All the Missing Pieces - Julianna Keyes Page 0,114
Alex was eleven, my dad took us to Barbados. I’d been more preoccupied with my tan and my highlights than family bonding, so they’d left me at the pool and gone on excursions together, a jungle trek, jet skiing, lessons on cracking coconuts. One day, we went to the beach. They splashed in the water while I stayed on my towel, watching my skin gleam and darken. Beads of sweat trickled between my breasts and behind my ears, and I grew more and more tense as I baked and they played. Finally I got up and walked to the water’s edge.
“Come on in, Pieces!” my dad shouted, at least a hundred yards out. Alex bobbed beside him, beckoning me, like they owned the ocean.
I waded in up to my knees, the water so clear I could see my pink pedicure, my feet glowing a pale white. I dove under and swam toward them, and when I resurfaced it was too deep to touch the bottom. I swam farther and came up for air. My father and Alex were watching, waiting. I submerged myself again, deeper this time, using my arms to press me lower and lower, until my toes found slippery sand. Then, instead of continuing to swim forward, I swam sideways. I slid through the water like a shark, my eyes slits, fingers carving a path to nowhere.
I kicked until my lungs threatened to cave, then I let myself glide upward, seeing the sun come into sharper focus, then it was too bright. I broke the surface, spitting salt water and wiping my stinging eyes, and behind me I could hear shouts and commotion. I spun around to see my father and Alex frantically splashing in the water closer to shore, where I’d gone under. They’d recruited other swimmers in their quest, and now they dug through the water like maybe I’d been buried.
For a second I didn’t move, just watched the show, my heart swelling with satisfaction. I knew I could have done it differently, joined them on the hike or participated more in the dinner conversation, been a better sister, daughter, person, but I liked this. I liked being looked for. And sometimes, I guess, I liked being found.
Eventually someone spotted me swimming toward the fuss, and I pretended I’d simply gotten turned around under water, my mistake, sorry for worrying them. The other swimmers disappeared back to their vacations, and my dad hugged me and asked if I wanted to go shopping instead.
I sip my soda and smile at the memory, the selfishness, the past.
I see the shadow a split second before it slides into the seat next to me. The bottle slips from my fingers, bounces off the arm of the chair, and spills into the sand, turning it chemical orange. I stare at the spreading stain and feel him watching me, the way I’d felt him so many times before. I hear the chair squeak slightly as he settles in, like he’s come to stay.
He doesn’t speak.
Eventually I turn my head, just enough to see from the corner of my eye.
I see his knees first, the hair flecked on his legs. Light shorts, a green T-shirt, sunglasses, mussed hair. A paperback in his lap. No incriminating bookmark this time.
My mouth feels as sticky as the sand, my emotions the same. Fearful and flattered, panicked and pleased. I’d chosen Yap for a reason, after all. Hoping maybe someone would come for me, would look in the right place for once.
“Hey,” he says finally. “I’m Chris.” He extends a hand to shake, but doesn’t touch me, not even close. He’s waiting.
I turn my hands over in my lap, staring at my palms, the skin no longer scraped and torn. With time, it stitched itself back together, cells forming, joining, renewing. The skin is smooth and even, maybe a bit thicker than before, but there are no scars, no sign of the past.
I use a finger to flick away a grain of sand, then shake his hand.
THANK YOU
IF YOU’VE READ MY PREVIOUS romance novels, thank you so much for giving this one a try! I’ve been interested in writing in a new genre for a while, and this is the hard won result. If you’re new to my work, thank you for choosing my book! My favorite thing to write about is difficult people, and Reese certainly fit the bill. Challenging characters give you the freedom to write unapologetically, which means no matter what crazy situations they find themselves in, I’m always having fun. I hope that joy translated to the page and your experience reading it!
IF YOU ENJOYED THE story, I’d be very grateful if you would leave a review on Goodreads or wherever you bought the book. Positive or negative, reviews help other readers find my work and I appreciate them all.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO know when my next book is available, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.juliannakeyes.com/newsletter.html. I’m too lazy to send newsletters often, so you’ll only get them when I have a new book coming out or something incredibly exciting to share.
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Email: [email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I KNOW I SOUND LIKE a broken record at this point, but of course I’m thankful to Natalie Perret for her enthusiasm and willingness to read. I’d set this story aside for over a year before picking it up again, and I only found one typo. Natalie found a dozen. More than anything, I’m grateful for the peace of mind that comes with knowing I didn’t put “rise crisp” into the world.
Thank you as ever to Khoi Le for his help with the cover, and for reviewing many images of scantily clad couples and telling me which one would look best in silhouette. Fun fact: Totally by chance, the picture he chose is the same couple that appear on the cover of Undeclared. It was meant to be, obviously.
I also have to thank my agent, Jill Marr, for loving this story enough to sign me as a client, and continuing to champion my writing. This can be a lonely world and a tough business, and her positivity and encouragement make staring down a blank page just a little bit easier.
BOOKS BY JULIANNA KEYES
NEW ADULT
My Roommate’s Girl
BURNHAM COLLEGE SERIES
Undecided
Undeclared
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Just Once
Going the Distance
TIME SERVED SERIES
Time Served
In Her Defense
The Good Fight
CHARLESTON THRASHERS SERIES
Team Player
Bench Player
NOVELLA
Bad Princess