Page 295 of Hide and Keep

It’s hard to believe that in nineteen years of living here, she’s never been to a Sea Haven beach. Even if our house wasn’t steps from the shore, my family would’ve taken advantage of living this close to the Sound.

The people that live up on the cliffs have multimillion-dollar views of a bay they won’t go near. It’s just like art. They only want it for the bragging rights.

Well, not Ever. She genuinely likes art.

“Phoebe!” someone calls out, causing all four Brantley heads to snap to the right. Technically, three plus a Munreaux’s, but I’m trying out Ever’s manifesting shit by thinking of her as my wife already.

“Oh, hey, Carol! Long time no see,” my mom greets a woman who looks vaguely familiar. I think she lives a couple streets over from us, but I haven’t seen her for a few years. The moment her eyes land on me, it becomes obvious why that is.

While her lips continue moving, her voice doesn’t make it to us. It’s not hard to guess why considering the person sitting next to her almost breaks their neck to gawk at us. At me.

Before I can tear my eyes away, I make out the words “be in jail.”

Dropping the cooler, Ever stops in her tracks, which means I’m not the only one.

“Excuse me? What was that? We couldn’t quite hear you.”

Spinning around, I tell her, “Come on. It’s not worth it.” It never is.

“Yes, you are,” she argues before returning her attention to Carol. “Say it again?”

“It wasn’t for you, dear.”

“That nose clearly wasn’t for you either, but you’re still trying to make it work, aren’t you?” Ever quips.

Carol gasps and cups the nose in question.

Several passersby tune into the altercation. Some of their stares linger on me a bit too long to pass as curious. Fuck.

That familiar urge to hide returning in an instant, I yank my hat lower. I got too fucking comfortable the last couple weeks.

“Ever,” I grit. “Let’s go.”

She surveys our audience.

I know she thinks she’s helping by standing up for me. But she’s only making it worse by drawing more attention. Carol isn’t the only one with that opinion. At least she had the decency to voice it low enough to where I couldn’t hear it. Most people don’t.

“You shouldn’t judge people you don’t know anything about,” she tells…everybody.

Picking up the cooler again, she comes to stand by my side, one hand on her hip.

“You deal with that all the time?”

I resume walking before muttering, “Not if we go out far enough.”

Ever grows quiet after that. In fact, everybody does. Nobody speaks until we find a spot away from everybody to drop our stuff.

“Why don’t you and Ever take the kayaks out first?” my mom suggests after we get everything set up.

I agree without hesitation. Any opportunity to get farther away from those people, I’m taking.

While I’m putting the kayaks in the water, I hear Ever yelp behind me.

“Ow!”

Up to her knees in the water, she’s hopping around on one foot.

I’m next to her in an instant.

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