Page 6 of Unraveled

Ever since that first day in Greece, I hadn’t been able to forget that she was the deeply seeded root of most of my problems, of my entire family’s problems. I wasn’t sure how or why. The conversation around my grandmother’s deathbed and most of the others during our trip that I’d gleaned in on were too vague, but I’d at least been able to ascertain that myauntwas the reason my parents and Uncle Stefano had had to leave Greece in the first place.

No one there had known I’d been able to understand. Studying Greek had been something I’d been doing for myself, to find a connection, somewhere, when I’d lost my mum.

And what I understood now was that if my aunt hadn’t done what she had, I never would have been forced to grow up in London, and all this unbending torture I’d been put through these past excruciating months would be obsolete. Itneverwould have happened. I could be living still instead of only attempting to survive.

Damn Izzy for having picked that up about me. I’d been getting better. At least, it felt that way, until a call from one of my University mates this morning brought it all back to light. Any and all progress I’d made started bubbling away like a slug in the salt just added to my never-healing wound.

And all I want to do is forget.

Chapter 3

ANNIE

My toes sank into the semi-warm sand on the nearly deserted beach. The waves were a greenish-gray, thrashing lightly in anticipation of the weather the clouds promised above. Their troubled dance seemed to match my steps as I ran. I wasn’t even sweating. My body was used to the exercise, and the sun was blocked, making the day somewhat cool. Though, on a day like today, it would only grow more humid and muggy after the rain had passed. I ran faster, pushing my body to drown out my thoughts.

I’d thrashed awake early this morning, tumbling out of bed thanks to that freaking nightmare I couldn’t ever shake, and after confirming Izzy had never come home, I slipped out of the house before Mom or Uncle Blake could ask questions. Not wanting to fill them in about me and my issues or find out if they’d be pissed about Izzy leaving.

I was glad she and Mom had shared a good moment last night, but Mom was still resistant to accepting that Izzy and I were adults, and we weren’t going to start catering to her every whim, request, and expectation just becauseshe came home and wanted things to be like they were before.

“It’s just not gonna happen,” I muttered, coming to a stop as I reached the building behind Riptide Surf, the small lifeguard station painted in bright red and white where I went every week for my schedule.

I couldn’t wait until they digitized it. The paper thing was bullshit.

I bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I leaned from side to side, taking long, slow breaths to ease my lungs and heart rate to a normal speed after my much needed run. I shook out my arms and legs and ducked inside.

“Annie, I was just about to call you,” a thick, husky voice said from behind the desk at the back of the room.

I blinked a few times to adjust to the dimmer lighting without the normal added sunlight. “Hey, Brett,” I greeted the wiry built late twenty something guy I had the…fortuneof calling my boss. Taking a couple of steps to the desk, I leaned a hand against it as I pulled my ankle up behind my thigh for a deeper stretch. “What do you need?”

Brett leaned forward in his chair and linked his fingers on top of the desk. “I just wanted to let you know you don’t have to worry about working this afternoon. There’s hardly anyone out today, so I think we can get away with who we’ve got on shift now. You’ve also got a new schedule for next weekend.”

“Oh, okay.” I switched ankles, enjoying the pull of my muscles before going to check the chart. “Why the change?”

“We have a couple of new hires for the summer. I’m starting their training schedule next weekend so they’re ready for June. Hard to believe it’s already close to mid-May, huh?”

“Uh-yeah.” I dropped my foot. “Are the new hours posted?”

He pointed to the wall behind me, and I grabbed the clipboard from the huge rusty nail, pulling out my phone to snap some pictures of the schedule when one of the new names caught my attention.

He didn’t. Tell me he fucking didn’t just hire the biggest asshole in town.I looked back at Brett as I held up the clipboard. “You hired a guy named Zane.”

“Yeah?”

“Zane. As in Zane Hernandez.”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“The eighteen-year-old douchebag about to graduate high school with me?” My voice rose, my brow lifting as my anger built, rising in my gut.

Brett leaned forward, pressing a hand to the desk with a warning look. “Considering I don’t set out to hire anydouchebags, I don’t know, but I do know you need to watch that attitude.” He took a deep breath. “And yes, everythingelsemakes it sound like the same guy. Is that a problem?”

My jaw jutted, my head shaking, trying to dial back my anger before I went off on mygeniusboss and got myself fired. I took a few strained, deep breaths.

“Well, if itishim, I won’t work with him. Tucker won’t either, I can tell you that now. Maybe not even Emma. He’s an absolute asshole that literally assaulted my sister, and Irefuseto be stuck on a shift with him.”

Brett’s expression shifted, and he leaned back to sit upright in his chair. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know y’all had past issues, but I can’t deny someone a job just because y’all don’t like each other. What Icando is try not to put you on the same shift too often. But it might cut back on some of your hours.”

“Great.”Just fucking great.What the fuck did Zane want with a lifeguard job, anyway?