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And that’s when I realized I hadn’t told her about my afternoon plans.
“Bree.” I sat facing her on the bed and gently laid my hand on her leg as I studied her shuttered expression. “Hey, look at me.”
Her steel-gray eyes met mine with a hesitance that felt like a dagger to my chest.
I forced a smile. “Good…” I looked over at the clock on the corner dresser, “afternoon,” I finished and leaned over, slowly enough to give her a chance to pull back if she wanted and kissed her softly, aware that I smelled like her. She gasped, and I pressed our foreheads together. “I forgot to tell you that I’m going back to Gulf Shores for a short trip to pick up some more clothes and drop off some of the stuff my aunt and uncle left here.”
I pulled back to read her expression, but she avoided it as she started moving off the bed.
“Okay. I think I should probably get out of here too and go catch up with Cody. Do you, uh, have time to drop me off at Fortuna after I change?”
I helped her off the bed and guided her to the bathroom, answering along the way. “Of course. Take all the time you need.” The door shut behind her before I could add any more reassurances, but maybe that was for the best.
I didn’t want to make it a bigger deal than it was, especially because I wasn’t completely sure what was going through her head. But the intimacy we’d just shared gave me enough faith that we were on the right path.
This was just a bump.
I wasn’t going anywhere. Not really.
Except to the front door to see what in the world Liem’s dramatics were all about—assuming he was still there.
He wasn’t.
He was lazing on the patio chair on the front deck, which he must have jumped to from the dock. I certainly hadn’t given him a key.
Sliding the door open to step outside, I then sat down beside him and waited him out. It only took moments.
“You’re coming back, right?”
Bewildered, I turned toward my brother, who was staring out at the Gulf with an unreadable expression, the noontime sun casting his face in shadow.
“Why would you ask me that?”
He huffed before shielding his face with his hand and turning toward me, mirroring my position. “Why wouldn’t I?”
A retort was ready on my lips, but with one more glance at Liem’s dejected posture, I bit it back and took a moment to consider his words instead.
Surely my actions were enough to make it clear that I planned to stick around, at least for a while. I’d rented a place and all but given my condo to Aunt Ari and Uncle Gil. I was spending more and more time helping at Ari’s and had cut back on how many projects I was involved in at work to do so.
I’d told Liem this, or at least some of it.
Hadn’t I?
As more of the pieces fell into place—or revealed how out of place they were—the realization that Liem was right dawned, and my shoulders slumped.
I hadn’t stayed this long because of Ari’s, Dad’s health, or to be near my family.
I’d stayed because of Bree.
Liem’s hurt feelings were valid, and Bree’s reaction warranted.
And I needed to fix it.
32
BREE
Iwas a satisfied, blissed-out idiot.
