“Shitty, as usual.”
“Tiffany here?”
I rolled my eyes and pointed my thumb over my shoulder toward the manager’s office. “Unfortunately, yes, and probably ratting me out for threatening to cut off her toes.”
Zach laughed until I glanced up from grabbing my purse from underneath the bar, my eyes cold and serious. He swallowed uncomfortably, and a satisfied smirk coated my face.
“Enjoy your night, Zach. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure thing, Eden.”
Pushing the heavy, wooden door open, I inhaled the mild, seventy degree, September weather. With a full chest and clear mind, I realized the exchange with Zach epitomized the new Eden Lachey.
The person that walked into the hardware store that June morning was no longer me. Even the way I reacted to situations and people had drastically changed.
I’d never again be anyone’s victim or second choice.
I knew the day would come, whether I pretended it existed or not. I could tell myself as much as I wanted I was prepared for it and could work through it. Keeping my mind occupied proved to be useless.
September second, my brother would’ve turned twenty-eight years old. Initially full of anger, the indignant side of me wanted to blow the whole day off and get drunk. By the time my car left the bar, I knew what I had to do, and where I was headed.
I walked out of the supermarket and ripped open the box of popsicles before I reached my car. Hitting the gas with a heavy foot, I rolled down the window and tossed all the orange and purple popsicles onto the highway, one by one, until only a box of red ones remained.
Holding the box tightly, I dropped everything on my way from the front door of my townhouse to the deck, not bothering to care where they landed.
One right after another, I sat by myself and ate almost the entire box until my lips were numb.
“Yes, I understand. Thank you, Officer Helms.”
Placing the phone back on the glass table to my side, I shook my head at the reach Val had across the border and deep into law enforcement. Nash and my father’s disappearances were classified as missing person cases, boxed and buried in files never to be reopened. As far as the Houston Police Department was concerned, my only family would be missing until the end of time.
Only, I knew their bodies would never be found. If they even still existed at all.
Still huddled on my deck, I faced the city lights and chased the red drip of the last remaining popsicle with my tongue as it ran down my arm. Shifting in my lounger, I hugged the empty box to my chest as my eyes clouded with tears.
“I look like I’ve shoved my hands up a baboon’s ass, thanks Nash.” Holding my red-stained hands out for his inspection, I threw the dark red sponge in the sink and rolled my eyes at him.
Nash just grinned. “You should’ve come home and checked your mail instead of going to the bar with one of your ex’s fraternity brothers.”
“I was just blowing off some steam, big brother. I’m allowed after all I’ve been through, don’t you think?”
Folding his hands in his lap, Nash seemed to take a moment to choose his words. “Be careful around Brody Harcourt, Cherry. I know him well enough, but I don’t trust him…especially with my sister.”
“Will you please stop calling me that?”
“No.” He laughed, his resolve to tease me relentlessly obvious.
Plopping down in a lounger beside him, I stared out at the city lights of Houston from the deck of my townhouse. “What is it about me that makes everyone leave, Nash? First Mom, now Davis.” Lowering my chin, a shudder shook me as I fought the impending breakdown I’d held in for so long. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”
Reaching over, Nash grabbed the arm rest of my chair and dragged it over until it touched his. As he wrapped his strong arm around my shoulder, I rested my forehead against his chest, and breathed in his familiar Giorgio Armani cologne. “Nothing is wrong with you, Cherry Pop. You should never change to meet anyone else’s expectations. If they can’t love you for the amazing, strong, and adorably quirky person you are…fuck ‘em. They aren’t worth you or your time.”
“But what about you? You’re all I have left, Nash. If you ever left me, I don’t think I could handle it.”
Giving me a squeeze, he kissed the top of my head. “I swear to you, Edie, no matter where we end up in life, I’ll always be here for you.” Chuckling, he picked up one of my beet red stained hands and held it up. “Besides, there isn’t any situation that can’t be fixed by red dye number forty and a hug from your big brother.”
I wiped the tears as they fell and bit the tip off the popsicle.
I’d have to settle for red dye number forty tonight.
Snapped out of my memory by the shrill ring of my phone, I dropped the melting popsicle on the glass table and glanced at the caller ID.
“Were your ears burning? I was just talking about you.”
“With who?” Brody asked, his voice curious.
“Nash.”
“Cherry, have you been drinking?”
His concern for my sanity made me laugh out loud. “What’s up, Brody?”
“I know it’s late, but are you busy? Can I come over?”
“Look,” I sighed. “We talked about this, remember? I like you, and you’re a good friend, but just because he’s gone doesn’t mean I’m ready to see anyone else right now.”
Or ever.
“Yes, I know that, Eden. You’ve made that perfectly clear on multiple occasions,” he retorted dryly. “Besides, the last thing I plan to do is get on the wrong side of Val Carrera. Been there, done that, don’t ever plan on it again.”
My spine stiffened at the mention of his name. “We’re not together, Brody. You know that.”
“So you keep saying.” He paused. “Does he know that? All I’ll say is I feel sorry for the first guy you try to have a real relationship with, Eden. Emilio Reyes is still here running the stateside operations, you know. Plus, Carrera has eyes and ears everywhere. If you think he doesn’t have them on you, you’re nuts.”
I’d heard enough. “You have twenty minutes. If you’re not here, I’m going to bed.” Moving the phone to disconnect the call, I pressed it back to my ear and added, “Alone.” Then I hung up.
“Thanks for seeing me.” Walking past me, Brody ran a hand through his dirty blond hair and sat on the couch, bouncing his knees up and down in his habitual nervous gesture.
“Please,” I offered, after the fact. “Come in.”
Brody shot me a hardened look, with his eyes void of amusement. “Eden, this is serious.”
Scrubbing my hands down my face, I took a seat across from him and tucked my legs underneath me. “Fine, what’s so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”
“You have to promise to let me finish before you flip out,” he muttered under his breath. After I nodded and grew more and more suspicious of his behavior, he stood up and paced in front of me. “I’ve been searching for Marisol Muñoz.”