Page 54 of Unburied

That made sense, especially for Knox. Vivi knew he would never be content in the city, or even in the suburbs. He was the type of guy who needed privacy, space to get away from everything and relax. “How many acres?”

He hesitated. “Twelve.”

Vivi froze. Surely there were hundreds of parcels of land that were a dozen acres. But hearing that number dredged up memories from the past she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to deal with just yet. But when Knox flipped on his blinker and turned left onto a familiar old road, she already knew.

She sat in silence, her heart in her throat as she watched the scenery pass by her window in a blur. Some things had changed, but in other ways, it was exactly the same as it had been fifteen years ago.

The homes became fewer and farther between, and several minutes later, Knox slowed and turned into a rutted gravel drive. The grass was overgrown, so tall that it would at least come up to Vivi's waist. She could see the familiar roofline of the squat shack where they had grown up. The wooden clapboard exterior was stained nearly black with age, the windows caked with dirt and dust.

Knox parked the SUV, and they sat there in silence for what felt like forever, just staring at their childhood home. Through the tall grass swaying in the breeze, Vivi spied several stacks of tires, and she could only begin to guess at what might be hiding around the property.

Knox grasped the door handle and flicked a look her way. “Want to go look around?”

There was a hint of vulnerability in his voice, and Vivi couldn't find it in herself to refuse him. “Sure.”

She climbed out of the car, taking care to watch where she stepped as she made her way around the SUV to meet Knox.

“So what do you think?” he asked.

“Honestly, I'm not sure.”

For the life of her, Vivi couldn’t begin to imagine why her brother would want to come back here. She was still young when they left, but whatever bad memories this place held for her, it had to be a hundred times worse for him.

Their father had purchased the property for next to nothing back in the early ‘80s. It wasn't worth much back then considering it was probably as run down then as it appeared to be now. But it had been home, at least when their parents weren't following their favorite band around the south. By the time Knox turned ten, Vivi had turned two, and their parents had apparently decided that it was safe to leave them for days at a time.

More of Vivi's childhood memories consisted of Knox than their actual mom and dad. They had spent hardly any time inside, instead wandering around the yard and into the surrounding woods. Even though their house was technically on the wrong side of the tracks, their property backed up to an expensive allotment of homes. The Beaumonts owned a mansion directly north of them, and their only daughter, Everleigh, and Knox had been inseparable despite her parents’ censure.

For years, Everleigh had snuck away from home while her parents were away, and they would spend hours playing in the forest that separated their homes. But everything changed the summer Knox turned eighteen.

Their parents died in a car accident on the way back home from the band’s performance. Still just shy of legal age, Knox couldn't file to be Vivi's legal guardian. Though he and Everleigh had talked about moving away and getting married, Knox found himself signing up for the Marines the day he turned eighteen. Vivi went to live with Ellen, and Knox never saw Everleigh again.

Although more than a decade had passed, Vivi had still never been able to learn the whole story. Something had happened during those last couple of days, but Knox insisted it was nothing. The look of utter devastation on his face, though, told her otherwise. After that, he was never the same.

Not once in the past fourteen years could Vivi remember him having a serious girlfriend. She was sure her brother wasn't a saint, but his heart was still anchored in the past, to a woman who no longer existed. There was no doubt in her mind that part of this was for her—because of her—and her heart ached for him. He deserved to find happiness, too, the way she had with Mason.

Vivi slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “It won't bring her back,” she whispered.

There was a heavy silence, then—"I know.”

His tone was bleak, borderline resigned, and another sharp bolt of pain shot through her. “Will this make you happy?”

She was truly concerned for him. He nodded slowly. “I know I can't change what happened, but maybe it's time for this place to have some new memories. Maybe it'll help…”

He trailed off, but Vivi immediately picked up on his train of thought. Maybe if he addressed it, made his own new, happy memories here, it would help him to move on. She squeezed his arm. “I think that's a really good idea. And you know if you decide to cut your lease short, you're always welcome to stay with me.”

He glanced down at her, one eyebrow cocked, a wry smile twisting his lips. “And have to watch you and Kane together? No thanks.”

Vivi laughed and swatted his chest. “He's not so bad.”

The teasing smile slid away, replaced with his serious expression once more. “He’s a good guy. I'm glad you're happy.”

“Me, too. If this is what you want, I think you should do it.”

Knox nodded slowly. “Thanks, Viv.”

There was nothing else to be said. Vivi released him, and they climbed into the SUV then headed back to her house. Her mind spun as they drove. She’d had so much going on that the ordeal with Tyler and Russ had completely taken a backseat to the drama of her love life. Something had been bothering her, and she was curious.

“Did Ellen ever talk to you about Russ?”