My mom and Piper both nod.
“So she got her memory back?”
“No,” Piper breathes, eyes wide.
I frown, glancing over her shoulder to find Aidan listening intently to our conversation. With only a handful of detectives in our small town, he’s likely intimately involved with the case.
“Okay, but they know who she is? What happened to her?”
“No,” Aidan responds, shocking me, and when I turn back to him once more, it’s to find his eyes on mine. He holds my gaze, and I swallow, waiting with bated breath to see if he’ll offer up anything more. “The case is dead in the water,” he continues. A muscle ticks in this jaw, and I don’t have to be close with him anymore to know he’s frustrated about it.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. For her, and what she’s been through, but also for him, because I can tell he’s a guy who doesn’t like to leave loose ends.
Aidan shrugs. “We’ll figure it out. It’s just taking longer than I’d like.”
“So … in the meantime, she’s been walking around town with no clue who she is, where she comes from, or how she got here …?”
“Pretty much,” Piper answers with a sad smile.
“But … her name …?”
“Apparently, she likes that one,” my mom says. “So … she picked it. I think it’s pretty.”
“Me too,” Piper agrees. “She told me it makes her feel safe when she hears it, so maybe she knew a Tessa before. Or maybe itisactually her real name.”
I look at my brother, who once more meets my eyes, and I’m elated—just fucking elated, despite the upsetting subject matter—that we’re actually having something resembling a conversation. “Are you worried for her safety?”
He sighs and nods. “She’s living with my buddy, Luke, so he can keep an eye on her. He has an apartment over his garage.”
“Ah. Hence, the rowing partners?”
“Something like that.”
I want to ask more—anything to keep my brother talking—but our conversation is put to an abrupt stop by the roar of the crowd as the boats that have been slowly approaching all this time finally draw near to the finish line. Piper and my mother hop to their feet, caught up in the excitement as two standouts pull ahead of the group, each vying for the win. Remaining seated, I sneak one final peek around their legs to my brother, who’s also remained seated, and he shoots me a slight smirk that, if I didn’t know better, might almost be described as commiserating.
Aspredicted,Momditchedus shortly after Jack showed up. She’s moved down the beach to where the locals have set up theirown bonfire away from the large, more central one crawling with tourists.
I trail awkwardly after Piper and Aidan as they make their way over to a nearby craft beer tent, and I’m nearly bowled over when Aidan orders three, silently passing me one before joining a group of their friends congregated around a picnic table. Two of the women slide over to allow Piper to join them on the end, while Aidan and I remain standing at the edge of the group. I’m briefly reintroduced to the aforementioned mechanic Joe and, thankfully, his new girlfriend, who happens to have been a former teacher of mine. I’m also formally introduced to Luke and Tessa, along with Mark, another detective, and his boyfriend, Owen.
Piper does all the talking, first congratulating Luke and Tessa on placing second in their race, then gushing over baby Cece, whom she’d visited with earlier in the day. Lucy and Noah had apparently completed their move this week and decided, unsurprisingly, to skip this year’s festivities in favor of settling in at home with their two-and-a-half-month-old.
I loiter silently on the edge of the group for a while, watching my brother watch his wife with a faint smile on his face. His eyes are filled with reverence, and I love that for him—for both of them. It makes me think of Steph, because I can relate, and I wish she were here. Still, I’m beyond pleased to be here with my family and filled with rekindled hope for my relationship with Aidan.
At some point, he remembers I’m here and glances over, catching me watching him. I offer up a mildly sheepish, mildly hopeful half-smile that fades the longer he continues to stare at me. He studies my face, his eyes intent and searching. I’m not sure what he’s hoping to find, but I do my best in this moment to convey my eagerness and sincerity.
Just give me a chance, Aidan.
Finally, he drops his shoulders on a long sigh and says, “Let’s take a walk.”
Holy fuck.
“For real?” The question slips out before I can stop it, and I hold my breath, hoping I haven’t just pissed away this opportunity by making a big deal about it.
He nods, then abruptly turns away. I watch as he moves up behind Piper. She leans back in her seat, already sensing his presence in the way of couples with a deep connection like theirs, before he drops his hands to her shoulders. Tilting her head back, she meets his eyes.
“I’m gonna take a walk up the beach with my brother for a bit,” I hear him tell her over the chatter at the table.
Points for actually being called ‘brother’?
