Chapter Thirty-Seven
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B ristol swallowed the last of her wine and set her glass on the end table with a ragged sigh. Her second big one in the past half hour. “Still nothing?” she asked Cassie.
“Not in the last ten minutes, no.”
Had it only been ten minutes since Cassie had checked in with CPS again about TJ’s status? It felt like well over an hour.
“Maybe we should watch a movie or something. Or do a puzzle. It’ll at least pass the time.”
“You can throw on a movie if you want.” She wouldn’t be paying attention to it.
The only thing she cared or could think about, was TJ. Her mind kept circling back to being intimate with him last night and in the shower this morning. Knowing he’d come for her on the boat. Losing sight of him in the water. Being told later that Groz and Grady had pulled two people from the water. Then nothing since.
Cassie turned on the TV and found a streaming service. “ Ocean’s Twelve okay?”
“Sure.” She really didn’t care. This had been the worst day of her life, right up there with the day Eric had died. She kept veering between hopeful, nauseated, and sad.
Her time on the Coast Guard ship had been a whirlwind of medical attention, answering questions, and giving a formal statement. As soon as she’d arrived home, she’d jumped in the shower. Cried the whole time she washed the salt from her skin and hair. Dressed in her soft, thick robe, she’d come downstairs to find Cassie’s phone blowing up.
She’d talked to her dad first, to reassure him she was okay. It was a miracle he’d been satisfied with a phone conversation instead of a face-to-face one. She’d thought for sure he would be over there in thirty minutes, tops, banging on the door like a madman. Only Cassie being with her, and the argument that she needed rest had held him off.
That was Cassie’s doing. Bristol was grateful, because she didn’t have the emotional strength to cope with that right now.
After that, there had been calls with the cops, DEA, and CPS, all asking her the same questions. No one had been able to give her answers about TJ.
It infuriated her. Was he dead? If he was dead, why wouldn’t they just tell her?
She leaned her head back against the top of the couch cushion, took her spare pair of glasses off and put a hand over her stinging eyes. “God, why aren’t they telling us anything?”
Cassie shifted on the other end of the couch, tucking her feet under her. “I don’t know.” She was frustrated too. They both wanted answers. “Babe, you’re exhausted. You really should go to bed and at least try to get some sleep.”
Bristol gave her an incredulous look. “Are you kidding me? I can’t sleep right now.” Her arm flopped down to her side, glasses dangling from her fingers. The only way she would sleep tonight was because of drugs, or staying up until she just couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
She hadn’t told Cassie about her and TJ, but she was pretty sure Cass knew something was up. This level of distress was due to far more than being worried about a former teammate of her brother’s. Or because she had tried so hard to help him before she’d known the truth.
Cassie watched her for a long moment, as if considering her words carefully. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But did you guys get together last night?”
What was the point in lying? Cassie already suspected. “Yes.”
Cassie sighed. “I was afraid of that.”
“It was more than just sex, okay?”
“Okay.” Cassie didn’t look convinced.
Bristol wrapped her arms around herself. “It was.”
“I said okay.”
She was saved from saying something defensive by a knock at the door.
“I got it.” Cassie jumped up and went over to check through the peephole. “It’s your neighbor.”
“Which one?”
“The one that looks like a fairy.” She opened the door.
Bristol sat up as Everleigh walked in, her silvery-blond hair wet from the short walk over. “Hey, I just heard you were rescued at sea by the guys.” She toed off her shoes and came over to sit next to her, concern in her pretty blue eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Not really.” The words came out rough, almost a whisper.
“Oh, honey...” Everleigh pulled her into a hug. “I know how scared you must have been.”
Yes, she really would. Everleigh had had her own near-death experience during an outdoor concert at The Gorge last summer. “You talked to Grady?”
“Yeah, he called me right before I came over. They’ve been flying sorties all day, pulling people off boats up and down the coast.”
Bristol pulled back to look at her. “Did he say anything about TJ? I heard he and Groz pulled him from the water, but I don’t know if he was alive or not.”
Empathy filled her eyes. “He didn’t say anything about that, sorry. He can’t tell me details about any of the missions he goes on.”
She tried to hide her disappointment. Probably failed miserably. “Right.” Of course he couldn’t. Military and legal protocols and all that.
Everleigh searched her eyes. “You want to talk about it?”
Her voice was so gentle, her expression so understanding, Bristol couldn’t say no. “Yeah.” She needed to rehash everything, get it off her chest. The waiting was killing her.
By the time she was done pouring out everything, the wine bottle was empty, she was tipsy, and crying in little jags that made her hiccup. Everleigh rubbed her back, offering silent sympathy and support.
Cassie was texting someone.
“Are you asking again?” Bristol asked.
“Yes. But you’re done for the night. Everleigh, please take her upstairs and put her to bed.”
Bristol frowned. “But what if someone calls—”
“If I hear anything about him, I’ll come tell you right away. Pinkie promise.” She looked at Everleigh. “Can you...”
“Sure.” Everleigh wrapped an arm around her. “Come on. Let’s get you upstairs.”
“Not tired,” she said, feeling like she was dying inside. This was torture, but that little flame of hope inside her refused to die.
“What about a nice warm bath?”
She stood and moved with her to the foot of the staircase, thinking about it. “I just had a shower.”
“A soak in a warm bubble bath might help you sleep after.”
She doubted it, but Cassie was on top of it, and Everleigh was so sweet for trying to help. “Okay.”
Everleigh drew a bath for her in the en suite. “I’ll leave you to it. Can I do anything else before I go?”
Bristol shook her head.
“You know where I am if you need me.”
“I know. Thank you.”
“Of course.” Everleigh hugged her again. “Hang in there,” she whispered.
Alone in the bathroom, Bristol took off her robe and slid into the hot water. She had no choice but to hang in there. Everything else had been stripped from her control.
She heard the front door shut as Everleigh left. Bristol leaned her head back against the rim of the tub and closed her eyes, trying to empty her mind.
The front door opened a few minutes later. She thought she heard voices outside. Faint.
She sat up, listening. “Cass? Is someone here?” Had her dad shown up after all?
What if it was someone here about TJ?
Heart pounding, she yanked the plug from the drain and stood up so fast the water sloshed onto the floor. Yanking her discarded robe over her wet skin, she rushed out of the bathroom, heading for the stairs.