Page 64 of Forever Golden
“I definitely hope so.”
Pulling me deeper into his side, he kisses the top of my hair. “With him working to help us, and once I talk to my grandfather, I think we’ll be one step closer to fixing this shit.”
Taking in a deep breath of warm Louisiana air, I exhale and let West’s words comfort me. This is a vacation, so I’m gonna start treating it like one.
Scar’s standing close, laughing at something Sterling must’ve said. My guess is that West filled his brothers in on what went down last night, so they’ve been trying to keep her spirits lifted. She spent the flight seated by Sterling, so most of that burden fell on him, but he’s great with her and Lord knows she doesn’t hate having his attention.
But I’m not the only one seeming to have a hard time leaving my troubles back in Cypress Pointe.
Joss has barely smiled all day. With all the tension I imagine there to be in her home right now, and how strict I hear her parents are, I’m guessing things may have gotten a bit heated when the guys arrived to get her this morning.
After West explained that X unearthed a secret about her family, I went snooping through the app to read the update. While I probably should’ve left well enough alone, the suspense was killing me. Now, I know what everyone else does—that Joss’s father’s been unfaithful.
Dane seems to have happily taken on the task of cheering her up, but it hasn’t been easy. She teared up a bit while we waited to check our bags and he swallowed her up in the biggest, tightest embrace and for a moment, it was like she wasn’t ever sad. It came back, of course, but he’s working double-time to get her smiling.
I don’t know if these two see it, or what reason either one has forfightingit, but… they belong together. I’m talking soulmate-level shit.
My gaze is lured away from the should-be couple when our ride pulls up. The driver steps out and insists on loading all our luggage himself, so Sterling climbs in first and offers his hand to me, Joss, and Scar, helping us up the large steps. West and Dane board last and my entire body shifts when his massive one settles as close as he can possibly get. Then, just like before, he has my hand.
He swears he’s never done this‘boyfriend thing’before, but he could’ve fooled me. There’s never a missed opportunity to be perfect, and I love that about him. Love that my happiness is so high on his list of priorities.
We rock and sway when the bus takes off. Then, within five minutes we’re barreling down a long stretch of highway.
“Ok, tell me what to expect so I can brace myself,” Joss speaks up, wearing a smile that’s the most natural of any she’s given all morning.
“Well, for starters, everyone on staff at the manor will wait on you hand and foot, but we’ll have to fend for ourselves Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Grandpa doesn’t believe in working people on holidays, keeping them away from family,” Dane explains.
“Wait, did you say manor?”
He nods. “It’ll make sense once you see it.”
“Geez. It’s gotta be huge,” Joss adds, earning herself that wicked grin Dane’s wearing now.
He holds her gaze, never blinking. “First of all, that’s whatshesaid. And second, yeah, it’s fucking huge.”
Are we still talking about the house? Knowing Dane, that’s a no.
My head tilts when his comment makes me wonder. Are triplets identical ineveryway, or just in the looks department? Because if it’s an all-encompassing sort of deal, the guy isn’t lying.
Joss’s face reddens, then she smiles just enough that I’m certain Dane knows he’s gotten inside her head. She rolls her eyes in that way that always seems more flirty than annoyed.
“You’re so nasty,” she scoffs.
“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it,” he mumbles to himself.
His eyes stay trained on Joss long after she turns to stare out the window again, and I’m sure I’m not the only one choking on their sexual tension. Needless to say, she stops asking questions then, probably fearing what Dane’s answer might be if she says anything else.
We finally exit the highway onto a two-lane road we seem to ride forever. But just as I’m starting to get restless, we make a sharp right turn. It’s another two-lane street, just like the last, but this one feels different. The trees are denser, closer together than before, closer to theroadthan before. Some so tall and broad they arch over the pavement, creating a natural tunnel as we drive through.
Every now and then, I spot the sharp edges of a pitched roof, setting manmade structures apart from nature. But each one is spaced so far from the last, I wonder if whoever lives in them can even consider themselves someone’s neighbor. It’s so different from the city, where I can literally peek out the bathroom window into Ms. Levinson’s kitchen.
The tree line is even thicker now. So thick it appears as if there’s nothing more than a dark abyss behind them. I spot a small clearing up ahead where the sun glints off shallow water. It isn’t deep, but it’s completely saturated the tall grass. But right in the center of it, sits a house no bigger than mine. It’s on short stilt-like beams to keep it off the ground, with a short bridge connecting it to dry land. We’re definitely not in Cypress Pointe anymore, and with how my head suddenly clears, I’m starting to think this change of setting is just what I needed.
The scenery’s kept me so engrossed I hardly notice another twenty minutes passes. It isn’t until I spot a sign that reads‘Landry Manor’that I snap out of it.
“This is it?”
West meets my gaze and nods. “It is. Nervous?”