Page 31 of Lost Dreams

Aurora hadn’t been able to stop thinking of the incident in her grandfather’s study. For days afterward, she considered the weight of discovering your uncle’s death, so many years after it had happened—and in such a violent fashion. She had nightmares about it.

But every moment that passed told Aurora what she needed to do. She had to ask Oren and Kenny not to use the footage they’d taken of Benjamin Whitmore for the documentary about Nantucket’s history. She felt that they’d ambushed him, that they’d taken advantage of his heart and his mind, all in pursuit of “art” or whatever. She wasn’t even sure the documentary was art anymore.

During this thought process, she’d kept a wide berth from Kenny and Oren, unsure of how to approach it. They’d texted her a few times, inviting her to the library to conduct research or to interview a few other historical-adjacent people on the island. But each time, she’d brushed them off, saying that she needed to deal with some stuff at the Lodge.

A full week after her grandfather’s interview, Aurora put on her favorite red dress and went to the stables to talk to Oren and Kenny. It was a gloomy day, and most of the guests were inside, sipping cocktails and playing cards rather than asking about horseback riding lessons or tours.

She found Kenny and Oren lounging in the barn, waiting for their shift to end. Oren was on his phone, scrolling endlessly through other people’s photographs, and Kenny was reading Moby Dick, which felt endlessly attractive to Aurora, although she’d never read it herself. When her shadow spilled through the barn’s hay, Kenny put down his book and stood.

“Aurora, hey,” he said. His eyes looked wounded, as though he’d hated that she was avoiding them.

Oren stood, too. He offered her a crooked smile. “There she is,” he said. “You ready to get back to work?”

Aurora clasped her hands over her stomach. She’d practiced this speech in her head, but only in Italian, so now, she had to translate it into English. She wasn’t sure if it was going to go well.

“Hey, guys,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you about the interview the other day? The thing is, I don’t think it’s right to use that footage of my grandfather.”

Oren immediately scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?”

Kenny remained quiet, contemplative.

“You know he signed the release,” Oren said. There still wasn’t anger in his voice, although she imagined it was coming soon. “And it was your idea to interview him, remember? You came to us with the journals. And they’re amazing journals! We seriously can’t sit on something like that.”

“I know what I said,” Aurora said. “But I have changed my mind.” She considered telling Oren that she was only just getting to know her grandfather, that she didn’t want to break his trust so early in their relationship. “Listen, I really like your documentary, and I want to help you more, if you want me to. But things about my family, things that could hurt them, have to be off-limits.”

Oren’s cheeks reddened. But he wasn’t embarrassed. He simply didn’t know how to listen to her.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” he said, turning to look at Kenny. “Can you believe it?”

Kenny raised his shoulders and didn’t say anything.

“Anyway,” Aurora said, turning away from them. “I’m sorry, I guess?” Rather than wait around for more of Oren’s display of disbelief, she took off to the beach, where she removed her dress and plunged into the waves. She swam out for a while, then turned back to watch as Oren stormed out of the barn. Kenny remained near the door, speaking to the guy who was taking over the stables after their shift.

Aurora wondered if Kenny and Oren were arguing. She wondered if it was about her, then told herself it didn’t matter. She had to do what was right for her family.

When Kenny was done speaking with the other stable hand, he turned and looked out at the water, directly at Aurora. It was clear he knew exactly where she’d gone and wanted to speak to her. His eyes were inky black and tantalizing. Aurora remained where she was, treading water and urging him to come out and find her.

Kenny came to the beach, removing his shirt as he went. He stripped to his boxers, then got into the water without hesitation. Aurora’s heart pounded. She didn’t know if this was real, not anymore. It was beginning to feel like a film or a dream.

Kenny swam out to her. Aurora continued to tread water. When he reached her, he gazed at her, treading water about a foot away. She thought maybe their legs were going to get tangled.

Finally, Kenny said, “He’s really angry.”

“I don’t care,” Aurora said.

Kenny nodded. “For the record, I think you’re doing the right thing.”

Aurora was surprised, but she said nothing else.

“I respect you as an artist,” Kenny said. “But I especially respect that you want to protect your family. From the sounds of things, the Whitmores have been through enough.”

“They really have,” Aurora said.

“You all have,” Kenny reminded her. “You’re a Whitmore, too.”

They continued to hold one another’s gaze. Aurora had to remind herself to keep breathing. Just when she thought she might have to swim back to shore, for fear of dying, Kenny swam closer and kissed her, right here beneath the gorgeous cloudy sky. Aurora closed her eyes, then kissed him deeper, with more urgency. She couldn’t believe this was happening. For weeks, she’d wanted this. And now, immediately after Kenny’s fight with Oren, he was going for it.

What did it mean?