Chapter 35 – “Space Song” - Beach House
VIOLET
“SPACE SONG” - BEACH HOUSE
Elena
I’m hanging out with Darby, Dahlia, and my mom after work. I’ll be home later!
I smile, reading over the text message from Elena that she sent hours ago. It’s long past dark when I lock up the building and head out to my car. I call Elena on the drive home to check if she ate with the others or if I should pick something up, but she doesn’t answer.
Her car isn’t in the driveway when I pull up, which has me pausing. It’s well past nine o’clock, and I assumed Elena would be home by now. I try calling her again, and my stomach drops when I hear her voicemail for a second time.
I try Darby next, but she doesn’t answer either.
My breath lodges in my throat, breathing heavy as I scramble to pull up Leo’s contact name and try him next. If something had happened, surely, they would’ve let me know, right?
I sigh with relief as Leo answers on the third ring. “Hey, Auggie.”
“Do you know where your sister is? Did Darby come home? She sent me a text earlier that she was going out with them, but she’s still not home, and I’m—”
“Come over, Augustus.” Leo laughs. “Take a damn breath and meet us at my house.”
Before I can ask any follow-up questions, he ends the call.
I immediately back out of my driveway and make the four-block commute to where he and Darby live.
Elena’s car is parked across the street, Everett’s orange Jeep and Dahlia’s Honda are both against the curb, and Leo and Darby’s Mustang is in the driveway.
I pull behind Dahlia’s car and hop out of mine, jogging up the front steps.
The house looks like it could be on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens with the way Darby has landscaped the front with honeysuckles and hydrangeas, and the cozy elegance of the white wrap-around porch and the soft blue-painted two-story cottage-style layout.
I don’t bother knocking, and it’s mostly quiet as I enter.
The house is painted in dim lighting, only the lamp in the front entryway illuminating the space, while the dining room to my left, and kitchen through it, are dark.
The staircase directly in front of me that leads to the second floor is also dark, and a faint warm glow seems to come from the living area around the corner from the front door.
Everett startles me as he appears around that corner a second later, smiling as he holds a finger to his lips. He nods for me to follow him.
When I turn the corner, I’m taken aback by the sight that has become the living room of Darby and Leo’s home.
There are blankets and pillows piled high in front of the couch, and small lights strung up all around the room with tacks.
A bowl of popcorn sits on the floor half-eaten, along with a pan of brownies and three bags of assorted potato chips.
Darby lies on her side on the massive, plush sofa, sleeping soundly. Two figures are just visible under the mound of blankets on the floor, but Dahlia’s and Elena’s faces peek out of them—both asleep as well.
Flashes of light filter over all of their faces, and I turn to realize that a movie is still playing on the television mounted to the wall.
Everett stands beside me, watching them as he smiles, and I find Leo on the other side of the room, leaning against the wall while he does the same.
“They’re having a sleepover,” Leo whisper-shouts, walking across the room and patting me on the back as he passes me. “Let’s let them sleep. Help me build some baby furniture.”
He begins ascending the stairs, and Everett and I follow him up to the second-story hallway.
"Leo opens the door to the room at the end of the hall, flipping on the light to reveal a pastel-yellow painted nursery.
One wall is covered in a mural of flowers and vines.
A crib sits against that wall, with a rocking chair in the corner, what I assume is a changing station beside it, and a small couch beneath the window.
“I need to build that dresser.” Leo nods to a large cardboard box sitting at the center of the room. Everett opens the box as I begin pulling out its parts, and Leo reads through the instructions.
“I don’t think Elena has ever had a sleepover in her life,” I say.
“She’s never had sisters before,” Everett responds, and when my head snaps up, so does his. He smiles at me with something akin to pride shining in his face.
“I came home after my evening surf session and found the girls sitting at the dining room table with our mom and Lou.” Leo sits down cross-legged onto the floor beside us.
“Elena was showing them all how to make those crystal keychains she used to give us all the time. Remember?” He snorts a laugh.
“She was going through all the different kinds and what protection they’d offer so everyone could pick which one they felt like they needed most. I guess they’d hung out at the beach all afternoon and decided to have a craft night. ”
“I came over when I got home and realized the girls weren’t there,” Everett adds.
“Mom offered to take Lou for the night, and then the girls made us go sit in the garage so they could watch 13 Going On 30 uninterrupted.” He scratches his beard, laughing.
“We came back two hours later and all three of them were asleep.”
“Elena went to the beach?” I ask.
Everett’s and Leo’s heads snap up, brows drawing as the realization dawns on them both.
“She’s never gone to the beach. Not since…” I trail off.
Everett looks directly at me. “She’s getting better, isn’t she?”
“Yeah,” I say confidently. “She has been for quite some time. It’s been slow but steady.”
“They were talking about opening a bookstore,” Leo says in an astonished breath.
“Elena was?” I ask.
“Elena was…hesitantly optimistic.” He laughs, running a hand through his hair. “My wife on the other hand… She was enthusiastically offering to finance the whole thing.”
I chew the inside of my cheek. “If Elena wanted to open a bookstore, would you help?”
The two brothers glance at each other, offering up an expression that tells me a conversation has already been had about it, before Leo says, “We haven’t considered a bookstore before.
I’m honestly not sure how well one would do on the boardwalk, but…
yeah. If that’s what she wanted, of course I’d help. ”
I smile, and Leo tilts his head as he studies me. “August, are you in love with her?”
“Yeah,” I breathe.
“She in love with you?”
A grin splits my cheeks so wide I have to dip my head bashfully. “Yeah.”
I hear the sound of a short laugh, but when I lift my head again, it’s seriousness on both of their faces. “Is this going to end with either of you getting hurt?” Everett asks.
“I don’t know what answer you’re looking for, but I think you know that I can’t tell you with certainty that nobody will ever be hurt again.
” I bite my lip. “What I can tell you is that Elena’s healed enough to take risks, and that’s what this is for both of us.
We know it’s not normal, and not everyone is going to be happy with it or accepting, but we want each other badly enough that we’re willing to wade through it all. ”
Her brothers only stare back at me like the answer I provided isn’t sufficient enough.
I swallow, continuing, “I can tell you that I’m fucking crazy about her.
Literally. I’d die for her, and I’m not even exaggerating, but I think you both knew that already.
She’s been my best friend my entire life, and the two of us are inherently better people when in the presence of the other.
I can tell you with certainty that whenever she is hurt in life, whatever the reason, I’ll be there to mend her broken pieces.
I think I’ve proven that of myself by now.
There are no lengths I won’t go to for her, and you can think what you want of the choice we’ve made, but your opinion won’t change it. ”
They blink at me, straight-faced. My ass is all the way inside my throat as I wait for their response, until Leo’s dimples pop with a smirk. “I always did think you were the best person for her.”
I smile back at him before turning to Everett expectantly. He looks less convinced, but his lips tilt up slightly. “I’m always going to worry about her, so don’t hate me for being cautious. I think you’re the best person for her too.”
I nod, and Everett claps me on the back before adding, “And if it’s worth anything, I think he would’ve accepted it too. If that’s any guilt you two are harboring, I think it’s worth letting go.”
The words slice far deeper than Everett could’ve intended, because while we finally addressed where Elena and I stand tonight, there are still darker truths that they don’t know.
Elena and I had decided a few weeks ago we’d stop sneaking around and officially tell her family about us when the time felt right.
Things have been hectic, and we’ve all been busy, but she and I gave each other permission to disclose the status of our relationship if or when it arose.
We haven’t discussed our past, though.
It’s easy enough to say that it’s not of anyone else’s concern, but the feeling is different.
As I stare my two childhood best friends in the eye right now, knowing that I’m lying, I can’t possibly imagine going the rest of my life like this.
They weren’t directly involved in the tragic triangle made up of Elena, my brother, and myself, but they were two existing points beside it. They weathered all of its fallout.
I can’t go into it with them right now, though. Not without Elena being present. Not when Leo is on the cusp of having his first child, and so much joy and healing is taking place.
There will be time for those conversations, but it’s not now.
“Thanks,” I choke out, clearing my throat.
Leo smiles as Everett focuses on aligning two pieces of the dresser, holding an Allen wrench between his teeth.
I begin sorting through the various parts of assembly while Leo tears down and folds the box, when Everett’s head snaps sideways, and his brow furrows with concern.
“Wait a fucking second, that text message you sent me a few weeks back…?”
I wince. “We should probably agree here and now that we never again talk about my sex life.”
Everett’s nostrils flare. “I think we need to agree that you check who the fuck you’re texting before you hit send.”
“I know.” I grimace. “I’m sorry.”
Leo frowns. “I’m scared to know.”
“Best you don’t,” Everett murmurs.