Page 22 of One Last Memory

And damn, I was really hoping there was a future to it.

Elissa wrapped her arms around me and squeezed hard, “Take care of yourself, alright? Don’t forget to call and tell me all about this new romance. I might just embarrass you and make it a three way call with Phoenix.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively but I just nodded, stuffing my face into her shoulder as I hugged her back. “Now, get back to that DJ. He looked really worried that you weren’t going to come back.”

We shared a small laugh as I waved to my mother, the woman crushing me in another hug before my Dad offered me a sweeter one. Malia hadn’t really spoken to me, her kids barely holding onto their obedience as she carted them toward security. Zak had already walked through, his fiancé having flown back last night when Zak broke off the engagement. I felt bad for him and the luck he never seemed to have but he’d have a happy ending before we knew it. After all, I was just starting mine.

I broke the hugs and waved one last time before slipping outside to the car waiting for me. Angelo reached across the passenger seat and shoved open the door as I set myself inside with a deep sigh. Mason and Benji were working so I didn’t bother asking about their whereabouts.

“Any reservations?” Angelo asked timidly, his hand sliding down the back of my head to caress my neck. I leaned into the touch, his lips grazing my temple.

“I just wished they would have been more proud of me.” Dad had been accepting of my decision but Mom had been vocal that I was making a mistake, Malia too but I needed the peace that this move would give me. Away from that mindset where I wasn’t important enough.

Angelo shook me out of my head as if he knew the direction of my thoughts. “Hey, I wanted the same thing when I decided to move here. I’mstilltrying to get them to understand and it’s been years.” My smile tightened but he shook his head, “I'm doing what I love, with my boyfriend and my best friend, and hopefully with you.” His face brightened as he said the last words and I nodded as he leaned in to kiss me. It was soft and sweet, his tongue grazing my lips echoing the promise of love.

When he pulled back, I was pretty sure there were stars in my eyes. He pointed to the bag by my feet before he put the car in drive and made his way out of the airport terminal. “Now, we just have to get you that job.” I snorted but he didn’t seem like he was joking. “Mason’s looking into his thing but I think I found something you might be good at.” I reached down into the bag and unearthed a newspaper, frowning as I scanned the open positions.

“These are all waitressing jobs on the beach.” I remembered the few ‘waitresses’ running around passing out drinks and wasn’t a fan of how little clothing they were wearing. “Don’t they require those little ass uniforms or bikinis?” I would never be caught dead in that. Although I had been naked on the beach. Twice in one week. A few days ago and again this morning before we had to get to the airport. My cheeks flamed as memories swarmed my thoughts.

Angelo burst out laughing, “Sue Benji for those. But no, look at the one under it.”

My eyes drifted down, finding a few serious inquiries, one that resonated with me more than the others. “You want me to mentor?” I had met these men a week ago and they were already trying to find a place for me to fit in. It was weird being seen after so many years of hiding.

He shrugged, “I think – we think you’d be good at it. Show people that there’s more than one way to deal with things. But I-” I could see him fighting to find the right words, “Lee, just think on it. You don’t have to make a decision now. You can still work with Mason.” He reached over the center console to thread his fingers through mine and lift them to his lips to place a kiss on my knuckles. “If it doesn’t suit you, don’t do it. Enjoy the beach. Goof off.Relax.You have time. All the time you need.”

I settled back in my seat as we rode in silence – the kind that was comfortable and told me that I was wanted here. The fact that I had time to figure out what I wanted, what Ineeded… this new place already kind of felt like home.

SIX MONTHS LATER

BAILEE

This had been the best decision of my life. Three days after deciding to stay on the island, I walked into the youth center and applied to be a mentor for young kids. It had been a perfect fit and I was pretty sure the kids I took under my wing were helping me just as much if not more than I was helping them. They became the reason I jumped out of bed every morning and raced down to the beach. The problem children were my favorite because I saw myself in them and while ultimately, I wanted to fix them, I also wanted to let them know that their feelings were valid.

And that I saw them.

Add in Nala’s contact here at the center, continuing my therapy appointments became a way for me to truly deal with emotions I had been storing away for too long. I was finallythrivingbecause I was seen.

Mason, Benji, and Angelo had been so romantically attentive toeverywhim I needed that it was impossible to want for anything. The entire process of uprooting my life had been way easier with their help. Every hard call home, every disastrous therapy session, and the one major freakout I had had two weeks after moving here – they had been here for comfort, for parties, for late-night talks…

Mason had since secured a new piece of property for the four of us, gushing about the interior design and woodwork, none of which I understood, but was delighted that he was excited about it. Benji had bolstered his surfing business with additional teachers, which gave him more time for surfing competitions. And Angelo, my sweet, sweet DJ was still playing all the big gigs while slowly switching out the popular sounds for his own. He was a natural at it and people loved the new stuff.

It was a perfect moment in time that I had stepped into but I knew things came to an end and as happy as I was, it couldn’t last forever.

Sitting on the beach, I hugged my legs to my chest, leaning back into Mason with his legs spread on either side of me, as I watched Benji catch yet another difficult wave. His attention snapped over to me and I shot him a small smile before his board took him farther down the coast. Angelo was in charge of the set a few feet to our right, yelling at some newbie who was having a hard time understandinganyof the buttons. Apparently, kids kept telling Angelo that they knew how to run a set and then showed up with no skills.

I cracked another smile watching the softest of my three men turning beat red while trying to curb his anger. A small kiss pressed against the back of my neck as Mason pulled me back to the moment in hand before standing up. “I’ll be right back. Want anything?”

I shook my head and waited for him to leave before panic dialing my sister, “Elissa,” I whispered, tears threatening to unearth themselves. Over the past six months, I had caught snippets of my family’s lives. Mom and Dad weren’t doing well, Dad finally standing up for himself and everything he wanted to do. Mom didn’t take well to opposition and the fissure in their relationship widened since most of the arguments ended up being about our last vacation.

Malia’s new baby daddy had decided to wed the woman and from what I heard was just the right amount of parental guidance those demonic kids needed. Zak had moved out to California to go back to school, briefly meeting up with Phoenix, and Elissa had left her husband behind, taking her daughter in the divorce proceedings. Elissa had never sounded happier, and she had been my rock throughout these six months.

“Sis, you havegotto tell them. It’s killing you and you won’t know unless you say something!” Elissa had been the only person I had been able to share my new life with over the past six months. Phoenix was available sporadically but the brief moments we did speak, although they boosted my spirits, weren’t enough to spill about my life.

Elissa, though, knew everything going on, including the fact that I had missed my period last month. Seven pregnancy tests later and I was pretty damn sure that I was holding a secret that would break up our romantic quad. As much as I loved children, we hadn’t talked about bringing little lives into our makeshift family.

"You need to tell them, Lee. Youhaveto tell them." My hands started shaking as I cradled the phone in my hand, trying to convince myself that everything would be okay. But it wouldn’t. It never was. This whole thing was a fairytale but in the end, that’s all it was, wasn’t it?

"You'll tell us what?” My eyes widened as Mason plopped back down behind me, pulling me into his chest. I hung up and tucked my phone back into my bag by my side as I tried to bury my face in my lap but Mason turned me around to face him, roughly gripping my chin between his fingers, “Don't hide from me, Lee. We've all been worried the past few weeks. What's going on?"

"Don't hate me," I mumbled, the first of many tears running down my cheeks. His hands moved to wipe them away, and he smiled, worry settling in his expression.

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