Page 36 of Culmination
She rolls her eyes at me. “Iam,” she insists, and maybe she was rolling her eyes at herself. “I swear, it has to be pregnancy brain. And I have at least six more months of this. I can’t imagine how forgetful I’ll be by the time the baby’s born.”
When my eyebrows furrow, she takes advantage of the way my arm loosened and pulls away.
“Care to explain, baby?”
Brie slides into her sandals, hooks her purse over her shoulder, then grins at me. “The painting. I remembered. Heck, I’m angry at myself I could ever forget. You shouldn’t have even had to go back to the house to figure it out. Hell, I sat in that dining room nearly every day for eighteen years. How could I have forgotten?”
The words are a whisper, and as tears form in her eyes, I cross the room until I’m directly in front of her. “Brie, you experienced a trauma there. It’s no surprise you’ve blocked out memories from that house. Not after…”
She rests her forehead against my chest for a brief moment then looks up at me. “I know. I know you’re right. I just… I hate that I’ve forgotten anything about them. That their deaths ruined what was once the happiest place on Earth for me.”
My thumbs brush away the tears spilling onto her cheeks. “I know, baby. Once this is over, you can truly put it behind you, until only the good memories remain. And I’ll be there with you, every step of the way. No matter what.”
She nods, sniffing, then clears her throat. “Anyway, I remembered,” she says and I just raise an eyebrow and nod slightly, indicating for her to continue. “The Terrace at the Seaside, Sainte-Adresse. It was one of my mother’s favorites paintings. In fact, my parents honeymooned in France and she insisted they visit Sainte-Adresse just because of how the painting made her feel. Dad was head over heels, a goner for his new bride, and he couldn’t say no. So they went, and well, even though it used to kill me to know this, it’s where I was conceived.”
I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me. “Of course you were.”
Brie laughs. “I know. Part of me always thought it was so romantic, but at the same time, I was a teenager and the thought of my parents doing that?” She shudders then collects herself. “On their first anniversary, my father gifted her with a hand-painted reproduction of the painting. His story is she immediately hung it in the dining room so, anytime she was eating, she was transported all the way back there. As if she were in a posh café, enjoying brunch and tea by the seaside.” She has a wistful smile on her face.
I cross to her, slide my arms around her waist, and gaze down at her. “I wish I could have met her,” I whisper softly.
Brie smiles up at me with tears in her eyes. “I wish that, too. She would’ve loved you.”
She leans over and grabs a tissue from the nightstand, wiping the moistness from her face. “I swear, I’m just a watering pot these days. And you still have to deal with me for two more trimesters.”
I laugh. “If the worst I have to deal with is a few tears, I’ll consider that lucky.”
My phone chimes and I glance down to see it’s Morningstar. Not wanting to ruin Brie’s good mood, I make up an excuse. “Gonna just step out and check in at the office. You good?”
She flashes a watery smile in my direction. “Yeah, I’m good.”
After a quick chat with Theo placating him, telling him Brie’s memory is coming back, I slip back into the bedroom and find Brie laying on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. When she hears the door latch closed, she turns on her side and peers at me.
“I think I’ve remembered something else.”
With three quick strides, I’m next to the bed, eager for her to continue.
“When I was a little girl, I was terrified of even the thought of going to the dentist office. The moment we walked in the door, Mom squealed with delight. Hanging on the wall in the waiting room was a reproduction of that same painting. One that, for me, had only brought good memories. Long story short, my visit was fine, my fears assuaged, and instead of being scared of the dentist, I found the same peace there I did at home. It sounds silly, I know, but what can I say? I was a sentimental kid.”
I tilt my head to the side, the wheels turning over in my mind, trying to piece together what she’s saying.
“Do you remember where the office is?” I ask, trying not to sound as anxious as I feel.
Finally, this could be the lead we need, and more than ever, I’m determined to bring Theo down once and for all.
Brie’s eyes widen with excitement as she nods. “Yes,” she breathes. “I know exactly where we need to go.”
“Let’s do it.”
I CAN’T BELIEVE Iforgot.
It could be the pregnancy. The fear. The not knowing what we’re going to face each and every day. I’m so tired of crying. So tired of being emotional. I’m just…exhausted from all of it.
I’m practically racing out the door when Rafe catches me and pulls me into his broad, muscled chest. Large hands squeeze my waist, and excitement flutters in my belly when he leans in and brushes heated lips against mine, such a soft caress that I barely feel the touch.
God, I will never get used to this man. To his kisses. To anything. I long for the day when I can call him all mine and not have to share him with Theo Morningstar.
“You’re at my side the entire time. Got it?” he growls.
