Page 28 of Social Sinners

Chapter Ten

Our wishes became a reality when on Saturday morning, Dr. Linden handed Easton his walking papers. She told him to call her office when we got back to Seattle to schedule follow up appointments, and that if he had any negative thoughts or the nightmares began again to call her immediately. We both assured her he would. I know I needed to allow Easton to be an adult here and trust in him to handle this but finding out that he wanted to end his life only a few short weeks earlier wasn’t something I’d ever forget. Unfortunately, I was going to become a Diamond sized mother-hen. Although I’d do my best to act silently on it, lurking in the shadows. Ha, like that would ever be my style. I was so fucking relieved he was able to leave with me, and I was even happier he’d not had any nightmares during the remainder of his stay.

Before I left for Santa Monica, I made sure Jay was set up with his own car and a credit card so he could get whatever he needed and have his own sense of security. He was enrolled at the University of Washington and was starting in the fall. I wanted him to focus on his studies, but he was insistent upon getting a job to help pay for things. Although I did understand his need to be his own man, I had trouble relinquishing the reigns when it came to that. He’s my brother, and I felt like I had a lot to make up for after not seeing him for so long. I’ll beat myself up until the day I die for not pushing the issue and getting him out of my parents clutches sooner.

While I was thinking about it, I shot off a quick text to him, and one to our group chat letting the guys know Easton had been sprung and we were off to Hawaii. Mickey and his crew were headed to Bali themselves. Joey and Stoli decided to keep it simple and were taking a drive up to Vancouver then across the water by ferry to a private cottage in Victoria.

Easton speed walked back to his room after he was discharged with me lagging behind him. He had his bag packed and was rolling it down the hall moments later. I cracked up watching that little ass of his sprint ahead of me and straight out the front doors. I guess I couldn’t blame him. While the administrators went out of their way to decorate the rehab facility so it would appear more homey than clinical, it was still first and foremost a medical environment underneath. Not somewhere either of us hoped to see the inside of again, and he was obviously more than done with his stay.

Sal took care of our vacation request, booking Easton and I in first class for the flight to the main island of Hawaii. From there we’d take a puddle jumper over to our final destination on the sister island of Kauai. He’d rented us a private, beachfront home and asked the staff to stock the pantry and fridge with everything we required the duration of our ten-day stay. The rest and relaxation was more than warranted after what Easton had been through. I was beyond thankful to whatever forces controlled my brain that I didn’t suffer the same fate after hearing him recount Rob’s death. Still, the entire situation stressed me out and having nothing to do, and no one to answer to for a few days was the best thing for both of us.

We wouldn’t even need to worry about dinner. Sal scheduled a private chef to come in and prepare it for us. But I told him to have them leave breakfast and lunch for us to handle because we wanted to let our days flow as they came and not adhere to any schedule.

I always wanted to learn how to surf, so I was excited to start the lessons he’d set up for me. He found a local, retired pro surfer who was more than willing to teach me, which was freaking awesome. My love of the ocean ran deep. I can’t explain where it came from, but it was there, and it was a pull I couldn’t deny.

Easton wanted nothing but his iPad so he could try and catch up on the massive number of books he had queued up in his kindle app, and I was thankful it had been packed for him. Well, that along with endless glasses of iced tea at his disposal while he basked in the sun’s rays on the beach. He was especially excited about diving into a new book from an author he’d been told about named Shannon Perrine.Connor’s Achillesis book one of her new Fast and Loud MM series that several of his local author friends had told him was a must read. As soon as we reached cruising altitude, he loaded it up and buried his nose in its electronic pages. I had my Apple AirPods and my music playlist to keep me company. So, with my phone set to airplane mode, I cranked up the tunes, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the stress-free ride at thirty-five thousand feet.

Nearly six hours later, we landed in Hawaii, and after another fast twenty-minute plane ride, we were headed to the rental. The aerial views as we touched down were breathtaking, the crystal-clear water beneath us was calling to me. After deplaning, we were whisked away in an open-air Jeep. The sites from ground level were just a spectacular as the view from the air. Pulling into the long driveway that led up to the house, I was captivated by the detail given to the landscaping. Every piece had a place and a purpose, whether it be to shade a window or a low light plant. Each planted piece of foliage was situated like an intricate piece of a greenery puzzle, and all was set to seclude the house from prying eyes.

Walking inside, things were no different. The place was stunning. The grand foyer and open concept were designed with the exterior view in mind. You didn’t come to a place like this and stay inside with the blinds closed. You came here to take in the beauty mother nature meant for you to enjoy. I told Sal we didn’t need a big house, all we wanted was our privacy, but as usual, he looked past that and hooked us up on multiple levels. Every window on the backside of the house had a view of the turquoise water surrounding the land.

“Wow,” I gasped, pushing the sliding glass door to the side as I walked out onto the lanai. “This is spectacular.”

“You can say that again,” Easton said, appearing beside me. “Dad knew just what we needed.”

The lanai ran the length of the house, part of it was shaded while other areas had an open pergola with vines weaving their way through them. Off to one side of the yard was a diving pool with a rock waterfall and slide framed on all sides by the perfectly sculpted lawn. The smell of fresh cut grass and salt filled the air, assaulting my senses, two of my three favorite aromas. Easton, of course, was the third.

The lush landscaping didn’t take away from the water’s view if anything, it only enhanced it. A private, sandy white beach served as the perimeter on two sides of the property. A pair of lounge chairs sat underneath an umbrella, calling our names.

“East,” I said, as the gentle breeze blew through, whisking his name away with it.

“I know babe, let’s go get changed.” I loved it when he knew what I was thinking. Easton grounded me, usually keeping me from doing stupid shit…usually.

We had a few requests for items we didn’t have with us that were needed, such as board shorts and summer clothes. I was happy to see not only had they been purchased, but they were freshly laundered and laid out for us in the master bedroom.

“Whew,” Easton whistled, “now it’s my turn to be blown away.”

The master suite rivaled some of the rooms we’d stayed in, while out on tour in the high-end hotels. It too sat at the back of the house with a sliding glass wall that opened to the beach. The king-sized bed was positioned just right so you could lie in it and stare out at the aquatic hues. This was my dream house, and the layout was pretty damn close to what we have Brett doing to ours with regard to the view of the water from every window along the backside of the house. The bathroom shower looked like a scene fromThe Jungle Book. Rock walls enclosed three sides, and the front facing wall had a wide center stripe across it that was frosted. Live vines and a trough rainfall showerhead drizzled down on you. A stone bench adorned both sides of the enclosure. In the center of the room was an inground jacuzzi tub that you could easily fit four bodies in, and it also had a spectacular view of the outdoor scene.

“Fucking hell, your dad spared no expense.”

“No, he didn’t. He likes you, you know that don’t you?” Easton admitted, nuzzling into my side. My arms instantly snaked around him.

“I understand his initial hesitation about us dating. I’m no saint, and I will never claim to be one,” I said to which he snickered, “but he knows I love you and would never do anything to hurt you.”

Easton gazed up at me, “as do I.” I pressed my lips to his, closing the gap between us.

“Come on, let’s put on our trunks and grab whatever the chef left us for dinner and eat outside. Airplane food just doesn’t do it for me. The sun should be setting soon then we can take a dip in the pool afterward,” I waggled my brows suggestively at him, and he smacked my chest. “What?”

“You know what, but I do agree with you about airplane food.”

After changing, we found instructions on the kitchen island telling us how long to heat up our dinners. There was a salad, pasta with chicken, and tiramisu for dessert. We loaded up our plates, and I grabbed a beer for myself and poured him a glass of wine before heading out to the lanai. Neither of us were big drinkers. I enjoyed a beer from time to time and Easton would often drag me along to wine tastings when we were on breaks, but that was pretty much the extent of it for us. Since Washington is the home to more than three-hundred wineries and breweries, we had many to choose from.

“Wow,” Easton uttered, standing just outside the door, “this is breathtaking.”

Joey would’ve had his phone out, taking a million pictures. He had many blown up, framed and hung on the walls in their house of the ones he’s snapped. Joey had a killer eye for catching them at just the right moment. I didn’t so much as finish that thought before East sat his plate down and started doing that very thing. But I had to admit, as far as sunsets go, this one was epic. Maybe even more so since I got to share it with the man I love.

“Come here,” he called to me, “let’s do a selfie with the sunset in the background.” The shot he got was perfect, and I thought like Joey had– this would look awesome printed and framed.

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