by Candace Shaw
Brooklyn didn’t know how long she stood with her feet rooted to the hardwood floor as the tears streamed down her face. After making sure her home was secure, she trekked back to her bedroom. Her mind continued to replay the conversation with Chase. Her motto of ‘sometimes you have to do the right thing even when you don’t want to’ applied to this situation. Her head knew she made the right decision, but her heart was mad as hell and refused to beat correctly as it sped up followed by a crash sending her under the covers as the tears continued to flow well after she left for the airport wearing aviator shades.
Chapter Ten
“When you said you had a surprise for me after deep sea fishing, I’d feared it was something like base jumping off of the island’s lighthouse,” Chase stated to Addison as he hugged his twin brother, Hunter, and then picked up and spun around his other baby sister, Zoe. The twins focused on each other’s outfits and realized they had on the same Yale Law school T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts.
“Great minds,” the twin brothers stated in unison followed by a series of daps, handshakes, and fists bumps they’d made up when they were children.
“I figured we needed a mini Arrington reunion,” Addison said, intertwining her arm with Zoe’s. “We’ve all been so busy and spread out this year.”
“I agree,” Hunter said. “We haven’t hung out just the four us since Zoe passed the bar.”
“Well, it’s great to see you both.” Chase was glad they were there. Perhaps he could rid his mind of Brooklyn and her antics with this welcomed distraction. “Now I know why Addi was adamant about cooking out today.”
“The crew is all here,” Zoe said as they sat down in redwood Adirondack chairs set in conversation-style in front of Addison’s tiny house.
Grabbing their beer bottles from the table in the middle, the siblings toasted while waiting for the trout that Addison and Chase caught that morning to finish grilling along with corn on the cob, and sweet potatoes. Addison also made a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs the night before to go along with the fish, which was a family tradition most weekends when they were growing up.
“Still can’t believe Addi talked you into staying here,” Hunter started, nodding his head toward the tiny home. “How do you do it, bruh?”
“Man, it’s not easy climbing into that loft. You two should bunk with us,” Chase joked. “It will be like that one time our parents rented an RV for a cross-country trip for the summer.”
Zoe laughed, swiping a lock of her hair from her pixie-cut off her forehead. “And after the second night, Mom demanded a hotel room. Only Addi enjoyed the RV, obviously. No, thank you. We’ll stay in the condo we rented, but Addi’s home is perfect for her,” she added, squeezing her sister’s hand. “We’re all so proud.”
“Those were good times, and even though it’s out of my norm, at least I’m chilling with baby sis,” Chase said. “I have enjoyed staying here.”
He caught his siblings giving each other knowing glances as if they knew an inside joke. “What? I’ve enjoyed my time here.” Standing, he went to check on the food, and had a sneaky inkling of what they were referring to. He knew them all well. Addison and Zoe told each other everything no matter what, and he’d mentioned to Hunter a few days ago he’d been hanging out with Brooklyn.
Zoe took a swallow of her beer and popped her lips. “Mmm-hmm. So we heard, loverboy.”
“Did you finally convince her of a real date or is she still calling it hanging out?” Hunter asked, strolling to the grill and taking the corn on the cob off. “Even though you can’t keep your hands off of each other.”
“Yes, do tell,” Addison chimed in. “You came in this morning right before we left for deep sea fishing.”
Taking the trout off the grill, Chase placed them on a nearby platter and covered them with foil. “She decided she doesn’t want any type of relationship.” Shrugging, he plopped back in his seat and took a long swig of his beer. “She’s scared of something. I don’t know. I don’t have time for wishy-washy.”
“Long distance issues?” Hunter asked. “It was Harper’s gripe early on in our relationship, but true love conquers all.”
Chase shook his head in the negative. “No. It’s not the eventual distance she’s concerned about even though I think she’s using it as an excuse. She’s in some kind of career/life limbo at the moment and it’s her main focus. Not sure if I believe that’s the reason either.”
“Well, she does have a great opportunity with Kameryn, and who knows what doors will open for her after this,” Addison reminded. “Personally, who wants to be tied down to a man when there’s so much more to the world besides being with someone who can’t appreciate the value of …” Addison ceased as her siblings eyed her with concerned expressions. Taking the last swig of her beer, she cleared her throat and shooed a lovebug which had landed on her hand away. “But you’re a great guy to be tied down to, Chase. It’s just not my cup of tea.”
“Gee, thanks,’ Chase said sarcastically. “She also mentioned Memphis no longer feels like home to her since her parents are deceased which I do understand. She’s working through something, and I came along at the wrong time in her life, I guess.”
“Ah, I see,” Zoe said as an empathetic expression formed on her face. “Fortunately, we don’t know the feeling. I can’t imagine Mommy and Daddy not being here. Has to be hard. I’m sure Rasheed and Brooklyn were devastated when their parents died. It was just the two of them, and now Rasheed has his family. Perhaps Brooklyn feels alone in some aspects.”
Hunter rejoined them and handed everyone another beer. “But don’t give up. I knew Harper was the one for me even when she kept trying to push me away and make believe she wasn’t in love with me, and now we’re going to have triplets. Triplets,” he chuckled nervously, taking a swig from the bottle. “I need something stronger than this beer.”
“I still can’t believe it,” Zoe said as her and Addison got up to make their plates. “However, when the dad is a twin and the mom is a triplet, multiples can happen, you know.”
“Apparently,” Hunter said teasily with a clenched jaw. “We were shocked yet elated when the doctor said there were three heartbeats. Six more long months of waiting to see their adorable little faces in person and not on the sonogram screen.”
“How’s Harper feeling?” Chase asked, relieved the focus was off of him.
“Irritable and happy all at the same time. Oh, and very hungry along with being in decoration mode. She’s begun gathering ideas for the nursery and childproofing the house, so I can only imagine what to expect when I return to Atlanta on Monday.”
“I can’t wait,” Addison beamed, placing spaghetti on her paper plate. “The Arrington triplets. Sounds so cool. But back to you, Chase. I’ve witnessed you and Brook together. I haven’t known her long, but I noticed a change in her when you arrived. She’s usually serious and focused but lately she’s been carefree. Kind of like you. Something has awakened both of your spirits. I do know she’s been in a rut with work. She mentioned it to me over dinner one night, but she isn’t ready to tell Reagan and Zaria. She’s not happy with living the same routine over and over. Trust me, that can be boring which is why I don’t do it. Brook hasn’t fully disclosed everything to me and her best friends, but I’m all for seeking one’s inner desires. I wouldn’t say you came along at the wrong time. Falling for someone has no wrong or right time. So don’t give up. If it’s meant to be, the two of you will find a way.”
Chase noted the solemn tone hidden in her upbeat voice, and he had a feeling her mind was on her ex who had sent the flowers yesterday. Despite the fact she’d avoided discussing him like the black plague for the past couple of years, Chase and the entire family knew Addison still loved him but wasn’t ready to forgive or settle in one place either.
“I’m not giving up. I’m an Arrington man.” Chase and Hunter bumped their fists and clinked their beer bottles. “We want something, we see it through until the end.”
Zoe pursed her lips and peered over her shades at the twin brothers. “Arrington women don’t give up either, thank you.” She bumped fists with Addison, followed by a finger snap in a half-circle. “Carry on.”
Chase shook his head with a smirk at his sassy sister who reminded him of their mother. They both may be petite in stature and appear sweet … until it’s necessary to unleash their wrath. His mother had been a beast in the courtroom and no doubt Zoe was following in her footsteps.
“I’m going to give Brooklyn some time. I know what it’s like to be in a career limbo.”
“Yeah, you should know,” Zoe agreed, taking a bite of her fish. “Are you ready to join me at the firm? I need you, big brother, since these two knuckleheads are never coming.” She cut her eyes jokingly at Addison and Hunter.
“I’ll be there, and don’t act like you’re always there, Ms. Political Analyst,” Chase said, knowing he was about to crawl under her skin. “Thanks to technology, I’m able to listen to you on Good Morning, Memphis on the way to work. You’re bound to become a regular for the political segments.”
“I can do both, along with teaching the bar exam prep class you used to teach, and still find time to volunteer at the women’s shelter.”
Chase wasn’t surprised at his spitfire sister’s answer. “I know, superwoman, but must you be so mean at times? I felt sorry for one of the men you told off last week, and you know I can’t stand him either.”
Hunter nodded his head in agreement. “I’m actually able to watch, and did you have to say ‘bye, Felicia and miss me with the nonsense’ along with the eye roll for a touch of dramatics?” he asked, cracking a smile.
She rolled her eyes sarcastically. “If he continues to tell lies about my president, then I’ll continue telling him and the rest of them off,” Zoe replied matter-of-factly.
“You know your president isn’t the president anymore,” Chase joked, knowing Zoe would probably curse him out next.
Zoe placed her plate on the table and stood with her hands proudly on her hips. “A) he will always be my president and B) if that man or any of the other political pundits continue to tell lies and half-truths, they will feel my wrath as I set them straight with the facts.” Zoe smacked her lips. “Had the audacity to say the economy isn’t where it is today because of our last president. Chile, don’t get me started. I’m supposed to be on vacation.”
Addison’s cell phone ringing and subsequent grimace as she tossed it on the table and strolled to the ice chest caused the siblings to glance at each other with concern. Taking out a bottled water, she began to down it.
“Addi?” Zoe asked, quietly. “What’s wrong?”
Addison mustered a fake smile. “Nothing … I didn’t recognize the number,” she answered, reaching into the other ice chest and pulling out a bag of shrimp marinating in teriyaki sauce. “Finish telling us about the pundit you had to tell off while I grill these shrimp.”
The phone rang once more and Addison stormed toward it. “Time to change the ring tone to ‘Sorry’ by Beyonce or put your ass back on block.” Glaring in anger at the screen, she exhaled in relief. “Oh, it’s Brook. Hey, girl.” She was silent for a moment while listening. “Sure. I’ll go grab the keys to your house and handle it for you.” More silence. “It’s no problem. I’ll call you back in a bit.”
“Is she okay?” Chase asked, surprised at the concern which arose in his chest.
“She forgot something,” Addison answered, disappearing into her house to retrieve the keys.
“Oh,” Chase said with a simple nod as his thoughts trekked back to what he was hoping his siblings’ visit would distract him from. However, he decided not to focus on it and instead tuned into more of Zoe’s unapologetic rants from Good Morning, Memphis which set him into a hysterical laughing mode even if he didn’t mean it.
*****
Thanks to over sleeping the alarm buzz after crying herself back to sleep after her decision to stop seeing Chase cold turkey, Brooklyn forgot to download the pictures from the museum shoot off of her desktop and onto a zip drive. Hearing Chase’s laugh in the background when Addison called back set her heart speeding like a greyhound around a race track. He seemed happy and unbothered, which for some reason bothered the hell out of her. Not that she wanted him mopey and upset, but men had a way of moving on and forgetting while she couldn’t count the number of sleepless nights she’d had over a relationship not working out.
After checking the email Addi sent and replying back with a sincere thank you, Brooklyn rejoined Rasheed and Bria on their walk on Beale Street in downtown Memphis. They’d finished an early dinner at Lillian’s Dinner and Blues Club which was owned by Reagan’s brother, Justin Richardson, who was also the executive chef, along with his best friend, Derek Martin, who was the general manager. Rasheed had once been a part owner, and Brooklyn even was a hostess for a spell after college before landing a job at an accounting firm.
“Everything all right now, sis?” Rasheed asked. His warm, cinnamon-colored eyes that matched their late father’s bore into her as if he was expecting a negative answer.
“Yep. Can’t believe I forgot something so important.” Brooklyn had purposely placed Bria in the middle to avoid any eye connection with her brother. But considering he was over six foot five and his wife was barely five foot six in heels, the idea hadn’t work.
“Yeah, not like you. You seem off today. What’s up?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged, skipping her heels over a grate on the sidewalk as Chase’s laugh still filled her head. She’d laughed all through dinner as well, but hers hadn’t been genuine as she used it to mask the hurt she caused herself.
“You almost missed your flight this morning,” Rasheed reminded. “Not like you either.”
“Rasheed, stop,” Bria interjected, rubbing Brooklyn’s back and taking her husband’s newsboy cap off and playfully hitting his bald head with it. “Everyone is entitled to an off day.”
“I know,” Rasheed said, squeezing his wife’s hand. “I’m a concerned big brother, Bree.”
“Well, we are both excited about the book with Kameryn Monroe,” Bria said in a comforting manner, tossing a leave-Brooklyn-alone expression to her husband. “She’s so talented, and the exhibit at the Memphis Botanical Gardens is exquisite. Traci invited the entire family to the private showing. It’s good to be related to one of the head botanists at the gardens.”
Brooklyn was grateful of Bria’s change of subject. “I saw some of the displays on the garden’s website and fell in love. I can only imagine how they’ll appear in person. I spoke to Traci briefly yesterday to go over last minute details. She sounded exhausted.”
“Well, between you and me, I think her and my brother are expecting, but it may be too early for them announce. He’s been giddy lately and Sean Arrington is never giddy about anything,” Bria informed them with a bright smile showcasing deep dimples.
“Aww … babies are so precious,” Brooklyn gushed. “It’s wonderful if true. They’ll make great parents.”
“They will, and I just found out my cousin, Hunter, and his wife, Harper, are having triplets.”
“Wow. Triplets! That’s a lot of diapers,” Brooklyn laughed, even though the mention of Hunter made her think about his twin brother. She knew Addison was going to surprise him with a visit from their siblings, and from the sounds of laughter in the background during their phone call it seemed like they were all having a blast.
“Yeah, twins run in the Arrington-Chase families, but this will be the first set of triplets thanks to Harper who is the youngest of triplets. Anyway, Rasheed and I are so happy you’re here. We hate months going by before we see you. I know you love St. Simons but don’t forget about family and home.”
Home? Brooklyn held in a sentimental sigh. Nowhere felt like home at the moment. She didn’t want to tell Rasheed and his wife because Memphis was their home, but they had each other. The majority of Bria’s immediate family lived there and they�
��d welcome Rasheed with open arms. When Brooklyn graduated from college she felt alone. Rasheed was in and out of town with Sports Fanatic as the show’s lead basketball analyst, and while she had Reagan and Zaria, there was still a hole in her heart she knew would never mend. Being in Memphis only reminded her of it. However, she needed to brush all of it to the side, including the thoughts of Chase which continued to creep into her being as well. She had begun to silently chastise herself as she second-guessed the decision to end it with him before things grew too complicated. Even though she supposed sleeping with him definitely added onto complicating the situation. However, Brooklyn was shocked she’d admitted to him about Memphis no longer feeling like home because of her parents; though, she was also homesick at times which left her in a frustrated, contradictory mood.
They turned on Main Street and stopped in a front of a two-story building with a for sale sign in the window. She remembered the different businesses and its interior well. It used to be a spa owned by a high school friend of hers, and before that a photography studio owned by Ms. Tate a family friend who’d mentored Brooklyn when she began to show interest in photography. It was a gesture she’d always been grateful for, and it prompted her to do the same throughout the years with budding photographers.
“When did Shaunie close her spa?” she asked, trying to peek through the cracks of the boarded up windows. The space was open, as if the walls were all torn down. She glanced at the sign which stated the area was three thousand square feet with an additional one thousand square feet of living area of upstairs.
“Earlier this year,” Rasheed answered. “Your old friend got married and moved to Atlanta. This place has been for sale for months.”