Chapter Seventeen #2
Oh God, Ivy thought, panicking. Had Trip told his sister all the mean things she’d said? Was Brooke going to tell her off? ‘You really don’t have to—’
‘No, I think I do,’ said Brooke, lifting her chin. ‘I wanted to clear something up. You seem to think he’s had this charmed life, right? Idyllic, all-American childhood. Sailing lessons. Theatre camp. Trips to New York. A choice of any college, travelling round the world …’
‘Well, when you put it like that, it does sound pretty great,’ said Ivy, smiling nervously.
Brooke didn’t smile back. She walked towards the edge of the water, hugging herself against the soft breeze.
Then, without looking back, she said, ‘Trip’s life hasn’t been all sunshine, you know.
Our parents were never around. We get along fine, but they were always too busy working or socialising to spend that much time with us.
Poor little rich kids, right? So we spent all our time with our gran in Santa Cruz.
Gran was amazing. Like, the definitive hippie, super cheerful and chilled and up for anything – she was like Trip and our mom in that way.
A real “yes” person.’ Brooke smiled fondly.
‘Josie reminds me of her too, in fact. She had an incredible old house and her neighbours along the beach all shared a sailboat and she had loads of bohemian friends who would have us to stay. Art shows, trips to NYC. She was all about silver linings and glass-half-full. She always thought things would work out for the best. I never once saw her sad. If she was, she never let us see it.’
‘She sounds great,’ said Ivy. ‘I can see where Trip gets his optimism from.’
‘Yeah, Trip … he was this sunny little boy who always saw the best in people. Never really talked about our parents.’ Brooke sighed.
‘So, I had to be the realist. When our grandma got sick a few years back, I was the one who had to break it to Trip that she wasn’t going to get better.
And then this spring, when she died … We knew it was coming, but still.
It hit us both hard – and as usual Trip wouldn’t talk about it.
Our parents offered to pay someone to clear out her house but Trip and I didn’t want that.
So we spent months going through everything.
’ She gave a shaky laugh. ‘Which, when you’re dealing with the estate of an eighty-four-year-old hippie activist with hoarding tendencies, is intense.
We were pretty exhausted. It’s part of the reason we decided to do this trip. We both needed a break.’
Ivy let out a breath. She’d had no idea that behind Trip’s cheerful facade lay this recent sadness. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘That must have been really hard. I just assumed—’
Brooke turned to face her. Her expression was open and for a moment she looked like her brother.
‘I’m not blaming you, Ivy. I know how it seems. And Trip would never share a sob story. I wish he would, I think it would do him a lot of good – but he’s perennially allergic to anything sad. I’m only trying to give you the whole picture, because … well, because I think he really likes you.’
Ivy felt a mix of emotions. Guilt, that she had so quickly dismissed Trip as a spoiled rich kid with no idea what the real world was like. Embarrassment, that she’d subjected him to an unfair character assassination just because she felt insecure. And sympathy, that he had spent the year grieving.
‘Trip’s all in, you know,’ Brooke said slowly.
‘That’s what he’s always been like, even as a kid.
He doesn’t stop to think too hard – he goes with his gut.
When he commits to something, he commits.
You’ve seen him at the rehearsals. Full steam ahead.
It wouldn’t occur to him to be careful. That he might get hurt. ’
They stood side by side for a moment, the wind tugging at their coats and the sea lapping against the pebbles. The cove, with the grey skies and lowering clouds, was suddenly very quiet and the silence felt loaded. Ivy was the one to break it. ‘You think I’m going to hurt Trip?’ she said at last.
‘I think he’s too nice for his own good,’ Brooke said.
She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
‘Luckily, he also seems to have an instinct for decent people. I’m not blind.
I can tell there’s something going on between you two.
I knew right away that Trip was smitten.
But I want him to focus on his future. You don’t seem in a super-happy place and you also live across the world from Trip.
I don’t want him distracted or upset more than he has been already. ’
The words hung in the air. Ivy’s chest felt tight. Brooke thought she would upset Trip.
‘I’m not trying to be a villain here,’ Brooke said. ‘But I need to look out for my little brother, you know?’
‘I get it,’ said Ivy tightly. ‘Besides, you’ve got it wrong. Trip likes someone else. This girl Madison.’
Brooke frowned, looking confused. ‘Madison? Oh.’ She gave a faint smile. ‘Trust me, Ivy – that’s not what you think.’
Before Ivy could ask her what she meant, Brooke was heading back up the beach, striding against the wind. ‘Shall we get back?’ she called as she went. ‘Fin promised me scones for tea.’