Endurance (The Sin Trilogy 4)

I’d normally never interrupt an outing to the beach with the girls to call my brother, but I thought I’d have a better chance of catching him since it’s Sunday. This is always his day off. He should be answering.

“We haven’t spoken in a week. I’m worried.” We’ve never gone this long without checking in with one another since he moved to Alabama.

Ivy leans up from the backseat. “I thought you said he’d been texting.”

I don’t want texts. I need to hear my brother’s voice. “Hazy messages. That’s all I’ve gotten from him this week.”

Ollie has been acting strange the last few months but his behavior has been different this week. So much . . . weirder.

“The brewery has grown a lot this year. That has to demand a lot of his time.” I’m sure Ivy is right. Lovibond is busy banging out a shit ton of beer.

“I understand he has a lot on his plate, but he always makes time for me. Lately, it feels like we’re a million miles apart instead of four hundred.” I don’t like it. Not one bit.

Kelsey briefly takes her eyes from the road and looks over at me. “What do you think is going on if he’s not tied up with the brewery?”

“I know exactly what’s wrong. He hasn’t gotten over what that damn Eden did to him. “Don’t make me say her name. I’ll want to get in my car and drive to Birmingham to kick her ass.” I admit I suffer from a severe case of overprotective sister when it comes to Ollie. But I have the right after everything we’ve experienced.

“I can’t see him being upset over a woman. Stout is a fun-time guy. A manwhore.” I don’t like hearing Ivy call my brother that, even if it’s probably true.

“It’s been months since their relationship ended. He must have loved her if he’s still upset,” Kelsey says.

Ollie loved her with all his heart. That isn’t a gift he gives easily. “He told me he thought she was the one.”

Ivy punches the back of my seat. “Get out of here. He said the one? For real? I can’t imagine those words coming out of his mouth.”

I love Eden. I’m going to ask her to marry me. “I know. I thought I’d heard him wrong when he told me.”

“I can’t see him settling down for anyone. I thought he loved being the life of the party too much for that.”

“She changed everything for him. He thought he’d found someone he could trust with his heart.” Instead, she shit on it. I’m devastated for Ollie. I know how hard it was for him to open his heart. I’m the same.

My brother and I are alike in so many ways. Both so careful in who we choose to connect with and how. It’s a lesson we mastered very early in life thanks to Jimmy and Christie. We learned how to emotionally disconnect before we knew our ABCs.

God, I need to talk to my brother so badly.

“Call Porter. Tell him to have Stout get in touch with you.”

I could, and I will if it’s my only choice, but the thought annoys the piss out of me. I shouldn’t have to go to that extreme when all he has to do is return my call. “I’ll think about it.”

Kelsey pulls into the public parking area for the north beach, taking the last spot. “Looks packed today, girls.”

No surprise there; it’s crowded every day in the summer. Vacationers come from all over to visit Tybee Island Beach.

Kelsey pulls in and backs out, driving forward again to the left, maybe scooting over all of one inch. “How does it look over there, Law?”

I bet she’d be directly in the middle of the parking spot if we took measurements. “Looks perfectly centered to me.”

“Think there’s enough room so they won’t hit my car with their doors?” I carefully swing mine open to measure while holding it to ensure I don’t tap the car beside me.

“I think you’re good.”

Kelsey bought this brand new BMW 6 Series after she got a raise at work a few months ago. She’s so proud of it. Babies the thing like it’s her child. Can’t say I blame her. I’d probably treat one the same if I had a car this nice.

Except I’d never drive a gas guzzler. Only electric for me.

Oppressive heat envelops us as we gather our beach paraphernalia from her trunk. “It’s going to be a scorcher today. I hope one of you remembered sunscreen because I completely forgot the brand new bottle I bought for today.”

“I brought some SPF 60.” I don’t play around when it comes to getting sunburned. I haven’t since I was seven years old.

“Mommy, my skin hurts so bad. It burns.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have been so stupid to stay out in the sun all day like an idiot. Serves you right. Now get out of here and shut the door so I don’t have to hear your whining. Or his. It makes my head hurt.”

It was mid July. The inside of our rented trailer was blazing hot because the power had been turned off. Jimmy and Christie had chosen to buy heroin instead of electricity that month. It never mattered how miserable Ollie and I were as long as they were able to get high.

By some miracle, our water hadn’t been turned off. It was the only relief we had during that unforgiving July. And one of the few ways we were able to have fun.

I was a kid and had never been taught about sunscreen or why it should be used. Not that Christie would buy any for us anyway.

Ollie’s skin was red and covered in watery blisters by that night. Mine too. I’m so sorry, Ollie. It was all my fault.

He was only four but had already learned to cry silently so he didn’t bother Jimmy and Christie. One beating from our sperm donor was all it took for Ollie to learn how to hold his tongue. Do your best to not be seen or heard, but most importantly, don’t disturb the monsters for fear of their wrath.

No lotions or aloe vera. No type of pain medication. No relief. We had nothing to ease our pain. Except briefly when we were lucky enough to fall asleep. But even that didn’t come easily. Not when you heard screaming and fighting most of the night.

“Look what I brought.” Kelsey lugs the cooler out of her trunk. “I don’t have sunscreen but I do have ice-cold Pale Hazel.”

“My personal favorite.” My brother and Porter knocked it out of the park when they created this one.

“And perfect for a hot day at the beach.”

She’s right. It’s light and non-filling. “Totally agree.”

We have a ton of stuff to carry, so I’m drenched with sweat and petered out before we even reach the beach.

Ivy comes to a dead stop right in front of me, almost causing me to crash into her. “This sucks. We need some guys to carry our stuff for us.”

I consider myself an independent woman who can handle most things on my own, but even I wouldn’t turn down an offer of help at this point. “I could go for some help right about now.”

Kelsey calls out behind me, “Hey, you, the one up there complaining. You want to tote the cooler of beer? ’Cause I’m happy to trade you this heavy bastard for whatever you’re carrying.”

“Don’t worry. You’re not doing more work than anyone else. The bags I’m carrying weigh as much as that cooler.” Ivy is full of shit. She has the lightest load of any of us.

“I doubt that, hooker.”

I hate bitching. “Suck it up. We’re almost there.”

We reach the top of the wood-planked walkway and discover the huge crowd of people. “Shit. I think everyone decided to hit the beach today.”

“More people means better odds of meeting cute guys.” Ivy always has one thing on her mind. Men.

We luck out and find three free loungers for rent. I’m surprised, considering the swarm of people.

Ivy takes out her Bluetooth speaker and works to connect it to her phone. “What kind of music are we listening to, ladies?”

“I could stand some James Bay or Jack Savoretti. Something along those lines.”

“How ’bout we do a James Bay station and switch it to Jack Savoretti in a little while?”

“Sounds good.”

“Move Together” is the first song to pl

ay. “I love this one.”

“I didn’t like James Bay’s music the first few times I heard it, but now I can’t get enough.”

Ivy is so weird. “I don’t know how anyone could dislike his music.”

“He sort of reminds me of Ray LaMontagne.”

“I can agree with that.”

I’m the first to go for the cooler. “Who’s ready for a cold one?”

“Me,” Ivy and Kelsey reply simultaneously.

I dig through Kelsey’s bag for plastic cups since glass containers aren’t allowed on the beach. “Too bad we can’t have frozen frosty mugs for these beers.” That would be divine.

Ivy pulls her cover-up over her head and tosses it in the direction of her beach bag, overshooting by a full foot. She didn’t miss her calling for the WNBA. She adjusts her boobs in her top but they’re not the issue. “Ivy. The camel called. He wants his toe back.”

Kelsey holds up her hand placing a barrier between her and Ivy’s crotch. “Dear Lord. Do something about that.”

She looks down to inspect her bikini bottom. “Sorry.” She inconspicuously makes the appropriate adjustments. “Better?”