Rough Waters

by Nikki Godwin

  “Thank you,” he whispers. “The guy in the holding cell was hitting on me, and I told him my girlfriend was coming to pick me up.”

  “Holding cell?” I say, pulling away for real this time. “You said they only charged A.J.”

  Reed hands me my car keys and tells me to take A.J. and Topher outside while he gets his Jeep. A.J. hands Reed a few papers and they talk briefly – and quietly – while I force Topher outside.

  “What the hell, Topher?” is the first thing out of my mouth.

  “I’m stupid,” he says as he gets into my passenger seat. “I was sitting there waiting while they were booking A.J., and then Pittman went to throw him in the holding cell and told me I couldn’t talk to him. So I asked if I could go with him because I didn’t want to sit out there alone.”

  I crank up and turn the air conditioning on full blast. I think my blood is boiling worse than the sunshine. No freezing temperature could kill this blaze inside of me. Who knew anxiety and panic could be so freaking hot?

  “You are stupid,” I agree. “I’ve never in my life heard of someone asking to sit in a jail cell so they don’t have to sit by themselves. How old are you again?”

  “I’m sorry,” he says, throwing his head back against the headrest. “I was mad at Vin, and I just wanted to burn some energy. So I asked Reed if I could borrow his Jeep and went for a joyride. I was on a hidden back road. I didn’t think anyone would know, and I sure as hell didn’t expect A.J. to get arrested.”

  A.J. and Reed exit the station as if on cue. I roll down the window and turn the air down so I can hear Reed. He says A.J. is going to ride back with him and that they’ll meet us at Drenaline Surf. Topher checks the time on his cell phone and says he hopes we get back before Vin does. I agree, especially since I left a non-employee in charge of the store with access to everything. Maybe I’m as stupid as Topher, but I trust Emily.

  My heartbeat speeds up again when I pull into the parking lot behind the store. Topher’s truck is here, which means Vin beat us back. Topher grabs my arm before I can get out of my car.

  “I’m sorry, Haley,” he says. “Really. I’m sorry I got in trouble and A.J. got arrested. I’m sorry I asked you to watch the store and put you in this position. It’s my fault, I know. Thank you for coming to my rescue. I couldn’t have asked anyone else.”

  You could’ve asked Reed, apparently. He and A.J. wait for us, so we can all face the music together. Maybe we should’ve just joined A.J. and Topher in the holding cell. It might be better than what we’re about to walk into.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “Stupid things happen. We’re going to be okay.”

  The look on his face says he doesn’t believe me. Honestly, I don’t even believe me. Topher and I stick behind A.J. and Reed, as if they need to protect Topher from his big brother’s wrath. My breathing unravels as we come closer to the entrance of Drenaline Surf. I’m not sure I’ll even be able to speak. Maybe we should call Theo to be on standby in case I stop breathing.

  A teenage guy is at the counter paying for a surf leash. Emily mans the register while Vin stands, arms folded, in the middle of the store. He doesn’t say a word when we walk inside. Once the customer is out the door and out of earshot, Vin comes unglued.

  “What in Christ’s name do you think you’re doing?” he shouts, echoing off the walls.

  No one moves, but Topher speaks up, as he knows the question is aimed at him.

  “I got a speeding ticket,” he says. “It’s not the end of the world. I’ll pay it, and I’ll pay Reed back for having to get his vehicle out of impound.”

  “Oh, you bet you will,” Vin says, drawing closer to us. “And you’re paying off A.J.’s fine and anything else that comes from this situation.”

  A.J. tenses up and blocks Vin’s way when he tries to move toward Topher. A.J. is smaller than Topher and Vin, but his protective instincts are stronger than anyone’s strength in this room. I just always figured A.J. would be defending Vin if the situation ever arose, not Topher. I feel like I’ve missed a lot in this last year.

  Reed shuffles a bit but stays firmly planted with us, ready to plead his case if Vin gives him the opportunity. I doubt Reed, A.J., or I will need to be called to the witness stand, though. This looks like a battle of the Brooks brothers.

  “I’ll handle it,” Topher says. “Reed and A.J. know that. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  “It’s a big fucking deal,” Vin shouts, slinging his arms out. “You skip out on your job, have someone else’s vehicle impounded, get a speeding ticket, cause someone else to get arrested, and then this store gets left in the hands of someone who doesn’t even work here while Haley and Reed have to clean up your mess!”

  Vin spins back around toward the counter, leaving us right where we are in the middle of the store. Oh my God. I hope he doesn’t blast Emily for this. It’s not her fault that I left her in charge.

  “Do you have a job?” Vin asks her. He’s calm and steady, like he didn’t just flip out on his little brother.

  Emily shakes her head. She looks like a terrified little doe in the forest who got separated from her mom and is about to be attacked by a mangy wolf.

  “Do you need a job?” Vin asks. When she nods, he says, “You’re hired. Come by sometime tomorrow morning after ten, and we can officially get you on the books. I’ll make sure you get paid for today too.”

  Then Vin looks over at us and points at A.J. “That offer goes for you too. If you want onboard, come by here tomorrow, and I’ll get you on the books. I’ll need some new employees because Topher’s fired.”

  Topher pushes past A.J. “You can’t do that,” he says to Vin.

  Vin leans back against the front counter, crosses his arms with a typical Vin-Brooks-attitude, and smirks at Topher. “Well, little brother, I believe I just did. So now you can get a taste of the real world. You can get a real job and start paying off your debt to your friends.”

  “I belong here,” Topher says. “I belong at Drenaline Surf a hell of a lot more than you do.”

  Vin pushes off the counter and walks toward us. A.J. reaches for Topher to keep him from meeting his brother halfway, but that Hooligan attitude shines through when Topher is angry. A.J. lets him go. There’s no way Topher is going to back down to Vin.

  “Jake would roll over in his grave if he saw how you were acting,” Vin says. “I’m not letting you drag his name or my name or Drenaline Surf’s name through the mud any more than you already have.”

  Then Topher laughs. He shakes his head and holds both hands up to halt his brother’s words.

  “Your argument is invalid,” Topher says, as calmly and snarky as Vin did just moments ago.

  It’s insane how, at moments like this, when they’re at each other’s throats – literally – you can see how much of each other they have in themselves.

  “In case you don’t remember,” Topher says, walking a half circle around Vin, “Jake McAllister doesn’t have a grave to roll over in. You see, he was cremated. Then there was this big paddle out where pretty much everyone from Horn Island and Crescent Cove paddled out into the ocean, and we talked about Shark and how much we loved him and how amazing he was. And then Joe poured his son into the sea, where he belonged.”

  Vin doesn’t say a word. I’m not sure if he’s breathing. Or if I’m breathing. Is anyone breathing? Theo, where are you when we need you?

  “Oh, no, that’s right,” Topher says. “You wouldn’t remember all of that because you wouldn’t go out there with us. You wouldn’t attend your own best friend’s memorial. No, you just stood on the fucking pier! And that, big brother, is what I call irony!”

  Topher instantly turns and bolts out the front door of Drenaline Surf.

  I don’t argue when Reed wraps his arm around me and tells me that we’re going home.

  Chapter Twelve

  It’s been a week since the Brooks brothers’ explosion in the middle of Drenaline Surf. I’ve avoided the store at all costs, whic
h sucks since I’m supposed to technically be employed there as Damage Control Girl. A.J. and Emily both took Vin up on his job offer, so I’ve seen very little of both of them. Reed got Topher hired on at Strickland’s Boating, so I’m usually stuck at home or roaming around Crescent Cove with Alston during the day. But today, I made plans.

  Dexter runs across the sand, barking loudly and announcing my arrival before I even get out of my car. Colby finally got around to replying to my text messages, so I set up a lunch date. Well, sort of – if picking up take-out and meeting him at his house can count for a lunch date.

  “Thank God,” Colby says when he slides the back patio door open. “I’m starving.”

  “Nice to see you too,” I say, pushing Dexter back with my flip flop.

  “Sorry,” Colby says as he takes the bags from me and sets them on the kitchen counter. “Aside from that trip with Vin, I haven’t been out of this house other than to surf since Dominic’s party. That wasn’t exactly my finest hour.”

  No kidding. I’m not sure if he knows I was there that night. I’m honestly not even sure what all he actually remembers and what he’s just seen in photographs. I decide, just in case, to spare his pride and keep my mouth shut. I wouldn’t want to relive that night if I were him.

  He digs through the plastic bag from Isaiah’s Pizzeria and Pasta like he hasn’t eaten in months. He grabs a bottle of water and motions for me to follow him into his living room. SurfTube streams on his flat screen.

  “I’m surprised you wanted something with so many carbs,” I say, digging into my pasta dish. I guess he thinks that bottled water avenges the meal.

  “Something had to give,” he says, stuffing his fork into his mouth. “I’m sick of organic food, and I needed a taste of the real world. I’ll work off the carbs tomorrow.”

  We don’t say much as we eat and watch the footage on SurfTube, which is much more fascinating to Colby than it is to me. I wonder if it’s safe to rock the boat and ask about his parents. He seems to be in a pretty good mood. In fact, he seems to be a bit…happy?

  “You look good,” I say, instantly realizing how that came out.

  “Well, thank you,” he says, smirk on his face. “I’ve been told a few times that I’m a pretty sexy beast.”

  “Not like that,” I say, even though he definitely is attractive. “You look happier, more…clear-minded. Or are you just in zen mode, as Vin calls it?”

  He shakes his head and sips from his water bottle before speaking. “Things are just different now, you know? I never thought I’d be so relieved that the secrets and lies were out, but it’s like I can finally breathe again,” he says. “I haven’t felt this good in years.”

  He cleans the empty food bins off of the coffee table, and I follow him into the kitchen. Even though I’ve been here a few times, I’ve never really taken the place in. I walk over to his refrigerator and look at the few photos he has tucked under magnets. The one that catches my eye first is a photo of him with Shark.

  I pull the picture out from under the crab magnet to examine just how freaking happy and excited they both look. It was taken on a boat, a yacht maybe. Colby wears expensive sunglasses, and Shark holds a fishing pole. The ocean stretches forever behind them, beyond the boat.

  “We rented one of the yachts from Reed’s dad’s store,” Colby says, looking across the kitchen at me. “Reed actually went with us. He took that picture. Topher was behind him shouting out orders to ‘look like this is the best day of your life.’ It feels like that was twenty years ago.”

  I slide the photo back under the magnet. I feel like the world was a different place before Shark’s death. Colby was a different person back then. He wasn’t jaded and locked away behind a thousand lies. He was still that dreamer I saw in him. I also feel like there’s so much I don’t know about the Hooligans and my roommates. I never would’ve imagined Reed or Topher hanging out with Colby Taylor – or each other.

  “Sometimes, I wish with everything in me that I could’ve known him,” I say, staring at Shark’s picture. “I feel like I missed out on something really big.”

  Colby’s shadow closes in on me from behind. He stares at his refrigerator, looking at Shark for a bit too long before he says anything.

  “He would’ve liked you,” he says. “You would’ve fit right into his world. And you probably would’ve dated him instead of Vin. Shark was everything that you thought Vin was last summer, except Shark was the real deal and he loved the surf world and everything that goes with it. He never would’ve signed Logan Riley either.”

  Colby walks back toward his living room and finds a seat on the couch. I follow and decide to go in for the kill. As much as I’d love to hear about Shark and debate theories about what the guys’ lives were like before his death, I have to know what’s going on in Colby’s world now.

  “How was your trip with Vin?” I ask, sitting next to him.

  He shrugs. “Photographers were cool. They’re driving down later this month to shoot a free surf session with me. They seemed really excited about it. No mention of the coffee table incident that’s on the Wall of Shame,” he says.

  He laughs at the reference before continuing. “I considered it a win. Of course, your boyfriend thought it was a pointless meeting because the main photographer is just an intern with no connections to sell photos and ‘Who would want surf photos of you anyway? They’re more concerned with what you’re doing out of the water.’ Vin’s words, not mine.”

  I think I’m growing to hate my own boyfriend. Colby can bounce back from this. Celebrities do it all the time. He just needs to step up his surf game, stay out of the tabloids, and get his headspace right. Colby can be exactly who he was when he walked into Drenaline Surf a few years ago. He can be the person Shark knew he was. I just wish Vin would be onboard with it.

  “Any update on your parents?” I ask, deciding not to give my thoughts on Vin’s attitude.

  Colby heaves a long sigh before getting up and walking over to the entertainment center. He comes back to the couch with a large envelope.

  “I’ve been served,” he says. “They’re suing me for emotional damage, lawyer fees, private investigator fees, reimbursement for search efforts, and fraud. How in the fuck can they sue me for fraud? They basically want everything I have, as well as a public admission of my wrongdoings with an apology.”

  I scan the documents, but all the legal jargon makes zero sense to me. “What do you plan to do?” I ask.

  He takes the papers back and sticks them in the envelope. “I was actually going to talk to Vin about it on our drive home the other day,” he says. “But he was such a smartass about everything, all of his rude comments. He’d probably side with my parents. I think I may be better off getting a lawyer on my own and seeing what I should do about it.”

  I don’t want to ask the next question. Even after I confessed to Colby about what I’d heard that night at Crescent Inn, I still don’t like to talk about it. “What about Drenaline Surf? Did they say anything about Shark’s estate?”

  He shakes his head. “No, thank God,” he says. “Not yet anyway.”

  And that’s what scares me most.

  I rush into Strickland’s Boating fifteen minutes after I leave Colby’s. I’m bursting to tell Reed the new lawsuit information, but upon seeing Topher behind the counter, I stop and bury my panic deep within myself. Topher was supposed to get off work thirty minutes ago. Why is he still here when I need to freak out to Reed?

  Topher rushes around the counter toward me. It’s sort of crazy to see him in khakis and the Strickland’s Boating polo shirt. He looks much more professional than he ever did when he still worked at Drenaline Surf. He cleans up as well as Reed does.

  “I need your help,” he says. “I finally went back home because I got tired of crashing on Jace and Theo’s couch, but Vin’s being all parental on me and not letting me go anywhere other than work.”

  “And this requires my help how?” I ask as we walk back
toward where Reed stands near the counter.

  Reed shrugs when I try to tell him with my eyes to get rid of Topher. I need him to go surf or hang out with Miles or something right now. I can’t hold this lawsuit info in for very long, and I definitely can’t let it slip into Hooligan territory.

  “There’s this convention tomorrow,” Topher says. “It’s about board shaping and choosing the right surfboards. I might learn something. Rob Hodges is the main speaker. Theo’s going because you know, he always wanted to be a board shaper, and I figured that’d be enough to convince my brother, but Theo isn’t the best influence. Or so Vin says.”

  So I’m supposed to convince Vin that Theo’s a good influence? Or that Topher should be allowed to go because he’s trying to help his future career? I don’t have the influence I used to have on Vin. That lasted for about two weeks last summer. The moment I drove out of Crescent Cove, all of my power left with me. Apparently, I forgot to bring it back.

  “Who is Rob Hodges?” I ask, before I dive into all of the other million questions I want to ask. I need to know this guy’s stats before I present my case.

  “Retired pro surfer,” Reed answers instead of Topher. “He’s one of the best board shapers in the USA. He actually went to high school with Joe. You have to book months ahead of time to get an appointment with him.”

  Topher nods along, wide-eyed and serious. “And if a pro surfer wants a board from him, he backlists everyone else. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been waiting a year. The famous guys always come first. I want a Rob Hodges board someday.”

  As much as I don’t care to listen to a retired surfer talk about surfboard thickness, I figure it’ll give me something to do. Maybe I need to remind Vin of the public relations job he said I could have. Colby has to have some kind of upcoming event. Or Miles. I’m sure Miles needs an agent or manager or something.