by Anna Joung
Van rubs his chin, his gaze steady on me. A ghost of a smile lingers on his lips. “That makes sense to me… and obviously to you. But, do you think it makes sense to Rebel?”
Thinking about his texts and voice message, a fist clenches around my heart. He sounded so...hurt. I’ve never seen him like this. “I can imagine that it doesn’t. He’s probably so pissed right now.” Hopefully, he’ll get over it and come to realize that he needed the distance. Rebel might see this as me hurting him but I really have his best interest at heart. Still, guilt is poking me in the chest and a part of my mind is telling me that I’m going about this wrong way. But, in time, I’ll see if this is the right thing to do or not. I’m willing to take the risk for both Rebel’s and my sake.
Rebel
I couldn’t take it anymore. So, here I am, peering at Summer’s parents’ nice house in the burbs like a fucking stalker. It’s been days since she disappeared and I tried to get through each day without being absolutely torn apart by her move. The still angry part of me is adamant that she’s being selfish. Yet, the logical, trying to be understanding part is telling me that she had every right to leave. If I made her feel so emotionally drained, she should get the hell away from me for her own good. I screwed up. I should have handled things differently.
But, this is the reality and I’m going to try my damn hardest to make it right. Shutting off the engine, I hop out of my car and march to the front porch. I’ve only heard about Summer’s family. From what I learned, she has a love-hate relationship with them, especially her parents. Maybe I’m crazy for just popping up unannounced―a total stranger―but this is where Summer might be. Fucking hiding from me.
Anxiously, I ring the doorbell. Seconds later, a red haired woman opens the door. She frowns, her eyes moving over my face as if trying to recognize me. My lips twitch, a smile threatening to emerge at the sight of her. Summer had been on point when she said her mother was June Cleaver. I give her a once-over. The woman is decked out in a fancy dress and heels, topped off with a pearl necklace and earrings.
“May I help you?” She peers over my shoulder and then back at me.
“I sure hope so. I’m Rebel Brand.”
Of course, her expression twists in confusion. I’m sure Summer’s never mentioned me. Why would she mention a fake fiance to her judgmental family? She always said they were that way. I wouldn’t really know for sure. This scenario is like a disappointing dose of reality. The fact that I’ve never met her parents drives home why Summer left. She thought we didn’t have a relationship. Not one she could be proud of anyway. That makes me feel even worse...like I failed her.
Laurie Griffin hesitantly puts her hand in my offered one. “I’m Laurie.” She tilts her head to one side. “Are you here to see Henry?”
Henry Griffin, her husband. I’ve heard a lot about him. Nothing good. Hopefully, he isn’t here. I’m starting to see that wanting to protect Summer brings out my dark side. I just start throwing punches without thinking, But, since I’m on my best behavior, doing things right nowadays, there will be no kicking the ass of Summer’s douchebag stepfather.
“No, ma’am. I’m actually here to see Summer.” Please, tell me she’s here. Please, tell me she’s here.
“She isn’t here.”
Fuck! I was sure that I guessed right about her being here. Knowing Summer, she wouldn’t be crashing at her best friend Brooke’s place. She once mentioned passing up Brooke’s offer to stay with her and her boyfriend once because their place was too small.
“Oh…” Disappointment weighs heavily on my shoulders. “You mean, she isn’t here right now? Will she be back soon?”
“Mr. Brand―”
I snort inwardly. Mr. Brand. Funnily enough, I do look like Mr. Brand. I brought a new button show-shirt and I’m wearing fucking slacks. No ripped jeans and leather jacket, today. I’m attempting to turn around the bad boy image I’ve always had. I want to look respectable, like the new man I’m trying to become.
“I haven’t seen my daughter in weeks.” Laurie looks down at the tip of her pumps. Her cheeks turn crimson, much like Summer’s would. “We haven’t spoken either.”
So coming here was pointless. I’ve sent dozens of messages to Summer, apologizing for telling her to leave. Telling her how much I love her and want her back. How losing her is slowly killing me. All of them went unanswered. I had this picture in my head that I’d show up here and find her, and she’d run into my arms. She’d tell me she read all of my messages and she forgives me for being an idiot. That picture catches fire and turns to ash in my mind. It’s not going to happen. She probably doesn’t even want to see me anymore. “I see. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
As I’m about to turn away, Laurie says, “Wait. You’re leaving already? Why don’t you come in?” She eyes me curiously. “I’d like to know how you know my daughter.”
Lips pursed, I stare back at her. Yeah, that’ll be one hell of an awkward story to tell. I convinced her daughter to move in with me and be my fake fiance. I’m pretty sure that won’t go over well. “Sure.” Not wanting to appear rude to Summer’s mother, I decide I can skirt around the truth.
I step into the Griffin’s house and look around. This isn’t the ideal, meet the parent’s situation, but I’ll take whatever insight I can get into Summer’s life. It’s nice having a glimpse of where she grew up. The house is nice, seemingly perfect at first glance. The Griffin’s household is a kid’s dream, I guess. After my mother died, our house certainly wasn’t kept this nice―with color-coordinated curtains and fluffy throw pillows. That wasn’t to be expected with a household of a rough around the edges father and two rowdy teenagers. Well, I was the rowdy one compared to my brother.
My eyes do another swipe. There are even fresh flowers in a vase on the coffee table, which I guess is from the impressive garden I saw out front. It’s a perfect setup. Yet, from what Summer told me, she was miserable.
“Have a seat, Mr. Brand.”
“Please, Rebel is fine.”
“What an interesting name.”
My lips twist into a wry smile as I sit. “I get that a lot.” And I’ve certainly lived up to the name. Maybe my mother should have named me Chad...or something equally boring. Maybe then I would have been a nice, well-behaved boy who grew into a dull, well-mannered man with an office job. I wouldn’t have made stupid decisions and become as damaged as I am, and I wouldn’t have pushed Summer away and maybe I’d still have my son.
“Can I offer you something to drink, Rebel? Tea perhaps.”
I lift a brow at the hopeful look on Laurie’s face when she offers tea. Obviously, she wants me to accept the tea. “Tea would be great, thanks.”
She beams and tetters off in her heels. It doesn’t take long for her to return with two steaming cups resting on saucers. Hell, I think the woman has boiled water ready to offer tea to any random person who happens to knock on her door. The thought makes me smile. Her ability as a great hostess reminds me so much of Summer. God, I miss her.
“Here you are.”
I accept a cup. “Thank you.”
She perches beside me and smiles. “You’re welcome. It’s good to meet a friend of Summer’s. I don’t meet many of them. I’ve only met one but that’s because they’ve been friends since they were kids. Brooke is her name.”
The bite in her voice and the sadness in her eyes piques my interest. It would seem, Laurie has regrets about pushing her daughter away. Join the club. Laurie and I can have a regretful pity party together. “Aren’t you two close?” I’m going to pretend as if Summer has never mentioned anything about her strained relationship with her parents.
Laurie’s face turns a pretty shade of pink. She takes a sip from her cup and lifts her shoulders. “We’ve had a few difficulties in recent days.”
I try to keep my expression schooled despite my confusion. What difficulties? Summer mentioned nothing about difficulties with her mother recently. “I’m sorry.”
&nb
sp; Her slight smile looks hampered with despair. “We’ll work things out, I hope. So, how is it that you know my daughter, Rebel?”
And cue the awkwardness. I sit taller, feeling ridiculous with the dainty, tiny china cup’s handle between my huge fingers. This feels a lot like when my niece, Anna, demands I join her and her dolls for a princess tea party. “Summer and I...we sort of…”
“Date?” Laurie stares at me inquisitively.
I almost choke on my tea. We’ve done a hell of a lot more than that. “Yes…”
“So, you’re her significant other?”
“Not quite.” Her perfectly arched brows dip. “I mean, yes”―because I want her to be― “but we sort of...had a falling out. So, I thought I’d find her here. You know, so we could talk.” I sigh. “So I can apologize.”
“Oh, dear. I’m sorry to hear that. I wish I could help―tell you where she is. Perhaps you can try at Brooke.”
“She wouldn’t go to Brooke’s place.”
Laurie stares into her cup. “I see. You know my daughter a lot better than I do.”
She doesn’t seem happy about that. But, that’s her fault, not mine. “Do you think she’s at Zoey’s?”
“You know Zoey?”
“I met her once.”
Laurie huffs. “Summer has been dating all this time, and she’s never mentioned a word.”
My eyes dart around the room. Maybe because she wasn’t ready to proudly claim a fake fiance but I can’t let Laurie know any of that. I shrug. “I’m sure she would have introduced us in time.”
She doesn’t seem convinced, but she doesn’t get to comment because at the same time a voice comes from another room. “Mom, the back door was open. Where are you?”
“Speaking of Zoey,” Laurie says, “she’s just arrived.”
Hope fills me as the woman enters the room. I’m so eager to ask her if she knows where Summer is that I shoot to my feet.
“Mom…”
Zoey spots me and goes silent. Her narrowed, heated stare has me baffled. Considering I’ve only met her once, I couldn’t possibly have done anything to her worthy of that disdainful look. Unless she’s spoken to Summer then, yes, I do deserve her fury.
“Hi, Zoey.”
“Rebel, the nude model.”
“Excuse me?” Laurie clutches her chest.
“Nothing, Mom,” Zoey says. “What are you doing here, Rebel?”
“Looking for Summer.”
“They had a fight,” Laurie shares.
“Did they?”
“Yes, and he wants to apologize. Isn’t that sweet? Do you know where your sister is, honey?”
Zoey blinks, a worried look casting a shadow over her face. “Mom, can you make me a cup of tea too? Please?”
Laurie looks from me to Zoey with a frown. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Alone with Zoey, the silence is excruciating. Finally, she peeks over her shoulder and asks in a hushed tone. “You’re looking for Summer? Isn’t she living with you?”
My eyes bulged. “Wait, you know…”
“Everything, Rebel. I know everything. Summer showed up at my place last week, bawling her eyes out.”
“What?” My heart sinks. I cause her that much misery? I want to shoot myself in the fucking knee caps.
“Relax, you weren’t her only problem. It was a whole emotional shit storm of other things.” She steps closer, eyes narrowed to slits and pointing a disapproving finger at me. “Still, you were a major cause for concern. How dare you use her to help you then turn around and deny your feelings for her?”
“I didn’t use her…” Crossing my arms over my chest defensively, because I feel so attacked, I sighed. “Clearly you really do know everything. Look, Zoey, I might have said some stupid things to Summer, but I’m trying to make it right, okay?”
She blows a long breath. “She loves you.”
My heart swells with relief. If she told her sister that, it must be true. She really meant it. She loves me. “And I love her. It just took me too long to say it, and I might have ruined everything. So, please, if you know where she is, tell me. I’ll go to her right now.” I’ll find her and grovel until the end of time, if that is what it takes.
Zoey’s contempt seems to dampen. “You mean it? You really love her?”
“Yes, Zoey. I’ve been going crazy without her. You have to help me. If anyone knows where she’s been for almost two weeks, you do. I mean, you’re her sister.”
I’m so caught up in my feelings and desperation that I didn’t even realize I was clutching Zoey’s arms as if I could shake Summer’s location out of her. Only when she goes pale and her eyes widen do I drop my hands and hurriedly step back “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean―”
“Did you just say two weeks?”
“Yes, she packed up and left two weeks ago without a word. She won’t tell me where she is. That’s why I'm here. I thought her parents could help, but Laurie doesn’t know anything. She must have confided in you, Zoey. Please, even if she swore you to secrecy, you have to tell me. I’m begging you.” Zoey still looks too pale for my comfort, and now I’m worried. “Zoey?”
“Rebel, I… I don’t know where she is. I didn’t know she was missing.” She clutches her head. “Oh, my God. I thought she was with you this whole time. When I didn’t hear from her I thought, you two worked things out and she decided to stay at your place.”
I gawk at the women who can pass for Summer’s twin. “If you don’t know where she is, then…” I’m fucked. She’s disappeared. I won’t find her unless she wants me to know where she is. And by the many unanswered phone calls and texts, she isn’t interested in telling me.
“If anything has happened to my sister, Rebel, it’s your fault,” Zoey hisses. “You broke her heart.” She groans and goes pale again. “And so did Mom… and her father. She probably hates us all.”
“What did Laurie do? By her father, you mean Henry?”
Troubled green eyes meet mine. “She didn’t tell you?”
“What?”
“Summer might kill me for telling you this, but if she’s missing―”
“She isn’t missing, Zoey. Well, she is sort of, but she’s okay. Now and then, after my many messages begging her to tell me if she’s okay, she responds. She says she’s safe and not to worry.” I thread my fingers through my hair. “Which is fucking impossible. Of course, I still worry.”
Zoey’s sigh is laced with relief. “You’ve heard from her? Thank God. I’m such a horrible sister. I didn’t even know she left. I don’t know where my baby sister is.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. It seems she doesn’t want anyone to know.” I gaze at her. “Zoey, what do you mean your mother broke Summer’s heart?”
She drops to a chair. “Rebel, Summer recently found out that the father she thought was dead is alive. She looks over her shoulder again and lowers her voice. “Mom lied about him dying when Summer was a baby. She lied to me too. I’m only Summer’s half-sister. I have no freaking idea who my real father is. Summer found out the truth when her step-brother found her and dropped the bomb.”
My jaw is practically brushing the fancy oriental rug in the Griffin’s living room. Summer has been going through all of this shit? Why didn’t she tell me? Could this be why she’d been so unhappy? But that doesn’t explain her being so cozy with Van fucking Bancroft.
Zoey cups her mouth and lowers her voice even more, as if she’s letting out classified government secrets. Totally intrigued and desperate to know more about what Summer has been going through, I lean closer. “Van Bancroft is Summer’s half-brother. He sought her out after discovering the truth about their father.”
Well. Fuck. I didn’t see that coming. I close my eyes and hang my head. I told Summer to go because I thought she wanted to be with Van. Turns out he’s her fucking brother. If only I’d confronted her about him, maybe she would have said something. I’m so fucking stupid. But why didn’t she tell me? If she would trust me, she
would. Van is Summer’s brother, not some new beau she’s been pining over. I had everything all wrong. I have to tell her the truth, although I’m not sure if the truth will be enough. I just have to get her back.
Summer
I finally give in and check my phone. I’ve had it turned off for a few days. I just didn’t want to hear from anyone. Brooke or Zoey would have tried talking me into returning to Chicago, and I didn’t want to hear it. But what’s the hardest is hearing Rebel’s voice messages and reading his texts. They always tempt me to call him back to talk or to tell him where I am.
As expected, my inbox is brimming with messages, mostly from Rebel. There are a few from Mom and some from Zoey. I guess they’ve finally realized that I’m missing. I listen to them all, giggling at the crazy ones from Brooke. I gave in and told her I’m not in Chicago but I’m fine. She doesn’t know about my pregnancy yet. If I tell her, she’ll demand to know where I am so that she can throw me a lavish baby shower. She’ll say it's’ her duty as godmother―she’s totally going to claim the title before I even give it to her. That’s my crazy best friend.
I listen to her message first. “When you’re done living it up wherever you are, get your ass back home so we can hang. I miss you!” Brooke shouts, making me wince. The phone is on speaker, so it’s super loud. I smile when she asks in a much calmer tone, “Anyway, you’re still okay, right? Call me girl, you can’t hold out on me forever, I’m your main bitch. Love you.”
I don’t plan on holding out on here forever, I’m just not thinking about coming back, yet. The other messages are from Mom and Zoey, making their worry known. There’s another from Mom with a long-ass apology. I’m sure I’ll forgive her for lying to me, eventually. I know she just tried to do the right thing, and who am I to judge her. Look at me now, hiding a baby from his father. God, I hope this thing turns out right.