Oh boy. She hugged her mother back and noticed her father coming closer from one direction and Brock moving in from the other. She untangled herself from her mother’s gangly embrace. “Hey, I want you guys to meet my—” God, what was she supposed to call Brock? Obviously more than a friend, but boyfriend was a stupid word in this context. “I want you to meet Brock Jones, who’s been keeping an eye on me this week.” Brock, these are my parents, Luna and Brian Senior.”
“Hey, man.” Her father extended his hand and Brock made the mistake of trying to shake it before her father made a fist for a fist bump. The awkward exchange didn’t surprise her one bit. His eyes were as red as her mother’s, also not a shocker. Brianna felt her cheeks turn red, the same reaction she’d had her entire life whenever someone new met her parents.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Cooper. Ms. Taylor,” Brock said.
“Naw, naw, man. Brian and Luna, please,” her father said, waving his hand. He draped his other arm around Brianna’s shoulders. “Boy, this one’s got some musical talent, huh? One of us had to. My old man named me after Brian Wilson and I did the same with the twins. Started The Beach Boys. You familiar?”
“Um, sure, yeah. Of course.”
“Smile, man.”
Brock obliged with a forced grin. Her father nearly doubled over laughing so hard he started coughing. Luna giggled but it was obvious to Brianna she had no idea what she was laughing at.
He straightened up and pointed at Brock. “No, I mean the album,Smile. Best thing The Beach Boys ever did. Up there with Sargent Pepper’s.” He threw his arm around Brianna again. “You seriously dating this guy? He doesn’t know the first thing about music.”
“Brian—” Brianna started.
“Mom andDad, honey,” Luna said in a stage whisper. “Tonight it’s Mom and Dad.”
Brianna could have sunk into the ground. Just,poof, disappeared.
“Brianna’s teaching me everything I need to know about music,” Brock said smoothly. “She’s an amazing woman.” His gaze flicked ever-so-quickly to her aunt and uncle when he added, “And a credit to her family.”
“Hey, I guess he’s not so bad.” Her father clapped Brianna on the back.
Uncle Sonny stepped forward. “Brian, Luna. Let’s go grab some dinner. Haven’t talked to you in a while. Brian Junior, you comin’ too?” He looked at her brother, who’d hung back until now.
“Yeah, yeah, Uncle Sonny, I’ll be right there. Gotta congratulate my sister here first.” Brianna sensed Brock stiffen behind her as her twin approached. But Brian seemed sober, or at least what passed for sober in his case. He licked his lips, his eyes darting everywhere except at her.
“So,” Brianna started.
“Hey, look, I’m sorry I was a complete fuck-up.” He danced from foot to foot.
“It’s okay, Brian. Nobody got hurt.”
“No, I mean, I’m sorry I’m a fuck-up, like, all the time.” He looked up at the wooden beams overhead. “Dad’s right, you’ve got real talent, and I don’t wanna get in the way of that. I don’t want…” He shook his head. “You’re my sister, Brianna. My twin. I care about you, even if we’re not that close.”
Her heart clenched. “Oh, Brian. Of course I care about you, too.” She squeezed his arm. “Maybe this time, maybe you can make a new start? Rehab? It would be good for you. You’d be safe.”From yourselfshe thought.
He gave her the most incongruous smile she’d ever seen as he shook his head, looking around and laughing. “Yeah. Safe.” He finally met her gaze. “You remember when we were kids and we wanted to be safe? When the cops would come for Brian and Luna and we’d run off?”
“Yeah, yeah I do. We did that a lot.”
“I never felt safer than when we were in our secret place.”
Brianna gave a half-laugh. “Wow, yeah. No one could ever find us there.”
“Is that where you went to practice all this time?”
“Oh. No. No, I’d go up into the hills. I mean, I did go to our place once, at first, but then I realized that even if people couldn’t see me, plenty would still hear me, and then they’d find our secret place and it wouldn’t be secret anymore, right?”
“Yeah, right.” Brian smiled.
“So it’s still safe,” Brianna said.
Her brother shook his head. “No, there’s no safe place anymore, Brianna. Not for me.” He wrapped his arms around his body.
She exchanged a look with Brock. “Brian? What’s going on?”
