Free The Deeper We Get by Jessica Gibson Page B

year.”
    “Summer on the East Coast was always hot. We went away to Cape Cod, or the Hamptons, but it was a different feeling than here.”
    “What was it like in the Hamptons? I always assumed it was really stuffy with all the rich people who have houses there.”
    “Some parts were. Ruth bought a house there a few years before I came to live with them. It was one of my favorite places to be. It was smaller than most houses in the area, but I just felt at home there.”
    “You love her a lot.”
    “Who, Ruth? I really do. She loved me unconditionally when I didn’t think I deserved it. You’d like her a lot.”
    “She sounds awesome. I’d like to meet her one day ,” she said casually.
    “You will . I’m sure she’ll come out for a visit eventually, or you’ll come home with me for a holiday.” The words came out before I could think about what I was saying.
    “Do you mean that? Wanting to bring me home with you?”
    “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” And apparently I meant it, which was news to me.
    “Tell me about the rest of the family.”
    “I’ve told you a bit about Becca already. She’s so driven and focused in a way I never could be. Levi is her husband, and I think he really balances her out. He’s a lot more laidback about things and gets her to actually enjoy life.”
    “We all need that right? Someone to balance us out?”
    I nodded. “Seth is the most like Levi, he’s really funny. He’s married to Sienna, and they live in London with their three kids and run the European branch of the family business. Sienna is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say a bad thing about anyone the whole time I’ve known her.”
    “Have you been to London?” she asked.
    “Yeah, once. I stayed with Seth the summer between my junior and senior year of high school.”
    “I’ve never been anywhere. London seems so romantic to me, all that history around you.”
    “It’s really something to see. I enjoyed it a lot.” I stopped myself from telling her we would go together someday. I was seriously turning into a chick. “Joseph is the last of the brothers. He’s more serious, very driven. He heads up the law department of the business. It took me a while to get to know him, but he’s a good guy. He was a big proponent of me coming out here for school. I don’t think I would have won the argument without him on my side.”
    “Sounds like a good guy.”
    “He really is. Okay, your turn for the inquisition.”
    “Don’t say it like that.” She laughed.
    “Fine, interrogation.”
    “That is not better at all.” She slapped my leg.
    “Okay you win, questions. Do you have any siblings?”
    “Yeah, I have a half-brother, he’s nine. I don’t see him at all because seeing him would mean I had to see my dad.”
    “Understandable.”
    “Frank’s the only family who really matters.”
    “Favorite color?”
    “Purple.”
    “Favorite flower?”
    Tiger Lily.”
    “Favorite movie?”
    “Would you think less of me if I said Harry Potter ?”
    I laughed . “No, it makes you cuter somehow.”
    The rest of the day was spent laughing.  We ended up in Carlsbad and walked on the beach for hours. I felt lighter than I had in days. Scarlet was what had been missing, I just needed to remember that in the future.

 
     
     
     
     
    Scarlet was saving me. Little by little, I was coming back to myself. It was not that she was doing anything in particular, but just being around her was good for me. Tom continued to show up every day like clockwork. Sometimes it was at my house, sometimes it was at school. He would bring me lunch or coffee occasionally. I tried my best to ignore him, but it was getting harder to do.
    “So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Vin asked me as we were leaving the gym.
    “You tell me, this is your thing.” We were finally meeting his girlfriend or whatever he was calling her.
    “I think dinner would be the easiest.”