Derailed (Clayton Falls #1)(41)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“Hey… you didn’t tell me you were coming.” I was suddenly very glad Ben had left early. I couldn’t imagine what Shayna would have thought if she walked into my room and found us together. I was also relieved I’d thrown on some pajamas when he left, avoiding another potentially awkward moment.

She pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail. We were definitely those sisters who looked alike. If I ever wanted a preview of how I’d look in five years, I’d only have to watch her. She looked great, so it was a good thing. “If I’d told you I was coming, you would have tried to convince me not to.”

“That’s probably true. Where are Terry and the kids?”

“Back in Seattle with Mom. I thought we could use some sisterly bonding time.”

“Sisterly bonding time?” I arched an eyebrow.

“Uh huh, we haven’t had any in a while. I figured we were due for it.”

I smiled. “All right, sounds good.”

“So, you want to do a late breakfast down at Surf Song? I’m starving.”

“Sure, did you just fly in?” I was still trying to process her presence in my room. I hadn’t seen Shayna since Adam’s funeral. She’d left her two young children with her husband and traveled to Boston with my mom. I appreciated the effort, but I hadn’t been able to accept the help they wanted to offer. I’d spent the holidays with Becca and her mom, waiting until the last minute to tell my family I wasn’t coming, so it would be too late for them to come to me. I did everything I could to distance myself. It wasn’t much of a stretch. I’d been limiting our contact since I left for college.

“Yeah, I took the red-eye last night.”

“You didn’t have to come, Shay. I’m sure it was hard to leave the kids and get time off.”

“I’m just in town for the weekend, and I needed to come. We’ve been so worried about you. You can’t call Mom to tell her you dropped out of school and not expect us to be concerned.”

“Well, it’s good to see you. Just let me get dressed.”

“Why don’t you put on a swimsuit and meet me downstairs when you’re ready? We can head down to the beach after breakfast. I haven’t been in ages.”

I threw on a pink bikini and a cover up, brushed my teeth, and quickly brushed out my hair. I didn’t want to make Shayna wait for me to shower. She was someone you didn’t want to mess with when she was hungry.

We decided to walk down to Surf Song, the best restaurant in town if you wanted a view along with your food. Shayna ordered blueberry pancakes, and I got strawberry French toast. The restaurant was fairly empty, not surprising for a Friday morning. It was more of a dinner or weekend brunch place.

“I still haven’t found better blueberry pancakes than these,” Shayna said between mouthfuls.

“I don’t know how you can pass up the French toast. You’re the one with the big sweet tooth, and you can’t get sweeter.”

Talking about food was easier than discussing what Shayna had really come to talk about. If she made the effort to come, she had something more than a quick visit up her sleeve.

She waited until our plates were cleared, and we were sipping coffee to start her offensive. “I got you a ticket to come back with me.”

I choked on a sip of coffee. “You did what?”

“You wanted to have some time alone. Fine. You’ve been back here for a few weeks, but it’s time to come home with us.”

“I am home.”

“Home is where your family is. No one’s here anymore. Why would you want to spend your time in this place?”

“I have my reasons.” I suppressed a smile, thinking about the reason that had slipped out of my bed a few hours before.

“You can stay with us for a while, but we’ll have you set up in your own place right away. I’m really excited to introduce you to someone I know from the hospital. You’re going to love him.”

“Are you crazy?”

“No. And I’m telling you Steve is perfect for you. He’s very outdoorsy, makes a great living as a surgeon, and is really looking to meet someone.”

“How do those things make him perfect for me?”

“You like the outdoors, you’re broke, and you really need to meet someone.” She smiled.

“What if I’ve already met someone?”

“You’ve met someone here?”

This time I didn’t hide my smile when I thought of Ben.

“Oh no. Please don’t tell me your back with him.”

“With who?” I feigned innocence.

“Ben. You’re seeing him again, aren’t you?” She pursed her lips.

“Maybe I am.”

“Not seriously though, right?”

“Serious enough that he left a few hours before you arrived.”

She slammed her coffee cup down into the saucer, spilling some over the side. “You spent the night with him?”

“Why do you sound so surprised? You know very well I’m not the wait until marriage type.”

“Still, you’ve only been back a few weeks. That’s moving fast by anyone’s standards. Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into?”

“It’s not like I just met him. He’s not a stranger.”

“Mom’s not going to like this.” Her shoulders tensed. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to come up with a way to get me to change my mind.

“Mom’s the one who pushed Dad to let me date him.”

“In high school, not now. She doesn’t want you getting sucked back into this town.” Shayna hated Clayton Falls. She’d left after high school and never looked back. I did the same thing, but I was running from memories of Dad more than anything else. I’d never really understand what Shayna’s issue was. “There is so much more out there. You lived in Boston for five years. This place can’t satisfy you anymore.”

“I like that it’s not Boston. It’s what I need right now.”

“And what do you plan to do here? What kind of job are you going to get?” She picked up her coffee again, taking a few sips.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Then how are you going to support yourself? What happens when Mom sells the house? Oh, that’s right, you’re with Ben. You’re going to move in with him, huh?” She set down her coffee cup with exaggerated care. She was getting ready to let me have it.