2. Chapter Two
A cool nip of the fading winter’s breeze bites at my skin, shaking me out of my self loathing. It's a welcome change to the sun’s rays that were beating down on my skin, causing a light sheen of sweat to form.
I slowly get up and dust the sand off my ass. The beach has always been a place of peace for me. Whether it’s to scream and cry after being overwhelmed thanks to one too many difficult doctor’s sessions or just to simply think and reflect.
In the early days after I woke up from the coma, I would find myself sitting down at the beach, be that day or night, and just looking out over the ocean. Mum never seemed to mind my disappearing acts, at least not after the first time I went missing. I admit it probably wasn’t a good idea to just up and leave in the way I did but I was an eight year old in need of an escape. The beach provided that for me. Mum understood that, as long as I had my location turned on my phone. It has now become a habit, one that never fails to dull down any unwanted feelings that seem to plague my mind.
It is my place of serenity. My escape from reality.
That, along with music.
Thankfully we live a few streets back from the beach, so my midnight beach escapades were never too much of a concern for Mum. It also helps that basically everyone knows everyone in our town. Trouble rarely finds its way to us. Not like any of that would stop her anxiety when it comes to me.
As I turn, I can’t help but wish I could stay at the beach longer today but the near constant buzzing of my phone in my back pocket means Mum really must want me home. I don’t bother checking it as I begin my slow walk home. I know exactly what it will say and I would give anything to prolong the quiet inside my mind. Even just for a moment longer.
The walk home from the beach goes way too quick as I look up at our house. My Jeep Wrangler sits in the driveway and I can’t help but smile remembering the way Mum dressed it up for my 17 th birthday. I swear it could have floated away with the number of balloons that were hanging off it, let alone the few she jammed inside the car. She knew that gifting me a car would be the perfect gift. The gift of an easy escape to my favourite beach, Five Rocks. Only accessible by four-wheel drive, it will forever be my happy place.
My gaze lingers on the unfamiliar blacked-out SUV that also sits in the driveway. I eye it with caution. Mum rarely has visitors over and the few she does definitely don’t drive anything like that.
I slowly unlock the door trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to disturb her and whoever she’s entertaining.
“Scar, is that you sweetie?”
I jolt, realising that my attempts to be quiet were unsuccessful.
“Yeah Mum.” I call back, cringing at my not so subtle attempt of getting inside unseen.
“Can you come into the lounge room for a second? There’s something we need to tell you.”
We? Weird.
Her voice has a slight edge to it that instantly puts me on guard.
As I walk into the room, my attention is instantly drawn to the blonde man sitting on the couch next to a much older man. The two of them look almost identical. The man who I assume is the father, is quite literally built like a brick shithouse. His blonde hair that’s slowly darkening in age is effortlessly styled on his head, like he just brushes his hands through it in the mornings. A beard of short stubbled greys, kept short on his face.
He's dressed casually, or from what I gather from the brand name I can see on his shirt, as casually as he can.
Blondie beside him is staring back at me with a shocked look on his face.
His hair is tousled effortlessly on his head, like he woke up, shook is head and said fuck it.
His face is cleanly shaved, unlike his fathers.
His eyes are a vibrant blue that tugs at something in my chest. My gaze darts back to his father’s. The same icy orbs stare back at me.
The strangest feeling comes over me, sending a shiver down my spine. Kind of like déjà vu.
I feel a hint of recognition but I can’t place it. Why do these men look so familiar?
I shake myself out of my stare down of these two blokes and look over at Mum. She has the strangest look on her face.
“What’s up Mum?”
The entire room seems to stay silent for what feels like forever but is most likely only moments. I can feel the gaze of the duo on the couch locked onto me but I keep mine on Mum who can’t seem to decide where to look. I watch as she tries to find her words but each time she opens her mouth, they fail her. She exhales, rubbing her hands over her face and braces herself like she’s going to, finally, begin speaking.
“Scarlett?” The rich American accent shocks me. My name rolls off his tongue like he has used it a million times before.
My head snaps over to Blondie who slowly starts rising out of his chair. Tears start to well in his eyes and in that moment it clicks. Those eyes are the exact same as mine. I eye him wearily, slowly taking a step back.
“W-who are you? Mum, what’s happening right now?"
I stumble as I glance back over at Mum who now has noticeable tear tracks all over her face. I then finally take notice of the bodyguards standing either side of the door I just walked through. What the fuck is going on right now?
Blondie slowly makes his way over to stand in front of me. I have to tilt my head to look up at him. While I’m not short by any means, this guy is well over 6 feet.
“There is no way.”
“My baby girl."
The deep husky voice makes me snap my head over to the other guy.
At this rate, I’m going to have fucking whiplash. Another man with an American accent. Fuck what is it with these blokes? And ‘baby girl’? I don’t know who this guy thinks I am, but I’m certainly not his anything. Both him and Mum make their way over to me. I take a further step back. I slowly feel my fight or flight start to ramp up.
My head darts around as I eye all the exits in the room, cursing under my breath as I realise the only one is the doorway behind me. Unless I wanted to jump out the window. I don’t know if I’m that desperate yet.
“Scarlett, I’m sorry baby. Um, I, ah...”
She begins to stumble over her words as her eyes bounce between the three of us.
The man places his arm on my Mum’s back and my eyes zone in on where his hand meets her. I then slowly take in their body language as Mum continues to stumble on her words as she tries to answer my ‘what the fuck’ question. Not once in the last ten years have I ever seen Mum remotely show any kind of intimacy with a man. Not once.
“I don’t really know how to explain myself, Scar but ah…
Mum’s gaze finally meets mine. Her eyes are bloodshot. The waterproof mascara that she put on this morning looks like it has put up a fight to stay on her lashes after being rubbed with a tissue.
“Rhodes.”
Blondie chokes out. My gaze snaps to him as my eyes widen.
“Sorry, what did you just say?” I look at the guy in disbelief. Why the fuck is he mentioning my dead brother?
“My name is Rhodes.”
My eyes remain locked on him for a moment as I try to process what he’s saying. His name is Rhodes. Okay. A chuckle escapes me that slowly develops into a full on laugh. “If that’s your version of a joke,” I pause, trying to collect myself, “You aren’t very funny mate.”
“He’s right Scar. This is your brother, Rhodes and your dad, Ren.”
“Yeah, nice try Mum. It's not April Fools yet.” I say, shaking my head.
“I’m not joking baby. They are here. They are alive.”
I scoff and shake my head. She can’t be fucking serious, can she? I feel like I stand there for hours as my gaze bounces around to the three faces staring back at mine.
My brain slowly starts to process what I’ve been told.
My brother and father are alive and they are standing in front of me right now.
What?
I shake my head before my eyes dart between the two men in front of me. Again.
My brain starts to throb at the information as it filters in amongst the mix of emotions that begin to plague me.
There is just no way.
For ten years I have been told these people were dead. How could they possibly be alive? How are they standing in front of me right now?
An intense feeling of betrayal pulses through my being.
Amongst my confusion, I know one thing for certain, I have been lied to.
Is anything I have come to believe real?
For years I had been convinced that I had lost two members of my family. Two people I had to re-learn were important to me, judging by the photos I was given.
Nothing knows persistence like a nine-year-old who has been told that she has a father and twin brother that died in an accident that she also should have. I remember carrying those photos around with me for months trying to re jog my memory. Like if I held onto them long enough it all would have just been some kind of nightmare.
“My sister. It’s really you.”
The guy apparently named Rhodes begins to step towards me as though to pull me in for a hug. My hand shoots out at the last minute to stop him and he quickly halts his advance. The smile on his face instantly dropping.
I take a further step back and begin shaking my head.
“No. No.”
The tears that have begun creeping up on me, escape. Even if I wanted to stop them, there is no way that I could. Not now. Not when everything I had once believed has just come crashing down.
“I don’t know what kind of sick game you are playing right now but my brother is dead. My Dad is dead. An-and I should be too.” I shake my head, unable to hide the way my voice starts to shake.
“Fuck this.”
I turn and bolt straight back out of the front door. They each call my name as I let flight takeover, but fuck them. Mum and I have never turned down a good opportunity to play a prank on each other, but they have always been light-hearted. Whoopee cushions and cling wrap over the toilet seat. Never something like this. What the fuck is she thinking? Pretending that those two yobbos are my family.
My dead family.
I don’t even have to think of where I’m going. I eye my dirt bike that sits just outside the garage. I throw on my helmet, not even bothering to do up the buckle. It can wait. I kick up my stand and start the bike. Taking off down the driveway, I don’t bother to look behind me. All I’ll see is my mother’s betrayal. The raw feeling of grief almost blinds me. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to get on my bike in the state I’m in, but I don’t care.
The ride down the Farmborough beach is short. While I would have much preferred going up to Five Rocks, this late in the afternoon without a big group isn’t a smart idea. I don’t particularly feel like going head-to-head with a kangaroo that wants to play chicken.