“I see,” Dallas says. “Very well, then. Why don’t you get back inside.”
The second he’s gone through the door, Dallas lies across the couch and giggles. “It’s hard being a hard ass when you’re high.”
“You did good. Reminded me of military school.”
“Do you think he’s telling the truth or do you think he knew we were high and could lie to us?”
I pull the door open and holler for my brother. “Braxton, get out here.”
Keatyn follows him onto the deck, waving her hand in front of her face to make sure the smoke is gone.
“Tell us what really happened,” Dallas says, sitting back up on the couch.
“Well, Gracie and Baylor—cool kid, by the way—were sitting by the fire. Chilling. Snuggling. Then Gracie went to get a beer—”
“Did you stop her?” Keatyn asks. “She’s fourteen!”
Braxton slings his arm around her. “Keatyn, baby, if she’s going to Eastbrooke, she’s gonna have a beer occasionally. You did.”
“I know, but . . .”
“Anyway,” Braxton continues. “That’s when the girl walked up and said something bitchy to her and Gracie said something back and the girl punched her.”
“What did she say?”
“That she’d been sleeping with Baylor.”
“Oh,” Keatyn says, holding her stomach. “I should be easier on her. I know how that hurts.”
“Gracie’s a good kid, Keatyn. And she didn’t take her shit. She told her that she didn’t have to sleep with him to get a date. That’s when she got pissed and hit her. But, it was Braxton to the rescue! I grabbed Gracie and pulled her away. And now we are here.”
“What did Baylor do?”
“He was mortified. Which should say something about his character, because I would have been fucking thrilled if two chicks were fighting over me.”
“I just don’t want her to lose herself in a boy,” Keatyn says.
Something inside me clicks.
“Did I do that?” I ask them. “With Ariela?”
“Um, well, uh . . .” Keatyn stammers. “You two were attached at the hip.”
“More like the dick,” Dallas chuckles. “I used to say she had your dick on a leash.”
Keatyn swats Dallas. “Be nice.”
Dallas giggles. “Hey, just being honest.”
She turns to me. “But if we’re being honest, we did call you Rileyella as if you were one person. Other than our Sunday morning powwows, you were rarely apart.”
“Isn’t that what monogamy is all about?” I ask.
“Consumed and monogamy aren’t the same thing. But everyone thought you were the perfect couple. Everyone was so excited when you won Prom King and Queen.”
“You can’t really talk,” I say to Keatyn. “You and Aiden are the perfect couple.”
“No, we’re not. Aiden and I are happy but our relationship has always been plagued with imperfection. I think that’s part of what makes it special. We have so many personal interests that could tear us apart. The worst was after college when he and Logan played pro soccer. He was traveling more that I was.”
“I clearly remember the two of you sneaking off at parties in high school and beyond.”
“Sure, we’d sneak off, but we’d have some quick fun then come back. You and Ariela never came back.”
“Ever,” Dallas emphasizes.
“You never know what path life is going to lead you down,” Braxton says, philosophically. “But that’s the fun part. Enjoying the ride, right?”
“Maybe you and Ariela needed this time apart, Riley,” Keatyn adds. “Maybe you needed to grow stronger as individuals. Maybe if she would have come to California, you wouldn’t be as successful as you are now.”
“You might be right about that,” I say thoughtfully. “Although, I think I was more wrapped up in my dream for us than I was in our reality. You know how fans want Aiden’s point of view? His side of the story? That’s what I wish I had. I wish I could read her journal from back then, so I could understand what I missed. Understand what she was going through. Was I so wrapped up in my dream that I ignored hers? I’ve rehashed it over and over in my head, wondered what I should have done differently.”
“Riley, the problem with you and Ariela is your story is left untold. You need to know the ending.”
“Do you agree with Keatyn’s assessment?’ I ask Dallas.
“I think the better question is can you handle the ending? Whatever it is.”
“I’m not sure, but I do know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“That I don’t know what I’d do without the two of you in my life. Those nights at Stocktons. Our epic parties. The stupid shit we did. It’s amazing to me how those nights formed the basis for our long friendship.”
Keatyn leans over and hugs me while Dallas says, “I’ll drink to that. In fact, I think we should.”
He goes inside then comes back out with four glasses on a tray. “Scotch for the men, sparkling water for the lady.”
“Wait,” Braxton says, “Why is Keatyn drinking water?”
Keatyn just smiles at him as we clink our glasses together and say, “To lifelong friendships.”