- Brennan's POV -
"Brennan!" my mom's voice shouted as she ripped the covers off of me. "You need to get up before you're late for school."
I opened up my eyes to look at her. "I'm up."
She was already fully dressed with her hair and makeup done. Typical Valerie. She probably already had a full spread of breakfast ready and then when we went to school she probably would go to pilates with her friends.
As a stay-at-home mom, she didn't have anything else to do.
"Good." my mom gave me a smile. "It is the first day of your senior year after all."
She walked out of my room and I sat in my bed for a moment. I just needed a few minutes to wake up.
I got up and got myself together before I headed downstairs for breakfast. As I predicted, there was a full spread of breakfast food. My brothers were still here and I assumed that my sister Maya was still upstairs getting ready.
"There's the senior!" my oldest brother, Tyler cheered.
God, when was he going back to New York?
"Here I am." I picked up a plate.
"Are you ready for the last go-round?" Cameron questioned me.
Cameron was my second-oldest brother. He was a senior at Wake Forest and he played football, president of too many clubs to name just like Tyler.
They were frick and frack. I was always the odd brother out, but I survived.
I ate a piece of bacon. "I guess."
My mom scoffed. "You better be ready if you want to go to Yale or Wake Forest like your brothers. Brennan this is not the year to slack off."
I don't even want to go Yale or Wake Forest but whatever.
"Where's dad?" I asked everyone.
"Your father had an early flight to Chicago for a business trip. He'll be back on Sunday." my mom informed me.
It was like we only saw him on holidays and during the summer. Other than that, he was gone doing whatever investors and businessmen do. That man probably couldn't tell anyone a single personal thing about me.
"He's never here. It's like he's dead." I scoffed as I sat down to eat.
"Brennan!" my mother scolded me. "Your father works hard for us. Do not disrespect him like that. Not in his house!"
My sister twirled into the kitchen. "Good morning family."
"Maya Imogen!" my mom gasped. "Please tell me that you're not wearing that to school. You look like you're about to board a flight."
She was wearing a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and sneakers. At least she looked comfortable.
"What's wrong with this?" Maya threw her hands down.
"Go put real clothes on. At least some jeans. I didn't raise a slob." she ordered. "Now Maya! Also, don't eat too many carbs. Your midsection is looking bigger."
Sheesh.
Maya stomped away to go change her clothes and my mom started to drink some kind of green juice.
"Mom?" I began. "Don't you think that was a little harsh? She is an impressionable teenage girl."
My mom rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me how to parent. You're not a parent and you wouldn't understand."
I didn't even want to argue with her this morning.
"Do you know what happened to the family next door in the Hamptons? The Giudice's. It's been a while since we've seen them. Like two summers." I asked my mom
She gave me a confused look. "What?"
Yeah, I forgot she wasn't involved in my life all that much unless it involved the reputation of this family or college. How did I expect her to know? I was raised by two narcissists.
"Do you know what your brother is talking about?" my mom asked my brothers.
They spent most of the summer drinking, hooking up with girls, or smoking. I didn't expect them to know either.
"Nope." they both chimed.
I rolled my eyes. "Alright, whatever. I'm going to head to school so I can get coffee before."
"Oh wait!" my mom stopped me.
For a moment I thought she would want to take a picture or tell me to have a good day or maybe she packed my lunch for once.
"Are you talking about Riley?" she asked me.
I just stared at her. "That wasn't her name."
"Well, I don't know." she went back to drinking her juice. "Bye."
Love you too.
I got into my car and put down the roof.
There was nothing like fresh air in your face.
So I got my coffee and headed to school.
"There he is!"Lachlan hooted as I sat down on the bench. "How were the Hamptons? Did you get lots of girls?"
I shook my head with a small grin. "I don't kiss and tell."
Truthfully no.
I just spent a lot of my days reading, surfing, and minding my business. That was peaceful enough for me. I really didn't want to be that guy that went through ten different girls.
Partially because I was known to be clingy and it was hard for me to let go.
Caden told us how he messed around with half of the cheer team, Adler spent most of the summer partying with Caden, and Beau traveled around Asia with his family.
They talked about all of the parties we were going to or throwing this year. I wasn't opposed to it since you only get one senior year.
We went to classes, goofed off a bit, and I couldn't wait to go home and go to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about how tired and disengaged I was.
"Ah, a fellow Italian. Ryan Giudice?" Mr. Reggio called out an all too familiar name.
The same name that I was trying to remember this morning.
I turned to look at the girl who had the same brown hair and always tanned skin that I remembered.
No fucking way.
Seven summers together so there's no way that I'd ever forget her.
There was only one Ryan Giudice and she was still as beautiful as ever.
I still remember teasing her about having a boy name and all the good times that we had together.
The Hamptons seemed so empty without her.
Throughout the class, I couldn't help but take glances at her.
Like there was my Ryan.
It felt like she fell off the edge of the Earth but she was right there.
How did a girl from New York City end up in Connecticut of all places?
"Brennan!' Adler called out. "Where are we going to sit for lunch this year?"
I shook my head. "You guys can pick, I'll catch you later."
I jogged up to her and gently grabbed her arm.
"Long time no see." I greeted her.
Ryan grinned. "I don't believe it. I know the DuPonts are far and few but I couldn't believe you were the Brennan DuPont."
"I could say the same for you." I moved my hand away. "Gosh, I have so many questions."
"I don't know where to start either." she agreed with me.
Wow.
This moment felt unreal.
"What the hell." I laughed. "How did you end up here? I still can't believe that you look the same just older."
Ryan looked me in the eyes. "It's been two years. I think the last time you saw me I was fifteen and still drenched myself in Juicy Couture perfume. I'm living with my grandparents now. My mom's parents."
I had a lot of questions about that but I didn't know where she was going next.
"Can we catch up after school?" I asked Ryan.
"I would love that but I have to go to work." she said as we walked down the hall.
Work?
Ryan working?
This was the same girl who would swipe her dad's Amex like no one's business.
"I know it's a foreign concept to a seventeen-year-old DuPont but you know." Ryan justified.
"Oh." my voice trailed off. "Where do you work? Maybe I can pop my head in."
She looked at me with those big blue eyes. "That juice and smoothie shop off of Tanner Road. I'll be there until eight."
"I'll be there." I assured her.
We had the same lunch shift and I took note of who she sat with. Mila, Kinsley, Quinn, Gabby, Emery, Zariah, and Ivy. Three of them were on the cheer team and I wondered if Caden hooked up with them. A girl that looked similar to Ryan walked up to her and I realized that it was her younger sister.
I couldn't believe how quickly time went by.
I also couldn't believe how excited I was to go to a juice shop later.
At four in the afternoon, I walked into Lizzy's Juice Bar and there was behind the cash register wearing a white tank top and a tennis skirt.
"Well, this is a nice gig." I commented as I looked at the empty juice shop. "Nobody is in here."
"That's what I like about it." she grinned. "Can I offer you anything? It'll be on the house."
I scanned the menu. "A berry smoothie would be great but I would like to tip the amazing worker."
"Who am I to turn down a tip?" she laughed as she began to make my smoothie.
"I saw Logan but how's Dylan and your parents?" I asked her.
Ryan immediately froze and looked up at me. "You don't know?"
"Know what?" I questioned her
She threw some fruit into the blender, turned it on, and didn't say another word until after I paid.
"I think we should sit down." Ryan suggested.
It was empty and I didn't want to argue with her since she seemed out of it.
"God where do I start?" she sighed as she ran her hands through his hair. "I'll just say it. My mom and Dylan were murdered in February and my dad was kidnapped."
My jaw dropped and I didn't know what to say.
"I know that was very blunt, but there was no pretty way to put it." Ryan added.
As much as my parents and siblings got on my nerves, I couldn't imagine losing them. Especially so tragically.
"I'm sorry." I got out. "I had no idea."
Ryan looked down. "My dad made a wrong deal or something. That's why we didn't go to East Hampton the summer before last. The money was starting to dry up and my dad's parents were furious with him. Then the situation happened. Lo, and I moved in with my mom's parents in Farmington like a week after."
"I thought someone would've told you or you would've heard about it." she fumbled with her hands.
Now I felt really stupid for not checking the news or googling her name.
I was an idiot.
"No." my voice trailed off. "Do you know who did it or where your dad is?"
She shook her head. "But I won't die until I figure that out. It seems like the police don't really care anymore since they think it's fraud gone wrong."
Then why the hell did her mom and little sister have to pay?
I had the connections and the money to help her.
She didn't seem like the vibrant Ryan that I once knew.
Her eyes didn't sparkle the same, her soul seemed a little tired, and she didn't seem at peace. So the least I could do was help her and try to give her an ounce of peace.
"I'll help you." I suggested. "I don't really know where to start but I think we can make something shake if we work together."
Ryan sat up and looked me in the eyes. "Seriously?"
"Yeah." I agreed. "Just let me know when you're free but I'll see what I can get out of my parents or what I can find through research."
"Thanks, Bren." she gave me a smile. "But how have you been? It's been a while."
I caught her up on my life which was basically the same old, same old. Judgemental and narsccistic parents, trying to not live in the shadows of my siblings, but still enjoying life.
She had to get up a few times to make teenage girls acai bowls or give middle-aged moms juice cleanses but she knew right where we left off.
I missed Ry.
She was my favorite part of the summer.
I missed lounging on the beach, exploring the Hamptons, and doing dumb shit like throwing random food into a blender to see what it would taste like.
Ryan Giudice was my first crush, friend, and kiss.
I was happy that she was back.
"You'll never believe who lives in Hartford and goes to Alderidge." I stood in the kitchen as my mom cut up onions.
"Who?" she looked up at me.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the island. "Ryan Giudice."
My mom stopped cutting the unions. "I thought she died?"
My eyes got big. "So you did know about that and didn't tell me? That was her youngest sister, Dylan that was murdered. Her mom was also killed and her dad is missing in action."
"I thought I was protecting your feelings." my mom justified. "Plus the Giudices were never any good. You see how they turned out."
Noted.