Whitney is Faye’s half-sister and her and Kent had an on-off thing going for years whenever they saw one another. However, things were getting messy, and Kent put an end to it last year. I don’t know if she’s the one for him or not, because Kent won’t talk about her to me, but maybe, she is. Maybe, they need to be apart too. Maybe, they’ll find a way back to one another. Stranger things have happened.
“Maybe, the timing isn’t right,” Selena says, as if she has a hotline to my thoughts.
She has a hotline to my heart, and it’s almost the same thing.
“Timing is everything,” Mom agrees, pressing a soft kiss to my dad’s lips.
“And that’s our cue to leave.” I stand, bringing Sel with me.
“Do you want to come by for dinner later?” Mom asks.
“Thanks, but we’ll do our own thing,” I say.
Mom nods agreeably. “Well, stay for dinner tomorrow then.” She ruffles my hair. “We don’t see enough of you with your busy schedule.”
I glance at Selena, and approval is swimming in her eyes. “Sure.”
“Perfect.” Mom kisses my cheek. “We’ll see you two later.”
I give Selena a guided tour of the main house and the outer grounds before leading her out onto the path that runs through the woods and beyond to the guesthouse. We hold hands as we walk slowly through the forest, passing by the bungalow Lana and her parents lived in.
Lana is my brother Kalvin’s wife, and she grew up with us because her mom was our housekeeper and her dad was the groundskeeper, up until a few years ago. Lana and Kal live in Florida now with their three-year-old son Hewson.
Sel and I shoot the shit as we walk, and I can’t tell you the last time I felt this happy.
All thoughts of the danger Selena is in are firmly in the back of my mind, where I’m determined they will stay for the remainder of this weekend. Selena needs to unwind, and I want this weekend to be about her. About us. About reconnecting.
A blast of heat greets us as we step foot in the cabin, and the scent of fresh pine wafts through the air. A bag of groceries sits on the kitchen counter, and I smile at Lucinda’s thoughtfulness. Or perhaps it was Mom.
I open the door to the corridor with the bedrooms, opening the second door to the largest room. “Are you okay to share with me, or do you want your own room?” I ask as I tentatively set our weekend bag on the floor.
“I want to share with you,” she says, her eyes sweeping over the rustic room with the four-poster bed dressed in white and gold drapes with matching linens. “This room is pretty.” She skims her hand along the wall, smiling, looking relaxed and happy.
We take a dip in the indoor swimming pool and unwind in the Jacuzzi, our hands and bodies never far apart. I feel like pinching myself because this doesn’t feel real. It’s like I’ve woken up in dreamland, because I’ve always imagined this with Sel, and I honestly thought it was out of reach.
Back at the cabin, we enjoy a late lunch of cheese, crackers, and fruit before curling up on the couch, watching back-to-back movies. I order takeout for dinner, and we resume cuddling on the couch as I scroll through the movie options, trying to find something more manly than the last two cheesy chick flicks we just watched.
Selena sits up abruptly, turning around and sitting cross-legged, her pretty face scrunched up in concern.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, tossing the remote away and sitting up straight.
“Can we talk now?”
I examine the anxious expression on her face. “We don’t have to talk if it’s making you nervous.”
“I want to get this off my chest. And you deserve the truth.”
I switch the TV off and twist around on the couch so I’m facing her. “Okay.”
She draws a brave breath and begins.
16
Selena
“The summer before senior year, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t let my past control me anymore. That I was going to fight harder to claim the life I wanted. But with that decision came a hard realization.” I move closer, taking his hands in mine.
This will hurt, but I can’t lie.
