“Déjà vu a bit,” he mumbles.
“A little,” I agree. “Maybe all the money came from them? Maybe she’s not Phoebe Rialson, and she was just lucky to have very rich parents who left her a lot of money, and it’s a random coincidence that her name is an anagram for Phoebe Rialson?”
“Or maybe she was Phoebe Rialson and my dead grandparents are Kenneth Rialson and Annie Edwards, and for some reason she needed to change her name.”
“Whatever you want to believe, I’ll believe too,” I make known.
“I believe my mom had a lot of secrets that I never knew, and I can’t ask her about any of them.”
“Do you want to know her secrets?” I ask him.
“I do,” he whispers, his fingers moving the hair off my neck. “But I’m scared to death of what I’m going to find out.”
I bring my eyes to his. “As long as this doesn’t change,” I kiss him on his lips and point to him and me. “Then I think we can handle pretty much anything we uncover.”
“You and me. Endgame,” he smiles.
I nod my head and wrap my arms around his neck. “Do you want to tell the guys everything?” I then ask him.
“I—I do. But not about the trust fund. Not yet.”
“You haven’t told them yet?” I shockingly ask.
He shakes his head. “The Coopers know, and you. And—and your mom.”
“My mom?!”
“She already knew,” he states.
“Of course she did,” I laugh. “That doesn’t surprise me, I guess.”
He gives my forehead a kiss. “Let’s get out of here, okay?”
BODHI DECLARES THE guys are in one of two spots. At the beach surfing, or at their houses doing absolutely nothing. We find them at Beck’s, both floating around his pool on rafts, wearing sunglasses and looking as if they desperately need my grilled cheese and orange juice combo.
Thankfully, I had put a swimsuit on under my clothes before we left. I head over to the lounge chairs and toss my bag on one, pulling off my clothes so that I’m just in my bikini. Bodhi’s sitting on the side of the pool. He’s in the middle of telling the guys my theory when I reappear. His eyes follow me as he talks, watching every move I make as I grab two more rafts and throw them in the pool. I dive right in and when I surface, he’s still watching me.
I can read his mind. I know what he’s thinking about, my room, my bed, what we almost did a couple hours ago. He was right when he said it’s getting harder to stop what’s happening between the two of us. I don’t want to think that we might be jumping into a sexual relationship too fast after just entering each other’s lives again, but every single time his lips are on mine or his hands are touching me, I want to rip off all his clothes. I feel like an animal almost, one that has no control over what my body is doing or what my body wants to do with him.
I climb onto one of the rafts and pat the raft next to me. He smirks and jumps right in.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding us!” Coop cries. “You think your mom was someone else?” he questions Bodhi. “This Phoebe person?”
Bodhi shrugs his shoulders. “Would be a pretty crazy coincidence with the whole anagram thing if she wasn’t, right?”
“Do you realize how insane this all sounds?” Beck asks us. “So insane that I think it could be possible and you might be onto something?”
“That’s all Eva,” Bodhi makes clear, grabbing my hand and pulling my raft closer to his as I float away. “She figured this all out.”
“That’s cause she’s Daphne,” Coop exclaims.
“From Scooby Doo?” I smile. “Better than Nancy Drew I suppose. Though purple really isn’t my color.”
Coop splashes me. “Goddamn Nancy Drew, and Eva, you could wear a brown paper bag and still look—”
“What if this is all true?” Beck cuts Coop off. “It’s not like Bodhi can go up to Henry Channing and be like, give me my money.”
“You can’t do that,” I stress to him. “We can’t even let him know we know anything, or might know anything. Not until we have solid proof. We can’t tell anyone. My mom, Calvin, no one. We need proof first, and even then, I’m not sure what we would do after that.”
“Where are we going to find solid proof?” Beck asks. “Owen Edwards isn’t here to talk, and unless you know where to find these so-called letters …”
“We keep digging,” I say. “We find my dad. We make him tell us what he knows. We find out why he’s running from Mr. Channing, and what he did with Owen Edwards, and how he knew Bodhi’s dad, and if he knew Bodhi’s mom. Because I’m certain it’s all connected somehow.”
“For the record,” Bodhi chimes in, “I don’t want any of the money. Whatever money Mr. Channing has, that might be my mom’s, which might now be mine. He can keep it.”
“You kidding me right now?!” Coop shouts.
“No,” Bodhi states. “I mean, I guess it would be nice to know the truth …”
“And if the truth gets you a shit ton of money?” Beck questions.
Bodhi squeezes my hand and shrugs his shoulders at the guys.
“Bullshit,” Coop exclaims. “You’re not thinking straight right now. I blame Eva.”
I bring my hand into the water and splash Coop in reply.
Coop covers his face with his arms. “Well, ladies. I’m ready to Scooby Doo-Nancy Drew the hell out of this. Where do we start?”
“Food,” I declare. “I’m starving. We start with food.”
“Dolly’s it is then,” Beck announces.
The parking lot of Dolly’s is packed as usual when we pull up an hour later. It doesn’t seem like the locals of Flagler are worried at all about the storm coming in. We see enough random pop-up showers here to realize it could be brutally storming one minute, and nice and sunny the next. Beck, being the grandson of the owners, has its perks though. We are immediately taken to a table as we walk in and then greeted by Dolly herself.
“Boys!” she cries out as she sees them, hugging them all at once. I instantly feel like I’m going to like her. “And girl!” she exclaims as she sees me. She takes my hand with one of hers and gives me a little twirl. “You three have never brought me a girl before … please tell me this is the girl who caught all my fish?”
“This is Eva,” Beck says to Dolly. “This would be your girl.”
Dolly pulls me into her arms for a hug. “You’re a keeper! And you’re a beauty! Too pretty for any of them.” She then turns to Bodhi and points her finger at him. “You keep her happy. Got it?”
Bodhi nods his head. “Yes, ma’am. Will do my best, Dolly.”
“Nice to meet you, Eva,” she says to me. “Please call me Dolly, as these two hooligans always have,” she points to Bodhi and Coop.
“Nice to meet you too, Dolly.”
“You four here to hunker down for the storm?” she looks out one of the windows overlooking the ocean. “I hear it’s on its way and it’s a doozy.”
“Food first,” Beck says. “I might owe Eva a lobster and steak dinner.”
“I forgot about that!” I cry out. “Damn. You shouldn’t have said anything. Ice cream too.”
“You betting with my fisherwoman?” Dolly says to Beck. She playfully smacks him on his head. “Lobster and steak it is for Eva. You boys?”
“Lobster and steak too?” Coop puts his hand on Dolly’s shoulder.
She smacks it away. “Theodore Cooper. Did you catch me all those fish? No, I don’t think so.”
“Theodore?” I smirk at Coop. “Never would have guessed that one.”
Bodhi and Beck are now laughing while Coop slouches down into a chair.
“Now don’t get your panties in a twist,” Dolly says to Coop. “You four promise to catch me more fish next week, I’ll go ahead and treat you all to some lobster and steak tonight. Sit tight. I’ll get drinks out. Eva,” she turns to me, waving her finger at the guys. “Keep these three in line.” She then heads towards the kitchen.
“I like
her,” I declare, taking a seat at the table.
“Everyone likes Dolly,” Bodhi laughs as he sits down next to me. He throws his arm around my shoulder. “Just don’t get caught lying to her. She’ll turn on you in a second.”
Dinner is delicious. By far the best lobster and steak I’ve ever had in Flagler, and just as we’re finishing up, all hell breaks loose outside. Heavy rain pelts from the sky, thunder claps shake the restaurant, and lightning flashes make the inside of Dolly’s feel like one of those cheap haunted houses you go to every fall. I push my chair up against the window so that I can watch the destruction outside, as my phone starts buzzing in my pocket at the same time.
“Mom?” I answer.
“Eva? You aren’t outside, are you?”
“No!” I reply. “I’m at Dolly’s with Bodhi and the guys. Are you home?”
“Yes! This storm is crazy! Stay inside until it blows over, okay?”
“I will,” I tell her. “I’ll have Bodhi bring me home when it clears.”
“Sounds good. Be safe!”
I put my phone back in my pocket and jump as the thunder booms outside.
Bodhi pulls my chair back a little and closer to him. “Everything good? You need to get home?”
“After the storm. Holy shit!” I cry out, pointing outside. I’m watching as a palm tree sways dangerously with the wind. It’s almost horizontal with the sand.
“Yeah,” Coop gulps. “This isn’t gonna end well. The surf is going to be a disaster in the morning.”
Dolly approaches the table. “Winds are picking up. You kids get away from the windows. You never know what could get blown this way.”
The four of us stand and go to move our chairs just as a tremendous clap of thunder shakes the walls. I jump right out of my skin.
“Wait for it …” Coop says, raising his finger in the air.
Two seconds later an extremely loud bolt of lightning strikes the beach, and Dolly’s is thrown into darkness.
“Shit,” Dolly swears under her breath. “Generators should kick on!” she shouts to the people left in her restaurant. “Hang tight everyone!”
Bodhi wraps his arms around my waist. “Pretty spooky.”
I grab his hands and lean back into his body. “You scared of the dark, Bodhi?”
He laughs just as the lights flicker a little, before coming back on completely. They’re not as bright, but it’s an improvement. The wind and rain are still howling outside and the waves are massive, crashing dangerously onto the sand.
“Palm tree was struck by lightning!” someone shouts from the front of Dolly’s.
“Palm trees are down everywhere!” another person shouts. “I’m seeing pictures all over social media! Flooding on High Bridge too!”
It’s a good hour before the winds die down and the storm passes over Flagler. We make use of the time by helping Dolly get tables cleared, and by making sure the guests that are left have free dessert and drink refills as we wait for the weather to improve.
I enjoyed every single second of it.
It’s now just steadily raining, but there are palm trees down in the parking lot, blocking most of the cars from leaving. Thankfully, Bodhi and Beck had parked at the side of Dolly’s and we’re clear to leave whenever we want.
“I’m staying,” Beck announces, after Bodhi and I decide now would be the best time to get me home. “I’m going to see if I can get these cars out of the parking lot. You with me, Coop?” he asks him.
Coop nods. “Yeah, man. Let’s do it. Bodhi? You coming back?”
“Let me get Eva home first, and I’ll call you and see what’s going on.”
“Sounds good, bro,” Coop replies. “Later dudes.”
Bodhi and I head out of Dolly’s. The rain is still pouring down sideways and it burns my skin as it hits me. By the time Bodhi and I get in his jeep and slam the doors closed, we’re both drenched.
“This is stupid,” I say to him, bringing my cold legs up to my chest. “Can we even get to my house?”
“Good question,” Bodhi laughs, starting his jeep and pulling out of Dolly’s. “We can at least try, I guess? High Bridge first?”
We don’t get far though. We pass Bodhi’s house as we head towards High Bridge, but further down the road we’re blocked by palm trees. Bodhi turns the jeep around to see if we can take the long way, but his windshield wipers are going at full speed and we can’t see out of the windows at all. We’re getting ready to pass his house again.
“Go home,” I say to him. “Go to your house and let me call my mom.”
He pulls into his driveway and I hit my mom’s name on my phone. She picks up after the first ring.
“Eva,” she answers. “I don’t think you’re going to make it home tonight.”
I laugh. “We’re trying. But palm trees are down on A1A, there’s flooding on High Bridge, and we can’t see out of Bodhi’s windows while he drives.”
“There’s a tree down at the back entrance of our street,” she tells me. “Struck by lightning. Even if you get here, you won’t make it down our street, and I don’t want Bodhi trying to drive down High Bridge when it’s flooded. That’s too dangerous, don’t even try.”
“Well, shit. What should I do?”
She pauses. “What’s Bodhi doing tonight?”
I turn to Bodhi. “You staying at Coop’s tonight?” He nods. “Helping the guys try to get cars out of the parking lot at Dolly’s, then going to Coop’s.”
“Is that close?” she asks me. “Close to where you are now?”
“Yeah. Right down the street.”
She sighs. She’s concerned and frustrated, I can tell. “I think the safest thing to do is to stay with Bodhi and his friends for tonight. Unless this clears up soon and I can meet you at the back entrance of our street and drive you home from there?”
“Are you sure? We can keep trying—”
“Get inside somewhere,” she says. “It’s not safe to be driving around in this right now. Trees are falling down everywhere.”
“Alright. We’ll go back to Dolly’s and if it doesn’t get any better, I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
“Be safe, Eva,” my mom says.
“I will, Mom,” I end, placing my phone in my lap.
Bodhi’s looking over at me, his eyes are curious. “Well? Beck has a couple kayaks if you want to give High Bridge a try.”
“There’s a tree blocking my street on the other end,” I tell him. “And my mom said to stay off High Bridge … we go back to Dolly’s? If it doesn’t get any better soon, I crash with you at Coop’s tonight?”
Bodhi smirks. “Coop is going to love this. Let’s go back to Dolly’s then.”
“Can we go inside first?” I point to his house. “I’ve been wanting to grab the pictures your mom left for me, and I’m soaked, and freezing.”
Bodhi turns off the jeep. “Ready to make a run for it?”
We run like mad to the open garage door. I’m slipping out of my flip-flops as the rain hits me in my face and my hair is dripping wet by the time we get inside. I’m shivering as we walk up the steps to the main floor. My body cannot get warm.
“You weren’t joking. You are freezing,” Bodhi notices, rubbing his hands on my bare arms.
“I need to get out of my bathing suit and these sh-sh-shorts,” I tell him as my teeth chatter. “They’re tr-tr-trapping in all the cold rain.”
Bodhi points to the bathroom as I nod my head and walk over there with my bag. Once inside, I dig through it for something to change into but find myself laughing. My options are very limited. I peel off my wet tank-top and shorts and I’m left standing in my bikini. I can either stay in my wet suit, or put on a pair of panties that I found in the bottom of my bag, and a lone t-shirt I threw in there earlier today. No bra though. Of course there’s not one in here.
“Hey, Bodhi?” I call out. “Do you still have a dr-dr-dryer?”
I can hear him laughing from the kitchen. “Of course I st
ill have a dryer!”
His steps get closer, and he knocks lightly on the door. I fling it open. He saw me in my bikini earlier today, this is not any different but it feels different, just a little. Standing here soaked to the bone with dripping, tangled hair and shivering to death.
“Jesus,” Bodhi says. “Your lips are fucking blue.” He reaches under the cabinet and grabs a bath towel, throwing it over my shoulders and fiercely rubbing them. He’s still wet himself, but has taken his soaked t-shirt off and his swim trunks are almost dry now.
“I don’t have anything to ch-ch-change into,” I tell him, my teeth bouncing up and down in my mouth. “Except for a t-shirt and th-th-these.” I wave my lace panties in the air. His eyes go wide. “I’m going to wear both of th-th-these here, but I am not wearing th-th-these to Dolly’s and Coop’s house. If you could throw these in the dr-dr-dryer for me,” I throw him my wet tank-top and shorts. “That would be wonderful.” I then push him out before he can say anything and close the door again.
I untie my suit and throw on the t-shirt and single pair of panties I have to work with. I don’t know why I’m nervous. Bodhi has seen me in far less clothing than what I’m currently wearing, a baggy St. Augustine t-shirt that almost fits me like a short dress, but it feels weird. I throw my wet suit over the shower curtain rod, and wring out my hair in the sink before using the towel to dry it better. I then stare at my reflection in the mirror. My lips are indeed tinted blue, but at least my teeth aren’t chattering anymore.
I open the door to see Bodhi staring out the balcony, wearing different swim trunks and a new shirt. He turns when he hears me. I raise my eyebrow at him and point at his new outfit.
“Found some of my clothes in the dryer,” he shrugs. “Apparently I suck at remembering when I do laundry. I think they’ve been in there for a couple weeks. Smells okay. If you need another shirt, I’ve got a few.”
“This will do for now,” I twirl.
He smiles and motions with his finger for me to join him on the balcony. I walk over as lightning lights up the black sky. He wraps his entire body around mine as we stand there, which warms me up even more. With Bodhi’s arms hugging my body, I watch the angry waves roll in and the rain fall down while the lightning brightens the dark night. It puts me in a weird mood. Poetic almost? Like I want to stand here all night with a notebook and start writing out all my feelings.
Confession Page 27