Bliss York

“IS HE EVER going to realize she doesn’t like him?” Crimson disgustedly asked as she came to stand beside me. I searched for Cruz knowing it was him we were discussing without any explanation. He was, as always, talking to Hadley. Poor boy was fixated on her.

Hadley had flown in on her father’s private jet with her parents and sister for this party. In the morning they’d return to their home in Beverly Hills. In June, they’d come back, to yet another house, the one here they occupied for the summer. She lived a life so distant from any of ours that none of us was close to her.

“He has to try,” I replied. The real issue here was that Crimson had, as of late, become interested in Cruz . . . again. It wasn’t the first time. When they were little they were inseparable. Much like Eli and me. But Crimson had always had stars in her eyes whenever she was around him. Time had changed them both, but the stars were still there for Crimson. Cruz led the terrible six. It took a lot to keep them constantly in trouble. Crimson was too smart for that. Or I thought she was.

“He’s the son of my father. Or so my momma says. So be careful Crimson. He’s not the settling down type. I love him, don’t get me wrong, but he’s in it for women period. All women. Every single one.”

Crimson sighed and growled frustratingly. “Yeah, that’s what my mom says, but your dad settled down for your mother. It is possible. Anything is.”

“You’re nineteen. Don’t even think about settling down yet.”

She shrugged. “I don’t think it sounds so bad.”

Crimson believed the fantasy. The one her parents had as did mine. I wanted that but I wondered if it was possible anymore. Did people still love like they did? Had that become a thing of the past?

“I want a fairytale,” she said softly.

I replied “Crimson, we all do” and put my arm around her shoulder. “But Cruz isn’t the one. Keep looking.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“What are y’all whispering about?” Saffron asked as she sauntered up to us. Her skirt was so short if she bent over her bottom would show.

“How long everyone is going to pretend that Larissa and Micah aren’t dating. My guess is by Christmas we will all admit to knowing their secret. Unless Preston figures it out. Then their cover is blown.” I said that to conceal Crimson’s issue from Saffron who couldn’t keep her mouth closed. If she got wind of Crimson liking Cruz then it would be her mission to have him. Although she’d already been there and done that.

“I thought they were awfully close,” Saffron whispered as her eyes got big. Micah and Larissa would kill me if this got back to them. I’d made that up to get Saffron off the scent of a challenge, any obstacle, because she liked to take guys from other girls. Then she would throw them away.

The constant chatter of my “family” that surrounded me helped distract me from the conversation I’d had with Nate. Tonight as I lay in bed I would have time to go over it. He wanted to be friends. Friends? My chest hurt every time that word rang in my ears. Of course that was all he could want. He was engaged. And SHE was my boss.

How was I supposed to be friends with him? I needed to date again. That was my problem. My hurdle. Nate held a special place in my heart because he was my best relationship. The best I had experienced. After him no one had met my expectations. But I’d only been fifteen. We were kids being dreamy and irrational.

I had to try some more. The few dates I’d been on hadn’t been that great but that didn’t mean they were bad. I needed to test the waters. Take chances with different personalities; anything to wash Nate’s memory from my dreams, both day and night, because our time together plagued me.

“I’ve got to go in the back and get Cleo off the phone. Quickly, before my dad sees.” Crimson then excused herself to find her sister.

Saffron saw Holland talking to James Stone and hurried over there to draw attention, knowing she didn’t like James. She just wanted his eyes on her.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” my mother asked as she walked over to me, holding out a cup of punch. “I’ve watched you all evening. You’re upset about something. That frown line gives you away.”

I took the punch from her. I could lie but she would know. Momma knew everything. So, I was honest. “Nate Finlay is engaged to my boss.”

Mom’s eyes went wide. “The boy from that summer?”

I nodded. “Yep, the same.”

“Oh my,” she whispered and her frown matched mine. After all I had inherited it from her.

“Yeah, ‘oh my’ is right.”

“How long have you known?” she asked.

“Since the very first day at work. I didn’t think he remembered me. He pretended not to until this afternoon . . .”

Mom looked mad and interrupted. “Jerk. Goodness. That’s rude.”

I had to laugh. Momma was like talking to a friend. She listened and didn’t try to sugar coat it. We’d faced my cancer together. That made your bond stronger and I thought we were closer, as near to one another as could be.

“He wants to be friends,” I said.

She released a short laugh, as if that were ridiculous and I had to agree with her. At least she wasn’t telling me to give it a try, because my mom was honest and realistic. I loved that about her.

“He’s engaged. You can’t be friends. That’s impossible.”

I nodded.

“Does Eli know?”

I wasn’t sure why she asked that. There was no reason for Eli to know. He would just get overprotective and I wasn’t in the mood for that.

“No. He’ll worry.”

“He loves you.”

“I love him.”

Momma gave a sad smile. “I know.” I could tell by the look on her face she wanted to say more but she didn’t. Instead she took my hand and squeezed it. “One day you’ll know more.”

That didn’t make sense to me. Momma often said things that didn’t. Like she wanted me to figure life out on my own. I didn’t push for an explanation. Sometimes I did, but this time I didn’t, my gut telling me “you don’t want to know.” Right now I had enough to deal with. Like the fact that I knew being Nate Finlay’s friend was a terrible idea from the start. Yet, I was going to do it. Because if I didn’t, I would always wonder “what if it had just been a friendship? It could’ve been one like Eli’s.” I knew I was lying to myself. But cancer had taught me a lot. And the “what if’s” of this world were something I decided I never wanted to have. I wasn’t about to begin with Nate.

 

Nate Finlay

I WAS LATE coming into work because it had taken me three cups of coffee and about ten pep talks to get me out the damn door. Facing Bliss today wasn’t going to be easy. She hadn’t left me yesterday on a good note. She’d been hurt and angry.

When I opened the back door and heard the familiar voice of my youngest sister talking I froze. What the hell was Phoenix doing here? She was supposed to be in school. Last time I checked she was still a senior. Graduation wasn’t for two more weeks. Bliss laughed and I stalked toward their voices. I didn’t trust Phoenix not to say a bunch of shit she shouldn’t. The girl was an annoying loud mouth.

“ . . . and then we had to tell dad. Ophelia didn’t have enough money for bail . . .” Phoenix finished with her cup of coffee in hand as she gestured theatrically with her other. Both females began to laugh.

I’d never seen my sisters laugh with Octavia. She wasn’t much of a laugher herself. She thought my sisters were silly. I had to agree with her. However, seeing Phoenix so at ease with Bliss was nice. Too damn nice to be comfortable.

“Hate to break up the party but what the hell are you doing here? Why aren’t you in school?”

Phoenix didn’t even jump at the sound of my voice. “Good to see you to big brother. Hope you’re doing well. Yes, I am wonderful. Ready for finals and oh, of course, I’m registered at Washington State.”

I rolled my eyes. This was how Phoenix got the subject off her and made you feel guilty in the process. It worked with most of my family. Not me. Never had.

“I didn’t ask about any of that shit. Why aren’t you in school? Why are you here?”

She turned her attention back to Bliss. “He’s rude. Always has been.”

Bliss softly giggled. This morning I arrived ready to convince her to be a friend to me. Why, I wasn’t sure, because it was probably a stupid idea. But I wanted it nonetheless, like asking to be punched again. And after hours of talking myself into acting, I arrive to find my freaking sister here. Screwing it up for me.

“I need to get back to the window display. I’ll leave you two to visit.” Bliss spoke, then stood, walking away and though I shouldn’t watch her walk, I did because I was a man.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Phoenix said, snapping my attention back to her.

“What?”

She smirked and looked at Bliss’s back then cut her eyes at me. “Please tell me that she,” Phoenix threw her chin at Bliss “has the ability to end this ridiculous relationship you have with Octavia.”

It wasn’t just my mom who didn’t care for Octavia. It was all the women in my life.

“Octavia’s been nothing but nice to you,” I reminded her. She had been nice to all of them.

“Nice, but uppity,” she replied. “There’s always a snarl beneath it.”

We lived in a world of uppity with snarls. I didn’t point that out. I decided to let it go.

“Why are you here?” I asked more firmly this time. I was close to calling dad. Phoenix didn’t want that.

“Because,” she said with a sigh “a few of the graduating class hung our underwear on the flagpole. That was the night before last. Alcohol may have been involved. It seemed hilarious at the time. Even the next morning at school. Until we found out there were security cameras. We should’ve known that beforehand. Anyway, today they’ll be calling our parents. So I’m hiding. What are you up to?” She ended it so casually.

The flagpole thing was stupid, not criminal. Hell, I’d done a lot worse when I was a student there. “Go home and face it Phoenix. Mom will remind him that he’s getting paid back for the sins of his younger years. You’re the baby. He’ll calm down. They always let you get away with shit.”

Phoenix frowned. “I was drunk in the security footage. That’s why they’ll go bananas.”

Agreed. They’d be furious. But she wasn’t hiding here forever. I had my own shit to deal with. Octavia would be back soon. I had to get my head on straight before she walked in the door.

“Stop drinking. It leads to stupid shit. Wait until you’re legal then make your mistakes. Now go home and get it over with.”

She pouted. “Please go with me.”

I glanced over at Bliss working in the window. Normally when Phoenix needed me I was there without delay. She was, after all, the baby. And we babied the shit out of her. That was the reason she was wild as a buck. Even Ophelia bailed her out of trouble. Took the blame for things she shouldn’t.

“I can’t.”

Phoenix released a defeated sigh. “Normally, now, I’d commence the waterworks and cry until you caved. But I love you and will refrain. And if that girl Bliss can remove your head from Octavia’s uptown ass, where it seems to have been lodged for months, then good, that’s what I want. Even more than our parents assaulting me and burying my body in the sand.”

I rolled my eyes. How fucking dramatic. “For starters, my head is free of all asses and has never been in Octavia’s. Secondly, our folks aren’t exactly the toughest parents in Rosemary.”

She shrugged and stood without worry.

“I’m going to enjoy the day here. Walk on the beach where people don’t know me and eat some lunch like a stranger. Then, after they’ve worried, I’ll call and head home in shambles. Maybe their relief that I haven’t washed up on the beach or been drawn into a sex racket, will make them forget about the punishment.”

I doubted it and figured it would only make it worse but I wanted her to leave so I nodded. Truth was if they called me frantic I was telling them where she was. I didn’t want my momma to worry. Dad would worry, but he’d be pissed, and wouldn’t care about her emotional wellbeing.

“See you in a week Phoenix. I’ll be home for graduation.”

She kissed my cheek then headed for the door. “Bye Bliss! Lovely meeting you! Would be even lovelier if you . . .”

“Phoenix!” I stopped the comment.

She threw her head back and laughed, then sashayed out the door.

Life with two younger sisters had never been easy. Dad said it was why I was patient, with women and animals and old people. He had raised my Aunt Nan, said it taught him a lot, Phoenix often compared to her in looks and personality. She wasn’t as mean as they say Nan was, but then she had a stable life growing up. Aunt Nan hadn’t had that. Until Uncle Cope came along she was a destructive and angry hot mess. Or at least that’s the story I’ve heard.

I turned my attention back to Bliss and the way she was studying the window. Her intensity reminded me of a moment seven years ago. It was then that I realized she was special and I wouldn’t be able to forget her.

She must have felt my gaze. Bliss paused and looked directly at me. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. As if she knew what I was thinking and she remembered it too and while remembering turned to me.

 

Seven years ago . . .

She was worried about her friend. He was home from basketball camp. She’d convinced her parents to let her stay another week at the beach with Larissa, who had helped with that, because her parents were constantly fretting. Eli, however, wasn’t real happy about her being with me all the time.

I woke up and headed for our spot on the beach every morning around the same time. Quite often she was there first. Others days I beat her there. At night we texted on the phone until she stopped which meant she’d fallen asleep.

This summer was a hell of a lot better than I ever imagined it being. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to Rosemary Beach next month. I liked my grandpop’s condo and the food at his bar, the way this beach was touristy, but not so exclusive and elitist like it was at home. And well, if I was being absolutely fucking honest, I liked Bliss York and was pretty sure I was in love. She ruled my thoughts.

I watched her as she watched Eli walk away. We’d been standing in line at the ice cream stand when he came up to her to talk. Asked if she wanted to go surfing with him and someone I didn’t know named Micah. She had declined and he’d glared at me, before walking away with his shoulders drooping, doing that defeated thing.

“Maybe I should have gone. We both could have gone.” Her frown was so damn sweet it hurt. Of course I had to add stark reality.

“I wasn’t invited Bliss.”

She inhaled and exhaled deeply then turned back to me. “That’s because he doesn’t know you Nate. He has to warm up to you.”

No, that wasn’t correct. It was because her friend was jealous. I saw it, understood it, but I wasn’t about to let her leave me for him. If she really wanted I’d let her go, but not because that pussy pouted and retreated like a ten-year old child.

“I could go do something else. Catch up with you later,” I replied. I tried to sound cool, like I was fine with that, but I knew this was a gamble. She could easily agree and walk off. But the way I scanned the area, as if searching for someone to hang with, was the card I was playing at that moment.

“No,” she said quickly. “I want to stay with you.”

I turned back to her and smiled. She felt it to. I knew it. I wasn’t alone in this. The girl who had gotten under my skin was feeling it just like me. Why she liked me when a girl like her fit best with an Eli was beyond me. I wasn’t sure, but damn I was lucky.

“Good,” I replied. “You make being here worth it.”

The smile that lit her face made me want to say all kinds of mushy shit. Just to see that smile again, and again and again and again . . .