He is a bestselling author, yes. But this is a house we see in movies. The type of house owned by famous people. He can’tpossiblybe in his right mind renting a place like this.
Two story white house, ahugeblack framed glass front door, large windows everywhere. We could put another house between this one and the fourth one and I can see the ocean above the white wooden fence between them.
With my bags, I walk to the door gritting my teeth. He’sgotto be kidding. There’s only the two of us, we don’t need such a house! We usually make do with a three or four bedroom house. A room for him, one for me, an office so he can write in peace and a guest room that I usually use to draw because, let’s face it, we don’t have a lot of guests coming over. Except when Nuri comes to visit, which she hasn’t done in a while. But she lives in San Francisco, so maybe she could come by soon, if she manages to escape her responsibilities as a mother for a few days.
I grab the silver key from the succulent pot and open the door carefully. A fucking glass door… What a stupid idea. What if someone slams it? What if burglars break it and break-in? There’s no way we can defend ourselves! Jack is in a wheelchair with no muscular strength and what would I do? Throw pencils and balls of paper at them while yelling like a lunatic?
I step inside cautiously and I’m surprised by the simplicity of every piece of furniture I see. Okay, I was totally expecting something ridiculously fancy. Not… That.
It’s kind of cute. The living area is large with cream couches andarmchairs, a big soft white rug, and a lot of plants. There is a lot of space for Jack to roam freely in his chair. The open kitchen is in shades of rough gray stones and white polished countertops, with modern appliances. A round clear wooden dinner table with six gray chairs around it sits in the middle of the space. It’s cute, but when will we ever be hosting so many people at once?
The inside of the house is not what I expected when I looked at it from outside. It’s beautiful and comfortable.
But it’s still completely lifeless. It has no soul. It’s just a house. Not a home.
And how could it be? It’s obviously an incredibly expensive vacation rental. It’s not meant to live in. Not long term. It’s just supposed to be used when rich families want to spend a few weeks in a quiet beach house.
I check the rest of the first floor. There is a bathroom near the front door, and three bedrooms accessible from a corridor on the right. Two smaller ones on the street side and a large one with its own walk-in bathroom and own little deck overlooking the sea on the beach side. I see Jack’s suitcases scattered around this room, so he probably claimed it for himself. I would have claimed this one too out of the three if I were him.
But my brother is nowhere in sight.
Has he gone for a… I can’t even say walk, can I? For a… Drive? For fresh air, that seems better… I saw a park on the other side of the road… Maybe he’s there?
He answers his phone after three rings.
“Oh. My. God, Prue! Guess where I am!”
I frown. “I don’t know, but obviously not inside this ridiculous house.”
“Oh, come on… The house isgreat,you have to admit it.”
“Whatever,” I grit out. “Where are you? Do you need me to pick you up somewhere?”
“No, but you can join me! I’m on the beach.”
My frown deepens. On the beach? He can’t be on the beach… The wheelchair would get stuck with all the sand, and even though the water is not too far, there is no way he could have walked there. Between his dead muscles and his lack of balance, walking on the sand is completely impossible for him…
“But, how…”
“Evie and Ikram helped me get there. They are the absolute sweetest,youhaveto come and meet them.”
“Evie and Ikram? Did you already meet people here or…”
“Come on, Prue!” He sighs dramatically. “Come join us, I’ll introduce you.”
I roll my eyes. After driving this long I just want to sit on the couch and do nothing for a couple of hours.
But Jack is outside.Actuallyoutside. Without me. It hasn’t happened in about three years, and now I’m worried, and curious at the same time. Who are these people? Are they going to help him come back to the house when he wants to leave? What if they just leave him there?
“Alright. Let me change quickly and I’ll join you.”
I can almost hear him smile on the phone when he answers. “Yes! Can’t wait. Bring a swimsuit!” And he hangs up before I can say anything else.
A swimsuit? I don’t have a fucking swimsuit…
I go upstairs with my little suitcase and find two other bedrooms with their personal bathrooms. Both as large as the one Jack chose, and both mostly similar to each other. Obviously, my choice lands on the one overlooking the sea, because,helloooo, the view is kind of amazing.
I put the bag on the bed and look out the window, spotting Jack sitting on the sand, his hands playing with it, two people sitting with him, both next to each other on his right side. They are all facing the ocean and when the water rises, it reaches their bare feet.
