by Abbi Glines
That stung, perhaps because it was true. I was judging people I did not know simply by the way they looked and the noise they managed to create down the street nightly. “I think this is a special case,” I said.
He laughed again. “Good to know. I’d hate to think you were always so damn uptight. Kind of reminds me of the ladies at my gramma’s church.”
I had wondered where his grandmother was today, since it was obvious Lloyd was married to a younger woman since his daughter was in high school. I didn’t know the details or anything but that was my assumption. “Are your grandparents still married?” I asked then and instantly wished I hadn’t. That was rude and nosey.
He shot a glance my way then but he didn’t appear offended. Simply amused. “Yep,” he replied then waited a moment before adding. “You’re wondering about Hazel, aren’t you?
If Hazel was the girl from today then yes, I was in fact wondering about Hazel. I felt bad for admitting it though. However, his family tree was rather complicated.
“Hazel was the product of a bad situation that happened at the market. One of the field hands that Pop hired ended up raping one of the younger girls that worked as a cashier at the market. She was only fifteen and she got pregnant. The girl’s parents went to Gram’s church and they don’t believe in abortion. They decided to let her have the baby but put it up for adoption. A lot of shit happened. The family moved because the girl needed special care for the trauma she had been through. This town and all brought back too much. Anyway, long story short, my gram and Pop adopted Hazel. She’s been theirs since the day she was born.”
Wow. That was not at all what I’d been expecting.
“We’re here,” he announced then, snapping my thoughts from his story to the present. Rio had pulled the Jeep into a sandy gravel driveway that belonged to a two-story white beach house. There were several vehicles parked outside. I recognized two of them. The blue Ford truck and the red Mercedes convertible.
“Whose house is this?” I asked, not opening the door to get out.
“Mine,” Rio replied and I jerked my gaze from the house that sat directly on the beach with a wraparound porch and balcony in front of me to look at him.
“Yours?” I asked not sure if he was joking or not.
He smirked. “You look like you don’t believe me,” he replied.
“Well, if your pop pays you enough at the farmer’s market to afford a one-point-five-million-dollar house then I might need to come apply for a job.”
He opened his door then and started to move to get out. “I live here with two other friends.”
“So y’all rent this place?” I asked, still doing the math in my head and not seeing how three people in their early twenties could afford this place.
“Two of us rent, one of us owns it. That isn’t important. Just get out of the Jeep,” he replied then did as he told me to do.
I reached for the handle and got down out of the vehicle. The noise level here was much different from their friend’s house down the street from Gran’s. All I heard was the ocean waves breaking against the shore. At least this was where Rio lived so there wasn’t a chance of Saul asking me to leave.
Rio walked around the Jeep and glanced up at the balcony and the open double doors. “it’s too damn hot to leave the doors open. I don’t want to pay my half of that electricity bill,” he grumbled then looked back at me. “Why are you so nervous?” he asked me then.
I had just met this guy today, but I felt oddly comfortable around him. “I’m not good with people. At least new people. I prefer to keep to myself,” I told him honestly.
“Stepping out of your comfort zone,” he said. “Impressive.”
I stopped walking then and stared up at him. “No, it isn’t. I’m doing this because you said you would tell me what you meant by my gran not sending those tool boxes to Lloyd for the reasons I thought.” I didn’t want him to forget there was a reason I was here.
He smiled just as he looked away from me. “I know,” was his only response. “Still fucking impressive.” Then he continued toward the steps leading up to the door.
He had shared something personal with me in the Jeep about his aunt, but he hadn’t even hinted about what he had been referring to earlier today. I didn’t know how my coming to this party did anything for him. He was clearly not using me to make anyone jealous. He wasn’t attracted to me. This entire thing made no sense but yet here I was walking in the door of his house and into his world of wealthy friends who may or may not want me here.
The inside was even nicer than the outside. I may have guesstimated how much this place cost incorrectly. There was a possibility this was closer to two-million and who in the heck owned it?
“Rio!” a female voice called out in greeting. “I made your favorite Long Island mix but you’re late. It’s already gone.”
I looked to the left where a wide-curved staircase came from the second floor. The girl was standing near the top of the stairs, leaning over the railing with a tall glass of what I would assume was a Long Island iced tea. Her dark blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun and she was wearing a black bikini. The suntan oil was still on her skin and she looked as if she’d just come inside from tanning.
“Thanks, Kay Kay but you have to hide that shit from Drake. Whoever has the double doors open on the balcony up there tell them to close the damn things or they can pay the fucking electric bill,” he replied and then glanced at me not waiting on her response. “Come on,” he said.
I followed him through the open entrance, straight down a wide hallway that led into a large open living room. It had two levels. I could see on the lower level there was a massive white U–shaped sectional sofa that set in the middle of the room with a couple I didn’t recognize sitting closely on the far-right side talking. There was no one else down there but them. I lifted my gaze to the vaulted ceilings and exposed wooden beams. Ceiling fans that hung down from the top seemed to be on high speed but I wasn’t sure they did much good in a room this size. The entire back wall was floor-to-ceiling windows. I could see a few people out on the back deck. The sun would be setting soon and the view outside was going to be beautiful. I understood why everyone would want to be outside.
A well-stocked bar set off to the right of the first level of the room, once you were completely inside and could see it. In front of the bar itself sat three stools. The brunette that Drake had brought to Signed Sips was sitting on the middle stool, wearing a black zebra print bikini. I was overdressed in my blue sundress.
The guy behind the bar making a drink was not Drake, but it was clear she was flirting with him. The guy noticed us and grinned.
“Rio, where’ve you been?” he asked, then ran his hand through his shaggy dark blond hair.
“Work,” he replied. “When did you get in town?” Rio asked, and I followed him as he walked over to the bar.
“This morning. Packed up the rest of my shit from Baylor Friday and headed this way, but I had a stop to make yesterday,” he said.
“You’re the girl from the coffee shop,” the brunette said and I nodded. She then turned back to the guy behind the bar and said, “she makes a fab cappuccino.”
“I’ll remember that,” he replied, his brown eyes now focused on me.
“Benji, this is Henley, Henley this is Benji,” Rio said by way of introduction. “He’s Drake’s older brother by one whole year and the academic of the family.”
I could see the resemblance now. They had the same facial features minus the eye color. Benji’s were brown.
“Where are you from, Henley?” Benji asked.
“Chattanooga,” I replied simply. I seriously doubted he wanted a full rundown.
“Here for the summer?” he asked me.
“I think,” I replied because I wasn’t sure when I would leave.
“Summer girl,” he replied
with a chuckle.
“Not what you’re thinking,” Rio said then and Benji raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze back to me.
“I wish I could stay for the summer,” the girl pouted and leaned forward just enough for her cleavage to be on display.
“You want a drink?” Rio asked me then and I almost said no when I decided having something to hold in my hand may make me feel less awkward.
“Sure.”
Benji held his arms out wide. “We’ve got it all. What’s your poison?” he asked dramatically.
“Uh, club soda?” I asked and his face fell.
“Please tell me you want Titos with that,” Benji replied.
I shook my head no.
“I’ll get it,” Rio said and went around the bar to start making my drink.
“So, she’s your DD. I get it,” Benji said as if it made sense. “Pops making you ride with a DD after the last DUI? Or does he know? Saul said he handled it. Did someone leak it to the old man?”
Rio shook his head but said nothing. Benji shrugged and turned his attention back to the brunette. “You need another?” he asked her. “I’m about to head out to the deck. I need some salty air.”
The girl jumped down off her stool. “I’m good,” she said, ready to go with him it would seem. “I want to see the sunset.”
His gaze shifted back to me and he smirked then picked up his drink. “See y’all outside,” he said before walking around the bar.
Once they were gone, Rio slid the club soda across the bar. “Guess you know why I had to be bailed out of jail now,” he said with a crooked grin. “Not my best moment.”
It didn’t sound like it was his only moment either but I didn’t point that out. I took a drink of the soda and he reached into the ice bucket and pulled out a bottle of beer.
We walked down the three steps to the second level of the large room and Rio didn’t even glance over at the couple on the sofa. He kept walking toward the doors leading outside to the deck. I wished I had taken one shot of vodka in my soda now. It would have relaxed me enough for this. There were at least ten people from what I could see out there and I was going to have to meet several of them and face the one who wouldn’t be happy I was here.
The door hadn’t even closed behind us when my eyes found Saul, leaning against the railing with his gaze locked on me. I quickly looked away from him, now more nervous than ever. Rio, however, walked directly to the one person I was trying to avoid. I wanted to grab his arm and pull him back then beg him to go talk to anyone else out here. Anyone. I did not care.
Now that we were outside I could see that the railing Saul was leaning against had an opening that went down to a second deck with a swimming pool. The pool had an unobstructed view of the beach. I was surprised the majority of the people weren’t enjoying the pool.
“Henley!” Drake’s voice called out and I found him sitting on a lounge chair with a different brunette in his lap. I wondered if he had asked her about blow jobs yet.
I lifted my hand in a wave, wishing we had walked in his direction instead. Unfortunately, we had already arrived just a few feet in front of Saul. Forcing myself, I shifted my gaze back to Saul and took a drink of my club soda, hoping I appeared calm.
“Didn’t know you two knew each other,” Saul said then took a drink from the bottle in his hand.
“We met today,” Rio explained.
“Hmmm,” was his response as he glanced over toward the far right of the deck. “Shelby came with some girl Drake invited. You two done?”
Rio shrugged. “It wasn’t serious.”
Saul turned his attention back to me and studied me a moment. I stared directly back at him, not about to let him know how uncomfortable this was for me. Whatever it was Rio had to tell me about my gran better be worth this. I had told myself I would stay clear of Saul and Drake, yet here I was.
“Here,” Rio said and held out his hand toward Saul. Saul looked down at what Rio was holding then back up at Rio. “Take it. Pops is already mad enough.”
Saul reached out and took a roll of bills from Rio’s hand. “Why’d you tell him?” Saul asked.
Rio shrugged. “Just did.”
Saul scowled and shook his head then took another drink.
“He would have found out anyway,” Rio said.
“Yeah and maybe next time you’ll fucking walk,” Saul replied.
“I guess I will,” Rio agreed.
Saul looked at me as if he were going to say something then shifted his gaze to the waves and took another drink. He didn’t seem angry that I was here and I wondered if I had misunderstood his warning. “She’s not wearing a swimsuit. You two not gonna swim?” he asked.
Rio hadn’t mentioned swimming and I was very thankful for that.
“I’ll be back later when it thins out,” Rio said, surprising me. We were leaving? That’s all I had to do? Why did I have to come with him for that?
“How’s the job?” Saul asked then and I realized he was talking to me. His clear blue eyes were again locked on me and I wished they weren’t.
“Uh, it’s good,” I replied.
“Haven’t seen you at the Hendrix. Job must be keeping you busy,” he said, still watching me too intensely.
The way he said it made me feel guilty for not going to visit Lily again, but I didn’t know the woman. Gran had not asked me to befriend her. I had no reason to feel guilty. Yet with his clear blue eyes staring at me, I felt as if I had failed the lady somehow.
“Yeah, it has,” I said finally.
He said nothing but then he didn’t take those eyes off me either. In the light from the setting sun, they stood out even more and drew you in.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Rio said and I tore my gaze from Saul’s to look up at him. I managed a nod and he gave Saul one last look before walking past him and toward the stairs that led down to the beach below.
“Where are you taking her, Rio? She was my friend first!” Drake called out.
“We will be back later,” Rio replied then shook his head. He leaned closer to me. “Be careful with that one. Don’t take him seriously,” he whispered.
Almost the same words Saul had said to me. I glanced back at Saul then but the girl who I knew now was named Fleur was standing in front of him with her arms around his neck. I quickly looked away and headed down the stairs.
We said nothing while we took off our shoes and left them there at the bottom of the stairs. I fell into step beside Rio and wondered how long we were going to walk and if this was where I got my answers about Gran and the tool boxes.
“Saul and I moved here about the same time. Neither of us had grown up here and we were outsiders together.”
I waited silently for him to say more. When a few moments passed and he said nothing, I thought about just asking him about the tool boxes.
“When I was sixteen, my mom decided she had lived enough life. I found her, but she knew I would. No one else lived there with us. All she left behind was a note apologizing for my life and a lot of bills she couldn’t pay. My pops came to get me that day. We lived about five hours from here in a town called Sumiton. Before that we had lived in Atmore and before that it was Pelham. Mom would meet a man then things would go badly and we would pack up and move without a warning. This town, it’s the longest I’ve ever lived in one place. And Saul, he’s the longest friendship I’ve ever had.”
My heart hurt as I listened to Rio’s story. I didn’t understand why he had chosen to tell me all of this, but I was going to listen. He needed someone to, it seemed, and he had chosen me.
“I never knew my dad. My mom got pregnant when she was eighteen and he wasn’t interested in being a father,” he said.
“I didn’t know mine either,” I told him. Although my life with my mother may have been hard, it was not as awful as what he had suffered.
“I know,” he replied.
I stopped walking and stared at him confused by his response. “You know?” I asked.
He stopped a few feet in front of me and turned around to face me. “Yeah. I do.”
Eight
It was one of those moments when so many thoughts hit you at once and you had to wade through them to decide which one was the most important or made the most sense. I stared at Rio with the setting sun behind him and the waves crashing on the shore and tried to figure out a link between tool boxes, his pop, him, his mother, and me. Things that I knew were not possible crossed my mind, but in the end, I simply asked, “How did you know that?”
He sighed then and his shoulders rose and fell with the action. He looked out over the waves instead of at me, as if he needed to gather his thoughts. I waited patiently, but it also gave my mind more time to make up possibilities that I didn’t want to believe.
“I found a box of letters about a year ago in the attic. They were mixed in with other things like concert tickets, a dried rose, a silver ring with a small stone in it, and a piece of torn fabric. The box had been my mother’s. She had several shoe boxes stuck in the attic at my grandparents’ house. They were full of her memories. I read the letters. All of them. It told me more than I had ever known about my mom and my father.” He shifted his gaze back to me.
“Majority of the letters were ones written to my mom from my father their senior year of high school. They weren’t lengthy or very informative. Mostly just the guy responding to whatever letter my mom had left him. It was their method of texting it seemed. Anyway, the last three letters were from someone else. A girl, younger than my parents. She was a sophomore from what I read and the letters were not meant for my mom. She was writing them to a guy. I am assuming was my father, but she never addresses him by name in the letters. How my mom has them I don’t know. What I do know is the girl was scared and she was pregnant and it was this guy’s kid. The girl signed the letters Lyra. I found my mom’s senior yearbook and looked up a Lyra in the tenth grade. There was one. Lyra Warren.” He stopped talking then.