Brothers of Paradise Series

“You made it!”

“Of course.” He gives me a sideways hug. “How could I miss this? My baby sister is finally grown up.”

Parker joins us, shooting Henry a grin as they bump fists. “Glad you’re here, man.”

“Likewise. Sorry I couldn’t make it to your graduation.”

“No worries,” Parker says, eyes happy and open-although I know he’s not entirely over it. “Have you seen Mom and Dad yet?”

“Yes, I spoke with them before. Is Rhys around?”

I nod to where Rhys is engaged in a discussion with our grandmother, Evelyn. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s berating him about his new haircut and he’s countering her with metaphysical arguments or a Nietzsche quote, the weirdo.

“I saw Hayden earlier,” Parker says. “He’ll join in a bit.”

“Good, good,” Henry nods. “Is he still living out in the beach house with his uncle?”

“Yeah.”

“I wonder how much longer Dad will let him stay.”

Parker frowns, echoing my own expression. “What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s an adult now. The deal was surely that he’d be taken care of as long as he was a child and under Gary’s guardianship.” Henry’s words, so matter of fact, feel like daggers.

“Henry, you can’t say stuff like that,” I say. “Stop being an ass.”

He looks both amused and affronted, eyebrows raised high. “What? It’s just the truth.”

“Nah, man, Hayden’s been like a brother to us,” Parker says. He looks just as insulted as me. “That place is his home. He can stay with Gary as long as he likes.”

“Sure, sure. Let’s get a glass of champagne and enjoy Lily’s birthday. We don’t need to discuss this now.”

Or ever, I want to add. I already know that Hayden will have to leave one day, and just imagining it breaks my heart.

The evening is a blur of names and faces and laughter. As much as I thought I’d hate it, I find that I actually don’t. A few of my girlfriends from school are here, and so are Parker’s and Rhys’s friends. The Maine cousins are nice.

The only one missing is Hayden. I keep glancing over at the beach house, but it looks deserted and distant. No dark-haired, brooding boy in sight.

I’m taking a break from dancing when Turner shows up, a small smile on his face. “Hey.”

“Hi. Parker’s somewhere around here, I think.”

He laughs. “I know, but I wanted to say happy birthday to you.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“This party’s really something.”

“Yeah, you could say that again.” I glance out over the marquee, the hanging lights, the smell of lilies from the many bouquets. “Mom sort of went all in.”

“How about a dance?” He nods toward the dance floor.

The music is soft and soothing, and I want to say yes. But the memory of the graduation party holds me back. “And what if someone interrupts us?”

“I won’t back off so easily this time, I promise.”

“Good,” I say. “Because all my brothers are here this time.”

Turner shoots me a grin. “Let them do their worst.”

Turner’s a good dancer. He leads well, and I don’t step on his feet, not once. He’s taken the same classes at Paradise Shores that the rest of us have, but unlike most of my brothers, he seems to have actually paid attention.

My parents are dancing, too. I watch as they glide gracefully around us and feel the familiar ache in my chest. There’s so much pressure to be like them. Beautiful. Successful. Universally adored. Even this party, which my mother threw out of love for me, reminds me of it. The expectations have nearly suffocated the joy out of Henry. I don’t want them to do the same to Rhys or Parker. Or to me.

As if he can read my mind, Turner nods. “It’s a lot, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

He leans in. “Parker has grabbed some of the champagne bottles. There’s a sub-party going on in the basement.”

“There’s a what?”

“A sub-party. Come on, let’s escape for a bit.”

He’s right. Rhys is already in the basement, opening a bottle. He hands me a flute of sparkling champagne. “Glad you could make it, my dear.”

I sink down onto one of the large sofas and bend down to undo my painful high-heeled shoes. “Thank God for this.”

Turner laughs and sits down next to me. “All we need is some food, now.”

“Parker’s on it,” Rhys says. “I think he’s gonna get Jamie and the girls too.”

“Really?”

“We want you to enjoy yourself, Lils.” He reaches over and tweaks my nose in a way he hasn’t for years. “Soon enough you’ll be on your own here for senior year, with all of us gone for college. Let us spoil you a little longer.”

And they do. There’s music and games and drinks, not to mention an entire tray of roast lamb vol-au-vent that Parker somehow managed to score. I have to filter in and out, to mingle with the guests, but together the whole thing feels a lot less lonely.

There’s only one person missing. I had hoped he would come, but as the hours wear on, I don’t think he will. This isn’t his scene on the best of days, and especially not with me this dolled up… with the house filled with strangers. Strangers with trust funds and upturned noses.

Still, I had hoped.

It’s many hours later when I’ve finally said goodbye to all the guests. Turner is in the basement with Parker, both of them passed out. My parents said goodnight ages ago, and the caterers have all packed up and left. I’m officially eighteen.

It’s still warm outside, though. I stand in the backyard and take a few deep breaths. Salt and ocean spray hangs in the air, and the stars stretch out in a glittering blanket above me. The lights are still lit under the marquee, and without any guests, the place looks magical. The only music still playing is the sound of waves against the beach. I close my eyes and breathe in the salty air.

A familiar laugh, soft and low, rings out in front of me. My eyes snap open, only to see the one person I thought would never show.