40. Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty
Laredo
A riel and Betty share a hug as if they are long-lost sorority sisters. Their outfits are practically a near match—tank tops and denim shorts, a combination Betty loves and is Ariel’s not in the studio, not on stage, time let down my hair and be myself outfit.
“You have your work cut out for you with that one?” Ariel playfully kids with Betty while pointing in my direction.
Betty gives as good as she gets. “I don’t know, at least with my twin. You know what you are getting.” She hooks a thumb over her shoulder at the beach below. Over fifty people gathered for the local beach barbeque. Amongst them is Adam. “Every time I talk to him, I discover something new. He’s going to keep you on your toes.”
“I guess I’m about to find out,” Ariel says with a foreign nervousness. Who would have thought a week ago, my little brother would have the gumption to upset Ariel’s world?
“What’s the plan?” I ask her. A few days ago, Adam sang Peter Gabriel’s classic “In Your Eyes” in front of a group of strangers to impress her.
She lifts her brow. “I’m just going to walk up to him, tell him I’m sorry, and ask for another chance.”
A snicker escapes my lips. I’m reminded of providing counsel to Adam a few days ago not far from this same spot. Before this trip, no one ever came to me for relationship advice. Here I am now, doing the same for Ariel.
“What?” Ariel smacks my arm, eyes wide with fear.
My snicker turns into a full-on laugh. “I’m not laughing at you.” I struggle to get the words out. “I promise.” Betty pinches my tricep to get me to behave.
“Should I have hired skywriters,” Ariel pleads.
“No.” I gather my composure. “I’m laughing because I can’t believe how perfect the two of you are going to be.”
Ariel freezes, inspecting my gaze to see if I’m pulling her leg. I’m not.
“He’s going to love it. And he’s going to love you.” My words give her the validation she seeks. I slip my hand into Betty’s and hang back, letting Ariel take the lead down the ramp to the beach.
She reaches the beach, her sandals kicking up sand as people take notice. Happy recognition, unspoken words mouthed between friends— Is that…? Can’t be .
The barefoot beachgoers fall in behind her. She continues to take determined strides toward her goal, unaware of the Piped Piper parade behind her. I pause halfway down the ramp in order to take it all in.
A few yards ahead of her sits Adam. His attention is focused on the sand in front of him, head down, feet digging in, his body language screaming why am I here? Ariel’s friend Emily is sitting next to him. Her assignment of getting him to the beach and keeping him company nearly complete.
Emily notices the crowd first. She hops to her feet with a smile of relief written across her face. Adam tips his chin up in search of the source of Emily’s sudden movement. His gaze immediately spots Ariel, locking in as he rises to his feet.
“Here goes everything.” Betty squeezes my arm. She just met Ariel but is raising her pom-poms in support.
Ariel lifts a finger, halting Adam from speaking. She wants to get in the first word. I hold my breath and pray it works.
We’re too far away to hear the words. All we can do is read their body language. She’s animated arms, lawyer pleading her case, throwing herself on the mercy of the court. Adam is the stoic judge, face masked, not revealing his emotions. He’s done this to me a hundred times. Let me rant like a lunatic. Let me swing in the wind, questioning my every word. I’ve always thought he did it to tick me off, but for the first time, I see him for what he is. He’s giving her his complete focus, listening to every syllable, considering every word.
He’s the kind brother. The one who cares how his actions affect others.
He is not me.
They both freeze in place, Adam taking his time before responding. He won’t allow ego and knee-jerk defense mechanisms to misspeak for him. Not for something as important as this. After what feels like an eternity but is less than a few long seconds, he responds. Even from here, I can see the smile on his face. One that has been missing for days.
Ariel rushes at him, leaping into his arms. The air fills with cheers and whistles. They kiss, and I feel Betty step into my arms. I wrap my arm around her, and she looks up at me. Her beautiful eyes speak volumes. We all deserve happiness if we are brave enough to chase it down. She bends, and I press my lips to hers. Her lips are soft, our kiss slow.
The weight of the day rises off my shoulders. Adam and Ariel getting back together is a sign that more good things are on the way.
That’s when I hear it. A drum. My ears perk up in search of the source. The crash of cymbals clarifies the mystery. It’s not coming through a boardwalk speaker but is live.
I lean over the railing to take in a makeshift stage off to the right. A small, shaky stage the locals throw up for impromptu celebrations. “That’s…” I point to the drummer, a familiar figure. Dax, the drummer from Devil May Care. He waves a hand to the crowd, summoning toward the stage.
Ariel pulls Adam by the hand, rushing toward the stage, not stopping until she hops onto it. She grabs a guitar. A few of the locals join her onstage, one on keyboards, another on bass. They move as if assigned spots. This isn’t an impromptu jam session.
This is a coordinated grand gesture. Ariel is such a liar.
It only takes two chords for me to recognize the song. The same one from the other day. “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel. A deep chuckle rumbles through my chest, and I wrap an arm around Betty. Ariel does do grand gestures, and she is as cheesy as my brother.
“No way!” Betty shouts, pulling my hand down the ramp and toward the stage. By the time we reach it, fifty voices have joined in for the chorus. Ariel has pulled her friend Emily on the stage and walks toward Adam. She points to a spot between her and Dax to stand.
Dax says something to him to cause him to turn toward him. He reaches into a duffel bag and hands him a familiar object that takes my breath away.
A tambourine.
He twists with a goofy smile on his face and begins to slap the tambourine against his bony hips. I hear his laughter above the music, a joy on his face that I’ve wished for since we were sixteen. You’d never know he was a musician from the offbeat slaps of the instrument—he’s too caught up in the moment to care how he sounds.
I laugh and think of Ricco. No one ever notices what the tambourine player does.
He’s right. All that matters is Adam is onstage with Ariel, and I’ve never seen him happier. Ariel twists her guitar so that it hangs behind her. She pulls Adam into her arms and kisses him for the world to see.
“This is perfect,” Betty whispers next to me.
“Not yet,” I return. My hands frame her face, and I press my lips to hers. “Now it is.”