Subtle Reminders Read online

  “If you would’ve told me you were coming back, I’d still be there.”

  “I know.” When he paused, the nervousness of what he was going to ask settled in my chest. “Please promise you’ll keep an open mind.”

  “You’re scaring me. Just ask already.”

  “I’ve had this on my mind for a while now and thought that since you’ll be away, it would give you the time and space to take your time with it. Once you get home, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if people knew we were together. I mean, it’s not like I’m your boss or anything.”

  “Aidan…”

  “No. Don’t say anything until you think it through. Whatever you decide is what we’ll go with. You have two whole weeks. A lot can happen in that time.”

  When there was a knock at my door, I called out for whomever it was to come in, extremely thankful for the interruption.

  Lex opened the door and leaned her head on the doorjamb. “May I sleep with you?” When we were kids, she’d always come sleep in my room. She’d never asked back then. I’d just wake up and find her next to me.

  “Yes, you may,” I said, reaching over and pulling the covers back on the other side of the bed. She ran over, jumped on the mattress, and got comfy. I laughed. “I have to go. There’s a bratty kid sister sneaking into my bed.”

  “I heard. That’s kind of cute,” he admitted, snickering.

  “Yeah, I suppose. I’ll call you tomorrow.” We said goodbye and I plugged my phone into the charger, then turned off the lamp to snuggle next to Lex.

  “Was that Aidan?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you happy with him?”

  I exhaled slowly, grateful she couldn’t see my face. “It works for both of us.” At least it did for me.

  “You didn’t answer my question, Brie.”

  “If I had to give you an answer, I’d say yes. We like what we have. It’s almost like a relationship with the benefits of being single.” Why would he want to change that all of a sudden?

  “I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that’s not a relationship. Not one that will ever go anywhere.”

  “I don’t think I want it to go anywhere, except where it is,” I admitted. Maybe I should’ve told him there was nothing to think about. No amount of time would convince me otherwise.

  “Can I ask why?”

  “Honestly, I have no idea. Aidan isn’t the type of guy to get married. His job means a lot to him, and I’m the same way. You should have talked to me before making your bet with Vince. I could’ve saved you money.” She reached for my hand.

  “Don’t get mad, but my guess is you feel that way because you’re with the wrong guy. Once upon a time, you would have told me the same thing.”

  “Please don’t go there, Lex.”

  “I’m only saying you know what it feels like to be in a relationship with someone you love more than anything in the whole damn world. Why wouldn’t you want that again? You’re the one who taught me not to settle for anything less, so why are you?”

  I squeezed her hand. “I’m not settling. I don’t want anything more. There’s a difference.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s not for me. Not anymore.”

  “I think that’s a bunch of shit.” She kissed my fingers. “I’ll let it go for now because I don’t want you to get pissed at the beginning of your visit, but maybe you should give it some thought. I’d hate for you to end up as the mean old lady who lives alone in the haunted-looking house at the end of the block.”

  I laughed. “Nope. I’m going to be the mean old lady who lives in your basement.”

  “That’s creepy as hell, Brie.”

  “Guess you’d better stay on my good side then.”

  “Shit. Good thing I came in here. I’m probably going to have nightmares now.”

  “Go to sleep. I’m tired.”

  “I can’t wait to show you my house tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait to see it,” I whispered, smiling. Knowing my sister felt as happy as she did about her house and getting married warmed my heart. I did a damn good job shaping her up.

  “Hey, Brie?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m not showing you where the basement is.”

  “Goodnight, brat.”

  “’Night.”

  I expected the worst part of the trip was going to be facing my ex-boyfriend and having to spend an entire day with him. Aidan and Lex laying a bunch of shit on me was a shock. Lex’s sisterly advice, I understood. She was eight days away from getting married and she felt bad for me. I’d seen plenty of television shows and movies where the bride assumes just because she’s gaining a husband, everyone else wants the same thing. However, that was never going to happen for me. Not knowing Aidan very well left her unsettled. She only wanted me to be as happy as she was and figured if she could help, she would. Now Aidan, on the other hand, was a different story. Why would he want people to know we were together? Not once had he ever hinted at anything like that. I wondered if going to the restaurant with Dr. and Mrs. Morris had something to do with it. There were numerous occasions when he had to go to functions dateless because either someone from our office or someone we knew from the hospital would be in attendance. Even though I always suggested he take someone with him, he never did. Was it wrong for me to skip out on those things because I was afraid someone would catch on? Since when did I care what other people thought? Then I started thinking about it a little more. Perhaps my issue with the whole thing wasn’t what other people would think, but what Aidan would think. Shit. If that were the truth, I had a bigger problem on my hands than I thought.

  Nine hours and thirty-seven minutes into my eleven-hour shift and I still hadn’t heard anything from Lex. Why the hell did she bother telling me BC would be home if she wasn’t going to let me know what was going on? Staying calm tried my patience. I hated being left in the dark. Lex knew me better than that. More times than I could count, I forced myself not to call her. If she saw my name on the caller ID, I’d lose my partner in crime. The thought of driving by the Watson’s house crossed my mind once or twice, but nothing good would come of that because I’d find a reason to get out of the car and knock on their door. Stalking the girl on the first night she was in town wouldn’t do a damn thing to help my chances.

  Jack must’ve had a chat with our dad because Pop came to check on me before he headed out for the night. We bullshitted for over fifteen minutes before he mentioned BC’s name. I thanked him for his concern, telling him it was unnecessary. He probably didn’t believe me, but he let it go. As soon as the old man was out the door, I hunted my brother down. He claimed he had nothing to do with Pop’s decision to stop by my desk. I knew it was only a matter of time before Mom contributed her opinion, which worried me. Mom used to love BC. Probably still did.

  The rest of the shift passed uneventfully, which was odd for a Friday night when I’d be off the weekend. As I walked into my condo, the phone finally rang.

  “Yo,” I answered casually. She wouldn’t care how pissed she made me, so I kept it to myself.

  “Hey. Sorry it took so long to call. I know how impatient you can be.”

  “No problem. How’d it go?”

  “Well, do you want the good or the bad news first?”

  “Something tells me I don’t want to know either.”

  “Don’t be such a baby, Sully,” Lex mocked.

  “Just spill it already.”

  “Let’s start with the bad news.” My breath caught, as if it would soften the blow somehow. “She hasn’t given me much yet. I’ll need another day. Maybe two. Vince and my parents were with us all night, but she won’t talk in front of them.”

  “That doesn’t sound so horrible,” I replied, releasing a sigh of relief. “What’s the good news?”

  “She’s not engaged or pregnant.”

  “What the fuck, Lex?!” My heart stopped. “Did you think she was?”

  Alexa giggled lik
e a stupid teenage girl. “I know she’s keeping something big from me. I came out and asked her at dinner if it were either of those.”

  “Since when does she keep shit from you?”

  “I told you, she’s different. That’s one of the biggest reasons I wish you wouldn’t pursue this.” What if she were right? “You won’t change your mind regardless of what I say, so I’ll just have to make sure you don’t fall flat on your face.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I sarcastically mumbled.

  “You’re welcome,” she commented, as if my remark were sincere. “She just went to bed. I’m going to see if she’ll let me sleep with her.”

  “You never asked permission before.”

  “I have to make her think she’s in charge.”

  “No matter how different you say she is, there’s no way BC has changed enough to believe that bullshit.”

  “I know, but I’m trying.” Hearing the happiness in Alexa’s voice made me smile. “Don’t forget. You have to go over to my house early and help Vince set up for the party.”

  “I’ll be there. Just so you know, I’m bringing Maddie tomorrow.”

  “You’re going to use Maddie as an excuse to get Brie to talk to you?”

  “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “You have no shame!” She feigned disgust, making me chuckle. “What are you going to do about Shannon? She’s already been invited.”

  Shit! I hadn’t thought about her. “I’m going to tell her we’re done. I’ll make the call when I hang up with you.”

  “Oh no, you’re not!”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You can’t do that, Sully. Not yet.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “For starters, I don’t have enough information on my sister yet.”

  “I don’t care, Lex. Shannon needs to move on. She drives me crazy.”

  “You’ll ruin my party. She’ll show up and start some major drama. We don’t need her brother in a pissy mood, either. Besides, I need to see how Brielle acts when she sees you with someone else.”

  “Alexa Watson, are you suggesting I use another human being for personal gain?”

  “You mean, continue to use her?” She had a point. “If you want to know the truth, I can’t stand Shannon or her damn family. I only tolerated her because one, I thought you liked her, and two, her brother works with you guys. As far as I’m concerned, this is karma for all the horrible things I’ve seen her do to other people.”

  “You’re an evil little thing.”

  “I learned from the best.” I accepted the compliment. “By the way, do you have any idea how you’re going to approach my stubborn sister?”

  “Well, the plan is to subtly remind her of everything we had. I could go into detail, but you won’t understand it. I can think of a million things that will only mean something to us.”

  “You mean like a trip down memory lane?” She almost sounded disappointed.

  “Kind of. I figured it would be better to try and trigger the smallest spark in her. Telling her I never stopped loving her won’t work. She needs to feel it on her own.”

  “I like it.”

  “You do?”

  “Joe, I have no clue why Brie broke up with you, but I do know she hasn’t been the same since. She wants us to believe she’s doing well when she’s definitely not. If you are who she needs to be happy, I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen. I’m also afraid for you.”

  “Don’t be. I can handle this. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see BC and won’t feel a damn thing. Maybe I’ve been holding on for nothing.”

  “Maybe,” she whispered.

  Despite being exhausted from all the stress, I woke up on my own, not needing the three alarms that were set on my phone. Even wiped out, I was subconsciously afraid of Alexa. Vince was perfectly capable of completing the tasks left for him by his soon-to-be wife, but the two of them were riding my ass extra hard with all of the best man responsibilities. At first, I thought they were only trying to keep me busy so I wouldn’t have time to dwell on BC, but once Lex agreed to help me out, that theory seemed absurd. Then I figured Lex didn’t have much confidence in Vince to do what she asked. If she didn’t trust him, she sure as hell wouldn’t trust me. What other reason could there be? Maybe they were just getting anxious as the wedding got closer, not realizing they had turned into slave drivers. Isn’t the best man’s job merely to make sure the groom gets to the ceremony on time? Good thing I loved them as much as I did, giving up trying to decipher their behavior.

  Not wanting to be late, I quickly showered and picked up breakfast on the way. Extra-large coffees and egg sandwiches were the easiest choice. If there wasn’t a ton of shit to get done in the next few hours, the liquor store would’ve been the first stop on my list. However, if Lex found out we were drinking before everything was ready, she’d kill us both without thinking twice. The witch would most likely get away with it, too. The party meant a lot to her. Disappointing one of my best friends wouldn’t happen.

  “Why are you here so early, Sullivan?” Vince interrogated the second the door opened. It took him a long ass time to get there, too.

  “Strict orders from the boss,” I reminded him.

  “My fiancé is harder to work for than your dad.”

  “Not sure why you’re complaining. At least you’ll be rewarded later.” We sat at the old kitchen table. It was a hand-me-down from Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, but it was still in pretty decent condition.

  “Unfortunately, I won’t.” He took a coffee out of the cup holder and sipped, knowing it was already made perfectly. “Lex said no sex until the wedding.”

  That was too funny not to laugh at. “You were cut off?”

  Vince paused, holding the cup to his mouth. He looked like he was deliberating whether or not he should get his gun. “I fucking hate you.”

  “It’s not my fault you’re not getting any. Don’t take it out on me. If it makes you feel any better, I brought you breakfast.” I passed over the bag and he snatched it, digging out a sandwich. “How long has this been going on?”

  “A week.”

  “Damn. She’s tough.”

  “No shit. She better make this torture worth it.”

  Once we finished eating, Vince reached into a drawer and pulled out a list. One by one, we completed the assigned tasks. We set up the canopy over the grassy area at the bottom of the deck steps, then we placed the coolers where she had positioned them on the diagram. Yes, Alexa left actual drawings next to the written instructions. I began thinking how much easier it was that she wasn’t home. Off to the side, we put up the volleyball net. Lex didn’t play many sports, but she could spike a ball with the best of them. Jack showed up with the tables and chairs, which were borrowed from the Fraternal Order of Police hall. Since he owned a truck, he had volunteered to swing by and grab them. No way were those damn things getting shoved into my new SUV. The tags were barely on it a week. We set the tables in the right spots, alternated the white and silver covers where indicated, and used the appropriate number of chairs around each one.

  Eventually, the backyard looked as perfect as the three of us could make it. Lex would probably find something to fix but, for the most part, we felt confident enough we’d all be in one piece once she arrived to inspect. When we walked into the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

  “That must be the surprise Lex’s parents told me about,” Vince said, heading toward the front of the house, Jack and I following.

  “Is this the Lyons’ residence?” the guy asked.

  “Yeah,” Vince responded.

  “Sign here. We have a delivery for you.” The stranger handed him a clipboard and motioned to the guy in the truck.

  Vince scribbled his name on the paper and gave it back to him. “What is it?”

  “You don’t know what you ordered?”

  “I didn’t order anything. It’s a gift from my in-laws.”

  “Some in-laws you have. It’s a dining room table and chai
rs. Want to show me where we’re putting it?”

  “A dining room set? They bought you a fucking dining room set? If this is what they give as a wedding gift, I might have to marry the other daughter,” my brother joked, but I didn’t find it funny. He laughed in my direction and turned away. “Easy there, Joe. You let her go, remember?”

  “Screw you.” I meant for it to come out quietly, but he heard the comment and shook his head.

  The delivery guys wasted no time bringing in and setting up the long table and ten chairs. They were on their way out the door before I made it back down the stairs after dropping my overnight bag in the guest room. After a party, I always stayed at Vince’s house. It was expected. Actually, it was Vince’s way to be sure I made it to the game the next day. Sunday mornings, we played in a softball league with some friends. One time, I didn’t make it due to a hangover, and he hadn’t let me live it down. All right. Two times, but the second one wasn’t my fault.

  “Lex is going to flip,” Vince said as he sent a text.

  “Good flip or bad flip?” Jack asked.

  “This is the exact set she wanted.”

  “You didn’t just tell her, did you?” I pointed to his phone. He glanced at me, confused.

  “Oh… No. I was instructed to send a text once it was here and set up. There’s something else I have to do, too.” He went out the front door and came back with a huge bow and an envelope. Like a good little errand boy, he put the bow in the center of the table and propped the card up in front of it. His phone beeped and he told us the Watsons were on their way.

  “Time for me to disappear,” Jack blurted out. “I’ll be back later. Party starts at three, right?”

  “You’d better not be late. Lex will be watching the clock.”

  “I’ll be here,” he promised and left.

  “How are you holding up?” Vince wanted to know.

  “Why does everyone keep talking to me like I’m a child?”

  “We’re just worried about you, man. No one wants a repeat of what happened seven years ago.”