Full Circle

by Jennifer Simpkins

  Mia sat up straight, chin raised high. “I should’ve kicked her ass in the school parking lot for kissing my boyfriend. Yeah, he was a participant in the whole deal, but I could handle him. She got away free and clear. I can’t say I was sorry to see her leave Seaside.”

  “I think she got pregnant.”

  “Really?” Mia said, not hiding her surprise. “By who?”

  “Rumor was a tourist here for fall break. Probably why she left before the end of our senior year.”

  “If it’s true I hope she’s changed her evil ways, for the baby’s sake.”

  They were almost to the end, and Ellie was ready to close the book of memories. The ones of her and Mia and other friends and family she could handle. It was fun seeing how far they’d come. Ones of Katriana and friends like her she could do without.

  “You have a picture of Heath stuck in here too,” Mia said.

  Ellie’s stomach churned at the sight of a twenty-year-old Heath. Dark hair, dark eyes that made her come unglued. She’d remembered the day as if it was yesterday, a Saturday in August. She’d snuck away, telling her parents she would be at the library all day with Mia, gathering books for their senior year reading list. In actuality she and Heath had plans of taking his grandfather’s sailboat out. They could be alone out there with no interruptions. It had been one of the best days of her life.

  Mia looked as if she wanted to say something Ellie was going to hate.

  “Don’t, Mia.” Ellie couldn’t control the break in her voice.

  “We haven’t talked about dinner from last night,” Mia said, ignoring Ellie’s request to drop the conversation about Heath.

  Ellie closed the album, seriously regretting her decision to bring it out, and placed it on the coffee table. As soon as Mia left she was walking it up to the attic. Going back there, especially with Heath was a waste of time. “What’s there to talk about? We drank too much, we enjoyed a nice meal, and you got to see your brother.” Ellie tried to muster up a smile, but knew she failed.

  “I think a lot more happened than that. I told you we were going to discuss it later.” Mia eyed her as she took a sip of wine. “This is later. It’s the whole reason I’m here.”

  “It is?” Ellie actually had forgotten about Mia at dinner. She tried to forget the whole damn thing, but all the wine in the world couldn’t stop her from reliving the dreadful night.

  “We had plans of consuming wine and catching up.” Mia tilted her head to Ellie. “What did you think that meant?”

  “I guess I don’t really see the point in bringing up the past.”

  “I would normally agree, but that past—namely my brother—is now in your present. You’re going to have to deal with him. I think it might be good if y’all could—”

  “If we what, Mia? Forget all the reasons we’re all wrong for each other? We didn’t work the first time.” Ellie was still unsure of why. That’s what bugged her the most. He just left without giving her an explanation. It couldn’t just be because of their three year age difference. “He left, I stayed. End of story.”

  “No, it’s not,” Mia said. “He’s back now.”

  “Not for me. He has another woman,” Ellie said. Why couldn’t Mia see her side of things? “He’s here with Melissa. You know, the blonde beauty? Why, I don’t know. He doesn’t seem very happy with her.” At dinner Ellie noticed Melissa was the only one showing affection. Heath barely seemed to tolerate her.

  “Forget about Melissa. I wish I knew what was going on there, but he doesn’t share those things with me anymore.” Mia grinned. “I do know he still cares for you though.”

  “I thought he didn’t tell you things like that?”

  “Oh, he doesn’t have to. I’m his sister and that bond still remains. He could stay away for another thirteen years, and I would still be able to pick up on some things. I remember how he looked when he liked a girl. I know how he looks when he’s in love. I’ve seen it before, all those years ago, with you.”

  Thirteen years ago Ellie would’ve given anything to hear those words come out of Heath’s mouth. I love you. And for him to mean them. Although they’d spent lots of time together, acting like lovers, those three little words were never spoken. She’d thought them all right, but never dared repeat them. She didn’t know if Heath thought them too. Back then she liked to think so.

  She prided herself on having a tough exterior. She had to have one to deal with Heath’s betrayal, and then after her parents decided to leave Seaside to travel the country she was faced with being totally alone for the first time. Her heart, still fragile, she kept close, not willing to give it to anyone else.

  “I highly doubt that. And I don’t want him to love me.” Ellie sighed heavily. “It’s easier if he doesn’t.”

  “What are you going to do when he finally tells you how he feels?”

  “You’re getting ahead of yourself and saying things you can’t possibly know. He has Melissa.” Ellie couldn’t help but think if Heath had really wanted her he would’ve come back a helluva lot sooner than now.

  “I’ve already told you, Melissa doesn’t mean—”

  Ellie held her hand up, signaling for Mia to stop right there. “I don’t want to talk about Melissa.” What she really didn’t want to do was think about Melissa on Heath’s arm, pressing her model-perfect body against his. Her in his bed, being the one underneath him while he probably did amazing things to her. It didn’t concern Ellie if he had loved her in the past, because he’d picked Melissa—or women just like her.

  “Okay. I won’t bring her up again.”

  Pressing a hand to her chest, Ellie tried rubbing away the ache taking up residence there. She imagined that pain would never fully go away. It was a permanent break that would never heal. “Thank you.”

  Boom, boom, boom. A pounding came at her front door. Ellie looked at the clock hanging on her gallery wall. She and Mia exchanged looks. “Who would be here this late?”

  “Oh, no!” Mia put a palm to her forehead. “It’s probably dad. I was supposed to call him when I got here. I made the mistake of telling him I would be coming here after dark. He’s been worried about the mystery guy.”

  Another knock pounded at the door, as if someone was using their fist. “God, he must be worried. He’s about to break my door down.” Ellie swung the heavy wooden door open, and lost all words.

  Heath stood on her porch, the light illuminating his handsome features. She made the mistake of letting her eyes move from his chest downward, finding worn jeans hugging all his glorious parts. A Chicago Cubs T-shirt covered a well-formed chest, making her libido come alive. Oh boy. Even the dark, somewhat dangerous glare he was shooting at her was turning her on.

  Her girly parts, parts only he seemed to awaken in her, came alive and begged for attention. Moisture surged between her thighs, dampening her panties, while the rest of her body decided to betray her too. Under his stare her nipples hardened, as if begging for attention. Because of the flimsy fabric, she knew they had to be noticeable. If this was the way her body was going to react every time she saw him it was going to be a long, torturous couple of weeks.

  “Heath,” she said, a little breathless. She instructed herself not to shift from foot to foot and give him the impression he had a strong effect on her. But then his scent, all man with a hint of soap, invaded her senses. All hope was lost. “Uh, what are you doing here?”

  His scowl turned into a half grin. “You’re the only woman I know who can make a holey T-shirt and gym shorts look downright sexy.”

  Oh hell…

  Chapter Six

  Heath meant it when he told Ellie she made her casual attire look sexy. Legs up to there, a hint of pink lace visible behind one of those holes her shirt boasted. Her nipples were pale peach, large, and succulent. They topped those round breasts so tantalizingly. He blinked to clear the memory and focused on the issue at hand. “Is Mia here?”

  Ellie flinched at his tone before stiffening and staring hi
m straight in the eyes. That was his girl. Well, not his girl any longer, but the take-no-prisoners girl he remembered from way back when. The girl who stood up to bullies and championed the underdog. He nearly apologized for his attitude, realizing he’d just fit the former category.

  “She’s here.” Ellie didn’t give anything away with her words, but her demeanor spoke volumes. She was pissed at him—and something else.

  Heath recognized the signs of arousal in women. He’d seen it often enough, and had been the cause on more occasions than he cared to think about, well aware of his man whore status back home. Ellie’s pupils had dilated and nearly absorbed the whiskey brown of her iris. He took another surreptitious look at where the T-shirt stretched over her breasts and was rewarded with the sight of firm nipples pressing against the material. His jeans were housing a monster poke of their own, and he hastened to speak again before his anger and lust merged and he said or did something he couldn’t take back.

  “I’d like to talk to her.” He pulled out his phone and texted Roy that Mia was safe.

  “Heath? Why are you here? Did you come to your senses at last and want to see Ellie? Alone? Because I can—”

  “I came to find you, munchkin.” Heath cut Mia off as soon as he realized the direction she was headed. Not that he hadn’t considered her implication when Ellie opened the door. But it wasn’t in the cards. He wasn’t going to go that route. “Our old man is upset you didn’t call and you didn’t answer your phone. There’s some guy wandering around out there.”

  “She saw him.” Ellie dropped that little gem into the conversation, and Heath’s big brother gene kicked to the surface.

  “Where? Did you call the police?” Maybe the fact he hadn’t shouted at his sister, his voice instead so cold and intense, the way he’d honed it because of the interactions in his career, elicited a reaction from both women. Mia paled and Ellie stuttered something about pepper spray.

  “No,” Mia squeaked. “He didn’t do anything.”

  Heath ran a hand through his hair and barely managed not to pull out a handful. “For sure. Wait until he does and then report him. Jesus, Mia. And surely you know better, Ellie.”

  “This isn’t like Chicago, Heath.” His sister continued to protest. “I’ll admit it spooked me, seeing him because he’s big and unkempt, but he—”

  “I know. He didn’t do anything.” Give him strength. “We’ll talk about it later. Or rather, you and Roy will talk about it. C’mon. I’ll take you home.” He glanced at Ellie who stood quietly watching them both, her lips pressed together tightly. “I told Melissa I wouldn’t be long.”

  In actuality, he’d left Melissa with a wave and a suggestion she and Renee chat while he went in search of his wayward sister. He was pretty sure she’d be at Ellie’s and didn’t want Melissa anywhere near her.

  Mia frowned but then shrugged. “I’ll get my stuff.”

  “Better you don’t leave your … girlfriend too long. Or I’d ask you in for a drink.” Ellie inched backward.

  Heath forced his rebuttal back down his throat where it belonged. There had been jealousy behind that sarcastic comment about Melissa, and maybe some wishful thinking. He badly wanted to tell Ellie that his “girlfriend” could wait, that women waited on him willingly, and he’d have that drink. A stupid part of him wanted to lay those damn cards out on the table, confront her with her perfidy of thirteen years, three months and … eleven days ago. He wanted to ask her why she’d cheated on him, ask her what happened to the baby, and above all, ask why she hadn’t simply told him. He liked to believe he’d have been man enough to figure it out with her if only she’d told him, and he wouldn’t have hit the road because of his pride and humiliation. Instead, he sniped back. “Probably better you and I don’t spend any time together. It might give people around here ideas, not to mention you might want to work your wiles again.”

  “Heath!” Mia scrambled in front of him and punched him in the belly. If he didn’t work out every day she’d have doubled him over. As it was, her fist freaking hurt. When she followed it with a left, he caught her hand and lowered it to her side. She glared at him.

  “If working my wiles would mean being willing to share my body with you and giving you my heart again, Heath, then you’re safe. I’m hardly that stupid—or masochistic. Lock up after yourself, Mia.” Ellie made a dignified exit, but not before he marked her pallor and the tears standing in her eyes.

  “You’re an asshole.” Mia’s accusation hardly penetrated as he stared after Ellie’s retreating form. Her body? Not quite all of it. She’d given that to some other dude. And her heart? Not likely.

  “Let’s go. She doesn’t even want me here thanks to you. First time I ever regretted having a brother.” Mia shepherded him out the door like a feisty little border collie and he allowed it. It was preferable to acting the coward and running away. Again.

  They walked in silence to the car, and once they were inside and driving to Bodacious Blooms, his sister spoke up. “What the hell was that all about? What did Ellie ever do to you to deserve that crack?”

  “None of your business.”

  “I’m making it my business. My brother comes home after forever and still isn’t willing to forgive dad. Oh, don’t think I didn’t notice, Heath. I bet you haven’t even talked things out. Haven’t even tried. You’re all the family I’ve got, you selfish …” Her tirade faded off as the unmistakable sound of tears made her voice catch. He felt worse than shit.

  “I’ll talk to him.” There. Maybe she’d be satisfied.

  A gentle press on his forearm told him he’d gained some modicum of forgiveness. But of course Mia pushed her luck. “What happened with Ellie? She’s missed you. And she’s a mess now you’re back.”

  How much to share? Did he want to impact her friendship with Ellie in a negative way? “That’s really between her and me, munchin.”

  “But she has no idea why you left. I know she thinks she did something wrong but can’t figure it out. At the very least you owe her an explanation. I thought it was because you thought you were too old for her.”

  Ellie owed him! Not that he’d given her the opportunity. He carefully answered his sister. “It wasn’t that. I learned something she should have told me herself.”

  “What?”

  “Back off, Mia.”

  To his surprise, she obeyed. “Okay. But now that all this time has passed you might want to ask her why she didn’t say anything if it was that serious. I’d be dying of curiosity.”

  Making a noncommittal sound, he stopped in front of the flower shop. “I’ll walk you in.”

  “But—”

  “I’ll walk you.” There was no sign of anyone lurking about or anything suspicious, but he’d feel better, and for sure his dad would.

  Mia hugged him at the door, so much smaller than him, and he hugged her back. It appeared all was forgiven, but he knew she hadn’t given up on him and Ellie. Well, once he left she would have to turn her efforts elsewhere.

  “See you tomorrow?”

  “For sure.” He strode back to the car and climbed into the driver’s seat, cranking the engine over with more force than necessary. Ellie’s face haunted him and he argued with himself for a few minutes, staring out the windshield. Screw it.

  It took very little time to make it back to her place. All the windows were darkened except for the one nearest the front door, and he realized Mia had left the light burning when they had made their precipitous exit. He parked in the only available space, locking up and second guessing himself the entire time, before making his way to once again pound on Ellie’s front door.

  After an eternity he heard her voice. “Who is it?”

  “Heath.”

  Another eternity passed, and he speculated Ellie was leaning on the other side of the wooden panels, either planning to ignore him or finding words to send him away. Abruptly, the door flew open and she stood framed against a poster size map of Seaside, clad in the same shirt from e
arlier and a light pair of pajama bottoms with penguins imprinted on them.

  Heath tore his eyes away from the ludicrous black and white birds and made himself meet her eyes. They were red and swollen in a face surrounded by a tangle of brown hair hanging haphazardly over her shoulders. He kept from reaching out to pull her into his arms, to comfort her, with every ounce of willpower he possessed. “Can we talk?”

  “About what?”

  “Mia thinks I owe you an explanation.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake.” Ellie shoved hair off her face and gave him a look he could only describe as scathing. “Mia being up in my business has nothing to do with you.”

  True enough, except his sister thought he was a better man than he knew himself to be. Heath took a breath and willed his heartrate to slow. Was this worth it? Worth having what was bound to be a horrible conversation? “Can I come in?”

  “No. Say your piece and then go. It’ll make Mia happy and you can head back to Chicago with your head up your ass like the last time.”

  What the hell? Who was the injured party here anyhow? “What happened to the baby?”

  “Excuse me?” Ellie’s pretty face screwed up in a puzzled frown, and her head tilted to one side. “What baby?”

  “You sure you want to do this on the doorstep?” Heath gestured around to the neighboring homes. If Ellie was going to play the innocent he was going to push her, and there were bound to be raised voices.

  “Heath, I have no idea what you are talking about.” This time she spoke with exaggerated patience as though he was slightly off in the head. What a fine little actress.

  “The baby. Your baby. The one you planned to pass off as mine. I knew about it.”

  Those amazing whiskey colored eyes widened, tear clumped lashes touching her eyebrows, and Ellie’s mouth actually dropped open to display her pink tongue and even white teeth.

  Heath refused to keep looking at her lips and waited for a response after the impressive display of confusion and shock. How was she going to lie her way out of it? Save her dignity.