CHAPTER ONE
Celia
I looked into the mirror as I applied another layer of mascara, careful to let it dry. The music was loud in the attached bedroom and I smiled as I heard my best friend singing along to the pop song playing over the speakers. Brinley was taking me to a local party here tonight since I was staying with her for a month in her San Diego home. We’d both graduated college and had some time for fun now and that was something that Brin was all over. I ran a hand through my curly red bob and tilted my head. The curls were crazy, but I decided to accept them and try to love them. The beach messed it up, anyway.
I took the plum stain that Brin told me to wear with the short black sundress she loaned me and glossed my full lips before Brin poked her head into the room. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she pulled off the perfect winged liner tonight, highlighting her bright green eyes. She was gorgeous, and I grinned as I slipped the gloss into the clutch I was bringing along.
“How big is this party?” I asked as I slipped my feet into the black ballet flats.
“Big. It’s at one of the apartment buildings off campus. There’s going to be some alumni there and current students. It should be fun.” Brin took her red lipstick and lined her lips expertly with it before she took me in.
“You look so pretty, Celia. I love your hair cut.”
“It might have been a bad idea to do it before I came here. The ocean isn’t kind to me.” I replied as she slipped on some black heels.
Brinley was wearing a vintage polka dot dress that clung to her curves. I knew that she’d meet a guy there and maybe even leave with him since she was a flirt. I was the one that was on the shy side and might be in the corner, hiding.
“People buy a product to get that beach look, Celia. You have it naturally.” Brin winked at me and grabbed her purse. She was driving her car, but I could take it home if needed. I knew my way around an automatic and that was what her sleek BMW was. We walked downstairs to the open living room and her mom glanced up from her laptop.
“Going to the party?” Melinda asked with a warm smile on her beautiful face. Brinley looked just like her and I grinned back.
“We are. I’ll keep Brinley in line,” I teased as Melinda chuckled.
“Remy is going to be there, too. He called today to tell me he was stopping at the party before coming home tonight.” My heart sank as I stared at the floor. Remy was Brin’s older brother, and I’d had a crush on him for years now.
“We’ll both have to keep him in line,” Brinley smirked at me and I smiled. “You might not see him until tomorrow, Mom.”
“I want to see all of you tomorrow. Be safe, girls.”
Brinley told her that we would and led me through the garage to her car. Their house was massive with eight bedrooms and four bathrooms in addition to the whole living room. It was also on the beach near La Jolla and had an amazing view. Brinley’s father was a successful doctor and her mom did some freelance writing, more to stay busy than anything else. She also volunteered for some great causes and despite Brin’s comments about her brother, he was headed in the same direction. It was one of the reasons I thought he was so perfect.
We pulled out of the driveway and she sped to the main road as I glared at her. “Slow down,” I told her as Brinley laughed.
“I’m not going that fast.” She stopped at a light and I leaned my head back. She turned up the radio before taking off again and I took in the scenery as we headed to the party. My mom lived in a small town in Oregon that was nice before she died in a wreck just after graduation, but slow. I wanted to stay here and have some fun after graduation. Our college was in San Francisco and we both missed San Diego while we were gone. I’d stayed with Brin and her family on and off for years because Mom travelled a lot for her art career once I started middle school. When my father died in an accident just after fifth grade ended, she kind of detached herself and started going on a lot of trips.
Melinda took me in and she had been like a second mother to me for most of my life.
I stared out of the window as she pulled into a huge complex, winding around before she parked. I followed her as she stepped out of the car and strode to a building in front of us. It was clear from the music where the party was, and I wondered if all the students lived here. It was so loud. There were people in front of the apartment hanging out and the door was wide open. I gazed up the steps as someone called Brinley’s name and she waved at them. She ran up, and I followed her, greeting the familiar faces with a shy smile. Brinley led the way through the door and chatted her way through the crowd to the kitchen, looking at the bottles on the counter as well as the cans packed in ice in coolers against the wall.