Chapter 16
SUMMER
Throwing a piece of croissant at my brother, I’m reminded how Keats has always been the brother who can still alleviate a bad day, even if he has ideas in his head that he will never change his mind about.
His gleaming brown eyes accompanied by his grin cause me to wonder why my handsome brother’s parade of women hasn’t yet led to finding the one.
But I have a feeling that this breakfast won’t be about him for even a second.
My brother winces when the piece of croissant hits his chest. “Chill out, Summer.” He smirks as he grabs his cup of coffee. We’re sitting by the window of the Dizzy Duck’s restaurant for breakfast. I’m not starting work until later, so it’s refreshing to just sit here without obligations.
“You asked me how I am again. Not the how am I as in the answer is good, but the how am I, as in am I having a breakdown yet.”
Keats gawks his eyes at me. “And? It’s not a crime.”
I puff out an exhausted breath. “Can we talk about something else? I want to say it’s great seeing you, and it’s great for Bo, but I’m sure the underlying reason of why you’re here will only piss me off again, and my eggs haven’t even arrived yet.
” I rip off another piece of croissant as I sink back in my seat.
“Fine. I needed to use some vacation days.”
I snort a laugh. “You don’t take vacations and probably already woke at the crack of dawn to work on your laptop.”
“Maybe I’ve changed.”
“Doubt it.”
He tips his cup in my direction. “Bad cover, huh?”
“Could have thought of a few better reasons.”
He sighs and is about to say something, but Jane, our waitress, appears with our plates of eggs and bacon. We both thank her, and when she leaves, Keats seems ready to pick up where he left off.
“I promise I’ll focus on Bo talk in a minute, but first, I need to talk about something.” He doesn’t even look up as he sprinkles pepper on his eggs.
I give up and set my fork on the edge of the plate, shaking my head as I’m defeated. “Say it.”
Keats examines me for a few seconds. “Nash,” he states simply.
A breath gets trapped in my chest before I let go. “What about him?”
My brother’s eyes impale me to let me know that he is serious, with zero ounce of humor about to come my way. “He’s more than your house guest.”
A weak laugh leaves me. “Of course, he’s Bo’s uncle.”
Keats gives me a pointed look, clearly not believing me. “I’m not blind.”
My eyes circle the room, ensuring that nobody is about to hear that my brother is going to tell me his unwelcome wisdom.
“He was just comforting me last night, it happens sometimes.” Keats still isn’t buying it. “I’m not going to talk about this with you.”
“Oh, you are.” His tone is firm, and my eyes nearly pop out. “You’re vulnerable, and I don’t want this to blow up in your face when you process your emotions at a later date.”
“You don’t get to say what I need to cope,” I counter.
Keats throws his napkin onto the table and slides his plate to the side with a jostled sound of his fork before he rests his elbows on the table.
“Exactly, I don’t. If you would let me finish, then you might also realize that I accept that your current life chapter is up to you about how you want to deal with it. ”
“Just not with Nash,” I bite back.
A smirk begins to stretch on my brother’s mouth which surprises me. “To my own disbelief, I’m not saying that.”
My neck gooses up, curious what point he is trying to make. “Then what are you saying?”
“I want to say he’s taking advantage of your sadness right now, but on this visit to Lake Spark, you seem a tad brighter, and that’s new.
And…” His tongue glides along his teeth before he scratches his neck, preparing himself to finish the sentence.
“I have to find some compassion that he lost someone too, and it seems you are also helping him find his way.”
My eyes narrow in on my brother, and my body tenses because this isn’t Keats. I’m fairly confident that his coldness toward Nash didn’t fade overnight. “Why are you being empathetic?”
He snickers while he quickly glances out the bay window to the calm lake with orange and yellow leaves surrounding the trees that outline the water. Then his sight lands right back on me with a nearly smug look. “The thing is… I’ve always seen it. Not just now. It’s always been there.”
My shoulders sag, and I shake my head gently, informing him that I have no clue and am waiting for his explanation.
“You and Zac made sense. But the Nix brothers have always had something in common. Zac and Nash looked at you the same way, madly in love with you.” My eyes drop at his admission. “But you only ever had the same look for one of them… Nash.”
Snapping up my eyes, I’m surprised by his observation, but internally, I’ve always felt it. It’s just I never expected someone to say it so bluntly.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Keats reaches across the table to touch the top of my hand. “Because I also know that your loss is now turning into turmoil because of that simple fact. You think you’re not following the rule book. Too soon, wrong person, not honorable, and all that other shit that gets put in our heads.”
My throat tightens by his views because they are spot on. “It’s only been a few months and…”
He pats my hand before he returns to sitting up straight. “Trust me.” His brows knit together. “That crossed my mind.”
“Then imagine what other people might think.” The building of frustration and guilt begin to swirl up inside me.
“I’m not here to say that’s going to be okay. I can’t. However, I do think someone needs to tell you that’s it’s okay to eventually move on, and maybe that’s now or not. Just… you are.”
Widening my eyes to keep tears down, I appreciate his encouragement. “I’m not sure what to say. I wasn’t expecting the conversation to go this way.”
He chuckles and adjusts his plate in front of him. “Trust me, yesterday I wouldn’t have expected it either. It’s just, you are my kid sister, and whatever sliver it may take to ease your pain, I’ll allow it.”
I laugh. “Allow it? I swear to God, this whole honorable-brother philosophy that everyone in Lake Spark possesses is making me question the water here.”
“So what? It has me sitting in front of you, telling you that you can do all this in your own way. Being sad for life isn’t what Zac would have wanted.”
A warmth fills my heart because he’s right. I just don’t remind myself enough.
I pick up my fork and begin to play with my eggs, and I’m going to be honest. “I just don’t know how to handle all of this except to say that Nash is helping.
” A faint smile cracks the lines on my face.
“It’s crazy. Sometimes I wonder if Zac did all this on purpose.
But that would just be… I’m not sure what it would be. ”
Keats gives me a knowing glare. “Is it far-fetched?”
Hmm, that hypothesis is so obvious, but still, I’m not ready to commit to the theory.
“Can we move on from this conversation? A sunnier topic, perhaps?” I implore.
Keats beams at me. “You’ve earned that after listening to me.”
“Geez, thanks,” I state dryly, and it causes him to chuckle.
“I think I’ll leave later today. I’ll take Bo to the park and then head out. It seems I don’t need to stay a few days to babysit you, and you’re doing alright. You have someone stepping in for me.”
A warm wry smile naturally appears. “I think so, too.”
“Good. Because Bo spit up on my expensive shirt, and I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a repeat and a need to replace my wardrobe,” he jokes.
Now comfortable, I get to work on my plate of food.
“Please, oh please,” I beg with my hands in prayer, “let me find you a girlfriend. Maybe on one of those apps or see if taking out a newspaper ad will help. One day you might have a child, and then you’ll never care about any shirt, you’ll see.
And if kids aren’t for you, then at least you’ll have a relationship, and I don’t need to learn a new name. ”
“Watch it there. I can rewind this entire breakfast if you feel like you want to take us back to an uncomfortable discussion,” he teases.
I ruefully shake my head. “Shut up and pass me the salt.”
I’ve been lucky. The past few days between Nash and my brother, I’ve been distracted, as if life is almost whole again. That’s a promising start.
Over the remainder of our breakfast, we change topics to his work and our holiday schedules to puzzle a time to get together. It’s only when Nash slowly strolls into the dining room, eyeing us, unsure of the atmosphere, that I’m reminded I need to work soon.
“Hey,” I greet him.
“I was with Stone, checking on something for the Dizzy Duck, and thought I would stop by.” Nash stares at Keats with caution which now nearly makes me laugh.
It’s only a solid ten seconds of silence before my brother pulls out his chair and stands. “Well, I think I need to get a move on. Just let the babysitter know I’m stopping by to hang with my nephew for an hour.”
I stand too and nervously play with my hair. “Of course.”
Keats and Nash give one another a nod, and when my brother offers his hand to Nash, confusion floods Nash’s face, but he reluctantly shakes his hand. A strong shake, a shake of truce, and it’s kind of touching.
“Take care of her,” my brother warns Nash.
“You don’t need to tell me,” Nash reminds him softly.
“And that’s my cue to break up this little strange initiation.” I do my best to use a cheerful tone.
Their hands drop, and my brother gives me one last knowing smile before stepping to me for a quick hug. “Remember what I said,” he whispers.
I nod in understanding.
Nash observes from the sidelines as my brother walks away. We both watch Keats’s every step until he vanishes.
“What the fuck was that? Did I miss the apocalypse?” Nash is mesmerized after the last minute, then he directs his stare to me.