Page 62 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
A small green sign saidWelcome to Water Mill, so I realized we were likely close. The road was different, too. I rolled my shoulders, wondering if I’d slept longer than I thought I had.
I rubbed at my eyes as Jeremy blinked awake. He smiled at me then looked around outside with a surprised grunt. “Oh, we’re almost there.” He pointed out the window. “Hampton Coffee is right there. We’re another ten minutes from the house, I think.”
Barrett stretched and opened his eyes before he nudged Julian who sat up suddenly. “Fuck. How long have I been out?”
“Nearly the whole trip.” Barrett shrugged. Phoenix still hadn’t moved, his breathing even on my lap. “What’s more, he’s still knocked out. I can’t remember the last time he slept like this. Hours? Not since before the kidnapping, at least.”
Jeremy leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Want me to wake him?”
“No,” I said quickly. “Let him sleep until he gets home.”
“Good call.” Julian picked up my library book off the seat, tucking it into his bag with his own. “Otherwise, he’ll just be cranky until we get there.”
I tried to see what I could of their town as we passed. Shoppers wandered out of an art gallery, then eventually town vanished, replaced by long driveways with view-blocking hedges. Jeremy nodded to me, snagging my attention. “Get him up. We’re pretty much there.”
I ran my fingertips through his hair again, brushing my thumb across his forehead. “Hey,” I tried to be gentle as I spoke his name. “Phoenix? Time to get up. You’re home.”
It took him a second, but he blinked his eyes a couple of times before he sat up. “Fuck.” He rubbed at his eyes. “How long was I out?”
“The whole trip.” Jeremy patted his brother on the back. “It’s called sleeping, and we need it to survive, so no apologies needed. Try to do more of it on occasion.”
Phoenix ignored him, glancing outside before focusing on me. “Sorry I just … lay on you like that.”
“Don’t worry. It wasn’t a big deal.”
He put his head in his hands before he spoke again. “I … I don’t remember falling asleep at all. And now I can’t get my head clear.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pill. Jeremy groaned but Phoenix ignored him and swallowed it.
“Relax. It’s my ADHD meds. It’s a prescription.”
Barrett hit the wall of the limo. “Just because you managed to convince some doctor that you have ADHD so you could get your hands on meds doesn’t mean you should be taking them, especially when you know you don’t need them.”
Phoenix snorted. “It must be so great to be you, big brother. Must be so fucking nice. You’re always so flawlessly perfect.”
Barrett sat up straight, his annoyance obvious. “For fuck’s sake, Phoenix.”
As the car parked, I glanced out the window to see their house for the first time.Their houses,I realized, because the mansion included two small outbuildings just behind the main house.
All three houses matched, with their elegant brown wood. I wasn’t sure if they called the style ship plank, but I wasn’t that into architecture. A manicured lawn spread out gracefully up to the lighter brown door. White windows glinted in the sunshine,amid the verdant trees. In the distance, I could see what must be the Atlantic Ocean, stretching as a gorgeous beachy backdrop behind the houses.If we keep going, we could be in Europe, I thought, gazing at the water in surprise.
Jeremy touched my arm, and I tried to get the wide-eyed wonder off my face and force my expression into neutrality. “Beach.” He pointed to my left, so I obediently looked. “Pond to your right. We have entrances to both, but the pond is just behind the trees over there. I’ll show you around later. I don’t want you getting lost.”
As we got out of the car, I could hear the ocean in the distance, and I imagined it would be pretty easy to get lost at their estate. I swallowed, trying to keep myself calm despite the luxury. “I thought your granny called it a cottage?”
“Yes, she does.” Julian shrugged. “We all do. When my grandfather bought the place, apparently it was just a little cottage at the beach. We’ve remodeled a lot since then, but everyone still calls it the cottage.”
“I don’t.” Phoenix said and met my gaze. His gaze seemed stark, somehow, as if he wanted to warn me. “I call it hell. I hate it here.”
Barrett raised his hand, as if voting with Phoenix. “We all have that in common.”
I turned toward the house, a gust of wind catching my hair, as their granny came walking out of the front door. “Oh, good you’re all here! Go on inside, boys, your parents are waiting for you.” She made a swishing gesture with her hand, shooing them away. “I hated the helicopter ride, but I did it. For that, I am proud of myself, at the very least. Come with me, my Alatheia. You are my personal guest.”
She doesn’t live with them?I wondered, following her as she led me to one of the smaller houses.
Barrett froze, calling out, “I want her in the main house with us.”
“Well, my heart, it seems that your parents are more comfortable with her being with me. I’m sure you can understand, for now anyway. Come along, Alatheia. You can meet the whole motley crew later. For now, I’m going to get you set up and situated. Please bring her bags to the back house, Ben, ” she directed the driver before she linked her arm with mine then swirled into motion. “See you later for dinner, boys. Be good to your parents.”
As if she summoned her, a gorgeous blonde woman appeared in the doorway. Long and flowing down her back, the golden banner of hair covered her face in a gust of stray wind. As she freed herself from the hair, I noticed her all white gown, and the way she clung to the doorframe as if it offered life support. She was supermodel variety gorgeous, but I wasn’t surprised.
