Page 3 of Ask No Questions

He laughed and shook his head. “I have a drawer full of takeout menus. I think we’ll survive.”

I pulled my bags through the kitchen and into the monochromatic living room. “You seem to really like white.”

“It came furnished and decorated. It was one of the models used to sell the other condos, and I just haven’t felt like anything needed to be changed. Maybe down the road, the all-white will get old.”

I had been in the room for a few seconds, and it was old. How could he stand to look at this place? I felt like I was in an insane asylum. Adding color would be my first task as his new roommate.

“What’s your favorite color?”

He looked at me suspiciously, but I just gave him an innocent smile. Batting my lashes would probably be overkill. “I like blue, why?”

“Just reconnecting. I wanted to make sure it hadn’t changed.”

A painting on the wall was the only color in the room. It appeared to be a blur of blue hues. I moved around the couch to the far wall to examine it. “Wow! You have a Lambert? I love his work.”

“A what?”

“The painting. It’s a Lambert. I had a print of one of his oils in my old room. This is beautiful.” I admired it for another moment before movement caught my eye, and I turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows that gave way to an unobstructed view of the ocean.

“It came with the rest of the stuff. It’s cool, I guess.” He came up next to me, enjoying the view. “There’s a patio through those doors. You’ll probably like that. It’s my favorite area in the house.”

I sauntered in the direction he had pointed and opened the doors. Yep, I found heaven. There were a few chairs and a patio table waiting for me.

“You might have a hard time getting me back inside if I go out there. This is the best view in the world.” I watched waves roll in and crash on the beach and sighed as peace washed over me.

“It’s pretty great. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.” He moved back and sat on the large sofa. “How’s the family?”

I found a spot next to the window to sit so I could keep watching the waves. “Peyton is good. She tries to act way older than ten, which drives Mom crazy. She’s already trying to wear makeup and wants a cell phone.”

Brandon shook his head. “I can’t believe she’s ten already. I feel bad I haven’t been around for her very much. She probably doesn’t even remember me.”

“She’s so spoiled. Plus, she gets along with Mom and Neil much better than I do, so I don’t feel too bad about leaving her.” In a few days I would probably miss her antics, but her relationship with Mom and her dad was so vastly different from what I experienced. It was hard to be around them and see what I missed out on.

His easy smile returned, and he put his hands on his knees as he stood, “Come on, I’ll show you to your room so you can put your stuff away. Then we have to go to Aunt Diane’s. I told her you were coming in today, and she insisted on a welcome party for you.”

He left the living room and disappeared down one of the halls. Grabbing my bags, I followed him and found him in a large bedroom with huge windows facing inland. Again, everything was decorated in white, and the furniture was modern. He stood facing me, apprehensively waiting for my reaction.

The plush white bed in the center of the room was calling my name. I stole another glance at him before running full-speed at the bed and jumped, landing in the middle of the soft down comforter covering my new queen bed.

“This is perfect.” I rolled onto my stomach as he leaned against the doorframe.

He looked relieved. I guess he felt as much pressure as I did to make this work. “I’m glad you like it. Your bathroom is through this door." He pointed back to the door next to the entrance. "You should have everything you need already in there, but if we need to grab anything, let me know. Oh, and your closet is the door next to the bathtub in there. I'm sure there is enough room for you, although if you take after Mom, we might need to get another wardrobe for your room."

I rolled my eyes. “That’s not necessary. This is more than I could have wished for. Thanks again for letting me move here, Brandon.”

“Of course.” His shoulders relaxed, and he nodded toward the doors. “Get cleaned up.”

After he left my room, I got off the bed and stepped into the bathroom. My jaw dropped when I saw it was almost as big as the bedroom. There was a huge soaking tub in the corner that I was already planning to use on a daily basis. Across from the tub and walk-in shower was a wide double sink vanity that was more than enough room for one girl’s makeup and styling tools. I caught my reflection in the mirror as I walked toward the closet door. I hadn’t smiled like this in weeks.

The closet was huge. Huge and waiting for me to fill every shelf, rack, and drawer. I felt like I’d stepped into a movie. All that was missing was a chaise to lounge in while admiring my fabulous clothes and shoes. I could live and die in this room feeling fulfilled and perfectly happy!

“Are you almost ready? I told Diane we would be over by six o'clock, and it’s already 5:45,” Brandon yelled from somewhere in the condo, breaking me from the blissful trance that had consumed me at the sight of the miracle closet. Sighing, I told myself I could come back and admire it further when we got home later tonight.

Knots formed in my stomach as I quickly threw open one of my suitcases on my bed and looked for something to change into. Remembering the way Tucker had looked at me at the airport, I knew I had to find something to blend in. It was silly to be nervous to see my own family, but I wanted to make the right impression. I settled for my favorite pair of gold ballet flats that resembled pointe shoes and threw on a flattering, black cotton tee that hugged all the right places over my skinny jeans.

Brandon was sitting on one of the stools at the island looking at his phone. I noticed he had changed out of the gray shirt he had on earlier and into a light blue button up with the same slim cut jeans.

“Am I underdressed? I thought we were just having dinner at the Pages’.” I didn’t think I looked too casual, but it had been a few years since I had seen the family, and I didn’t want to stick out.