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Nothing Left
We pulled up to a cute little community called Cliffside, full of quaint bungalows lining the streets. It was dark when we arrived, but I spotted the moving truck on the curb just ahead.
"Is that our new home?" I was sad when we left the valley, but being here raised my excitement.
"Yes." He smiled. "It's just a rental until we find something more permanent."
"I already love it. It's so peaceful." Peace was what I needed. I needed to get away from all the memorials and posters around town. No one would know me here. No more awkward run-ins in the cereal aisle about my parents. No more sad stares as I walked down the street in which I grew up.
"For the first time since the accident, I'm hopeful, Brandt. I want the best life for our baby. Thank you for doing this."
"The great thing about having an online business is you can move anywhere." He pulled into the narrow driveway.
"Can I go inside?" I was bouncing in my seat. He dangled the house keys in front of me. I reached for them, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me close to him.
"I love you until the day I die and beyond, Mrs. Reilly."
His grip on my hand was just tight enough to ignite desire. I hadn't felt this spark in so long that it felt foreign. I wanted to feel like this again, and a new beginning was just what we needed to come alive.
"Why, Mrs. Reilly, I do believe you're blushing."
The subtle curve of his lip tempted me to show him how much I was blushing right here in the car. "Well, Mr. Reilly, I do believe I am."
He grabbed the back of my neck and eagerly claimed my lips as his own. We were interrupted by a knock on Brandt’s window from one of the moving guys.
"Go inside. I'll take care of this."
"Okay." I gave him a quick peck and hopped out of the car. I raced to the front door, unlocked it, and threw it open. It should have been the view of the ocean that knocked me to my knees, but it wasn't. Grady was standing at the slider. He turned and faced me. My heart didn't know what to do. It was conflicted between bursting with joy and throbbing with nerves. Our last encounter was intense, and I didn't know where we stood.
"Are you really just going to stand there?" he teased.
I cried as I raced into his arms. He wrapped me in a warm embrace and kissed the top of my head.
"I'm so sorry, Bay. I'm so damn sorry," he whispered as he hid his lips in my hair.
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here. Thank you for being here."
He pulled me back and looked at me. "You don't look pregnant."
I laughed. "Good thing, because I'm only four weeks." I was overjoyed to be standing in the same room with him again, and it was comfortable. It was almost as it was before the accident. Almost. "Are you staying with us?"
"Nah, I have a place down the road. When I left, I came across this town. It made me think of you, so I told Brandt about it."
"He didn't tell me you guys talked." I was more than a little perturbed with Brandt now.
"I told him not to. He was still pissed at me, and I wasn't ready. What I did to you…what I thought I felt…it was misplaced. I was in a bad place, Bay. I hope one day we can just be Grady and Bay again."
"Of course. I love you, Grady, and this baby needs a good uncle."
The boys spent the night unloading the truck. The house was filled with a familiar brotherly banter that was solely missed. I ordered takeout, we ate and the guys drank, and we stayed up until way past midnight. Brandt was the first to turn in for the night, leaving Grady and me to catch up. We sat on the couch that faced the outside. It was pitch -black now, but I could see some stars in the distance.
"So, what have you been up to?" I asked.
"Running mainly, but I came across this really awesome restaurant that's for sale that Brandt and I are looking to invest in."
"Oh, wow, that's great. Lots of secrets between you boys."
"Not secrets. Plans," he corrected.
