“Just say it.” My excitement is waning. Brody’s attitude has ruined my buzz.
He pulls up to the iron gate, and waits for it to retract. “History belongs in the past.”
The car rolls forward and I’m considering slugging him. This isn’t what I want to hear. “That dumbfuck beard doesn't make you an authority on the universe.”
Brody strokes the scraggly bits that hang off his chin. “It might.”
I shake my head. “You look like a poor excuse for a wizard. Get rid of it before dinner.”
“Let’s go.” He parks and nods out the window behind me. “Dad’s here.”
I follow his gaze to my dad’s car. “Don’t tell anyone about Ember.”
Brody opens the car door and pauses to look back at me.
“I don’t want anyone’s opinion about it.”Including yours. “I’ve made up my mind.”
“I won’t say anything.” The words float behind him as he exits the car.
I get out, too, and walk beside him to the front door. He claps on my back twice, letting me know everything’s okay.
“My boys are here,” Dad thunders when we step inside.
He hugs me first, roughing up my shoulders a bit when he pulls back. His hair has thinned a bit on top, but he’s aging well. It gives me hope for my future.
“Where’d you guys go?” He’s looking at the bag swinging from Brody’s hand.
“Mom’s medicine.”
Dad makes a face. “I wish she’d at least tried some alternatives first.” He shakes his head.
“Like what?” I ask.
“Exercise. Meditation—”
“Fish oil?” Brody snickers.
Dad points a finger at him. “Joke all you want. That stuff is good for you.”
I laugh. “Did you get your crunchy gene from your mom? Or your dad? And why did it skip me and Brody?”
“Very funny.” Dad takes the medication from Brody and turns around. “I won’t tell you where I got the crunchiness, but I can tell you which one of you has it too,” he says, over his shoulder.
“Who?” we yell after him, but he’s out of earshot or ignoring us.
Brody looks at me. “Obviously it’s you. Ember teaches yoga, she’s pierced and tatted, and you still love her.”
“Shut up. She only has the nose ring now. All her earrings were gone. And for the record, I never should’ve told you about her tattoo.”
Brody shrugs and walks away, off to find Alyssa. She’s supposed to be with my mom and her mom, running through last-minute items.
Fine by me. I need space. For a second, I consider heading for the lake, maybe even to the exact spot, but I’m not sure that’s a great idea. I have to maintain some kind of control. I showed none today, darting across the street and into the studio like that. What was I thinking asking Ember out tonight? I don’t have a goal, or a plan. I don’t know what I’m doing.
At the moment I saw her, all I knew was that I wanted to see her again.
I’ll go into tonight with an open mind. Old friends catching up. High-school sweethearts reminiscing.
* * *
