Chapter 9
Adrian
I can feel my friend’s worried eyes burning into my skin. Jay’s always been able to notice when I’m troubled, which is both a gift and a curse.
“Come on, Adrian. Please talk to me here,” Jay begs, breaking the silence, his eyes wild with concern.
Instantly, I reach out and force a smile. “It’s nothing, Jay. Really, don’t worry—”
“Nothing?” My best friend laughs, but it’s sad and incredulous. “Come on, Adrian. We both know ‘nothing’ to you is everything to me. I’m the carefree idiot here. Don’t you dare steal my title.”
As always, Jay manages to pull a laugh out of me, and his eyes sparkle with relief.
The lightheartedness quickly dissipates, and the quiet turns thick and heavy. Jay’s hand tentatively reaches out to my shoulder, and nostalgia swallows me whole. It’s the silent gesture we’ve always used to comfort each other as teenagers.
Jay was one of the first people in my life to look out for me. He was the lonely boy at school, and I made him feel included, like he had a friend. We’ve stuck together since.
I’ve always wanted to do more for him because he was there for me through everything. When I asked why he cared so much when we were teenagers, he told me, “ You take care of everyone all the time. You deserve a friend who looks after you .”
He’s kept that role in my life ever since.
“Adrian?” Jay calls out, still running his knuckles across my shoulder blades.
When I snap out of it and stare at him, a grin spreads across his face, but it’s full of frustration. “I swear to god, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong soon, I will lose my shit.”
A tiny chuckle escapes. Jay’s always been a jokester, the one who does his best to put a smile on everyone’s face.
I take a deep breath, reminding myself he’s always been there for me, and he won’t leave if I actually tell him what’s wrong. “I miss them, Jay.” The emotions come over me like a lightning bolt, and I can’t breathe right anymore. “So much. It feels like I can’t live anymore.”
My best friend’s eyes are so full of heartbreak and compassion that I want to hide in a corner. I don’t want him to worry about me. I don’t want anyone to.
“Adrian, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he whispers, his voice cracking. “I’m your best friend. You’re supposed to tell me stuff like this. I’m supposed to be there for you.”
“Really, it’s nothing, Jay,” I rush out. “It’s only been a tough morning for me and—”
“That’s the thing, Adrian,” Jay cuts me off, his voice coming back to a more controlled tone, although hints of sadness remain.
“This isn’t something that just happened today.
I know you. I see the grief in your eyes when you think no one does.
” His voice grows frustrated, and his words hit me hard.
“I fucking grew up with you. I know you’ve always tried to be the ‘strong older brother that can handle conflict and move his family forward’.
But . . . you don’t have to play that role all the time.
And it doesn’t make you any less of a good brother. ”
“At least I knew them,” I admit, my voice turning sad. “I’m not like Hazel or Layla—they barely remember them. At least I had time with them. At least I knew what it was like to be loved by them—”
“That’s my point!” Jay exclaims, more frustrated than I’ve ever seen him.
I reach out to soothe him, but he steps away, staring at me with heartbreak and empathy in his eyes.
“ You remember them. You know how great they were. You loved them and felt their love. You know what’s gone now.
You’ve experienced it. You are so fucking allowed to take a break and admit that you miss the people you loved most in the world from time to time.
That you miss them, that you wish they were here.
You don’t have to be strong all the goddamn time. ”
Silence. Both of us are heaving—Jay from frustration, and me from overwhelming emotions. I must be strong, dammit. I couldn’t— can’t— let my family crumble. My sisters and I lost our parents, but we shouldn’t lose each other either. The girls deserve a brother they can lean on.
Jay smiles at me with our secret-coded smile from childhood. The one that’s full of the silent promises we’ve made and kept over the years. I’m here for you. I’ll hug you if you need it. I’ll be your shoulder to cry on. I’ll do anything you need.
I can’t help the tear that slips free or my legs from carrying me his way.
Jay’s strong arms wrap around me, and I painfully remember why I loved it when I saw him come home after my parents passed. His hugs are pure comfort, lighthearted in a way that makes you forget your problems.
My best friend whispers, his voice thick with emotion, “You’re not alone anymore. You never have been, and you will never be. I’m here .”
…
I swear Jay can never be serious for too long.
“Walk faster, otherwise I’ll have to drag your ass over here,” Jay complains.
Still, he’s smiling, which lightens the weight lingering in my chest. I’ll always choose seeing a smile on his face over the worry in his eyes from a few hours ago.
“You’re just too impatient,” I call out, walking faster to join him down the street.
“And you’re too goddamn slow.”
Both of us chuckle, the previous heaviness fully gone.
I halt to a stop when the corner of my eyes catch a glimpse of familiar chestnut curls that shine even brighter with the sunlight. Stella’s at the beach, a soft smile on her face.
“Adrian?” Jay calls with that familiar teasing voice.
I drag my eyes away, rushing to join him. Except I wasn’t fast enough.
His eyes find Stella, and he looks at me, a devilish grin on his face.
Can we go back to an hour ago?
“Well, well, well.”
“Shut up.” I laugh, despite myself.
Jay gasps in fake offense. “How dare you tell me to shut up, Adrian. That’s my line.”
I roll my eyes playfully, relieved the diversion worked.
…
It didn’t.
“What are you waiting for, idiot? Go join her.”
“What are you talking about?”
Jay laughs, no downright howls , at me. “I can’t believe it. Adrian is trying to play dumb. Over a girl—”
“Oh, shut up. I’m just trying to give her space.”
Jay’s eyes gleam, and I know I made a fatal mistake. “Why, Adrian? Is it annoying you that I’m onto you? Don’t make me drag your ass to the beach, because I will if I must.”
I’m just worried about Stella. I want to be there for her, but I don’t want to be too overbearing—
Jay shoves my back, and I yelp as he ushers me to the beach. As we approach Stella, I free myself from Jay’s grasp just quickly enough that she doesn’t see it. Her eyes light up with curiosity.
“Hi,” she says softly, a hint of laughter in her voice. “Nice seeing you both again.”
I’m glad to see you’re doing better. I’m here if you need me. It’s good to see a smile on your face.
“So, you love the beach, huh?” I ask her, shifting the focus on her so Jay’s teasing can finally stop.
“I never actually got the chance to visit the beaches when I lived in the city. I was always too busy to do so. But now . . . I think I actually love it. The atmosphere is pretty soothing. What about you?”
I think it through, remembering all the times I came here with Layla when we were kids.
“This is Layla’s favorite spot,” I respond, unable to think about anything else.
Dammit, Adrian. Talk about something that isn’t related to your sisters.
Stella might as well be a mind reader, because she asks, “Well, where’s your favorite spot around here?”
“The mountains nearby. I love running there. It’s so freeing,” I admit before I can stop myself.
Stella grins. “That sounds like a lovely place.”
Stella
For the next hour, Adrian and I hang out at the beach.
I’m starting to think this man lives to take care of other people. Even when I told him that I don’t need his help with my powers, that I can take care of myself, he still takes care of the little things.
He hands me a water bottle. He drags us to a spot with more shade when the heat gets to be too much. He checks in on me.
His attention makes my heart warm just as much as it piques my curiosity. Does he even notice how much he does for other people? Even strangers?
I have no idea what it must feel like to take care of everyone like that. Maybe it’s fulfilling in a way. But how do you draw the line and say no when you have established yourself as someone anyone can rely on?
I mean, it must be hard to say no. I’ve seen him around town, helping everyone with anything they need. Does he ever say no? Does he ever stop?
Before I can ask any questions, squeals echo in the air as the sun starts setting.
We both turn to find his sisters running our way.
“How come you didn’t tell us you were coming to the beach with her! We could have joined you both!” Isabella says, barely out of breath, unlike her sisters.
Before Adrian or I can respond, Layla says, “You know how much I love coming to the beach. How dare you not tell me!”
“Come on.” Adrian chuckles. “Stella’s new to town. She doesn’t need my three sisters rushing to meet her every chance they get.”
He’s clearly trying to be diplomatic.
It doesn’t work. At all.
“You know we’ll be sweethearts,” Hazel comments.
“We weren’t rushing to meet her here,” Layla mutters.
“We’re the sweetest people in this town!” Isabella exclaims.
I wave, trying to catch their attention.
“Hi,” I tell them, desperate to stop the yelling. It’s giving me a headache.
Adrian seems to catch on to what I’m trying to do and remembers that his sisters don’t know I know everything he shared about them. He starts introducing us to each other.
“Stella, these are my sisters. Layla”—he points to the one with curly, chocolate-brown hair and ocean-blue eyes—“She’s the artistic one. She’s a romance author.”
“Yeah, but right now, I’m not plotting a romance novel, I’m plotting your murder.”
We all laugh at her joke, and it makes my heart burst with joy to be included in their affectionate teasing.
“Isabella, the annoying one of us.”
She rolls her eyes, clearly used to the comment. “Hey, Stella. Nice seeing you again.”
I smile. “Nice seeing you too.”
“Finally, there’s Hazel. She’s the baby of the family.”
She giggles. “Stella, don’t listen to him. Just because I’m the youngest and shiest of us four doesn’t make me the baby here. Isa is, since she’s pouting all of the time.”
Isabella fake gasps. “Hazel! You’re supposed to be the kindest one of us, how dare you say I’m the baby here.”
She raises her hands in surrender while laughing quietly.
I love them all.
“Well, we didn’t come here just to annoy you both,” Layla starts.
“Yeah, right. I almost forgot. Hazel distracted me with her heartless comment,” Isabella continues.
Hazel stays quiet, looking at me and waiting for her sisters to speak.
“We wanted to tell you we are having a girls’ night tonight. So, you’re welcome to join us if you want to,” Isabella says casually.
“W-what?”
Hazel smiles at me warmly, understanding in her eyes. “We know you’re new to town, and we wanted to get to know you better. We’re usually the ones welcoming tourists, but Adrian got ahead of us this time.”
Emotions swirl inside of me. I haven’t made friends in so long.
“Of course, I’ll come.”
The three sisters scream in joy. Everything around me fades away, and all I see is their happiness. And for the first time in years, I feel alive.
For the first time in my life, I don’t want to earn their love, affection, and time or prove myself. I want them to love me for who I am.