Page 4 of Rebound
I jab a finger in her side and she scoots away, so I follow until we’re tickling each other and falling off the bed. Temporarily, thoughts of him are cleared from my mind. I focus on the joy coursing through me at being with my cousin. At knowing she’s found the most incredible man to love her and love in return. A throat clears and we both look up to find Elias watching us.
Like his brother, Elias is a handsome guy. Even if you don’t see them together, you’d know they’re related. It’s the eyes and the way their mouths tip upwards in a half-smile. A professional cricketer, he swooped in and stole my cousin’s heart. She claims to not be in love with him, but I see the way she responds whenever he’s in the room. Vera deserves someone good and kind like Elias. Somebody who sees her for who she is and adores her.
“You ladies okay?”
I nod and sit up. “We’re great. Is your brother locked in his evil lair?”
“For the time being, yes.”
“I know this is a siblings weekend and we’re all gatecrashing,” I say, not wanting to be ungrateful, but still needing to draw my boundaries, “but I’d appreciate it if I wasn’t expected to spend too much time with him.”
“That’s a doable and fair request. Will you be okay, though?”
My shoulder lifts in a shrug. Okay is relative. I want to see his face one more time, I want to punch him too. But in the grand scheme of things, I will be okay. There’s enough to distract and keep me busy. Plus, I’m pretty sure Elias’s cricketer friends were hitting on me earlier.
“I might kill him, but I promise to clean up after myself and dispose of the body.”
He laughs. “Please don’t. He might be an asshole at times, but he’s my brother and I do love him.”
“Fiiiiiiiine. Only ‘cause you’re boning my cousin and I like how happy you make her.”
“Appreciate it.”
Elias helps Vera and me to our feet, then once they’re sure I’m okay, they leave the room. When the door closes behind them, I drop onto my bed and stare at the ceiling. Despite my best efforts, my head is full of Patrick memories. The way he’d touch and hold me, how he’d whisper my name as we lay in the grass together. Or how much time he spent playing with my hair. It was shorter then, a curly mop on top of my head, but he’d still twist his fingers through the thick strands as he told me silly stories about his siblings.
Tears burn the back of my eyes and I sit up again, blinking them again. Do not cry has been my life’s motto when it comes to relationships and love. I didn’t cry when I found out Kabir was cheating on me. I couldn’t cry when I lost our baby. I refused to cry when our relationship finally ended. I deny the need to cry now.
I’ve done everything in my power to ignore Patrick, but it’s impossible when the man is built to fill every room he steps into. Tall, broad and strong, his presence is felt long before I even see him. Sure, this isn’t a large group of people, but I thought I’d be able to avoid him. I stayed in my room the first night, refusing to come out even to get a glass of water.
Today everyone’s very aware of the tension simmering between us. Patrick certainly makes it worse by trying to corner me every chance he gets. Breakfast was tense, but afterwards all three Joseph siblings seem to have disappeared. I know it’s Vera’s doing and I’m grateful. If I have to pretend like I can’t see Patrick for another minute, my brain might explode.
Photographs in the newspaper haven’t really done justice to the size of the man and I refused to spend any time Googling him all these years. I got to watch him grow up during our summer camp days, getting taller and stronger with each year. I even witnessed his voice cracking. But I was not fully prepared for the complete picture. His hair is much longer now and pulled back in a top knot secured with either colourful ribbons or scrunchies. My fingers itch to tug at the bit that hangs out, but I know better than to go anywhere near him.
He’s kept his clothes on, for the most part, but this morning when he wandered out in board shorts and a printed with the buttons undone, I choked on my tea. Between mouthfuls of food and large gulps of water, I saw the tattoos on his chest and the firmness of his torso. I had to keep reminding myself not to look too long because I didn’t want him to know. If that’s not enough, his shorts hug his thick thighs and sturdy legs, his arms are inked, a dragon on one side and a collection of random things on the other.
The thing that really kills me is his beard.
The boy I remember from camp could barely grow a moustache. Now he’s got a thick beard that clings to his jaw and is well groomed. It frames his face really nicely too, accentuating his full mouth and drawing your attention to those gorgeous golden brown eyes. Back then, his eyes were my greatest weakness. Now I fear it might be all of him.
“Tamara. Tam. Can I call you Tam?” Nina, Elias’s sister, asks as she sits on the edge of my pool lounger.
“Depends on why you’re here.”
She smiles and I return it. I don’t hate her; it’s not her fault her older brother broke my heart and behaves like everything is totally fine between us.
“I was wondering if you’d like to go for a swim. In the ocean.”
“The Bay of Bengal?4, you mean?”
Nina rolls her eyes. “Vera said the same thing. But sure, whatever. Would you like to go for a swim in the Bay?”
“I’d love to.”
“Great. I’m gonna change, meet you back here in ten?”
She charges off, blue-tipped hair fluttering in the breeze. From the corner of my eye, Patrick makes his approach and I slowly get to my feet. I brought a bikini, but decided against wearing it. And I’m glad—it reveals too much and certain people don’t deserve to see me that way. Instead I’m wearing a pink one-piece with a deep back and cut-outs at my hips. Patrick’s eyes have been burning holes into my body since I stepped out and I’m enjoying it. If he’s tortured, nothing else matters.
“Bash, you wanna join us for a swim?”
