38. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Wes
I t’s been a while since Breck and I got to go out just the two of us, and I’m amped. Ever since I heard him and Talia arguing a few weeks ago at the office, he’s been off. Working constantly, not his usual happy self. I’m hoping that tonight will help him relax and blow off some steam.
Breck, Talia, and Drew’s cars are all still parked side by side outside Adventure Chasers when I pull up. I give a quick double honk of my horn to signal to Breck that I’m here. I leave it running but step out so I can stretch my legs while I wait. My knee was acting up this morning, and sitting in the plane all day didn’t help. It’s only a minute or two before Breck walks out of the building with his hands pushed deep into his jeans pockets, his stare fixed on his shoes as he walks .
When he finally looks up and sees me leaning against the front of the truck, there’s something there that I can’t quite read. He seems sad, dejected. He runs a hand through his wavy blond hair, and the stubble on his face tells me it’s been a few days since he last shaved. The only time I’ve ever seen him with scruff was when we went on surf trips in college.
“Hey,” I say, clapping him on the back as he comes closer. I expect a rib-cracking hug, but he just rounds the truck to the passenger side. My eyebrows draw together as my wariness ramps up. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just tired. Haven’t been sleeping well lately.” We climb into the cab and he immediately flips on the radio, suggesting he’s done talking. Nothing about this feels right. He always has something to say, a story to tell, a joke to make, yet there he sits, silent and far away.
“You sure that’s all it is?” I’m trying to keep my tone light, but he looks over and must see the genuine concern on my face because he shakes his head, his face falling further.
“Talia and I have been fighting. A lot.” He focuses back on the road as I pull onto the street, clearly not wanting to put too much weight on this conversation.
“Yeah…” I grip the steering wheel, not looking at him. “I heard you guys a couple weeks ago.” I chance a small glance over at him and watch his jaw clench as he stares out the window. “I’ve never known you to fight with anyone. I know I’m not around all the time, but I’ve always seen you as that couple that coos over each other and makes everyone around you sick.” I laugh a little, hoping it lightens the mood .
“Oh, you mean like you and Joss are these days?” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes and there’s a slight edge to the words. I know he’s right—Joss and I are in that disgustingly in love phase. I’m sure it affects some of the people around us, but I never would have expected Breck to feel that way. I thought, of all people, he’d relate.
“Yeah, I guess I deserve that. But seriously, man, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know. That’s the worst part.” He hits his hand against the dash and lets out a frustrated sigh. “Ever since we decided to sell the business, she’s barely home, and even when she is… she isn’t. We always prioritized family time when we could. Now, when I plan something for us, she either bitches about it or bails.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take all the one-on-one time I can get with my girl”—his face softens a fraction at the mention of Willow—“but I want Talia to be part of these memories. I want her to want to be there, you know?”
“Have you asked her about it?”
“She says she’s tired, busy… And I get that, I really do. The contracts, the logistics for the sale—all three of us are up to our eyeballs in it—but still…”
He trails off and I wonder, once again, how much Drew might have to do with all of this, but I’m certainly not bringing that up right now.
“She’s always got an excuse, and every time I push back, we end up yelling at each other. I love her, but this doesn’t feel like the Talia I fell in love with, you know? It hasn’t felt like her for a while if I’m being honest. And I know Willow is starting to pick up on it, and I don’t want that for her. She deserves better than parents that fight all the time.”
“I’m really sorry, Breck. I wish there was something I could do.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sure it’s just a phase. We’ve been together a long time; it was bound to happen eventually. Relationships are supposed to be work, but I didn’t anticipate our bumps to feel quite so much like mountains.”
I’m at a loss for words, and I hate feeling helpless. When we pull up outside Market City Tavern in downtown Sydney, I get a text from Joss that draws my attention away, giving Breck a minute to gather himself.
Grey
Have fun tonight. Tell Breck hi for me.
She got home from a trip yesterday and is spending the evening out with Jaz. Or maybe it was evening in. I’m not sure, they didn’t seem to have a plan when we last spoke. Knowing she’ll be home when I get home, that we have a few days before she leaves for work again, has me smiling like a fool.
Me
I will. You and Jaz have fun too.
“See? You and Joss are the worst these days.” He shoots me a smirk.
I bark out a laugh before sliding my phone into my pocket, determined to give Breck my undivided attention.
We head inside and grab a table near the dart board. Maybe a couple rounds of throwing sharp objects will take the edge off for Breck .
“So, where’s Willow tonight?”
“Sleeping over at a friend’s house.” He places his phone on the table face up, glancing at the screen like he may need to put on his dad cape and rescue her at any moment. “I keep wondering when it will get easier.”
“You really are such a softie for her.” I laugh, and he does too. With the sound, his shoulders relax and he leans back into the chair.
A server stops at our table and we order a couple of local beers and a basket of wings to get us started. It’s not long before two pints are sitting in front of us and we settle into comfortable conversation.
“How are the airline applications going?” he asks for what feels like the millionth time since I decided to move here permanently.
“Great. I have an interview with Qantas next month, and if that doesn’t pan out, I still have a couple others I’m waiting to hear from.”
He nods, lifting his beer to his lips. “You’re sure you don’t want to stay on with the new owners?”
“Nah. I don’t think I could work there without you. And anyway, Joss and I have our trip to Tahoe planned for Christmas next month, and this way I don’t have to ask for leave.” I take a large gulp of my own beer, steeling myself for my question. It’s one he’s been avoiding, but the sale will be final—his turnover to the new owners complete—in two weeks.
“Have you…” I pause when I see him stiffen slightly. “Have you thought more about what you’re going to do after everything’s done?”
He squeezes the back of his neck with his free hand, spinning a coaster on the table with the other. “Not really. I feel like that’s part of the issue with Talia. I keep asking her what she wants to do now—what we should do next—but she’s not giving me much to go on.”
He drums his fingers on the table, watching them with rapt attention instead of making eye contact with me. “I’m honestly at a complete loss as to what to do. You know I didn’t want the sale, but I was in the minority, so now it’s done and I have no idea where I go from here. That business is all I’ve ever known, all I’ve ever really wanted. What do I do now?”
He finally looks at me and I can see the uncertainty in his eyes. Adventure Chasers was his baby. He may have co-owned it with Talia and Drew, but he put his all into it. I can understand, based on my own experience losing a career I loved, how adrift he must feel with all of this.
A lightbulb goes off in my brain and I’m surprised that I didn’t think of it before. “Why don’t you, Talia, and Willow come to Tahoe with Joss and me? It would be a great way to let off some steam and get away after everything wraps up here. Maybe it would give you the space to figure out what that next step might be.”
Breck’s eyes brighten and I can see the wheels turning behind them at the idea. “Yeah. Yeah, okay. This could work. You’re sure you guys wouldn’t mind us tagging along? Maybe the three of us could even stay into January for a bit, while Willow is on her break from school…”
I haven’t seen him this excited, this animated, over anything in a while. “We’d love to have you go with us. Can you imagine Willow on a snowboard? She’ll be too freaking cute. ”
His signature wide smile splits his lips at the thought. “Wes, you have no idea, she’s going to be so excited. I can’t wait to tell her tomorrow when I pick her up. I’ll run it by Talia tonight. Maybe this is exactly what we all need. Just some separation from reality for a bit.”
The next couple of hours pass in a blur. We ended up shooting pool because Breck had less need to throw stuff after the idea of going to Tahoe took root. He’s got a whole plan in his head now, and by the time we climb back into the truck, he’s the Breck I’ve always known. He’s lighter, happier… all the negativity and frustration from earlier in the night now firmly in the rearview mirror.
Breck’s truck sits alone in the lot when I pull in. A singular light shines through the windows from his office. He hesitates, scanning the lot and the otherwise dark building. “I thought Talia would still be here. She said she had a lot to do this evening and was going to take advantage of the alone time to get caught up.” His brow furrows, but with a shake of his head and a shrug, he opens his door and hops out.
“She must have finished up early,” I offer. It’s almost midnight and I’m ready to get home to my bed after a long day. I’m sure she was too.
“Yeah. Hopefully I can catch her before she goes to sleep and we can talk about Tahoe.” His face lights up again. “Thanks for tonight, Wes. I really needed this.”
He closes the door and jogs up the steps, turning to give me a parting smile as he lets himself into the building. I reverse out of my spot and turn toward home.
A knock on the front door interrupts me mid-sentence. Both Joss and I turn from where we sit on the balcony to look at it in surprise. We aren’t expecting anyone this morning, and the only person on the list to be allowed up without a call first is Breck. My brow furrows and a second knock echoes through the house.
“Coming,” I shout, setting my coffee on the table and heading for the door. Joss quickly follows, looking uncertain.
On the other side of the door is a disheveled Breck and a confused-looking Willow—still decked out in pajamas.
“Hey. Wasn’t expecting you guys this morning.” I ruffle Willow’s hair and finally bring my eyes to Breck’s. They’re red-rimmed and swollen. “What…” I start but Breck gives me an imperceptible shake of his head, so I change tack. “Come on in, we’ve got pastries. Who’s hungry?”
Willow’s eyes brighten and she heads straight for the table, Joss following her with a glance over her shoulder that is just as concerned as the one I feel reflected back on my own face.
“What happened?” I whisper to Breck. Looking him over, he’s still in the same clothes as last night. The stubble is more pronounced and his hair is sticking out in every direction.
“Can Willow…” The words get stuck, and he clears his throat to try again. “Can Willow hang in your room while we talk?”
“Yeah. Yeah, of course.” The tension radiating off him is making me nervous .
“Willow, honey, why don’t you take your muffin to Wes and Joss’s room to watch your tablet for a bit. We’re just going to talk about boring grown-up stuff out here.”
“Yes!” she shouts, grabbing the backpack she dropped by the door and heading straight for our room. As soon as the door is closed and I can hear squeaky voices filtering from behind it, I turn to face my best friend.
He doesn’t say anything as he stalks straight to the open back door and onto the balcony. A beat passes and I hear him bellow into the wind outside. There are no words, just agony in the sound, his hands braced on the railing, muscles bunched across his shoulders.
“What the hell happened?” Joss whispers, moving closer, her eyes locked on Breck.
“I have no idea.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and we walk as one toward the picture of raw pain and rage leaning against the railing.
“Breck?” I ask from the door, not wanting to crowd him. When he turns, there’s nothing but anguish on his face as he sinks to the ground. I lurch forward as if to catch him, but his body shakes with a sob and I’m frozen, unsure of what to do. I’ve never seen him like this.
He looks up, his hands still in his hair, elbows resting on his knees. “She’s gone.”
A shock runs through my body. “Talia?” I ask, disbelief wrapped around the name.
He just nods and pulls harder at the strands of his hair. I feel Joss move closer to my side and place her hand at my back, but I can’t take my eyes off what’s happening in front of me .
“What do you mean she’s gone?”
He shifts so he can pull something from his back pocket. It’s crumpled and fraying at the edges. “I found this on my desk last night after you dropped me off. She’s gone. She left with Drew. They’re gone.”
I falter back a step. How? Why? What about Willow?
My thoughts are echoed in Joss’s voice from beside me. “What about Willow?” Her glance moves toward the wall that separates us from her.
Breck doesn’t move to stand, he just holds out a second piece of paper. Joss gingerly takes it from his hand and together we take in the notarized document. My breath chokes off in my lungs and Joss covers her mouth to silence a sob. It’s a legal release of Talia’s parental rights to Willow. Fuck.
“Oh god… Breck, I…” There are no words for the horror filling my body.
“How could she do this? Not just to me, but to Willow?” His voice cracks on her name. “What do I tell my baby girl? What do I do?” His words are almost unintelligible through his grief. He closes his eyes, pressing the heels of his hands into the sockets and taking a deep breath.
I see the emotions flickering through Joss’s eyes—shock, disbelief, anger, sadness. A swirling mess of feelings all vying for the top spot. I understand how she feels. I don’t know what to say. Are there right words for this situation? If there are, I have no idea what they might be. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my cool for Breck’s sake, because I doubt that my losing it would help in the slightest .
His head hangs heavy like the weight of the world rests on his shoulders. I can’t bear to see him like this. I cross the balcony and fall to my knees, engulfing him in the most Breck-like hug I can manage. I pour everything I have into it, knowing it’s my turn to hold him up now.
“You aren’t alone in this. I don’t know what we can do, but whatever you need, we’ll do it, okay?” I crush him to me, and I feel him break. The anger makes way for the desperate pain of heartbreak as his shoulders start to shake. Joss moves to his other side and I pull her into the hug too.
“I’m so sorry, Breck,” Joss says. I look at her and fall a little more in love. For how genuinely she has come to love not just me but my best friend as well. Together, we’ll get him and Willow through this.
We finally break apart and Breck’s eyes track to the closed bedroom door and he sighs.
“I don’t want to be here—not right now.” The in Sydney is implied.
His face is forlorn. He loves this city, the life and home he built here, so to have it all destroyed in a blink must be devastating.
The plan from last night comes back to me and I offer him the best smile I can. “We already know exactly where you’re going to go.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. You gave me a place to land when I needed it, and now it’s my turn.” I offer him my hand to help him up. “You and Willow are going to Tahoe. As soon as you finish the transfer to the new owners. I’ll take care of getting you a place to stay for Willow’s school break. After that, if you still need time, we’ll figure it out. Is that far enough away from all of this?”
“You would do that?” Breck’s voice almost breaks on the words.
“I think escaping on the slopes of Tahoe is exactly what you and Willow need.”
“Hey, big brother!” Rory’s excited voice carries to me across the line from half a world away.
“Hey, baby sister. I need your help.”