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I tensed, and I nearly turned to warn her to stay the hell away from Andi. I knew Sydney, though, and that meant giving her any sign of how much she’d gotten under my skin would only encourage her. It might also tip her off to the fact that I was hiding a dangerous truth from Andi. With an effort, I kept walking.
One thing was certain. Sydney wasn’t the sort of problem that went away if you ignored it long enough. Now that she had her sights on screwing up whatever was or wasn’t building between Andi and I, it was only a matter of time before she got involved.I headed up through the wine cellar and into the hotel proper. I cut through the lobby, down the West Wing of the hotel, and descended the stairs to the indoor pool below the first level. I found a locker and changed into a swimsuit.
Sometimes, all I wanted to do was float and let my mind clear. Today, I felt like I needed to burn off some frustration, so I was going to get in a workout.
The familiar smell of chlorine filled the echoey room. An elderly man was swimming laps in one of the lanes, but I otherwise had the pool to myself. I dove in and started to stroke in a measured but aggressive pace. There was a point of exhaustion where I’d be too tired to think—too tired to let my mind pick through Sydney’s words and the memories they stirred up. It’d also mean I could stop worrying about whether Andi would ever come back to finish the list. That point was my goal. I just wanted those few minutes of blindness.
I reached the other end of the pool, reversed, and kicked off the wall. I broke the surface again and kept stroking, but faster this time. Unwelcome memories bubbled up. I saw my father when he’d still preferred getting drunk every night to spending time with us. I saw the look he’d always get on his face before he’d lose his temper. I saw mom crying after everything fell apart. I closed my eyes and pushed harder, even though it felt like my lungs were beginning to burn.
After a few more laps at a near-sprint pace, I had to stop and gasp for breath with my arms on the edge of the pool.
“You okay?” asked a girl I vaguely recognized.
I pulled my goggles off and then remembered where’d I’d seen her. She was Andi’s younger sister, Bree.
“Not sure your sister would approve of you talking to me,” I said.
Bree gave me a mischievous, crooked smile that reminded me of her sister. She sat down cross legged by the edge of the pool. She was dressed like she’d just finished exercising in leggings and a bright blue, sleeveless top. I could see a lot of Andi in her, but she didn’t have the same aggressively sarcastic and difficult vibe about her. Instead, I thought she was probably the type of girl teachers loved and parents dreamed about having. A good person. “Andi isn’t my mom,” she said. “So, I don’t need her approval.”
I laughed. “And you’re lucky for that.”
Bree smiled. “Okay, to be fair, Andi and Audria actually did practically raise me. So, she’s not technically my mom, but I’m also kind of terrified by the idea of pissing her off. So… please don’t tell her I talked to you.”
“Yeah. I can see how Andi would inspire terror.”
Bree’s eyebrows drew together. “Have you seen her again? She told me about the whole club thing, but that was it.”
Something in my tone must’ve given away that I knew her better than a single night together could’ve explained. Bree was perceptive, it seemed. “If your sister didn’t want to talk about it, I don’t think it’s my place to say.”
Bree nodded. Apparently, she was also respectful of her sister’s privacy. “I actually wanted to find you because I was curious. Did grandpa say anything to you about a video for Audria and I? It’s just that it has been a while now since Andi got hers, and since you knew about that one—”
“Nothing, sorry.”
“Right. I just thought it’d be worth asking.” Bree started to get up.
“Hey,” I said, hating that I was desperate enough to ask what I was about to ask. “Is Andi okay? I haven’t heard from her since—” I cleared my throat. “It’s been a while.”
Bree smiled knowingly, then sat back down. “Why do you ask?”
“The smile on your face says you know exactly why I’m asking. Do I have to say it?”
She shrugged. “Sometimes it’s nice to have your suspicions confirmed out loud.”
“Fine. I’m asking because I wasn’t ready to be done with the Andi chapter of my life.”
“Wow,” she said. “That’s a lot more emphatic than if you’d just said, ‘yeah, I like her.’” Bree stroked her chin. “The Andi chapter of your life. Hmm.”
