Page 25 of Forgotten Pieces

“And then there was that whole thing with that guy at Easton’s wedding,” she responds.

I set my fork down and anxiously play with my ponytail. “I’m an idiot who flirted with a man who was taken.”

“It was Mac’s cousin.”

“I found that out later,” I answer and go back to my food.

Raelynn takes a step closer to me, her hand landing on the counter next to my breakfast. “Mac said something was going on between you two. Like y’all knew each other before.”

“When did you start talking to Mac?” I ask defensively.

She turns her body and leans against the counter. “Mac is Brooks’ best friend. We talk a lot,” she pauses. “Besides, I overheard Laney sayin’ somethin’ to Mac about you losing your shit when you saw him. Like whatever was going on went a lot deeper than some flirting.”

I really can’t take it when my family gets in my business. Raelynn never did except for that time last summer when she could tell I was off, and I was. I was a wreck last year but I still never let her in on my problems. This coming from her now just pisses me off. If it was Easton, I wouldn’t give two shits because he was always in my business. But my younger sister is a different story.

“It’s really none of your business.”

“So there was somethin’ between you two back in the day?”

Did she not just hear me tell her it was none of her business? I close the lid to the to-go container and shove it away. “Thanks for the breakfast but I need to get home to shower.”

Rae’s hand grabs my wrist as I start to walk away. “You know I’m here for you, T. I won’t judge you. You never judged me for my problems so I won’t judge you for yours. I’m just worried about you. You aren’t the same. And I don’t want anything to happen to you because of whatever is going on in your head. I just want you to be happy.”

I look down at my sister and my heart aches for a second. She is wise for her years and I love her dearly but I am not going to spill my guts to her. “I am happy,” I say as I pull away from her.

“No, you aren’t,” she says.

I try to control my anger after she says those words. But I am getting the sudden urge to punch someone.

Luckily, Laney walks into the kitchen at the right moment and cuts the tension. “Mornin’ Rae. Oh my god, did you bring breakfast?”

Raelynn smiles. “Of course I did for you two drunks.”

“Don’t call me a drunk, I was just supporting Tacoma while she was workin’. Unfortunately, that meant drinking too much. Last time I go to visit her at work.”

I laugh at that, knowing it’s not true. Rae laughs too and then excuses herself and leaves.

I hate that my sister can see right through my façade. She’s right though, I’m not happy. And I can’t really recall the last time I was.

* * *

I’m sitting on the back porch of Easton’s house, my childhood home, when I hear a car pull up into the drive. Easton and Harper are home from their honeymoon. Which means all my sense of peace is over. I took for granted the time I had in New York alone with no roommate. I may have forked over more than half my pay every month for it but I loved where I lived. I loved the city, the lights, even the noise. Now in this small town I feel cramped and secluded. The quiet makes me think too much and all the space in this house makes me feel overwhelmed with all the things I could have had.

I was happy at one point when I lived in the big apple. I was actually happy most of the time. Until last summer when everything came crashing down. I had let old dreams pass for new ones. And I thought I was finally going to get what I wanted. But when I saw those two walking through Central Park, baby in tow, I realized I was a fool. My dreams of a doting husband and family life weren’t meant for me. I never should have traded them in for the lights of Broadway and fame.

But like the fool I am, I let my heart follow a man rather than the song in my soul. I let him crush my dreams and every opportunity I had. But at the time I was so in love I thought he was my destiny, my future and the dreams I had were frivolous. I couldn’t count on those dreams, but I could count on him. Until the day he tore my world apart.

I had dreams to fly away from this town too. And my heart had been dead set on those dreams. Until the day I met Ryder and thought maybe he was my dream too. But I quickly learned I couldn’t have both. But unlike the man in New York who pushed my dreams away, Ryder encouraged me to fly. I know now that was why I lost him. He didn’t want to hold me back from anything. And I was holding myself back for him. But he let me go so I could fly. And I did. I let myself slowly heal from the scars he left on my heart. And up until Easton’s wedding, two weeks ago, I had let those scars heal. But one glance at him, a few words said, and my wounds were open and bleeding. All the forgotten pieces of our past lay spread out on the floor.

“Hey T,” I hear my brother say.

I turn toward him and force a smile. “Hey East. How was the honeymoon?”

“Amazing,” he says as that gleeful smile spreads across his face. I hadn’t seen that smile in years but the first time I saw him and Harper together I knew she was the one. I’m happy that smile is still on his face. “I’ve never seen water so blue before,” he continues. “I don’t know why it took me so long to go to the Caribbean.”

Easton and Harper went to St. Martin for their honeymoon. I think it was the first time he ever left White Creek for something other than work. “You do realize there is a whole world out there besides this Podunk town?”

“Yeah. I just never found the right person to explore it with.”

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