“Brie, Mom’s here!” Lex called up the stairs.
BC half-smiled, heading out. “I guess I’ll see you at rehearsal on Friday,” she said over her shoulder.
Sorry to disappoint you, Buttercup, but you’re going to see me a lot sooner than Friday.
Shopping for an entire Sunday afternoon with my mom and sister proved to be exactly what had been missing from my life. We used to do that almost every Sunday. After running around like crazy for six days straight with my sports’ schedules and Lex’s dance classes, we’d have breakfast with Dad before heading out. He never wanted to join. He preferred just handing over money, then disappearing into the garage with whichever car held his attention at the time. Everyone had a way to unwind and prepare for the hectic week ahead. His was getting greasy with an old pile of rusted metal.
Our retail therapy excursions weren’t always about buying stuff for us. Lex and I would sometimes tag along while Mom picked up groceries or other things for the house. Home improvement stores were our least favorite, but we went wherever Mom needed to go. It was important for us to get those few hours with her. If something prevented the trip, the week didn’t feel complete. In the car, we’d have long, involved conversations, ranging from serious to random. From an early age, Mom made sure both of us felt comfortable talking to her about anything. We never kept secrets from each other. At least, we never used to.
That particular Sunday, Mom treated us as her children, not as grown-ups with well-paying jobs. At first, I told her it was unnecessary, but she scolded me in the middle of the mall.
“I don’t need permission to buy things for my daughters, Brielle.”
“I’m not saying you do. I just meant you and Dad are paying for the wedding. You should save your money.”
“Shut up, Brie,” Lex grunted.
“That’s very sweet, honey,” Mom told me, softening, “but don’t worry about it. If given the opportunity, we’d gladly pay for a second wedding.”
My eyes shifted between Mom and Lex. “Are you planning on getting divorced and remarried already?” There was no way I was going to listen to anything that involved me being the main attraction for such an elaborate event. Lex laughed, walking into a store. “Don’t hold your breath for me to get hitched. It’s not happening.”
“I distinctly remember a time when my barely twenty-year-old daughter had me looking at engagement rings and gowns,” Mom stated matter-of-factly.
“She didn’t know what she was talking about,” I murmured. Mom saw my expression, noticing the tone in my voice had changed.
“Hmm… That’s interesting,” she remarked, looking at a shirt hanging on the first rack inside the store.
“What is?” I should’ve just let it go.
“Well, to me, she always seemed to know exactly what she wanted.” Mom didn’t push further. “This is cute.” She changed into shopping mode. The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. When Laney and I would spend the day at the mall, it tended to ease the loneliness, but it never felt this refreshing.
When we finally made it home, Lex curled up on the recliner in the living room and immediately fell asleep. With working different shifts, it was a good thing she could pass out whenever and wherever she wanted. That was one trait I wished we shared. As if waiting for us to walk through the door, the phone immediately rang, my mom getting sucked into a long, drawn-out conversation with my grandmother. Dad was still out in the garage. Since everyone was preoccupied, I took my new purchases up to my room, figuring I should probably call Aidan. Every time he tried to reach out, I was busy and couldn’t really talk. Apparently, it didn’t bother me too much because I passed out on the bed before dialing his number.
What felt like only a few minutes later, the voices of too many people echoed through my room. Were they having another party and forgot to tell me? Rubbing my eyes, I figured it was rude to be sleeping with guests at the house. After stretching, I slowly got out of bed, fixed my hair into a ponytail, and went downstairs. Alexa wasn’t in the chair, so I followed the noise to the kitchen.
Dad stood against the counter, arms folded over his chest, laughing at someone sitting at the table in front of him. When he noticed me coming, he held out his arm. I laid my head on his chest as he wrapped the extended arm around my shoulders. Obviously, I had been asleep longer than a few minutes because Dad smelled as if he just stepped out of the shower, not the garage. That was his routine. Work on the car, then take a shower when Mom gave him the twenty minute warning for dinner. It was late when we got home from the mall, then she had been on the phone. How did she have time for all that?
“How is it possible they both wake up looking as beautiful as when they fell asleep?” Vince. No wonder it was so loud.
“You have to believe him this time, Brie. That’s the second time he’s called you beautiful,” Lex declared.
I went to say something cocky, but as I turned my head toward them, my eyes focused on someone I didn’t expect to be sitting at my parents’ table.
“What are you doing here?”
He took a swig from the water bottle in front of him and gave me the famous Sullivan grin as he set it back down on the table. “It’s Sunday. Barb always cooks dinner on Sunday. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Did he always have dinner with my family? He appeared awfully relaxed in my parents’ kitchen. “Is that a problem?”
“No.” Dad kissed my head as I left his side to sit at the table. It was smaller than the one in the dining room, so only one chair was open. The one next to Joey. “Doesn’t Jack cook for you?”
He snorted. “I’m lucky if Jack picks up his dirty underwear.”
“That’s disgusting,” Lex added, then glared at Vince. “Do not even think about it.”
He held his hands up in surrender, smirking. “I wouldn’t mind you leaving your panties on the floor, especially if they made a trail to–”
“Vince! My parents are standing five feet away from you!” Lex yelled, making everyone laugh.
“And?”
“They are my parents.”
“You act as if they never did shit like that when they moved in together! How the hell do you think you got here?” Lex clearly wanted to strangle him. If we were teenagers, saying things like that would not fly, but we joked around more now that we were older. Another bonus of being so open with Mom. No one got offended.
“There’s something seriously wrong with you.” Lex stood and went to the refrigerator. Dad nonchalantly handed her the bottle opener, knowing she was grabbing a beer.
“You know damn well there’s absolutely nothing wrong with me.” Vince leaned in, planting a kiss on her cheek when she plopped back down into the chair. There were other remarks from around the room, but I missed them when I heard a bark coming from the back door.
“Maddie’s here?” I asked, getting up to let her in. The happy puppy danced in place as I knelt down to pet her.
“Sully doesn’t go anywhere without her. Haven’t you realized that yet?” Vince informed me.
I glanced at my mother, who already knew what was going to come out of my mouth. “You let Joey have a dog here, but I wasn’t allowed?!”
She bit her lip, then sighed. “She goes with him when he leaves. I’m not attached to her in the slightest.”
“Yeah, right.” Dad smirked.
“I can’t believe you!” I remarked, practically appalled.
“How could I deny her precious face, Brielle?” Mom defended herself, gesturing toward Maddie.
“Pathetic,” I mumbled, turning back to the puppy. “How about you come back to Connecticut with me?”
“Not going to happen, BC,” Joey responded. “Get your own dog.” I glared over my shoulder. More than likely, he knew I was silently cursing him. He picked the exact dog I wanted and even had the balls to give her the name I chose. She was my dog!
“Dinner’s ready,” Mom announced with a chuckle. Her timing was impeccable.
Everyone ventured into the dining r
oom, taking their normal seats, which meant Joey sat next to me in the only empty spot. My comfort level at having him so close was ridiculously high, the awkwardness of the day prior diminishing. Since he acted as though we were still best friends, there wasn’t a reason for any uneasiness. The thought alone relaxed every tense muscle in my body.
The six of us remained at the table long after we finished eating. Conversation flowed freely, as did the comments about me being away for so long and how much I’d missed. Just when I figured the topic changed, someone else would mention it. If they only knew how homesick I’d been, they probably wouldn’t have tortured me as much. Or maybe they would have. Regardless, being there with them made everything seem perfect. I needed perfect, even though it was only temporary.
In spite of Vince’s objections, Lex slept at Mom and Dad’s house that night. We were leaving early for the shore the following day, so it only made sense she stayed. Something told me Vince would be awfully happy when my visit came to an end. She didn’t pretend like she planned on sleeping in her room, coming into mine the second she changed into pajamas. However, it took way too long for my eyes to close because Joey Sullivan stubbornly refused to get out of my head.
The next morning, Lex woke me up, then went to her own room to get ready before the sun completely rose. Due to the lack of sleep, it took quite an effort for me to dress and make it down the stairs. Surprisingly, Joey and Vince were standing in the living room.
“Hey. What’s going on?” I wondered.
“You didn’t think we’d miss a trip to the beach, did you?” Vince replied, as if I should’ve known better.
“They invited themselves when I mentioned we were going,” Lex explained unapologetically, coming in from the hallway.
“Don’t either of you ever have to work?” They had both been home since I had arrived.
“Occasionally,” Joey told me, smirking.
“I’m going to have a talk with your dad,” I said, setting my bag down.
Vince laughed. “Pete isn’t going to do a damn thing.”
“We’ll see.”
“Did you put the stuff I asked you to grab from the garage in the back of my car?” Lex asked Vince.
“Sure did, baby. Now you owe me.”
“I don’t owe you shit. Help me take the cooler out, please.”
“Only because you asked so nicely.” Vince didn’t appear thrilled.
Joey shook his head as he watched them walk out the front door. “You aren’t getting in the car with those two, are you?”
“Why not?”
He groaned. “They’re gross. It’s been worse than normal with the mushy shit lately. I really hope it’s out of their systems before they get home from Hawaii.”
I smiled. “Since when are you afraid of a little PDA?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not just a little. I’ve been exposed to all kinds of groping and tongue action I wish I wasn’t.”
“Yuck.”
“Exactly,” he muttered. “So you’ll ride with me?”
“Fine, but we’ll take my car.”
“Works for me. I just need to get a few things from my truck.” As he walked toward the door, I stopped him.
“Joey?”
“Yeah?”
“You can get me out of a speeding ticket, right?”
He removed his hat, ran a hand through his dark hair, then put it back on. He mumbled something I couldn’t hear and went outside. Maybe he’d reconsider us driving separately.
With the change of plans, I quickly ran back to my room and grabbed my keys. By the time I returned, all three of them were back in the house, waiting for me.
“Ready?” Lex asked.
“Yup.”
“Let’s get moving,” Vince said, reaching for my sister’s hand. She kissed him.
“See?” Joey whispered, rolling his eyes. I giggled and followed them, making sure the door locked behind us.
There were a couple bags on the ground behind my car, so I hit the button on the key fob to open the trunk as Joey bent down to pick them up. He placed them in, then held out his hand for my stuff. After he closed it, he put his hand out again.
“What?” I questioned, looking at his palm.
“Keys.”
“Why?”
“If I’m getting anyone out of a speeding ticket, it’s going to be me.” He kept his palm up, waiting. “Nothing is going to happen, BC. Just give me the damn keys.”
“Come on,” Lex called from the passenger window of her SUV. “Stop fighting over whatever it is you’re fighting over and get moving.” Vince pulled away from the curb.
Joey smiled when I placed the keys in his hand, then opened the door for me. I climbed in, avoiding eye contact. Winning made him cocky.
As he adjusted the seat and mirrors, he stole a glance in my direction. “Nice wheels. Definitely not your color, though.”
“You’re right, but silver is a good color to have when there’s salt on the roads for half the year. It hides more dirt than you’d think.”
“Sounds like a pretty damn good reason to return to Jersey,” Joey grunted, backing out of the driveway.
There were so many things I could’ve said, but decided to go with something simple. “If I were going to leave Connecticut to escape the snow and ice, I’d move a lot further south than here.”
For the first few minutes of the drive, I stayed quiet, watching the town I grew up in pass by. Everywhere I turned, things were familiar. The field where I played softball, which was my second home from early spring to late fall. The restaurants I frequented. Neighborhoods of my friends or teammates. The middle school. The high school. Lex’s dancing school. The only familiar things in Connecticut were the college I went to, the hospital, the grocery store, and a place I’d grab a bite to eat once in a while. There were no special memories to make me feel at home.
“You okay?” Joey asked, navigating the car into the center lane of the expressway.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You seemed… I don’t know. Want to play the radio game?” Joey started that game a long time ago. He’d play a song and I had to guess the artist. Sometimes he’d even put a wager on whether or not I knew who it was.
I laughed. “No.”
“Don’t be like that. We’ll just play for the hell of it.”
“Okay,” I agreed, then started the Maroon 5 playlist from my phone.
Joey sighed, peeking over at me. “You still like these guys?”
“Is that a real question?” I answered, raising my eyebrows.
He smiled. “Somethings never change.”
“Especially that.”
Joey appeared comfortable sitting in the driver’s seat of my car. His arm relaxed over the steering wheel, his fingers drumming on the dashboard to the beat of the music. It was hard not to stare, so it took great effort for my eyes to stay focused forward. Fleeting glimpses toward him were unavoidable. His skin was already tan, perhaps from playing baseball. It would be even more so after sitting on the beach for the day.
I shook my sandals off and pulled my feet up on the seat. “This feels weird.”
“What?”
“Sitting over here. I’ve never been on this side of the car before.”
“Really? How come?”
“Do you drive from the passenger seat?”
“Doesn’t Aidan drive your car?” I hated Joey saying his name. It didn’t even sound right.
“No.”
“You guys always take his when you go out?”
Without letting him see I didn’t want to talk about Aidan, I offered a short explanation. “Not exactly. We usually meet wherever we’re going.”
Joey lowered the volume of the stereo. “BC, you are making it really hard for me to like this guy. He doesn’t spend the night. He doesn’t have the decency to pick you up. What else doesn’t he do that he should?”
“It’s not like that with us.” Please, let it go.
“Then h
ow is it?”
“You don’t have to like him,” I snapped, irritated.
“You’re my friend, BC. I want to know the guy you’re seeing is treating you right.”
“He treats me the way I want to be treated. Now, can we talk about something else?”
“Sure. We can discuss songs and the people who sing them,” he replied, grinning. I permitted him to turn off Maroon 5, but only because next up on the playlist was “Sunday Morning”. I did not want to be anywhere near Joey when that played.
He fidgeted with his phone for a short time before finding what he wanted. “Shouldn’t you, of all people, know you aren’t supposed to be on your phone while you drive?”
“I’m trained to do this,” he teased. “Old or new stuff?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Cocky, aren’t we?” he said, switching lanes. The tractor-trailer in front of us was slowing him down. “We’ll start with something easy. How about this?”
When the music started playing, I was disappointed he wasn’t even challenging me. “Guns N’ Roses.”
“They didn’t even start to sing yet. Nice.” Why was he so damn cute?
The song continued and I sang along in my head. No one needed to hear my terrible voice. The phone sat on Joey’s thigh until it was time to pick another. He must have had it ready because he tapped the screen and a new one immediately began.
“Hinder.” “Lips of an Angel” was one of the best ever written. Did he really think I’d forget it? As he watched the road, he acknowledged my correct response with a proud nod and a grin.
The next one irritated me. I had always hated it. “Change it…now,” I ordered. Judging by his barely contained laughter, the jerk knew I’d react like that.
“Yes, ma’am.”
It continued like that until we were almost at the shore. Some of the songs had meaning. Some were random. Some were so horrible, we’d tear them apart. There was one he repeated just so we could make fun of it more. Thankfully, he didn’t stump me on one. My assumption was he did it on purpose. Regardless, it was fun. For a little while, I even forgot we weren’t together anymore.
Subtle Reminders Page 14