t it a little early for that?”

  “It’s never too early to play in the sand,” I teased.

  She bent over to pick up the sandals she had kicked off. “This better be worth it, Sullivan.” She only ever called me by my last name when she meant business.

  Just off the edge of the pier, which held the amusement rides and a water park, I spread the blanket over the sand. BC dropped her shoes alongside it and sat down. I joined her. With the cool breeze coming off the water, her hair softly blew around her face. Normally, I tucked the loose strands behind her ear, but there was no point. The wind always won the battle at the shore.

  The sky above the incoming waves gradually began glowing a pinkish-purple. Seagulls flew overhead. Sometimes they’d land on the beach, or skim the top of the water searching for breakfast. Slowly, the sun rose over the horizon. I had witnessed the phenomenon dozens of times, but that particular morning was my favorite. BC’s eyes widened at the breathtaking sight. It was the same way I looked at her the first day of eighth grade. I never figured out how long it actually took night to fully transform into day. Honestly, I didn’t care.

  “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” BC whispered.

  “I used to think the same thing…until I met you.”

  She blushed and gave me the shy smile I adored. “Okay. Maybe you’re a little cute.”

  “I knew it!” My sudden outburst turned her grin into a laugh.

  “What’s the umbrella for?”

  “Oh, right.” I stood, buried the pole in the sand, opened the umbrella to cover us, then sprawled out on my back. BC rested her head on my chest, so I seized the opportunity to hold her.

  “Thank you for bringing me down here, Joey.”

  “Anytime, Buttercup.”

  We fell asleep listening to the sound of the crashing waves.

  “Let’s go, Sully.” Vince’s obnoxious voice ruined the memory. BC had left the door open when she came to bed, so nothing blocked him from leaning inside the room. It was entirely too early for him and his bullshit.

  “Go without me.” I hadn’t rolled over to face him, so my voice disturbed BC. She shifted, but stayed asleep.

  “Hell no. Get your ass up. We’re not playing short because you can’t tear your eyes away from Sleeping Beauty. She’ll still be here when you get back.”

  “What if she’s not?”

  “Jesus Christ,” he groaned. “You have ten minutes to get downstairs and be ready to go.” He left the room, grumbling to himself.

  Knowing he’d make a scene, I spared BC the drama. Before I got up, my lips lightly touched her head. “See you later, Buttercup.” It was going to be the longest game ever.

  I climbed out of bed. Moving toward the door, I glanced at BC’s stuff on the floor. Some of her clothes had overflowed from the bag, her phone sticking out of the pocket of her shorts. Unable to resist, I bent over to pick it up. I hit the button to light the lock screen and saw two missed texts, both from Aidan. Apparently, she forgot to call him before going to sleep.

  “First of all, Aidan, I would’ve called a hell of a lot more than twice, and I wouldn’t have stopped when she didn’t answer. Second, BC was a tad distracted last night. Sorry.” I should’ve felt guilty, but I didn’t. It wasn’t as if I deleted them or marked them as read. She’d see them…eventually.

  Looking over my shoulder to peek at her again, I grinned at how sweet she was, then focused on the task at hand. Since she neglected to put a passcode on her phone, it was her own fault I sent myself a text so I’d have her number, adding mine to her contacts. No damage done. She’d love it.

  Fifteen minutes later, I found Vince whistling in the kitchen. “Guess Lex gave in, huh?”

  His smirk said it all. “She won’t ever hold out on me again.” I laughed, allowing him his moment of victory. Alexa did what she wanted, when she wanted. Nothing he said would ever matter.

  We made it to the field in plenty of time. As I got out of my truck, Maddie came running, Jack dragging behind.

  “Hey, beautiful.” I fell to one knee. Maddie licked my cheek and half-climbed into my lap as I ran my fingers through her thick fur. “I missed you, too, girl.”

  “She knew you were at Vince’s. She whined all night,” Jack complained.

  “I’m sorry, baby. Next time, you can stay,” I promised. It hurt hearing she was miserable.

  During a game, I usually left my phone in the truck, but nothing was going to make me put it down. Before jogging onto the field at the top of the first inning, I sent a text to BC. While covering third base, I’d casually check, making sure I didn’t miss it vibrating in my shorts. When we headed to the dugout, she still hadn’t responded. I sent another one after dropping my glove next to Maddie. She always waited on the bench during a game.

  “Sullivan!” Vince shouted. Most of the team was staring at me.

  “What?”

  “Put the fucking phone down and grab a bat. We don’t have all damn day.”

  “Fuck off,” I groaned.

  “If you strike out because you’re distracted by some girl, I’ll never let you forget it,” Vince whispered to me.

  “Did you hear from Lex yet? BC isn’t answering me.”

  “It’s because she’s sleeping, jackass. Get the hell out there.”

  After a few more innings, I started getting extremely concerned. She couldn’t still be sleeping. Maybe she didn’t notice her phone on the bed. As it became harder to concentrate, I almost missed a line drive headed straight for my head. Getting hit in the face definitely would’ve sucked. That catch ended the top of the fourth inning.

  “If she doesn’t answer this last text, I’m leaving,” I warned Vince.

  “Y
ou’re being stupid. She’s fine.”

  The damn thing finally vibrated and I instantly felt relieved when I saw her name. Vince caught my smile. “See? She’s fine. Can we finish the fucking game now?” Clearly annoyed, he picked up his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then let it fall into his bag.

  BC and I sent a few messages back and forth. When she stopped replying, I got nervous. Did I upset her?

  “She’s not going to text you until later. I sent Lex in to take her phone.”

  He was obviously telling the truth, so I put my phone away. “Most people are in a good mood after they get laid.”

  “Most people don’t act like a moron when their ex talks to them.” That’s exactly why I didn’t confide in him about still loving BC. He wouldn’t understand.

  After the game, Jack followed us back to the house because he knew there were leftovers. The Watsons always made enough for two parties. When we walked in, just like every other Sunday morning, Lex yelled from the kitchen. “You’d better not be coming in here covered in dust and shit!” We were too old to be rolling around in dirt. Those days were over.

  Vince rushed to her, pinned the poor girl against the refrigerator, and nearly devoured her. She giggled, grossing us out. Good thing she shoved him backwards and made him stop.

  “Where’s your sister?” I asked.

  “She went outside on the deck to take a phone call.”

  “Just wait for her to come in,” Jack recommended, helping Lex take the food to the table. I ignored him and called Maddie. She’d go out with me.

  Through the glass door, I saw BC sitting on a chair, her long legs resting on the bar underneath the table. She didn’t appear to be all that interested in whatever was being said on the other end because she twirled a loose strand of hair and stared at something in the distance. I wondered what she was thinking about. Was she mad I invaded her privacy by going into her phone? She had every right to be. Was she okay that we slept together?

  Without thinking, I pulled on the handle, sliding the door open just far enough for Maddie to fit through. She ran right over to BC, interrupting her conversation. BC’s face lit up as she dropped her feet onto the deck, reaching down to pet her. She didn’t seem to mind the kisses the crazy puppy couldn’t keep to herself.

  “Hi, Maddie!” The sound of my dog’s name coming from her lips felt right. I supposed it should since she was the one who came up with it. “It’s the dog I told you about yesterday,” she responded. Noticing me standing there, BC smiled. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” My presence distracted her so much, she missed what the other person said? “The guys are just getting back from their game. I’m going to go so I can help Lex get things ready for lunch.” Her eyes were stuck on mine, and her smile hadn’t faded. “Okay, I will. ‘Bye.” She ended the call and stood up. “Hey. How’d the game go?”

  “We won, but what else is new?”

  “Arrogant bastard,” she whispered, rolling her eyes.

  I chuckled. “Did you sleep well last night?”

  “Actually, I did. That was the best sleep I’ve had in, well…a long time.”

  “Maybe you should invest in a few bottles of tequila.”

  “I don’t think that’s the reason.” BC smiled, then looked around. “Come on, Maddie.” My curious little girl had wandered off the deck in search of a toy, but abandoned the thought and came running to BC. “Good girl,” she praised with a pat on her head, then turned to me. “Hungry?”

  “Starving.” I followed her inside.

  “How’s Aidan?” Lex blurted out as soon as the door closed. I shot her a look, asking whose side she was on. The little bitch winked at me behind BC’s back.

  “Upset I didn’t call before going to bed.” Surprisingly, she shrugged it off.

  “He’ll get glad again,” Lex said.

  “That’s what I told him.” She popped a potato chip into her mouth.

  I caught Jack watching my reaction and smirking. No doubt he’d have a million questions later.

  “So, Brie. What did you do to Joe last night? He barely kept his eyes open during the game.” Vince was going to get punched in the mouth before the day was over.

  “You should’ve seen this one play,” Jack contributed, laughing. “He almost took a line drive to the head.”

  “Screw you both!” I snapped. “I saw it off the bat.”

  “Sure you did, Sully.”

  Why was Vince being such a prick?

  “Shut the hell up, all of you. Sit down and eat,” Lex demanded, and we all closed our mouths. We weren’t stupid. “You hear this shit, Brie? This is what I have to deal with all the damn time.”

  “I understand why you want the basement finished ASAP. I’d send them down there, too,” BC commented. “I’d also lock the door from this side.” She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and sat across from me. Lex passed out plates. Everything else was already on the table.

  “Is that what I should do when you move down there?” Lex quipped.

  “Babycakes, why on earth would you want to live in their basement?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I don’t,” she sighed, glaring at her sister.

  Vince changed the subject. We discussed how we were able to postpone next week’s game because most of the team was going to the wedding and wouldn’t be in any shape to get up and play the following morning. Some of the guys from the other team also had something going on, so it worked out. Otherwise, we would’ve had to forfeit, which would have sucked.

  While everybody ate, I kept an eye on BC. She seemed better than the previous day. A smile was plastered on her face, but it grew when Maddie put her head on BC’s lap. She leaned over to whisper something, causing Maddie’s ears to perk up. When BC got up from the table, Maddie followed her across the kitchen. Somehow, BC knew there were treats in the cabinet. Maddie sat perfectly still…except for her tail. That damn thing wagged all the time, but it wasn’t her fault. She was easily excited. Her personality was what had been missing in my life. Since she had come to live with me, existing became easier than it had been for a while.

  “Brie, Mom will be here in fifteen minutes,” Lex announced, glancing at her phone.

  “Okay. I’m ready. I just have to run upstairs and get my stuff.” BC was still more interested in the dog.

  “Where are you going?” Vince wanted to know. “I was going to kick these people out so we could pick up where we left off last night.”

  “Technically, it was this morning, and not until Saturday.” Groaning, Vince dropped his head on the table. “Mom called and offered to take us shopping with Daddy’s credit card. You’ll have to clean up this mess.”

  “Spoiled bitches,” he mumbled, his head still buried in disappointment. He deserved it after being a jerk all morning.

  “Oh, Vince. I feel bad for you,” BC joked, walking out of the kitchen.

  “Why do you feel bad for him?” Lex called after her, not receiving an answer.

  Pushing the chair back, I took one last sip of my soda. “I’ll help you clean this up in a minute.”

  “Where are you going, little brother?” Jack asked, raising a brow.

  “If you must know, I have to take a shit.”

  Ignoring the snickering and stupid remarks, I trudged up the stairs. A few deep breaths later, my nerves were shot. Wasn’t that supposed to help people relax? Outside the bedroom, my palms were so sweaty, I had to wipe them down the front of my shorts. Brielle Watson already had her shot at stringing me along. Why the fuck was she getting another one? When I peered into the bedroom, I remembered. I’d let her drag me over a pile of hot coals and metal spikes if that was what she wanted.

  BC shoved one last thing into her bag before zipping it up. She had no clue I was there.

  “You know, you shouldn’t have made the bed,” I said, making her jump.

  “Damn it, Joey. Why do you keep sneaking up on me?” She put a hand over her chest, trying to calm her erratical
ly beating heart. I leaned against the doorjamb and rubbed my chin. Damn, she was beautiful. She breathed out and scratched her head.

  “You okay?”

  “Wonderful. What did you say?”

  “You shouldn’t have made the bed.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, after you leave, Lex will expect me to do it.”

  “It’s pretty easy. You only have to pull the blankets up, smooth them out, then throw the pillows on top.”

  “It’s not that I don’t know how to do it. I just don’t want to.”

  “Lazy ass.” She shook her head.

  “Do you remember the first time we spent the weekend down at the shore with my parents and I took you to the beach so we could watch the sunrise?”

  “Oh, you mean the morning I threatened you with your father’s gun?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  I stifled a laugh. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

  “What about it?”

  “When the sun came up earlier, it reminded me of it.” I shrugged, but that was undeniably a mistake because the comment bothered her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Why were you awake?”

  “Couldn’t sleep.”

  “How come?”

  “No reason.”

  Her whole posture changed. She was beyond upset. “I’m sorry. I should’ve just gone downstairs.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You couldn’t sleep because I was there.” In a way, she was right, but it wasn’t a bad thing.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. That’s not what I meant.” My eyes stayed locked on hers. I wished I could tell her how happy lying beside her made me.

  She was the one to break eye contact. Lifting the strap of the bag to her shoulder, she cleared her throat. “Actually, I think about that day quite often.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered. She came toward me, stopping a few feet away. “It was one of my favorites. When I’m having a rough time, it helps.”

  I hated hearing she’d ever been anything but happy. That was how I always pictured her. Relaxed. Smiling. Content. My arms itched to hold her. My heart ached to tell her how it felt. My lips begged to kiss her. In spite of all the time we’d been apart, there was nothing surprising about how real the tension was.