As if reading her mind, Brody spoke up. “You know you can talk to me, right? I’m here for you.”
Mina kicked a stray piece of rock with her shoe. “How can I, when I barely know you?”
“I’m trying to amend that,” he said softly. He brought his hand down and cupped her small hand in his. Mina tried to pull away, but he held on. “I’m sorry that I pressured you into going to the police after what happened, but you have to understand I was scared for you. I wanted to protect you.”
Mina shook her head, but Brody continued, “You’re right—I don’t know what’s going on. But I want to help you. I want to be there for you.”
“I can’t talk about it. I’m not ready to talk about it. I’m still trying to figure things out. But when I know more, when I’m ready, I’ll tell you.” It was the most she could promise.
They headed down the hill to the river walk, and Brody bought some bread to feed the geese in the river. Mina couldn’t help but glare at the geese angrily, and she refused to throw them bread.
“You got a grudge against geese?” Brody joked.
“You bet I do. Stupid birds.” Mina snorted. She was boycotting all geese for leading her into danger. Now, even though Mina wasn’t the one throwing the bread or even holding it, the geese waddled out of the river and seemed to be pecking their way toward her. Mina jumped back and kept walking backward, but it was as if they had heard her call them stupid. They kept following her until Mina stumbled and landed on her butt in the grass.
Screaming, Mina held up her hands as the swarm of geese started to crawl over her.
“Get out of here. Scram!” Brody yelled, kicking and pushing the flock away from Mina. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up and out of the reach of the geese. The geese kept following. Laughing, Brody physically lifted Mina up out of their reach and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Mina’s feet swung in the air, her hair hanging over her face upside down. Brody moved away from the river and away from the attacking flock.
He turned around to look at the geese and burst out laughing. The whole gaggle diligently followed them in a V formation. “I think you underestimate these geese. They are definitely not stupid.” Brody laughed.
“They are, too. Put me down!” Mina cried out, hitting Brody’s back playfully.
“No way, not until you’re out of danger. I won’t abandon you again.” He held on tighter, walking faster.
Mina rolled her eyes at the geese, which never actually bit her but certainly startled her. She tried making shooing motions over Brody’s shoulder, to no avail. Finally she whispered between clenched teeth, “If you don’t get lost now, there won’t be a happy ending. I happen to be friends with a restaurant owner who would love some fresh goose.”
The geese immediately turned and headed back to the river. Mina stared in amazement, while Brody, realizing that the threat was over, put Mina down. “That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Mina snorted. “Not for me.”
“Are there a lot of strange things that happen around you?”
“Haven’t you noticed I’m cursed?” Mina meant the words as a joke, but as soon as they left her mouth, she felt a tingle of apprehension through her bones. The words were the truth, plain and simple..
Brody shook his head. They spent the evening on the river walk, watching the different street performers and musicians entertain guests. “I’ve never been down here before.”
“It’s like the wrong side of the tracks for your kind.”
“What do you mean by ‘my kind’?” Brody stopped and looked at Mina carefully.
“Well, you know…” She shrugged.
“No, I don’t know.”
“The rich kind.”
Brody rolled his eyes. “Mina, you don’t get it. I don’t care about money or fame or social status. I would rather have been born without it. My family is hardly ever home because of it. My friends are only my friends because they think that I can do something for them. Everyone is always watching me, judging me, trying to see if I’m going to fit into the box they want me in, whether it’s spoiled rich kid or reckless heir. In a way, being rich is its own curse.”
Mina pondered his words, letting them sink in. They were the same in many ways. “I’m sorry, Brody. You’re right.”
“No, don’t apologize. I mean, I was that person, for a while. I was what money had made me into, but not anymore. I’m trying to change. I’m trying to be worthy of you.”
Mina blanched in surprise. “Funny. I feel like it’s the other way around. I feel like I need to pinch myself, or wake up from whatever dream I’m in, because I can’t understand why you want to be my friend.”
“You really don’t get it, do you?” Brody turned Mina toward him and held tightly onto her shoulders. “I don’t want to be your friend.”
Chapter 13