Page 32 of The Trouble with Flings

“Ohmygod” comes out in a pained whisper. “He said that? Why?”

Fitz shrugs. “I don’t know. That’s between them. Thankfully, they have a better relationship now. But we all handled it differently. Wells is a jokester anyway, but he was always causing trouble back then, more so after my dad moved out, and my sisters were too little to understand what was going on, but they cried a lot. I wanted to help them, but I had no clue how to, so I retreated. I tried not to cause trouble and took my cues from Grant about helping the others.”

The vulnerability in his voice makes my chest ache. I curl my fingers around his, picturing him as a little boy who desperately wanted to put the pieces of their lives back together for his siblings. “That was an awfully big burden for such tiny shoulders.”

“It was a horrible feeling, wanting to help the people I love and not knowing how.”

He tracks a group of teenagers as they walk by, and I wonder if that feeling he described is the reason he’s so attentive. So he’ll always know exactly what to do and how to help. That’s a lot of pressure, too, even for his big, strong shoulders.

“Thankfully, we all got through it without too many scars,” he says. “I don’t claim to understand the whys and hows of my parents’ relationship. They say they’re happier as a couple when they’re not living together.”

“It’s not what I grew up with, but as someone who likes her independence, I can see that. But to do it to your kids? I feel like if they were that in love, there must’ve been more to it.”

“I’m sure there are reasons they haven’t shared with us, or at least with me, and that’s probably a good thing. I don’t want to know their secrets. It wouldn’t change what we went through. And I learned a lot from watching them. They built something unconventional that works for them, and the older I get, the more I understand what that must have cost them, and I don’t mean monetarily. Especially in a tight-knit community like ours, where our family has so many eyes on it. I can’t imagine the rumors that must have gone around, or the looks they must have endured.”

“I didn’t think of that. That had to be hard for them.”

“I’m sure it was. But their love for each other, and for us, is solid, and that’s what really matters. Our family is still whole because of the direction they took.”

“I’m glad it is.” I hold his hand a little tighter, thinking about everything he shared and about this thing between us, and feel compelled to say, “I hope you know it’s okay not to have all the answers to everyone else’s problems.”

“But I’m so good at it.” He flashes a teasing grin and leans in for a kiss.

Our conversation turns lighter after that, and he tells me about what it was like growing up with gaggles of friends in a community where they had the run of the neighborhood and families that looked out for one another. We end up laughing about the pranks he and his friends have pulled over the years.

“I can’t believe the good one pranks people,” I tease.

“It took some getting used to. When Bellamy was seven, she was having a sleepover with her friends, and all the guys got together and planned a prank where we’d all wear Scream masks and scare them in the middle of the night. But I worried about Bellamy because she was such a little girl, so I told her what we were planning.”

“You didn’t!” I have to laugh, because he really is a Boy Scout.

“I did. You should’ve seen her. She was a tiny thing.”

My heart squeezes. “How old were you?”

“Twelve. I swore her to secrecy.”

“And? What happened?”

“We tiptoed into the room with our masks on and pulled back their covers. Just as we realized they’d put pillows in their places, the closet doors flew open, and the girls ran out, throwing water balloons at us.”

Laughter bubbles out. “I bet you never lived that down with the guys.”

“Actually, they tried everything to get her to tell them who had narced on us, but she never told anyone it was me who spilled the beans. They were so aggressive toward her, I felt bad, and admitted that I’d done it.”

If that doesn’t tell me everything about his relationship with Bellamy, I don’t know what will. “You foiled a prank to save your little sister, and you think my heart leads the way?”

“My sisters can be pesty, but I love them. And for what it’s worth, I learned my lesson that day. Now I can prank like a pro. But I come by it honestly. My father and his best friends, Roddy Remington and Steve Steele, are the original pranksters, and my buddies Jock and Archer Steele are masterminds at it.”

“Steele? Are they related to Reggie Steele?”

“Yeah. They’re cousins. Reggie’s mother moved to the island a few years ago.” His brows slant. “How do you know Reggie? Ex-fling?”

“No. He’s a close friend of Mia’s.”

“Good. He’s a great guy. I’d hate for you to start looking at him like he doesn’t measure up.”

I shove him playfully, both of us laughing.