“The ceremony took place not too long after Aiden left for Scotland. However, the marriage certificate shows they got married the week after they graduated high school,” Murphy answered.
“Why is it dated the week after high school? Why not the date of the ceremony?” That made no sense to me.
Murphy adjusted the collar of her jacket around her neck with a shiver. “Because when Ace’s helicopter went down in the Dominican Republic, Nadia marked him dead in his file.”
“Dead? What for?” Confusion stole my words. Made my mind spin in circles.
“To protect him,” Murphy answered.
“How exactly does that protect him?” I couldn’t be the only one who questioned that.
“More than you’d think. He’s not on any record. Military or civilian, which means no one has a reason to look for him. He’s safe… or as safe as he can be given the situation,” Murphy said.
We’d made it to the Hole, only feet away from the dock, when we stopped. I could close my eyes and recall the last summer we’d spent here as if it were yesterday. But it wasn’t yesterday and as much as I wanted it to be the same, it never would be.
The muted sound of a cell phone buzzed from somewhere in the depths of Murphy’s pocket. “Jared needs me,” she said, giving us a quick wave as she turned back toward the cabin.
“Ye’ve been friends for a long time, Aiden tells me,” Airen said, stepping out onto the dock.
“Since we were knee high to a grasshopper,” I answered, tagging along behind her.
She looked back at me, “Never heard that one before. I take it ye mean when you were just lads in short breaks?”
“Something like that,” I answered, feeling a smile to match hers come across my face.
“Tell me, what is like—having so many friends around all the time?” she asked.
“Crowded,” I said, laughing when she rolled her eyes.
“I had a good friend once. I miss him terribly,” she said.
Her eyes dulled a bit, so I asked, “Have a falling out?”
“No. My uncle killed him,” she replied softly.
I wasn’t sure what to say. Didn’t know the right reply for such a heavy moment. I’d be devastated if anything happened to my friends. The only thing I could think to say was, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Her eyes closed tight for a brief moment as she said, “It was a long time ago.”
“Still doesn’t make the pain go away,” I replied, wishing to call it back after it was said.
“Yer lucky, Mark. Ye have so many people to care for ye. It’s like having a big family, aye?” she replied.
We were quiet then. Each absorbed in our own thoughts. No uncomfortable need to fill the silence. It made me like Airen even more. Made me realize she was everything Aiden needed. Her silence was a simple strength that could be called on when you didn’t want to be alone, but you didn’t want to talk either.
We stood there so long my nose grew numb from the wind rushing past us before I asked, “Do you miss home?”
I wasn’t even sure why I asked her. Maybe it was because I’d missed home with such an aching intensity while I’d been away in New York. I’d felt cut off from my roots. From my security.
“I do. But it will always be there. I can go back whenever I want. Home is a place you’ll always miss when you’re not there, ye ken? It’s also a place you can go back to and pick up like ye never left, so long as the people are there. It’s the people who make it a special place for ye,” she answered.
“That’s true. Who do you have back home?” I asked.
She smiled. “My auntie.”
“Annnnd….”
“That’s it. It’s just the two of as now,” she answered, giving me a half shrug.
“I just keep sticking my foot in my mouth. Sorry,” I replied, wishing the ground would just open up and swallow me.
“Ye don’t have to apologize. I’m not the only one whose been affected by loss,” she said, sitting down to dangle her feet over the water.
I left her there and walked to the end of the dock, hands shoved deep into my jacket pockets as I thought about what she said. We’d all suffered some sort of a loss. Some bigger than others. Riley lost her dad. Ace lost his identity. Eli had left the Red Cross. Josh left college. Jared’s music career ended long before it even got going.
There were also upsides. Paige and I had started the beginnings of our careers. We were on our way. Aiden had found Airen, and Jared had Murphy. They’d found the perfect women who would not only tolerate them, but also love them. Ace and Riley were married.
So many changes in such a short amount of time. How had they adapted so fast? Maybe they were still adapting. What did Eli tell his parents? If Paige and I stayed, what would we tell our parents?
“You’re overthinking it,” Airen called out from where she sat.
“How do you know what I’m thinking about?” I said, raising my voice to be heard over the rising wind.
“Because Aiden did the same thing. The only difference was I had to chase him halfway ‘round the world to make him see it.” She beamed a smile at me. “Something tells me all you lads think the same way. Hardheaded, the lot of ye.”
I busted out laughing. “You haven’t witnessed hardheaded until you have an argument with Jared.”
“They’ve missed ye, terribly. All the conversations I’ve heard revolve around ye all together. I know Aiden has. Seems like there’s this spark when you’re all together. Things click. It’s unique to see it. Makes me feel like I’m part of something special.”
She’d walked closer as she talked, but once she was finished talking, she turned away, leaving me standing on the end of the dock.
Turning my face toward the weak sunlight, I closed my eyes. No matter what I wanted, no matter how much I wished for it, life would never go back to what it was. It was time to face the fact we’d all moved forward. We’d all changed.
So what now?
I had no answer.
"YOU'RE A PHOTOGRAPHER, RIGHT?" OLIVER asked as I hung up my jacket.
“Yes. Why?” I asked, unsure where the question was coming from.
Oliver’s head tilted as he squinted at me. “You have a good lens?”
I mentally scoffed. “Wouldn’t be a very good photographer if I didn’t.”
“Good, grab it and meet me back here in five minutes,” Oliver said.
When I moved away from the closet, Oliver reached in and pulled out an olive-green coat, tossing it on the chair behind him.
“Where exactly are we going?” I asked.
“Out. Hurry up,” he answered, pulling another coat, same color, out and tossing it with the other one.
When he noticed me still standing there, he waved me off. “Go on, we don’t have much time.”
I wasn’t going to get any answers from him, and I’d have no idea what he wanted of me unless I went.
“Fine,” I jogged up the stairs, sidestepping around Paige with a brief kiss, and grabbed my camera bag. I hadn’t taken anything out since we’d arrived, so I didn’t need to make sure it was all there.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I have no idea,” I said, brushing another quick kiss against her forehead.
“Bye,” she called out as I jogged back down the stairs.
Oliver tossed me one of the jackets. “Put that on.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I asked, handing him my camera bag to hold while I stuffed my arms into the thick jacket.
“Yes.”
“I’m listening.”
“Not right now.”
He handed the camera bag back to me, and then motioned me to follow him.
He didn’t say a word until we were walking in a thick copse of scrub pine. “We’ll stop here so you can get your camera out. From here until we stop, no talking. Okay?”
“What do you mean, no talking? You haven’t said a word until just now,” I whisp
ered back matching his abrupt tone.
Oliver rolled his eyes. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time to explain, so I hope you’re not one of those people who have to question every single thing.”
“So stop stalling and tell me why you have me out in the woods with my camera,” I replied.
“It’s possible Evan was murdered. I’ve walked the area where he was found and there are a few things that don’t add up. I think someone else has been out here too. That’s why I need you to take some pictures of the area where he was found. Once we have the pictures, I’ll turn them over to be analyzed,” Oliver answered.
“Okay,” I said.
“Just okay?” he asked, eyes pulled down into something like a scowl.
“Well, it’s pretty straightforward so…”
“Exactly. Okay, follow me and try to be as quiet as possible,” he said, giving me a nod.
I stayed behind him, camera tucked inside my jacket until it was needed.
It wasn’t much further when Oliver stopped, holding his fist up. I’d played enough video games to at least know what that meant.
He put his finger up to his mouth, and then slowly made his way to his stomach. He beckoned me to come alongside of him.
He nodded when my camera came up in front of my face. I took as many pictures as I could, because less than a hundred yards away, some random person was poking around as if looking for something.
There was a loud snap from somewhere behind where the stranger poked about in the foliage. Hearing a noise behind him, he whipped around, giving me the briefest moment to see his face. I held my finger down on the camera when the second man stepped into frame, taking a burst of images to review later.
They’d moved out of our line of sight. A motor coughed as it rolled over, followed by the soft rumble of a newer vehicle. The rattled bang of one door shutting and the soft bump of another. Oliver had grabbed my camera, trying to get a picture of the vehicle, but was unable to before they drove off.
He handed my camera back to me, saying, “Car plates would have come in handy. Since we didn’t get those, let’s get some more pictures of the area. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a shoe print,” he said, walking with surefooted caution around the area.
By the time we left, he’d pointed out over fifteen spots to take pictures of. And as luck would have it, there was a partial shoe print.
“Good work. Now let’s get back and upload those pictures. I want to have a good look at them before we send them off. Might have Ella take a look too,” Oliver said.
"HEY, PAIGE, WAIT UP!" MURPHY called to me.
Damn it! I’d been feet from the front door and my escape. I’d had it all planned too. I was going to roll the four-wheeler out, and, once I was far enough away, I’d start it and make my way to my parents.
She jogged to catch up to me. “Where you headed?”
“Just out to get some fresh air,” I answered, trying my hardest not to sound disappointed.
“This place is amazing,” she said, pulling a deep breath in as she tipped her head back.
“It used to be,” I said, mentally kicking myself for sounding like a bitch.
“It’s not the same as it was?” she asked.
“Not even close… Well, the cabin isn’t anyway, and that was the heart of the Six. I’m surprised Jared didn’t have a meltdown over it.” What used to be one story with six bedrooms was added to, which took away that cozy feel the cabin used to have.
“He said something about it to me, but he also said he wasn’t going to complain because everyone was back together, and that’s all that mattered to him,” she answered,
“Really?” I found that hard to believe. Jared had never been one to let things go, and surprisingly enough, he was a sentimentalist. The remodeling of the cabin had to have hit him square in the heart.
“Yes, really.” She smiled in my direction. “What was it like being one of the few girls around all those guys?”
Her question caught me off guard. “What was it like?”
“I never had many friends. Let alone guy friends.” She shrugged, continuing, “So, yeah… what was it like?”
“It was…” How do you explain something you have no explanation for? “At first, it was weird. I mean, I came around because Riley and I were friends. She’s the one who has the closest relationship with them. I was just a tagalong.”
“Is that how you see yourself with them?” she asked, seeming a little shocked.
Did I see myself like that? I’d never been one to claim to be part of the Six. Sure, they were my friends, but nothing like they were to Riley. “Honestly? I never really thought about it.”
“It’s funny how we see ourselves,” Murphy replied. “If it’s not a product of our upbringing, it’s the unclear path we take. Of course, bad decisions and self-destructive behavior have a heavy hand in what we make of ourselves.”
“Sounds like you know a little something about that,” I said.
“I know too much about it,” she answered.
“So out of all those bad decisions, your upbringing, and the destructive behavior, what made the difference for you?” I asked.
“Jared,” she answered, smiling.
“Jared?” What?
She chuckled. “I know. Crazy, right?”
I shook my head. “How?”
She looped her arm through mine and tugged to get me walking. “Despite all his… dramatics, Jared is a really good friend. He showed me how to let go of the things I can’t control and to appreciate a moment for what it is. He stood by me at my lowest points and was what I needed in that moment. For all his quirks, he’s a great person, and he loves all of you like family.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. They’re a tight-knit group… the Six,” I replied.
She stopped so quick it jerked me back a step. “It’s not just the Six. It’s all of you. Do you know how much he depended on you when Riley’s dad died? You were the only link he had. And he was sick with worry over what everyone would think if they found out he knew about Ace and Aiden and hadn’t told you. No, Paige, it’s not just the Six he considers family. You’re just as important to him as any of the others.”
She had no idea what she was talking about. “I appreciate the pep talk, but I know where I stand with all of them, and I’m okay with it.”
I pulled my arm free of hers and squared my shoulders. I didn’t need anyone to tell me where I fit into the picture. I was okay with my place beside the Six.
“No, you aren’t. And you really don’t get it do you?” she asked, shaking her head.
“There’s nothing to,” I put my hands up, curling my fingers in emphasis, “get.”
Her head tilted, eyes squinting. “At what point did you decide to be better than them?”
Anger flushed my cheeks. “I don’t think that at all!”
“Is that why Jared goes out of his way to pull you from yourself?” she asked.
I was sputtering mad. “Pull me from myself? Are you kidding me? I never asked to be a part of this group of friends. I never tried to be more than I was to them. If they included me, it’s because they wanted to. Jared never had to pull me from myself; he was just a friend trying to make sure I fit in!”
She smiled at me.
“You baited me!”
“You’re damn right I did. And now that you’ve said it, you can’t take it back. You, Paige…” she laughed, “I have no idea what your last name is. You have always been a part of them. You help make them what they are.”
I didn’t have a comeback. I had not one damn reasonable argument to make against what she said.
“When I heard about all of you, all I could think about was how delusional Jared was. I mean, no one stays friends for years on end the way all of you have. It unnatural. I even told Jared that. And you know what?” She stopped long enough to look me in the eye.
“What?”
“I was wrong. Friendships can be just that easy. I know it now,
because I’ve seen you together. The dynamic is quirky, demanding, forgiving, but most importantly, it’s real.”
I turned the tables on her. “So how do you see yourself in this?”
She blushed. “I’m just Murphy.”
“Well, just Murphy, let me tell you how I see you,” I said, looping my arm back through hers.
“This isn’t about me, Paige. I’m fine with where I’m at with all of you,” she said.
I side-eyed her, watching as she grimaced. “Let’s put it this way. Once there were Six, and now there are Ten… and holding. Lord knows what Eli and Josh will do.”
She went quiet for a minute. It was nice, the silence.
“Is it overwhelming for you sometimes?” she asked.
“God, yes. How could it not be? But I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” I answered.
“Does that mean you and Mark will stay with us… with Cole Enterprise?” she asked.
The wind picked up, carrying the sound of Mark’s voice from behind us. When I turned, I could see Mark holding his camera up in front of him and Oliver as they each pointed at the screen.
“Wonder what they’ve been up to?” Murphy said, echoing my own thoughts.
Oliver noticed us first. When he did, he nudged Mark.
Mark looped the camera strap over his neck and let it hang from his neck. He wore the goofiest grin.
“Looks like someone is happy,” Murphy said.
He did look happy. The light in his eyes that had dimmed over time while we were in New York was back. His cheeks were flushed, and his hair was disheveled by the wind. I couldn’t help but think he looked like he had when I first met him all those years ago.
My heart sped up. Blood rushed through my veins, making me tingle in places I’d thought numb for far too long. He was happy, and, in turn, it made me happy.
“What are you boys up to?” Murphy asked as they got closer.
“Went on a nature walk,” Oliver grumbled.
Mark handed the camera over to Oliver and then wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off my feet as he said, “Hello, beautiful.”
“I’m gonna pull the card and get the images uploaded. We’ll put them on the living room TV to get a closer look,” Oliver said.
The Vows We Make (The Six Series Book 4) Page 10