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Seth
“Turn right up here, and then go straight to the end of the road. There should be a track to your left.”
I followed Andy’s directions, marveling at some of the huge houses we passed along the way. With lush, green sprawling lawns and perfectly-manicured gardens, everything was stunning. I felt out of place in my old, piece-of-shit car.
“What the hell, Andy? Millicent?” Em sighed, rolling her eyes.
Millicent was one of the most expensive holiday destinations in the state. This was where people with money came to relax, where the teenaged spawn of people with money came to party. A rental here must’ve cost him a shitload.
Andy shrugged, a grin on his face. “What’s the point of money in the bank if I’m dying?”
I shot a look toward Em. Her eyes were dark. She looked annoyed, and I felt her pain. I was angry that he would blow his life savings without any consideration for her. He was dying; she wasn’t. She had debts, many of which had been run up because she couldn’t work full time while caring for Andy when he was really sick.
“That’s a great attitude to have,” I muttered.
“Geez, Seth. Relax, okay? Don’t go all Mr. Responsible on me. I think if I’ve ever been entitled to let loose a little, it’s now.”
“Come on, when have you ever held back?” I scoffed. “Your whole life has been one party after the next.” As soon as the words fell out of my mouth, I regretted them.
“Yeah,” he muttered, “because dying of cancer is such a party. You should try it sometime.”
“I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean that—”
“Yeah you did. And it’s okay. But I need to do this. And I need you guys here with me, whether you agree with what I’m doing or not.”
“Fine,” I said, “but at least let me front some of the cost.”
“No.” He shook his head, and I knew there was no point in arguing. “This is my way of thanking you guys, okay? Trust me.” He nodded straight ahead. “It’s that brick place down the end.”
I pulled into the gated driveway and punched in the code that Andy read out. The gate swung open, allowing me to drive through.
Holy shit. The place was amazing. The cobbled driveway swerved though the heavily-treed front yard right up to the front door, accessed via a ramp instead of steps.
“Wheelchair-friendly,” Andy assured me, as if reading my mind.
“Andy, this place is beautiful,” Em breathed. She was right: it was fucking stunning. And it was hard to stay mad at him knowing that this was our home for the next couple of weeks.
“Wait till you see inside. And the private beach out back.”
“How much is this costing you?” Em asked, her voice nervous.
“We’ve been through this.” He sighed. “Forget about money and just enjoy yourselves. For me. Please?”
She made a face, but nodded.
After parking the car, we got out. I helped Andy into his chair and pushed him up the ramp while Em grabbed our bags. When we reached the front door, I took the key from Andy’s jacket and slipped it into the lock. The huge, hand-crafted wooden doors swung open.
Wow. And I’d thought the outside was impressive.
The place was huge—as in my entire apartment could fit in the entry kind of huge. Big windows donned the back wall, which I was sure would showcase the breathtaking view of the beach. Pity it was so late. An oversized deck, complete with Jacuzzi and a daybed, curled around the back, lit up with strings of lights.
The kitchen was all stainless steel and black marble, which tied in nicely with the black leather sofas and huge flat-screen television in the living area. It was the kind of place you’d expect to see while flipping through a Home Beautiful magazine.
“This is fucking unbelievable,” I said, running my fingers along the soft leather of one of the sofas. My place at home was nice and all, but this . . . this was epic. I turned just in time to see the look on Em’s face as she walked inside. Her mouth fell open, and then curved up into a grin as she took in the room.
Maybe this trip wasn’t going to be as bad as I’d thought. This could be just what Em needed: to get away from everything. Have a little fun.
“Holy crap, I’m in love.” She sighed. She dropped our bags beside the TV and walked over toward the deck. She placed her hands on the window and stared out, her warm breath clouding over the glass. “I could stay here forever,” she said.
