My family life had been storybook perfect. I had wanted for nothing. I’d been given all the love, security, and support a child could be given. Nate was a man, so maybe that’s how it affected him differently. He learned to be the man our father was by living the life we’d had. But Phoenix was as messed up as I was. Her flaws were different. But we both struggled in our own ways. I wouldn’t trade my family and the life they’d given me for the world, but I feared it had kept me from having any real grit. There was nothing about me of real worth.
The door to the house opened and I saw my brother who looked as much like our father as I did our mother, step out onto the front step. It was a good distance from where I had parked but even from here, I knew his gaze was locked on me. He’d been waiting for me. That made me smile. Always the big brother.
I grabbed my Louis Vuitton duffle bag. It was all I had packed for such a short visit and climbed out of my Audi to go meet him before he walked all the way out here. He waited where he was when he saw me headed for the house finally. I wondered if he had seen me drive up and had been waiting on me to come inside. I wasn’t sure how long I had sat there lost in my thoughts. Unfortunately, they were thoughts I got lost in a lot lately.
It had been over a year since my last relationship. For awhile, I was good with being single, but I realized I was lonely. Phoenix and I hadn’t been close in years and especially now that she’d run off. Lila Kate was married and living her life as Mrs. Cruz Kerrington now. I didn’t really have any female friends. I’d never liked other females. I tried growing up, but I always ended up with the boys. Girls were too dramatic. They were so competitive. I just couldn’t take the constant fighting that seemed to break out all the time.
“I was about to come looking for you,” Nate said as I reached the top stair. He held out his arms and I stepped into them to return the hug. “Missed you, sis,” he said.
All my other worries and concerns melted. I was here at his house where he had found his happy. And that made everything right in the world. “I missed you too,” I told him.
He took my duffle bag as he stepped back. “I’ll take this to your room. Bliss took a hell of a long time up there making sure it was ready for you. I think she even put some fucking fresh flowers by the bed. Say something about them, will you.”
I smiled at that. He reminded me so much of Dad. I nodded. “I’m not a complete bitch, you know. I would have thanked her without you telling me.”
He smirked. “No, you’re not a bitch. Our baby sister gets that title hands down.”
We had always made jokes about Phoenix and her redheaded personality. It was all in fun, but I wondered if he knew about her current stupid move. I decided I’d talk to him about it later. Not now. He had a house full of people. Those who had become his friends and family once he fell in love with and married Bliss.
I’d always thought our parents’ circle of friends and their families was abnormally large, but Bliss and her circle was even bigger. They were also much closer. It was overwhelming when they were all together. I’d experienced it at their engagement party, Bliss’s birthday party, and the wedding. Now I was back for more.
I started to walk inside when Nate said, “Just a head’s up. There’s a bit of tension in there. They are all acting like it’s not, but you’ll notice. Don’t ask about Eli.”
I paused. “Eli’s not here?” That seemed very unlike Eli. He was responsible and being at a gathering at his best friend’s house with his family the night before his grandmother’s surgery seemed like a big deal.
Nate sighed, but the scowl on his face was clear. He was pissed and trying to hide it. What the heck was going on?
“He came here last night. First time anyone had seen him since the wedding. He left early to go to his grandparents’ house. His dad had called and said they were all having breakfast there as a family. Apparently, he left there after breakfast and no one has seen him since.”
“Eli?” I asked again still having a hard time associating Eli with the description I was getting.
Nate nodded. “He’s changed. In a lot of ways. Even Bliss doesn’t understand him.”