by K. A. Linde
“Hey,” Hadley said with a smile when Devon walked into the room.
In the few days that Hadley had been home, color had come back to her cheeks. The week off was already doing her some good, but Devon knew the battle was far from over.
“How are you feeling?”
“Not so bad today,” Hadley said, staring down at her nail beds. “It’s getting easier at least.”
“That’s really good to hear.” Devon leaned against the wall. She was so thankful that Hadley was alive. Not everyone was so fortunate.
“What about you? How are you doing?”
Devon shrugged. “I’m alright. No work today.”
“Off on a Saturday? That’s a shocker. And here I was under the delusion that Jenn was a slave driver,” Hadley said with a laugh.
It was nice to hear her laugh again. Hadley was turning back into her friend.
“Don’t let her think otherwise!” Devon said, cracking a smile.
“Hey, Dev. Will you come here for a minute?” Hadley sat up in her seat.
“Sure,” Devon said, taking a seat at the end of the couch.
“I kind of wanted to…talk to you.”
“What about?” Devon asked, her heart rate picking up before she even knew what Hadley would ask.
“Well, first, I wanted to say thank you,” Hadley whispered, staring down at her hands. “You’ve been really helpful here, taking care of me. Garrett told me that you came to see me in the hospital. I wish I had been awake to see you. But also,” she said, looking up at Devon, “ thank you for trying to get through to me even when I wasn’t listening.”
“Hadley,” Devon said, waving the thanks away, “you don’t have to thank me. I’m your friend.”
“I know, I know, but I really wanted to. I want you to know…you’re my best friend, and I shouldn’t have done what I did,” Hadley said.
Devon nodded, reluctantly accepting the thanks. She felt bad taking them, especially after she had taken advantage of their friendship, after Garrett had kissed her, after she had held back all her own secrets. But what else could she do? Hadley wanted her to accept the gratitude, and she couldn’t deny Hadley anything.
Hadley cleared her throat. “Well, I’m glad that’s out of the way. Now, tell me how things are with you. I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever.”
“Oh, things are fine, Hadley,” Devon said awkwardly. She didn’t want Hadley to know about Garrett or Reid. She wanted anonymity. Most of all, she wanted to move on, and right now, moving on looked like Brennan’s handsome face.
“Fine,” Hadley said, weighing the word.
“Yeah. Really, I’m fine.”
“Look, I don’t want this to come off the wrong way because I know I just majorly fucked up. But what’s wrong with you? Not knowing makes me feel even worse because you’re my friend, and I can tell that you’re sad. I just don’t know how to help because I don’t know what’s wrong,” Hadley said, staring directly at Devon.
“I just, uh…” Devon began. She didn’t know what to say, but she knew that she had to tell Hadley something. “Reid and I are kind of on rocky footing.”
“I knew it!” Hadley shot up, immediately regretted it, and slumped back into the couch.
“I think we broke up,” Devon said, finding the reality of that to be truer the more times she said it.
“Holy shit!” Hadley cried. Forgetting how hurt she was, she quickly moved to sit next to Devon. “I can’t believe you guys broke up!”
“I know,” Devon said truthfully.
“I thought you guys were perfect together. What the hell happened?” Hadley asked in shock.
“I don’t know. I came here, I guess.”
“Wow. I never thought long distance would be your undoing,” Hadley said, shaking her head.
“Well, I didn’t exactly tell him where I was going,” Devon finally admitted, feeling the weight lift.
“What?” Hadley asked, her eyebrows coming together. “So, he never knew you were here? Did you guys break up before you left?”
“Yeah. Well, sort of. I don’t know. Either way, it’s over now,” Devon said with a note of finality.
“Holy shit! Seriously, holy shit, Dev! You and Reid are no more.” Hadley put her hands on her head and shook it back and forth. “I’m totally shocked. Sorry. Give me a minute.”
Devon laughed. “Take as long as you like.”
“Well, no wonder you’ve been sad! God, I should have just asked earlier,” Hadley said with a giggle.
“To be honest, Hadley, I’m not sure I would have told you. I’ve been kind of moping around—”
“Ya think?” she asked, nudging Devon’s shoulder.
Devon laughed and nudged her back. “But I’m glad you know now.”
“Me, too,” Hadley said with a smile.
She looked healthier in that moment than Devon had seen since she had arrived. She was happy to have Hadley back to her old self again. Devon just hoped it was sustainable.
“Well, I have to get out of here. Sorry to leave you all alone,” Devon said, standing.
“Where are you going? I thought we could have some girl time,” Hadley said, sticking out her bottom lip.
“I’d love that, but I’m going somewhere with Brennan,” she said, not able to hold back her blush.
Hadley arched an eyebrow. “With Brennan, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you guys going?”
Devon shrugged. “He won’t tell me. He said he wanted it to be a surprise.”
“A surprise?” Hadley didn’t even bother to hold in her smile. “Uh-huh.”
“Stop doing that!” Devon said, laughing.
“Doing what?” Hadley asked innocently.
“Oh, you know what!”
“I mean, Brennan’s good-looking, Devon. I don’t blame you.”
“Hadley! Jeez, we’re just hanging out,” Devon said.
They had been hanging out all week—with their lips locked, playful touches at work, eyes staring across the room, and their hands exploring one another. Devon’s cheeks heated as she thought about it.
“Hanging out,” Hadley said with air quotes. “I sure hope that involves a bedroom.”
“Oh my god, seriously, you are ridiculous,” Devon said, shaking her head.
“Just look at you! You’re blushing from head to toe. Who knew I was actually the matchmaker?” Hadley said exaggeratedly.
“Go back to watching your silly show! I have to get out of here,” Devon said.
“Wait, wait!” Hadley cried as Devon tried to ease out of the living room. “Have you made it to the bedroom?”
“Hadley!”
“Alright, alright. Go have fun! I would have already told you though!” she called as Devon rushed out of the apartment.
Devon could hear Hadley’s laughter, sweet and melodic, as she pulled the door closed. At least, Hadley was laughing again.
Devon walked down the hallway and took the elevator to the bottom floor. It was early, so Devon started walking toward the L station on her way to Brennan’s place. When she pulled out her phone to text Brennan, she found it was already ringing. She hadn’t noticed it was set on silent.
“Hey!” Devon said. She was glad to hear from her brother. It had been a while since they had talked.
“Hey, Dev. Can I just tell you how much I hate you right now?”
Devon laughed and shook her head. “Why is that?”
“Because you’re in St. Louis, and I’m in New York City with Mom and Dad. How exactly did you get out of this?” he asked.
“I didn’t take the bait like you did!”
“This is supposed to be for your birthday!”
“No,” Devon said, “we both know it’s for Mom.”
“Yeah, speaking of, she wanted me to call and guilt-trip you for not being here. I mean, she wanted me to tell you how much she misses you and wished you could be here,” Dustin drawled. He had never given up his Southern a
ccent.
“Well, tell her that I’m so sorry even though I’m not, and good luck at the award ceremony, even though she doesn’t need it,” she said.
“Word for word, Dev. Word for word.”
Devon laughed. “Ass.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“No, really, tell Mom and Dad good luck and that I miss them. I have to go,” she said, wanting to get off the phone before she reached the train station.
Devon couldn’t believe that she had actually gotten this far without anyone growing suspicious.
“SO, WHERE ARE we going?” Devon asked, walking up the stairs to the L station.
“You’ll see when we get there,” Brennan said.
He took her hand and held it in his as they walked. He looked comfortable today, not wearing his work clothes. She liked him like this—in khaki shorts, a blue T-shirt with a lighter button-up over it, and his ever-present Wayfarers.
“Am I going to like it?”
“Would I take you somewhere you wouldn’t like?” Brennan asked.
Devon smiled and let him take charge. She wasn’t a big fan of surprises, but this one felt different. It was exhilarating. They hopped on the train and sat next to each other. She could get used to this.
“I think Hadley’s getting better,” she told him.
“That’s good to hear.”
“I told her I was going out with you, and she turned into a total girl,” Devon said, rolling her eyes.
Brennan smirked. “I’m sure I can guess what she’s thinking.”
Devon looked down at their hands. “Probably. She’s entirely predictable.”
He leaned forward and kissed her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed as she breathed him in. This had been happening all week, and every time he pulled back, it made her want more. His kisses were intoxicating, leaving a heady haze over her mind when he touched her lips.
She pushed herself toward him, trying to close the distance between their bodies. She snaked her hands up and gripped his collar between her fingers. As their tongues met, Devon groaned softly. Her body was on fire. She couldn’t get enough of him.
Brennan’s hand trailed along the exposed skin on the small of her back, and she shivered. He chuckled, pulling back to look at her.
“I like when you get all riled up,” he said huskily, pressing and lacing their hands together.
“You do it so easily,” she said, her voice betraying her desire.
“And in public no less.”
Devon flushed all over, glancing around at the people near them. She was sure some of them had noticed, but she hadn’t even thought about it. She had never been big on public displays of affection either…but this was Brennan.
“And there’s that blush,” he said with a laugh. “Damn, do I love that.”
She ducked her head and smacked his shoulder playfully. “Shush!”
“This is our stop.” He dragged her to her feet and kissed her full on the mouth again.
She wobbled against him, her mind going blank.
When he released her, he chuckled again and pulled her along. “Come on, you.”
They walked through the streets until they reached a park in front of the Navy Pier. She had been up here twice before. The first time was with Garrett during her first week in the city. The second time, she had wanted some time to relax. She had brought her journal and sat by the pier, writing lyrics until she thought her brain would explode. Then, big fat water droplets had begun falling all over the pages, and the waves had started crashing higher. She had ducked out of there as soon as she could get away. She hadn’t been back since.
“Navy Pier?” She wondered if this was the surprise.
Then, she looked closer. It was packed with people. Children were everywhere, attached to their parents or running around like mad. Boats filled the harbor, stretching out as far as she could see. Big heavy sails held taut on enormous sailboats. The lighthouse stood out in the distance like a beacon against the cloudless horizon.
“Why is it so busy?” she asked.
Brennan’s smile was contagious, and she found herself standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again. He laughed and picked her up, swinging her around in a circle. Devon giggled, burying her face into his shoulder.
“I think I’m going to love being with you everywhere I go,” he whispered into her hair.
“Me, too,” she confirmed.
After setting her gently back on her feet, he kissed her forehead, her nose, both cheeks, her chin, and finally, he planted a firm kiss on her mouth. She tried to keep the kiss going, but he pulled back.
“There are too many people here. We should just go back,” Devon said, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“You don’t even know what you’re in for,” he said with a chuckle.
Brennan walked her away from Navy Pier, leading her off to the right toward the park holding her hand once more. His hand was big and warm. She had petite hands, and his dwarfed hers in comparison. She liked it.
She was starting to get really curious about where they were going and what was happening. She was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. Brennan kept looking at her from out of the corner of his eye. His smile grew wider at her enthusiasm.
“So…really, what are we doing?” she asked as they passed through the small park.
“Have you ever heard of the Chicago to Mackinac Race?”
“No.” Walking at his side, she stared at all the huge boats docked.
They walked, crossed the end of the park, and stepped out onto a sidewalk leading up to the water. Devon looked up at the building that stood before the docks and read DuSable Harbor on the side.
“Well, it’s a huge sailing tournament. Hundreds of sailboats flood the lake to sail from here to the island on the north coast of Lake Michigan. It’s over three hundred miles.”
Brennan took a right and started walking away from the Pier side of the harbor.
“Wow,” she said, surprised she had never heard of this.
“It’s hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club, which is that building,” he said, pointing it out from their vantage point on the harbor.
“Oh, fancy,” she said, wondering if it was anything like the country clubs at home.
Brennan shrugged. “I suppose so. Anyway, I’ve actually sailed to Mackinac Island a couple times in the competition. Decided to sit it out this year, and I’m glad I did.”
“Why?” she asked, trying to keep her mouth from falling open.
Brennan knew how to sail and was good enough to enter competitions? What else didn’t she know about him?
“Because now I get to spend today with you.” He took a turn, walking down one of the busy wooden docks.
Devon smiled brightly, giddy from his compliments and the impending surprise. They walked down the dock, stopped at the very end, and faced a pretty imposing-looking boat. She didn’t know anything about boats. Well, she knew nothing more than the one her parents had at their lake house. Even then, she hadn’t been all that interested in much more than tanning, tubing, and drinking.
“This is Alma,” Brennan said, gesturing to the boat.
“Alma?” Devon asked with an arched eyebrow.
Brennan shrugged. “She was named after my grandma.”
“This is…your boat?” she asked slowly, trying to keep it all together.
“Well, it’s my dad’s boat, but we’re going to use it today.” Smiling, he jumped onto the deck like he was more familiar with it than the land.
He extended out his hand to her, and she took it, steadying herself before taking the first step onto the boat. It rocked as her weight shifted it, and she all but fell into his arms. He caught her easily, laughing.
“We’ll work on your sea legs,” he said, holding her steady.
“I’ve been on a boat before,” she said defensively.
“When was the last time?”
“I don’t know.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Like
two years ago.”
“Way too long. I’m glad I could remedy this,” he said. “Come on, let me show you around.”
His boat included way more than her parents’ lake boat, which was big enough for a couple of people, not much more, to jet around the lake. Brennan had pointed out that this was less of a boat and more of a cabin cruiser. It had plenty of space for hanging out on the deck, and it also had a cabin area with a small kitchen and dining room as well as a door that led to an even smaller bedroom with a double bed taking up the majority of the room. When her eyes landed on the bed, she knew that she should look away, but somehow, she couldn’t. Even when she had been staying at Brennan’s, she had slept on the couch.
She scooted out of the room and went back onto the deck. It was hard to keep her mind out of the gutter. Her life had been filled with that for a long time. She didn’t want to fuck this up. She had so much more to figure out first.
They spent the afternoon enjoying each other’s company, leisurely cruising around the harbor and watching the sailboats depart. It was lazy and comfortable and exactly what Devon needed.
Day faded into night, and the soft crash of the waves hitting along the boat lulled them into silence. Lying on a blanket out on the deck, Devon cuddled up into Brennan’s arms, leaning her head on his chest. He rubbed his hand back and forth along her arm. As the boat swayed to and fro, she felt herself slipping away toward the sleep that had so often evaded her.
“Hey,” he whispered before kissing her forehead.
“Hmm?” she mumbled.
“You can’t sleep yet.”
“I wasn’t sleeping,” she said with a big yawn.
“Good.” His hand moved from her arm to her waist, pulling her in close.
“Brennan,” she whispered, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for today. You don’t know what it means to me.” She bit her lip and broke his gaze.
“No, thank you,” he whispered, pushing her hair off her face and bringing her back to face him. “I’m not sure I would have gotten through this past week without you.”
Devon smiled shyly. “Why is that?”