“I don’t think Elena has ever had a sleepover in her life,” I say.
“She’s never had sisters before,” Everett responds, and when my head snaps up, so does his. He smiles at me with something akin to pride shining in his face.
“I came home after my evening surf session and found the girls sitting at the dining room table with our mom and Lou.” Leo sits down cross-legged onto the floor beside us. “Elena was showing them all how to make those crystal keychains she usedto give us all the time. Remember?” He snorts a laugh. “She was going through all the different kinds and what protection they’d offer so everyone could pick which one they felt like they needed most. I guess they’d hung out at the beach all afternoon and decided to have a craft night.”
“I came over when I got home and realized the girls weren’t there,” Everett adds. “Mom offered to take Lou for the night, and then the girls made us go sit in the garage so they could watch13 Going On 30uninterrupted.” He scratches his beard, laughing. “We came back two hours later and all three of them were asleep.”
“Elena went to the beach?” I ask.
Everett’s and Leo’s heads snap up, brows drawing as the realization dawns on them both.
“She’s never gone to the beach. Not since…” I trail off.
Everett looks directly at me. “She’s getting better, isn’t she?”
“Yeah,” I say confidently. “She has been for quite some time. It’s been slow but steady.”
“They were talking about opening a bookstore,” Leo says in an astonished breath.
“Elena was?” I ask.
“Elena was…hesitantly optimistic.” He laughs, running a hand through his hair. “My wife on the other hand… She was enthusiastically offering to finance the whole thing.”
I chew the inside of my cheek. “If Elena wanted to open a bookstore, would you help?”
The two brothers glance at each other, offering up an expression that tells me a conversation has already been had about it, before Leo says, “We haven’t considered a bookstore before. I’m honestly not sure how well one would do on the boardwalk, but…yeah. If that’s what she wanted, of course I’d help.”
I smile, and Leo tilts his head as he studies me. “August, are you in love with her?”
“Yeah,” I breathe.
“She in love with you?”
A grin splits my cheeks so wide I have to dip my head bashfully. “Yeah.”
I hear the sound of a short laugh, but when I lift my head again, it’s seriousness on both of their faces. “Is this going to end with either of you getting hurt?” Everett asks.
“I don’t know what answer you’re looking for, but I think you know that I can’t tell you with certainty that nobody will ever be hurt again.” I bite my lip. “What I can tell you is that Elena’s healed enough to take risks, and that’s what this is for both of us. We know it’s not normal, and not everyone is going to be happy with it or accepting, but we want each other badly enough that we’re willing to wade through it all.”
Her brothers only stare back at me like the answer I provided isn’t sufficient enough.
I swallow, continuing, “I can tell you that I’m fucking crazy about her. Literally. I’d die for her, and I’m not even exaggerating, but I think you both knew that already. She’s been my best friend my entire life, and the two of us are inherently better people when in the presence of the other. I can tell you with certainty that whenever she is hurt in life, whatever the reason, I’ll be there to mend her broken pieces. I think I’ve proven that of myself by now. There are no lengths I won’t go to for her, and you can think what you want of the choice we’ve made, but your opinion won’t change it.”
They blink at me, straight-faced. My ass is all the way inside my throat as I wait for their response, until Leo’s dimples pop with a smirk. “I always did think you were the best person for her.”
I smile back at him before turning to Everett expectantly. He looks less convinced, but his lips tilt up slightly. “I’m always going to worry about her, so don’t hate me for being cautious. I think you’re the best person for her too.”
I nod, and Everett claps me on the back before adding, “And if it’s worth anything, I think he would’ve accepted it too. If that’s any guilt you two are harboring, I think it’s worth letting go.”
The words slice far deeper than Everett could’ve intended, because while we finally addressed where Elena and I stand tonight, there are still darker truths that they don’t know. Elena and I had decided a few weeks ago we’d stop sneaking around and officially tell her family about us when the time felt right. Things have been hectic, and we’ve all been busy, but she and I gave each other permission to disclose the status of our relationship if or when it arose.
We haven’t discussed our past, though.
It’s easy enough to say that it’s not of anyone else’s concern, but the feeling is different. As I stare my two childhood best friends in the eye right now, knowing that I’m lying, I can’t possibly imagine going the rest of my life like this. They weren’t directly involved in the tragic triangle made up of Elena, my brother, and myself, but they were two existing points beside it. They weathered all of its fallout.
I can’t go into it with them right now, though. Not without Elena being present. Not when Leo is on the cusp of having his first child, and so much joy and healing is taking place.
There will be time for those conversations, but it’s not now.
