I laugh, “I don’t know half of these people, Zack.”
“Well, just think of it as a good way to expand your horizons.”
He tips his solo cup in my direction and then stalks off, joining some other guys across the kitchen. The house is massive, and it certainly cost him a fortune to rent it out, not that his parents would miss it. They are loaded.
Zack has always been a little wild. Always taking things a little too far. Pranks, parties, you get the picture. Nevertheless, he’s always been good to me. So I put up with his antics, and he doesn’t mind that I’m a bit of a recluse.
I find an empty seat in the living area and nurse my beer, watching my sister and her friends giggle and draw attention in the kitchen. Eyes find her easily as she radiates beauty and grace from miles away. She’s beautiful and smart, and that scares the shit out of me. Not because I’m afraid she’ll make mistakes but because I don’t trust anyone else around her. Protecting Emma has always been second nature to me. I’m nine years older than her, and she’s always been, my little baby. Not in a possessive way, just in a way that I adored her. I wasn’t ever close with my older brother, Ethan, and when Emma came along, I was pretty lonely. I didn’t have many friends. I didn’t play with the neighborhood kids. I only wanted to take care of Emma. We never fought because we weren’t close in age, and she became just as attached to me as I am to her.
Suddenly her smile drops, and I search the area to see what might be wrong.
“Happy Birthday, Eric.” A familiar, inviting voice steals my attention, and I turn around.
Taylor Lewis stares straight at me, the girl I’ve had the biggest crush on for years. A crush I’ve never acted on because Taylor is Zack’s ex-girlfriend. They dated for about a year a few years ago. It ended exactly like you are probably thinking. He cheated. Spring break in Panama City while Taylor was visiting her grandmother, that was dying. She was devastated, but I was secretly glad. Zack and Taylor never meshed well together. He was a player, and she deserved better.
“Thank you. Thanks for coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it, even if I must endure a few hours of Zack.”
I cringe, “He’s on another level tonight.”
“You’ve always seen the best in him, in everyone. I wish I could do that. I feel like everyone just lets me down.”
A twinge of sadness envelopes me, “I hope I never have.”
“No, of course not,” she smiles, “You are probably the only guy I trust anymore.”
Pride swells in my chest as I stare into her eyes, trying to find the right words to say. Instead, I just make conversation.
“How long are you in town for?” I ask, remembering she lives about thirty miles away.
“Just until Monday. I have meetings all day on Tuesday.”
I swallow a huge lump in my throat, debating my next question, basically forcing it out. “You want to get lunch tomorrow? We could catch up a bit before you leave?”
“Sure,” She smiles, scooting a little closer to me on the couch. I can basically smell her perfume, and it’s making me crazy.
“I saw Emma. She looks so grown up. I swear I haven’t seen her since her eighth-grade formal pics.”
Emma.
I searched the kitchen where she was standing a few minutes ago, but I didn’t see her. Worry washes over me like a bucket of ice water. She looked a little upset, and then I got distracted and lost sight of her.
“I actually need to go check on her. I’ll bring you a drink back?”
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
I stand and stalk through the kitchen and the sea of people I barely know, but no sign of Emma. Outside the sliding glass door to the balcony, I notice one of her friends chatting it up with some older guy. So I step out, scanning the crowd, but still no Emma.
“Have you seen Emma?” I ask her friend, causing her to turn away from the guy.
“No, she went out the front on the phone a little bit ago. She was arguing with someone.”
I shake my head, taking the deck steps two at a time. The guy she’s been seeing is a jerk. He basically lies to her all the time. I bet it’s him she’s arguing with or mom. It could definitely be mom if she found out that she was here. Although, I would think she’d call me first.
The smell of the salt air fills my nostrils as the wind blows delicately against my skin. I search the yard around the side of the house for Emma, and right as I’m about to turn back to go inside, I hear a faint whimper followed by a distinct “no.”
I walk down the path leading to the ocean, with wooden stakes on each side to fence it off, and I hear it again. It’s my sister. I know it is.