Page 7 of Rescued By My Best Friend's Brother

“Thanks again, Sheri.” I pull out my phone and open the conversation between Josie and me. The last thing she sent was yesterday about Elena coming over. I ignore any irritation that conversation stirs up inside me and type out my message. I want to know where they are. I deserve to know where my daughter is, at least a short text telling me the plans would have been nice. I could have even joined them. I think that irks me more, that they left me out.

I set my phone down on the table, the screen up, so I can see the notification when Josie finally replies. I eat my food in silence as Sheri finishes up and leaves. I tell her good night. It always feels strange when I am eating dinner alone and she’s here. It rarely happens, but when it does, it is obvious how terrible I am in maintaining personal relationships with people. I just find it exhausting, especially since work and Lily take up most of my time. Being polite is the best I can do, while Josie makes friends left and right. She has been like that since we were young, a natural people person, finding something interesting and unique about everyone she meets. That’s how she became friends with Elena, the lonely girl in middle school.

Elena Pruitt. I never trusted her. The reasons why are still fresh in my mind. The way I saw her cozying up to my sister’s boyfriends or the way she was always at our house, annoying the shit out of me. Or maybe it was the way she always got my sister into trouble, going out to parties, and one time even getting arrested. Thankfully, our father had friends in good places and helped them out, one too many times. Elena has always been a bad influence on Josie. Always the menace.

The door opens, pulling me from my thoughts. I peer at my phone. There are no notifications. Did Josie not see my text? I hear Lily’s laughter as everyone comes in and walks into the hallway just as Lily runs to me.

“Daddy! I missed you.” She hugs me around the waist while I peer at Josie.

“I missed you too, baby girl.” I give her a light squeeze. “Did you not get my text?” I ask my sister.

Josie grabs her phone and looks at the screen. I catch a glimpse of a notification with my name on it. “Oh. Sorry, I was driving.” She doesn’t seem to notice the irritation written all over my face.

“Why didn’t you let me know you guys were going out to eat?”

“I planned on it, but I forgot after we got to the park.”

“We had ice cream too!” Lily adds.

“Did you like it?” I ask her, softly. I don’t want her to think I am mad at her. She isn’t the adult in this situation, and I remember how my parents would get mad at me for something Josie and Elena did growing up, saying I should have been the one to stop them. My parents’ frustration with them had always been displaced towards me. I don’t want Lily to feel the same way.

“I had Mint Chocolate Chip!”

I scrunch my nose. “I believe you are the only person on this planet who likes that flavor of ice cream.”

Lily shakes her head and takes a step back, crossing her arms across her chest. “Nuh-uh. They wouldn’t have it if no one liked it. Plus, Elena got it too.”

I glance at Elena, seeing her for the first time. She doesn’t meet my gaze but instead focuses on her fingers as they fidget with the ring on her middle finger.

“Oh, okay. Well, how about you go up to your bathroom and take a bath.”

“All right,” she says, leaning her head to the side and acting depressed by this news.

“Do you need me to help you get the bath ready?”

“Nope,” she says dryly as she runs over to Elena and clutches her hand. “Will you help me get my bath ready?”

Elena looks at me, obviously concerned about what I might say. “Honey, I don’t—”

Josie walks towards me. “That is a great idea, Lily! Elena, go help Lily with the bath.” She wraps her arm around mine and starts to tug me into the kitchen. “They will be fine, Jasper. They got along great today! Lily absolutely adores her.”

I sigh and follow her into the kitchen where my food sits, half-eaten. I really thought I ate more than that.

“So, I found out a little more today about what happened with Lena,” she explains, keeping her voice quiet.

I hear Lily and Elena run upstairs, Lily talking about her favorite cartoon characters, something I know too much about as an adult.

“What? She made the wrong decision about a guy, and he turned out to be a loser?” I spit out something random.

Josie straightens her posture, shocked. “Well, yeah. Remember Bradley? I thought he would be so good to her. He doted on her and was so nice to us when we met him. Well, I guess things went sour.”

I only met Bradley once or twice. I don’t even remember what he looks like. It has been almost ten years, maybe a little less. He had been forgettable, anyway. Most people in our friend group had absolutely loved him. He got along with everyone and even won a few over by buying drinks, but something had rubbed me the wrong way. I just didn’t like him.

“I never liked him,” I remind her but keep my attention tuned to what is going on upstairs.

Josie punches my shoulder, drawing my attention to her. I rub the spot where she hit me. “That hurt.” I am thirty years old, and her hits aren’t getting any softer.

“You need to quit being so hard on Elena. She seems to have changed quite a bit. She’s not the party animal she was.”

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