Finding Brielle (a Forever & Always novel)

by Paige, Alyvia

  “Ms. Sava, I have your results. Are your guests privy to this information or I can ask them to leave?” The white haired doctor asks and continues when I confirm they can be present. “It appears you’ve had a cyst on your left ovary rupture and from the puddle of fluid and blood, it was an estimated seven centimeters in diameter but the exact measurement is unknown. Typically, we would try to remove or dissolve cysts of this size in your case, but once it ruptures, the most practical treatment is self-absorption. Now, this process will be painful – as you are aware, but I will prescribe you some pain medication, anti-inflammatory, and an antibiotic just as a precautionary. I will have Adalyn bring your discharge paperwork while I send your scripts off to…”

  “Walgreens on Jasper,” Hannah affirms looking from Dr. Mercer to me.

  “Great,” he says clapping his hands together, “let’s get you out of here so you can rest comfortably. Limited activity for the next four to six days and follow up with your doctor in Florida at that time.” Dr. Mercer pats my leg and strides out of the room as swiftly as he came in. Within fifteen minutes, Adalyn is repeating my discharge orders, handing me a narcotic script that they couldn’t phone in, and helping me into the wheelchair.

  “Brie, Carter should be out front by the time we get to the exit. Jase, you coming over, or what’s up?” Han probes to determine his motives.

  “Nah, I’ll head back to my hotel room. Ellie, call or text, so I know you’re doing okay. I’ll see you when you get back next week.” Jase leans down to my level and kisses my forehead after I nod in affirmation before retreating down the hall.

  “So, Ellie” Hannah croons. “What’s the deal? And don’t say nothing.”

  “He’s my personal kryptonite, like worse than s’mores. He’s always been there. Ya know, just like you but still different. He understands what’s going on and helps me cope, takes my mind off the pain, probing, treatments, and disappointments without anything sexual just like you are thinking from that smirk you’ve got going on.” I breathe in deep and slowly exhale. “He doesn’t judge me or my choices… there’s just no pressure.”

  “Oookay, so what about Chase?”

  “I care about him, but we’ve been so off and on that it’s giving me whiplash. We aren’t technically together, but he wants to be and he wants a lot more than I can or frankly want to give him.” I sigh as we reach the exit and Carter’s car comes to a halt. “I’ve got to figure it out, but not tonight. I can’t deal with any more stress.”

  “I get it Brie, and I’m here, always.” Hannah whispers as she helps me up and gives my hand a squeeze as she aids me into my seat then directs the guys to Walgreens and Taco Bell.

  Thirteen hundred miles, just me and my Tundra.

  Nineteen hours alone with my thoughts. Thoughts of Thanksgiving lunch seeing that guy that keeps going hot and cold on Brielle, the guy I’ve heard about on more than one occasion. She needs an ear, I have two. It’s always been that way for us as friends; we could always depend on each other. Friends, that’s what we are, friends. We flirt incessantly but leave it there, no crossing the lines. I push that boundary as far as I can sometimes. It’s fun to watch her squirm, blush, refuse to react. She told me she was having Chase back over Thanksgiving trying to figure out if there was anything to salvage. I hope she figures it out, even if it isn’t me, I just want my Ellie to be happy.

  I’m packed and ready to cruise out of town when my cell alerts me of a Snapchat, its Ellie. I click the notifications and wait for the application to open. Pressing her name on the screen, her sleepy greens and bright white smile greet me – then I see it, her shirt. It reads, “Today is my HOT MESS day,” the first few words stretch across her perky tits leaving the rest to relax over her taut stomach. I double tap once the ten-second timer maxes out removing the photo to take my own. Still smiling from the snap she sent, I click the capture button and type “( . )( . ),” select ten viewing seconds and send it back before kicking off a text.

  Me – keep snappin, text, or call when you want or need… I’m pullin out.

  Ellie – bahaha that’s what he said!

  Me – LOL girl after my own heart

  Ellie – be safe

  November 22

  Well yesterday sucked… most of it. Yep, all of it sucked except the food. Thanksgiving was hella awkward with Hannah inviting Braydon. Braydon is Chase’s brother… WTF! THEN Jase shows up… I know dun, dun, dun right? Cause my life needs to be more complicated. I think I handled myself well; well, until he opened his perfectly pouty-lipped mouth and acknowledged me as “Brielle” and that fucking curt ass nod he tossed me. HE SAT RIGHT NEXT TO ME! OMG he smelled delicious… like better than the turkey and side dishes. Then Carter goes and declares he knows who has my heart and says all that shit. Nothing like putting me on the spot in the midst of a pissing contest.

  What is wrong with me…? I brought Chase home. Just as friends, but damn I need to hone in on reality. Jase isn’t reality… been there, done that. We are just friends, we flirt and spend a lot of time together whenever we can, but we are friends. Chase is sweet, compassionate, and even-tempered for the most part. We were together then not together back and forth so many times and now I don’t know. Ugh, now someone’s infringing…

  “Hey beautiful,” Chase rasps from the doorway. “I didn’t think you’d be up so early.”

  Slowly I turn onto my side and offer him a grin while tucking my phone under my pillow. “Hmm, I needed to get my pain medicine is all. How’d you sleep?”

  “Good. Here, let me get you some fresh water.”

  Drawing my knees to my chest the minute he pivots out of the room, I finally allow myself to wince giving in to the overwhelming pain. Before I can compose myself at the sound of pattering feet, Hannah is sitting on the bed with the glass of water Chase went to refill.

  “You look like hell; I take it the pain is seeping back in?” Hannah pouts.

  “Yeah and thanks for kind of saving me from the imminent questions Banana. I know he is worried, I just ugh… I don’t know how or what to say. I don’t feel he needs to know much.”

  “Brie,” she probes just as she stands to close the guest room door. “I know I said we’d talk about this later, but you know this is just going to stress you out until you talk about it?” My eyes roam over her face settling back on her eyes as she continues to talk softly. “Adalyn mentioned you should stay as stress free as possible, so… maybe we should talk? I can have the guys go out.”

  “Maybe, once we go home? Just, let’s enjoy the rest of our vacation home.” I smile earnestly hoping she agrees with my plan to push this under the rug for a little while longer.

  “Okay, but if you change your mind.”

  “If I change my mind,” I nod taking the water from her hand and proceed to down the prescribed pain medication just as the door begins to creak open.

  “Me again. Can I come in?” Chase inquires moving through the door.

  “If I said no, doesn’t look like it’d matter, now does it.” I laugh and his green eyes catch mine, a flicker of unease mixed with a touch of humor.

  “Probably not, but I can leave.” He grins looking from me to Hannah.

  “It’s fine. I’m fine. What’s up?” I smirk and then glare at Hannah’s not so quiet sigh. “Hannah, go suckadick, and by “a” I mean the shadow looming around the doorframe. We’ll chat later.” I promise, nudging her off the bed as I sit up.

  “Crude.”

  “You like it,” I laugh. “To clarify, both – my crudeness and Carter’s dick.”

  “Brielle Dawn!” She laughs pulling the door closed behind her.

  “So what’s up Buttercup?” I ask waggling my brows.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “A little discomfort, but okay.” I casually respond scooting up, trying to get comfortable as he lowers down to the bed sitting next to my feet.

  “All right. So what’s going on with you then?” He asks, now rubbing lazy circles in the
arch of my foot resting next to his thigh.

  “Honestly, just a side effect of a medication, not a big deal… sorry it cut into the vacation.”

  “It’s fine, I’m not worried about the fucking vacation, I’m worried about you, how can I make it better. What can I do?”

  Meeting his hazel flecked gaze, my smile falters right along with my heart. “You can’t do anything, Chase. You can’t fix me. My body just has to do what it’s gotta do.” I shrug.

  “Seriously, Brielle. We’ve been together for over two years, more or less, and that is all you are giving me?” He drops my foot back down to the mattress and sighs.

  “Get over yourself. We have been off more than on, especially in the past six months; even the clerk at the store would agree with that. I buy my batteries in bulk.” I laugh off the unease that he is determined to set in.

  “I’m not laughing, I’m concerned.” He scowls. “So your health is off the table. Let’s talk about us, since that seems to be so funny to you and Hannah says no stress allowed.”

  “Let’s not.”

  “Braydon? He says you guys weren’t involved, just friends? Anything different you’d like to fill me in on with my brother?”

  “Half-brother,” I correct him with a cocked brow. “And no, we are friends only, as in I text him and shit. There’s nothing there, Chase. However, the fact that neither of you ever brought up that you had each other as half siblings is quite interesting.”

  “Okay, do you want to talk about that?” His lip curls up just slightly as he leans toward me, planting his lips firmly against my forehead, deciding he wants to delve into the new inquisition.

  “Not really at this moment, but is it a choice?”

  Being incapacitated, as Carter labeled me, definitely has its advantages. First plate at breakfast, first shower slot, pick of furniture to sit on in the living room… I am the queen! If I didn’t feel like crumpling into a ball and crying like a baby, I would be rubbing this in everyone’s face right now. Unfortunately though, it’s taking every ounce of energy I have just to keep this seemingly content smile in place.

  “Brie, are you about ready to head back to your parents’ place?” Chase asks from the sofa. “I think I am going to have Carter drop me by Braydon’s on the way unless you’d rather come hang out with us.”

  “Oh, um, no. I’d rather go lay down. Thank you for offering though,” Yes, hanging out sounds completely awesome and not torturous in the slightest. An afternoon and evening of questions, random stares, and discomfort. Stretching, I pull my phone out from my pocket and send my parents’ address to Chase’s cell phone in case he’s forgotten how to get there and notice my missed text notifications from Braydon and Jase as well as my missed Snaps.

  Braydo – How are you feeling?

  Braydo – don’t be mad bro

  JR – holy fuck this drive is RIDICULOUS!

  Stowing my phone back into my pocket with a true smile tugging the corners of my mouth, I decide not to respond or check my SnapChat just yet until I get back to Casa de Sava, seeing as everyone is now up and moving around me. Am I seriously having that slow of a reaction time?

  “Brielle, I got your meds and our bags,” Chase says now at my side helping me up from the recliner.

  “All right, sorry.” I apologize once I am finally to my feet, “I would have grabbed it.”

  “It’s fine, that’s why you’ve got me.” He assures me.

  Twenty minutes after we loaded everything into Carter’s SUV, my body feels as if I was put into a boxing simulator and I was the punching bag. The trip was quick to Braydon’s but the last haul across town to the house my parents lived in was rough. Opening the back door to Carter’s SUV, I exit about as gracefully as a fawn walks for the first time – falling back into the seat a few times before gaining my balance.

  “Christ, Brie let me help you at least.” Carter demands wrapping an arm around my back assisting me up the stairs to my late grandparents’ farm home. Hannah follows closely behind with my bag of belongings, jingling the keys until finding the one she’s after to unlock the front door.

  “Brie, are you sure you want to be alone? We can stay.” She suggests uneasy if leaving me alone is the best decision I should be making.

  “I’ll be fine. I just need to take my antibiotic, the anti-inflammatory, and get some sleep. I promise.” I yawn stepping away from Carter in the foyer and walk into the kitchen. “See, bottled water and heating pad.” I hold them both up, trek into the living room, plugging in the heating pad next to my cell charger, and ease my way onto the sofa with a groan. “All set.”

  “All right. Do I leave the door unlocked or will you hear Chase or…?”

  “Hannah, she’s in the middle of the God forsaken boondocks, she’ll be fine. She has a cellphone; she can call 911 if the boogeyman breaks in.” Carter laughs tossing me my pill bottles that Hannah just fished out of my bag.

  “Thanks C, now please go lust and thrust with my girl over there so she can calm her shit.” I plead through a burst of laughter as they retreat through the front of the house, cackling at my resolve.

  I’ve not been to Braydon’s place for a few years, and the only difference I see is its clean… like immaculate; perhaps he grew up. Ha, funny.

  “So, this has been an interesting vacation,” I joke as he restarts the newest version of Madden NFL.

  “I’d say.”

  “So, who the fuck is Jase?” I counter.

  “Uh… Hannah’s cousin. They all grew up together here. He’s a multi-season Supercross champ based out of Miami.” Braydon rattles off some basic knowledge, providing me with everything I already know.

  “Beyond that?” I grunt tying the score up in our video game.

  “Don’t know much. FUCK! How the hell did you just sack me?” he grumbles before reattempting the play and I take his player out again.

  “You suck bro.” I laugh gaining possession of the ball and moving it down the field again before his left tackle takes me out just before the 40-yard line.

  “Take that Timmons!” he shouts as his player intercepts my pass and sprints down the sideline, free of a tackle and straight into the end zone.

  After a few more rounds of Madden – neither of us coming out the winner - we decide to grab lunch over at Blanco’s. It seems fairly busy for this late in the afternoon but our server doesn’t seem to notice, keeping our drinks replenished, and paying special attention to Braydon.

  “So, how was Florida?” I ask biting into the piping hot pizza that was just delivered to our booth.

  “Good, Brie and I were asked to leave Whole Foods and not come back until we could learn to be adults, went on a tour of Flagler and Clematis at Night.” He responds before diving into his own slice of meat and cheese on a thin slab of crust.

  “You were asked to leave Whole Foods?” I ask incredulously. “Why?”

  “What? She didn’t tell you? We were playing “Hot Lava” and they got all pissy from the disturbance.” Braydon laughs before finishing off his beer.

  “Hot Lava? Are you twelve?” I chortle and begin to think over the immaturity, “That doesn’t sound like Brielle.” My Brielle is beyond mature for her age, always proper in public, never making a scene if she can help it. Being boisterous and being asked to leave, maybe she just wanted Braydon not to feel alone in his shenanigans.

  “Maybe it’s because you are cramping her style,” he laughs again. “Brie is so fucking kickass and hilarious.”

  “Huh, is that what she said? Man, I’m so goddamned confused. First, we’re doing great. Then everything nose-dived then back and here I am.” I shake my head at the roller coaster of our relationship; it shouldn’t be this hard.

  “Maybe you should talk to Brie…”

  “Oh, yeah Einstein, ‘cause I didn’t think of that.” I smart back and my Corona makes a loud thud from the excessive force of hitting the tabletop. “She shut the fuck down, again.”

  “Dude, Han warned you that be
ing a douche was a bad idea right? Brie isn’t a lukewarm kind of woman. It’s typically hot or cold, from what I’ve picked up on over the months.” Braydon tosses cash down to cover the bill and we head back toward his place after we polish off the extra-large pie.

  “You know where her parents live?” I ask and to his nod of knowing, I request that he just drop me off.

  “Don’t push her,” Braydon yells out the window as I make my way up the stairs.

  “Can’t push someone who doesn’t talk or put the effort in, Bray.” I shout back before entering the house.

  Quietly, I make my way through the foyer but stop short of the living room when I hear her voice. Yeah, probably shouldn’t eavesdrop, but hell, what do I have to lose? Shit, I might even find out what’s actually going on.

  “No, but I think he just got back. I heard something.” She laughs effortlessly then sighs, “I’m not moving. He knows his way around.”

  I wonder who she’s talking to… Han, her mom?

  “Shaddup, where are you anyway?” Brie laughs again and I honestly can’t remember the last time I heard her sound so relaxed. “Ugh, that drive sucks … okay well tell Shellie I say hey and I’ll see her soon… kay, bye douche!”

  I walk around the corner a moment later to find a smile still dancing over her lips. “Hey babe, who was that? Are you feeling any better?”

  “It was Jase; he left for home this morning. I’m all right, how was your afternoon? Braydon?” she inquires quickly while still grinning – except now I can’t decide if that smile is for him or me.

  Shaking off the feeling of uncertainty, I cross the room to sit in the recliner, giving me plenty of opportunity to study her face. “It was good; we went to a place called Blanco’s. Bray told me a little about his trip down to Florida; said he really enjoyed Clematis at Night.” I stopped talking when her smile faltered momentarily; leading me to believe there is more to the story than what I was spoon fed over pizza.