The Heartbreaker's Home

Chapter 17

Declan had woken me up the next morning with a flurry of kisses on my cheek, which had eventually trailed to my neck. With his teasing comments and fingers wandering around my ticklish waist, I had eventually laughed and rolled off the bed to get away from him, sternly (or as best as I could) told him to wash up and shower, before I made my way downstairs to prepare breakfast. Harrington House would be closed today, so I know Seeley would want a break from the kitchen.

Pulling out ingredients for some bacon and pancakes, the door to the kitchen opened just as the batter hit the heated pan, sizzling at contact. Glancing over my shoulder, I grinned when Seeley walked in, hair still rumpled from sleep. 

"Morning big brother. Pancakes sound good?"

He flashed me a thumbs up and fell into a chair, grabbing the hot coffee pot I had left on the warmer, and pouring himself a mug of the black liquid he loved so much.

"Kay, I-" Before Seeley could continue however, the door opened again, and both our eyes swivelled onto Declan walking in. Almost immediately, my brother turned to look at me with a raised brow and a warning in his eye, to which I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I wasn't entirely lying per se, since all we did was sleep last night, but what he didn't know wouldn't kill him.

"Pancakes, Lan. Sit down!" I scolded with a laugh when he tried to snitch a pancake from the completed plate, shoving him away. "What was it you were saying, Seel?"

"Oh. Uh. Nothing. I'll... talk to you later.' he murmured, shiftily looking at Declan.

My boyfriend however, had always been very susceptible to moods and atmospheres. It didn't take him long to notice that my brother seemed hesitant, and almost immediately stood up with an apologetic grin. "I need to get home," he said, taking a step away from the table. "It's been awhile since I cleaned up the mess at home, and I should before I start finding artefacts under the mess." 

Swiftly, he swung over to press a kiss on my cheek, grabbed a pancake with his bare hands much to my mortification, before proceeding to walk out the front door whilst stuffing the pancake in his mouth. For a moment, I just stared in partial horror, partial wonder at how my boyfriend managed to wolf down a pancake in less then a minute, before remembering why he had decided to leave in such a hurry in the first place.

"What was it Seel? Spit it out."

"I... Kels, I've been training a few people at Harrington House. Frank's been heading the kitchen with Isaac assisting him," the new, but young frycook was proving himself well, spry and quick for an eighteen year old fresh out of school... but I still stared at my brother, wondering what was the point of this. Dad's will had left ownership of Harrington House jointly to us, but it was an unspoken agreement that Seeley would take over... right?

"Tasha has been managing the floor well when Dad was sick. I promoted her to manager, and she'll man the cashier and handle the floor together with Penny. We'll be hiring two more for the floor and bussing."

I nod slowly, my frown deepening slowly as I attempted to follow where Seeley was going with his tirade of words. Throughout his talk, I notice how he actively avoided looking at me, and instead looked intent in nursing his cup of coffee. 20 years of being his sister and I knew he was avoiding something.

"Seeley, spit it out. What's going on?"

The words he spoke next came out in a tumble one after the other, falling like someone tripped down a steep stairwell, but I caught enough of it to make my blood drain.

"I'm leaving to join the navy."

---

The clearest memory I had was of my mother swaying me on her lap, on our garden as Dad and Seeley played the frisbee. It was a summer evening, and we still had our old labrador retriever mix named Sasha, who would bark excitedly each time the disc was tossed in the air, scrambling with Seeley to catch it.

Sasha had died the year after that. I had cried my eyes out. Too young to understand the concept of death just then. Seeley was in no better shape, but he had already learned that man should not cry, and steadfastly held in his tears as Dad dug a hole under the tree in our lawn. Mom had carried me in her arms, rocking me as she whispered in my ear.

"Little Kelsey, hush now. Hush."

"B-but Sas-sha's gone" I had wailed into her shoulder, between hiccups. "Nothing will ever b-be the sam-e."

"It isn't something we can change, now is it? So don't resist it. It's life, just let it flow. Don't worry about change. Who knows, maybe as it changes, a good change will come?"

Not too long after that, the fatal car crash which had changed my life happened, and from then on I only looked upon change with a bitter distaste. When Declan had returned, a little of my hesitation chipped away. Maybe Mom was right. Maybe good changes will happen now, and life could only go up from now.

But with Dad gone, and now Seeley suddenly announcing his departure to join the navy, I ran to the safest place I could feel. As a small townie girl, the soft lap of water on the lakeside comforted me as I hugged my knees. I knew Seeley was probably searching for me, worried as he was wont to do as my elder brother, but I couldn't bring myself to face him. Somehow, I knew that going to join the navy, serving the country, was something he had held back for a long time... I didn't want him to see the fear of his leaving in my eyes, and be something else that holds him back.

What was I to do now?

"Kay?"

It was a voice I knew, without even looking back. Sure enough, warm arms enclosed themselves around my shoulders, and I was pulled back into a familiar, warm chest which started to gently rock me under the soft, dim rays of a winter afternoon. "Seeley called me. I guessed you would be here." he paused, as if searching for the right words to say. "Can you come with me?"

Surprised, I turned to look at him, my lashes damp with shed and dried tears. My question was probably reflected in my eyes, for he laced his fingers with mine, and gave it a gentle tug. "Come, I have something to show you."