Page 12

Sadie

I wasn’t sure what I was going to say to Seth, but I knew I had to say something.

Hollis had been right in reminding me that Lyndsay and Seth are both consenting adults and maybe, she will be the one to change him.

Seth wasn’t always the guy he is now. He went to college right after high school.

Seth had gotten into UCLA and our dad had convinced him to go.

He even lived in the dorms. It was there that he met Laurel.

She was a cheerleader and used to the finer things in life.

She also wasn’t very good at staying faithful.

Laurel and Seth were two wrongs and as the old saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right.

I think they both really cared about each other but neither knew or wanted to change their old ways.

They were so independent that neither would let the other help.

They also had an issue with opening up. Neither understood why the other would ask what they had been up to.

Seth and Laurel were just too young and not ready to be in a real relationship and ultimately it tore them apart.

Seth has dated since then but nothing serious. I think he worries about making the same mistakes. Although, I think he’s old enough now that he should be able to see those mistakes ahead of time and not make them, at least, I hope.

I pull into the parking lot and make my way to his door.

I knock, but no one answers. His vehicles were here so unless he got a ride with someone else, he’s avoiding me, not that I blame him.

I did overreact the other day, but I can’t apologize for that if he keeps avoiding me.

After knocking again, I grab my phone and dial his number.

I hear the ringer from the other side of the door before he manages to silence it.

I bang on the door. “Seth, I know you’re in there.

Open the door so we can talk.” I hear the lock being turned and as the door opens, I see my brother standing there looking more hurt than I expected. He doesn’t move aside to let me in.

“What do you want?” he asks.

I sigh heavily, “Well, for starters I wanted to apologize. I overreacted the other day when I found out about you and Lyndsay. It threw me for a loop and I was worried about you guys.”

“No,” Seth says while shaking his head. “You weren’t worried about me.

You were worried about me hurting Lyndsay and you know what sucked the most was that you honestly believed I’d hurt her.

I’ve known Lynsday for how long? I know what she’s been through and who she really is and it hurt that my own sister thought I’d be that much of an ass to someone like her. ”

“I’m sorry. I had no right to question you.

I do know that you’d never hurt her, and I was wrong to think you would.

I had no right to get involved with things between the two of you since you are both adults.

I think I’m partly angry and disappointed with myself and I wanted to take it on you to make myself feel better. ”

Seth cocks his head to one side while studying me. “Did it work?”

I shake my head, “Nope, still miserable only more.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better Lyndsay ended things with me.”

My head whips up. “What? Why?”

“I told her what happened with us and she said she didn’t want to come between us.”

“Oh no,” I say while dropping my head into my hands. “I never wanted for that to happen.” Seth gives me a questioning look. “I really didn’t.”

“You look like hell,” Seth comments while opening the door all the way and moving aside, inviting me in. He grabs us some drinks and we take a seat on his patio overlooking the beach. “So, what’s wrong?”

“What’s not wrong?” I say with a shrug. “My life has become a mess and I’m not sure I can fix it.”

“You can fix it but you have to start by telling Axell everything, and I mean everything.”

“I know,” I whisper. Seth remains quiet letting me come to terms with it all. “I just don’t want to lose him, but if that happens then I can’t blame him after all these years of my lying.”

Seth leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“I know you lied but at the same time I think it was your coping mechanism. Your life got really messed up thanks to Josh and everything he put you through. I think that by the time you were able to talk about it, you felt it had been too long, so you let the lie continue.”

“What if Axell doesn’t see it that way?”

“Then we deal with it. I’ve got your back regardless,” he pauses before looking over at me, “but I think once Axell has some time to come to terms with it and realize why you lied, he’ll come around.”

“Well, he’ll have plenty of time once I leave for South Carolina. Who knows how long I’ll be stuck down there.”

Seth sighs. “Look, I’ll go with you if you want me to.”

My head whips in his direction, “What?”

“I’m not saying I really want to, but I will because you need me. It’s not for her, it’s for you,” Seth says quietly.

Tears prickle my eyes to think of how much he’s sacrificing for me by offering to go.

He has no idea how much that means to me.

I reach over and squeeze his hand. “Thank you but I think this is something I need to do on my own. Plus, I don’t want you to go see her unless it’s for you.

” We sit in a comfortable silence for a while.

“So, what are we going to do about Lyndsay?”

“What about Lyndsay?”

I sit up straighter, a plan already formulating in my mind. “For us to get her back for you.”

“No.”

“Yes, you care about her. I can see that, and I was wrong for thinking otherwise. So, now I need to fix this for you guys before I leave,” I explain to him.

“You and plans are never a good thing.”

Once I felt certain that my plan would work for Seth and Lyndsay, I left him to finish it up.

I had a lunch date with a hungover Jovi.

I had no doubt that Axell was making him pay for his night of sneaking out and drinking but at the moment that was the least of my worries.

I’m more concerned about the fact that he wants to enlist in the Marines.

The Marines? Really? How the hell did this even happen? Jovi has never mentioned anything about the army, let alone the Marines. It’s not a family thing for him either. I don’t know what brought on this change of heart. For as long as I can remember he wanted to go into computer science.

As I pull into the driveway, I have to take a moment to remind myself to go easy on him at lunch.

For some reason he has decided he wants to do this, and I need to hear him out.

I may not agree, but I do need to try and understand where he is coming from.

I’m just about to call his phone when he steps out of the house.

He’s grown up so much over the last few months.

He shot up in height overnight it feels like.

He’s at least 6’2” now, but his eyes are hid behind his aviator style type sunglasses.

He dresses similar to his brothers. Today, he’s sporting a Pop Evil concert t-shirt, khaki shorts, and a pair of flip flops.

His messy brown hair moves with every step he takes.

He slides into the passenger seat. “How has your morning been?” I ask.

I see him shrug out of the corner of my eye. “It’s been fine.”

“Look, I know something is bothering you. Last night was nothing like you and I plan to get to the bottom of it today at lunch. I won’t push you right this moment but I’m also not going to let this go. We apparently have a lot to talk about,” I tell him while giving him a pointed look.

We pull into the parking lot of the restaurant.

Jovi is silent but just like the gentleman he is, he makes sure to open the door for me.

Once we’re seated and have ordered, Jovi clears his throat.

“I know you heard dad this morning about the Marines, but you haven’t said anything about it yet, why? ”

“Well, I’m not happy about that decision, but I do realize that it is your life and your decision to make. I would like to hear why this choice has surfaced now.”

I watch as Jovi pulls his sunglasses from his eyes and slips them into the collar of his shirt.

“Multiple reasons really. I never gave it much thought until they showed up at our school. I like the idea of being able to help people and learning my limits both physically and mentally. I’d get to see some parts of the world that I would probably never get the chance to otherwise.

It could also turn out to be a great stepping stone for a career.

There’s also the fact that they will pay for my college education. ”

“If you’re worried about the money for college, you don’t need to. Axell and I have that covered.”

He shakes his head, “It’s not that. I just honestly feel like this is the best decision for me.”

“What does Monrowe think?” I ask

Jovi is too much like his brothers, too good at hiding his emotions, but luckily, I’ve had enough experience with the James boys to catch the sad look that flashes through his eyes. “She hates the idea. She’s made that very clear,” he says with a shrug.

“Can you blame her?”

“A little. She’s supposed to love me and support me.

I’d support her if the roles were reversed but she’s just being…

impossible. It’s like she wants to throw our relationship away.

I mean, I factored her into my decision.

The Marines is also good for our future.

Why do I feel like dad is the only one supporting me right now? ”

I reach across and take his hand in mine. “He’s not but this coming out of the blue so you have to give the rest of us some time to get used to this. Now, why did last night happen?”