Where Life Takes You

by Claudia Burgoa

  Greg, who hadn’t moved a finger since we arrived with Donna, nodded. He looked rested, but preoccupied. For the first time since I met him, his gaze towards me was soft. I must have done something right, but I doubted it would last.

  “I’ll be next door.” I told him. “Call me if there’s any change.” I copied his words from yesterday, turned around, and headed home.

  Once I was outside my apartment, I dragged the last steps towards the next door. I didn’t have the energy to socialize, and the place was full. Yes they were my friends, and would understand if I went to bed, but it wouldn’t feel right.

  Raj came from behind and linked our arms. “Becca, for the last time, go to bed.” Before I took a step, the elevator’s ping grabbed my attention.

  The doors opened, and my fuzzy brain recognized Nate. He wore a pair of jeans and a jacket. Two men stepped out from behind him, stopping dead when they saw me. Dan’s gray-blue eyes made contact with me at once, and he reached me in two strides.

  “Bex, baby, are you okay? You look like shit.” He hugged me, holding me to him as he rubbed my neck and nuzzled my hair.

  “Hmm.” I mumbled.

  “Raj, what’s wrong with her?”

  “Choose your poison: Sleep deprivation, emotional distress—she cried all night—or her usual worrisome personality that stresses her out of proportion. In my non-medical opinion, I’d say all of the above.” Dan lifted me, carrying me to his apartment while Raj gave him a detailed report. “I worry about her. Your girl’s too stubborn. She overdoes everything. You need to take good care of her.”

  “I’m right here, you two.” I mumbled, trying to lecture them for talking in front of me as if I was a child. But without energy, I couldn’t do much. Dan gazed at me, giving me a wide grin—dreamy. Whoa! Where did that come from?

  As we entered the apartment, Dan’s gaze went from left to right checking the entire place where his friends socialized after helping us with Mom’s move. He acknowledge everyone in his pad while he continued his way towards the bedroom. In the hallway he came to a halt, and turned―Ty stood there. “Ty, I told you to stay home,” I mumbled. “You too, Dan. You promised. The deal, remember?”

  Both ignored me, and Dan ordered Ty, before entering the bedroom, “Ty, you’re in charge.”

  “Do you want them out, or should I entertain them?” Ty asked.

  “Entertain them, Ty.” He then tilted his head to the end of the hallway where the living room ended, and raised his voice a little. “Thank you, Raj. I owe you, big brother.”

  Then he finally angled his chin towards me. “I’m taking her to bed.”

  “Yes, take me to bed,” I smirked languidly. “Gosh, Daniel, is your mind ever not in the gutter?”

  I heard him snort above me, “with a beauty like you, Bex, it’s hard to think of much else.”

  “Always the charmer huh? You should watch what you say around other people. They might get the wrong impression about us.” I wasn’t really paying attention, but I missed the constant banter between the two of us.

  Dan bent down against the bed and lowered me onto it. “I wouldn’t dream of it. You have to admit you find me irresistibly cute, though.”

  I grunted and wrinkled my nose. “Not cute, gorgeous. Like an Italian model, or a statue out of the Louvre, with the same level of culture and sophistication to match. I have no clue why you put up with me.”

  A deep crease formed in his forehead as I looked up at him through drowsy eyes. “There is nothing to put up with, Becca,” he admonished me softly. “Don’t get caught up in crazy ideas about you not being worth caring about, ok? You’re special; precious, even.”

  “But that’s just it,” I protested. “I’m nothing extraordinary. You could have actresses and heiresses on you like cheap jewelry. You could take a private jet right now to any town in the U.S. and find dozens of women who are prettier and smarter and more capable of love than me.” A loud yawn interrupted my train of thought, and I really couldn’t be bothered to say much other than the truth. It wasn’t a pity party, I was merely uttering the hard facts. “Why waste your time coddling me? I’m a big girl now. I can be alone and fine when you get sick of me.”

  “I’m home, baby. You’re not alone. Go to sleep and rest, crazy, persistent little thing.” He sprinkled kisses all over my face and hair. “My princess, I’m sorry for leaving you. I missed you more than you can imagine. I’m going to be outside with our friends for a while, but I’ll come back to you soon.”

  * * * * *

  The pantry was dark. Mom had taken the light bulb out because I’d cried when she told me about her date.

  “Shut up, fucking ungrateful brat.” She banged the door. I whimpered quietly, afraid she’d smack me again. “The neighbors next door might hear you, and then what would they think about me?”

  I hugged my stuffed puppy, and shut my eyes to avoid the darkness. Morning would come soon, and she’d let me out. Grandma used to take care of me when Mom went out, but since she’d died, the pantry had become my second room.

  The door opened and closed. She’d come back early. I stood up, waiting for her to let me out so I could go to my room. But when she finally let me out, she dragged me by the hair to the living room.

  “Look at me.” She sat me on the couch and squeezed my cheeks very hard after slapping me a few times. My face stung.

  “You’re hurting me,” I mumbled, tears dripping slowly down my face.

  “You ruined my life,” she screamed into my face, her hot stinky breath burning my eyes. “After I got pregnant, your father left me. I should’ve aborted, but my mother guilted me into having you. She promised to help me, but where is she?”

  “Grandma loved me.” I squeezed my stuffed puppy tighter.

  Mom slapped me harder. My head snapped back, and the room spun. She snatched my puppy and walked to her purse. She pulled out her lighter and held it under the puppy.

  “Not Pup! Grandma gave me Pup,” I screamed, running after her. She dropped her into the sink. I cried harder while the flames consumed my stuffed puppy. “Please, give me Pup back.”

  * * * * *

  “Becca, wake up.” Ty’s voice pulled me from the nightmare, but I couldn’t open my eyes.

  “Sh, sh, sh. Go back to sleep, princess. Everything is fine.” Dan caressed my hair and wiped my cheeks. “It breaks my heart when she has night terrors.”

  “Why did you let her bring Donna? I don’t want my sister close to the woman who treated her like shit.”

  “Your sister is tenacious. If I hadn’t let her bring Donna, then she would have been caring for her at the hospital, or their house,” he whispered. “For unknown reasons, Becca feels compelled to look after her mother. I guess it's a family thing. I wouldn’t know. The closest thing I have to family is you, my friends. Talking about family, you might want to settle things with Bex. Try to clear the waters. She swears you still hate her because of Lisa.”

  “I feel guilty because of Lisa. I don’t hate her.” Tyler’s voice sounded further. “What’s this book? Dear Lisa?” Don’t touch it, how can I forget to put it back in my office. Wake up! Wake up.

  “Her journal. Part of her therapy.” Dan kissed my temple. I stirred and tried opening my eyes, wanting to be part of the conversation, and to remove my journal from his paws. But as soon as I moved, Dan cuddled me more so I’d go back to sleep. “At the beginning she wrote nasty letters to Lisa—or what Becca considers nasty. Now they aren’t as bad.”

  “You read them?”

  “Only when she shares them with me.”

  “I wish I’d done something for her.” Tyler sighed. “Jeez, Dan, she asked for help, and I called Lisa to give her a lecture. I’m such an asshole.”

  “Don’t. It’s enough having one person living in the past. Let it go.” Dan placed my head in the crook of his arm. “Thank you for today, Ty. I owe you.”

  “Nah, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. She needs me, and I’m glad she has you.�
�� A strange hand touched my forehead, not Dan’s. Then I felt a kiss on my cheek. “Good night, little sister.”

  “Come on, little one, rest. Yeah, I know you’re fighting sleep. But you must, or I’ll have Raj give you something that’ll knock you out for a week.”

  He kissed my forehead once more, and I let myself go.

  Chapter 15

  The sweet aroma of chocolate woke me up. There was a clinking inside the bedroom. I pushed myself up on my elbows a little to see where it, and the smell, was coming from. Ty and Dan sat at the small table we had inside the bedroom. The drapes were open wide and the sun shone. A slight headache brought back a few memories of yesterday’s ordeal.

  “Morning, princess. You look human.” Dan showed me a plate with chocolate waffles, and then turned to grin at Ty. “I told you the smell of chocolate would wake her up.”

  “Ugh.” I stretched before getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom where I brushed my hair and teeth.

  I changed into a pair of yoga pants, a sports bra, and a tank top, and then headed back to the bedroom and the beckoning waffles. I kissed Ty and Dan’s heads before taking the empty seat.

  “Morning.” I grabbed the fork next to my plate and cut through the waffles—a task much higher on my list of priorities than talking to them. After the first few bites, I was ready to speak. “Though I’m very happy to see you both, I clearly remember telling you a trillion times to stay where you were.”

  After Dan poured some orange juice in my glass, he spoke. “Yesterday’s dream was bad. Who was Pup, and what did Donna do to him?” Dan and Ty waited for an answer to his question with attentive eyes and tight lips.

  After taking a deep breath, I began. “Right before pre-school started, when I turned three, Grandma bought me a stuffed dog. I named him Pup—extra original, I know. Don’t judge. He became my companion when she couldn’t be there. When I went to school years later, Pup stayed home, but I still had him next to me at night. Then, when Grandma died, the need to have him close came back full force. He hid in my backpack during school and… took the place of a security blanket, I guess.

  “At the same time, the kitchen pantry replaced Grandma as my babysitter.” Dan gasped, and Ty squeezed my hand. “Evenings were scary, especially over the weekends when she partied. On one of those nights, she came home earlier than usual and set Pup on fire.”

  Dan closed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and pressed his lips into a thin line. I appreciated him holding his tongue.

  “Did you bring me something from California, Ty?” Desperate, I changed the subject. “I bought a pink tutu for Angie, and a pair of pink shoes too.”

  “Leave my daughter alone, you pink monster.”

  With that, the atmosphere in the room changed—thankfully. The three of us laughed, while they mocked my pink habits. Even better, Mary came in soon after with another batch of waffles and a pot of green tea for me. When she’d dispersed her goodies, she gave us an update. Mom had slept through the night. Raj and Drew checked on her a couple of times. Nora left around six in the morning, and Rita took her place.

  Mary left the room and we continued breakfast. “Ty, you should be home.” He stopped mid bite and gave me a glare. “I mean it. Matthew needs to play ball with you.”

  “I’m needed here. Anyway, the entire family is traveling to Seattle tomorrow.” He chewed a bite of waffle, washed it down with orange juice, and continued. “Trish got an amazing job—great benefits, hefty salary, and a huge relocation bonus. There’s a catch, though. She’s required to stay there for at least three years.” He wrinkled his brows, looking from me to Dan. “Do either of you know about this mysterious position?”

  I shrugged, and mouthed a thank you to Dan, who winked at me.

  Ty shook his head when he caught our exchange. “Thought so. A princess decree, I assume.” A grin twitched the corner of his mouth. “Honestly, I won’t complain. Los Angeles was too close to us. Seattle seems a good location for my demanding sister in-law.” He ran a hand through his hair and stood. “I’m going to shower and check on the old man. Thank you for breakfast. Bex, let’s chat later today.” He headed for the door, but his last words lingered.

  My gut recommended ignoring them. I headed to the bathroom, where I undressed and climbed into the multi-headed shower. The warm water hit me from all directions, but I was mostly thankful for the head pointed at the aching knots in my back and shoulders. After five minutes of indulgence, I washed my hair, scrubbed myself, and shaved my legs. I wrapped up in a towel, dried my hair, and used the second door to get to the walk-in closet—avoiding the bedroom.

  I froze. Dan stood a few feet in front of me. Naked.

  “Where are your clothes?” I clapped a hand over my eyes, and clutched my towel to my chest so I wouldn’t lose it.

  My oh my.

  In the darkness behind my hand, I could still see him way too clearly. His broad shoulders. Those perfect pecs.

  Don’t think about it. He’s your best friend. Brother. Totally off limits. Don’t think.

  Tight biceps. Rock-hard abs.

  You’ve seen him wearing swim trunks. It’s the same, right?

  “Bex, relax,” I heard him say. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

  I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again, but nothing came out.

  Yeah, I’d seen… it… in a movie or two. Or when— I shook my head. Nope, definitely not something I’d seen before. Not in a situation like this.

  Sometime later, he broke the humiliating silence. “I’m dressed.” There was the sound of a door opening. “You could drop your towel and we’d be even. Just saying.”

  “Not funny, Daniel. I’m not laughing.”

  I heard a chuckle before the door latched.

  * * * * *

  Shoving the mortifying episode aside, I headed to the apartment across the hall when I finished dressing. Mom’s room. A middle-aged woman wearing glasses sat next to Mom, reading a novella aloud. Rita, I assumed. I needed to get acquainted with the medical personnel that would be tending to Mom.

  “May I help you?” She stood up and moved between the bed and me, as if it wasn’t my place to be there.

  Hating confrontation, I bit my cheek, took a deep breath, and turned to the door where Dan and Ty stood.

  “Rita, this is Becca, Donna’s daughter, and your boss.” Dan linked our fingers. “Nora must’ve mentioned her. She runs the show, not Greg.”

  “I apologize.” Her cheeks turned red. “When Mr. Sanders and I were talking about their family, he showed me pictures of their son and daughter, and I presumed. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, no,” Ty corrected Rita’s assumptions. “She’s not my mother. Ew. No offense, little sister.”

  “None taken.” I shrugged.

  Minutes later, Drew arrived with Raj in hand. They checked Mom, who didn’t present any changes from the prior day. Her body temperature was still low, and she was slipping in and out of consciousness. They administered her medicine, and afterward we left Greg and Rita with Mom.

  There was no point in me staying during the day, when I had arranged with Greg to stay with her at night. When we got across the hall, Nate was waiting for Dan. Mom’s presence in the building had compromised their tight security. They didn’t want to give away access cards to every single nurse and doctor assigned to Mom, as well as her visitors. In the end they went with the idea I’d been begging for since I moved in: access codes. Finally.

  “Want to hire one of my bouncers for door duty?” Buddy, who’d arrived almost at the end of the conversation between Nate and Dan, mocked them. “Don’t give me the ‘I’ll punch you in the face’ look, Brightmore. What’s biting your ass?” He walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. “Hi, baby girl. How are you managing today?”

  “Hey, Buddy.” I stood on my tiptoes to give him a peck on his cheek. “I’m hanging in there, but my day’s gotten better since you arrived.”

  Buddy was fun. As cliché as it s
ounded, he was the life of the party. Always making jokes and making me laugh. He told me time and time again that I was the little sister he’d never had. Whenever he visited Dan, he always indulged me by bringing chocolate, ice cream, or a chick flick. Like Dan, he protected me when he was around. I was his confidant when it came to girlfriends. I had a blast listening to him, and getting him out of sticky situations. He didn’t have problems with commitments. In fact, he loved to have multiple commitments at the same time.

  “How many girls are you juggling these days?”

  He smirked, while Dan, who’d followed our exchange, shook his head.

  My phone buzzed. A message from Connor.

  Connor: Outside the building. I brought Mom to visit Donna. Where should we park? “Hey, Dan. The Patricks are downstairs. Where should they park and… you know.” I arched an eyebrow and waited for his answer.

  Dan took my phone without asking and texted Connor. When I snatched the phone back, the message on the screen read:

  Stay. Mr. Nick Holton will meet you and give you directions.

  “Really, Daniel, now you’re texting as me?” I crossed my arms, and only just managed to stop myself from snapping at him and getting Buddy riled up. He loved to fluster Dan, and I wasn’t in the mood to play referee. Because when it came to Buddy, once Dan got agitated, he preferred to demonstrate his like a rowdy teenager. “That doesn’t even sound like me.”

  Ty peered at the phone and nodded, and then grabbed it and composed his own text: I’ll wait with pink bunnies and rainbows.

  “You’re welcome.” Ty handed me my phone after he finished, and then nodded solemnly at Dan. “She’s right. Too somber for her taste.”

  * * * * *

  Nick arrived with Connor and Izzy, dragging Ryan along. Instead of letting them take him next door, I asked them to leave him with me. After all, we had that neat play area on the roof terrace.

  “Please, Dad, can I stay with her?” Ryan asked, after I offered, getting an automatic yes from Connor.