“I get it,” Julian sighs. “You had to do what you had to do.But the way you left was still shitty. I mean,Lana, Christian?Lana.”
I shake my head grimacing. “I know.”
“You don’t know, though, Christian,” he hisses. “Out of everyone… You should have seen it, man. She was a zombie for, like, the first year. Every time I saw her she looked like she’d just been crying. Eventually, I just thought that was what she looked like. There was a time when the town didn’t see her for almost a month.”
“Julian…”
“Look, I get it, Christian. I mean well, I promise,” he says. “You had things to take care of, responsibilities you didn’t want were given to you anyway. I know what that’s like. I love Grace, I do. I just didn’t expect to do it all alone. Fuck, I don’t even know what the fuck you’re CEO of now?—”
“It’s a?—”
“I don’t care.”
I snort and he laughs. I mutter, “Dick.”
“I’m just saying, if you’re here to make amends… Don’t worry about me.”
“You were my brother, Julian.”
“Iamyour brother,” he says. “Thick and thin, you know that.”
I nod.
Julian hits my knee with his. “Proud of you, by the way. For doing it on your own.”
Frowning, I nod. “Thanks.”
“Now go shower, you fucking stink. And take those gloves, they’re yours now.”
“Ass.”
“Shower and let’s go get lunch with Grace, yeah?”
I nod, grabbing my stuff, and head for the shower.
“Christian!” She laughs loudly, the sound brighter than sunshine. “Christian! I can’t breathe! Stop tickling me!”
I only relent to bend and throw her over my shoulder. She’s laughing breathlessly and smacking at my lower back and backside. “Christian! The water’s cold!”
“No it’s not, it’s fine,” I tell her and give her ass a tap. Taking another quick peek, I sigh and tug at her bottoms to cover more skin. “Mine.”
“You territorial monster!”
“I’m not going to throw you in.”
“Yes you are, I know you!”
It’s hot today, the sun burning through my skin, but it’s a perfect beach day for us. I kidnapped her in the morning, told her to put on her bathing suit, and whisked her away with a picnic basket filled with her favorite foods.
“It’s hot!” I try to convince her to swim with me. “And you smell like sweat.”
I hear her gasp and she pinches my ass cheek enough to make me squeak. So I smack hers lightly, only earning a laugh. “Christian! I swear I’ll drown you if you throw me in!”
“Geronimo!”
I’m pulled out of my dream with heavy pounding. I’m still curled up in my car. In her driveway.
At least I am as consistent as I am persistent. I just don’t appreciate being pulled out of that memory.
