By Chance (Accidentally In Luck #1)

19. Ghost of Lives Past- Cora

*Cora*

I've been to the beach before. There were the few times before Daniel's accident that we came as a family, though not many times, and the day I came with Elle a few weeks ago.

It surprised me after so long I was finally able to think of him again. I'd shut out all thoughts of him for the last four years and then, by some chance, his name slipped out to E and it was like my eyes had been opened to the thoughts I'd pushed back for so long. So now, I let the thoughts come freely.

When our parents would bring us to the beach, Daniel and I used to play in the sand and make bad sandcastles that got washed away by the tide about 10 seconds after we made them and he would throw handfuls of sand at me and shove me under the water when I had my mouth open. You know, typical older brother stuff.

I missed Daniel so much sometimes that it felt like a punch to the stomach. I would double up and just start to cry the horribly, silent cry of those that have loved and lost.

Daniel was my older brother by just 3 years, and we were the happiest family you'd ever seen. Mom and Dad played with us and took us places; even on their weekends away, they would help us pack our kid-sized suitcases and duffel bags and we'd tag right along with them.

We lived the good life and, like all kids that are spoiled with love, we took that for granted. We were young and stupid and didn't realize how quickly that could all come to an abrupt, ragged end that left one younger sister with a brother shaped hole in her chest, never to be filled.

Things changed when the accident happened. They had to. Our family could never be the same with one fourth of it missing forever. The now spare bedroom had been his for a short time after we moved to LA, before the accident.

I remember when he discovered the access to the roof out his window and showed it to me, knowing I'd be jealous and finding it oh-so-funny. He couldn't hold out though, he never could, against my puppy eyes and told me that I could go out on the roof whenever I wanted so long as I made sure it was ok with him first.

I grinned with the memory of throwing my arms around his neck and saying "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" with grateful tears in my eyes for a good 5 minutes straight before he told me to shut up. I remember he'd been laughing at me though, so he didn't really mean it.

"Hey! You coming?" E yelled, breaking me out of memories. He was standing in all his shirtless glory by the water's edge about 20-feet away beckoning me to drop the towel currently wrapped firmly around me and run to the water like I'm on Baywatch or something.

I wasn't sure if I could though. With Elle, I was comfortable in myself. I didn't care if guys walked by and not just saw me in my bikini but noticed. It was something like gratifying when they did actually. With Theo, though, I feel self-conscience in a way that I've never been before.

"Yeah," I called to him. "Turn around."

I saw his eyes widen fractionally in confusion before he replied. "Why?" I almost laughed at his tone. It was a mixture of confusion and whining, absolutely dripping in disappointment.

I schooled my features into what I hoped was a mom-like expression. "Because I said so."

He shrugged and turned grudgingly to face the water. I was at the beach and there was no way I was going to keep him from seeing me in my suit, but if I could minimize that time, especially the literal Baywatch moment I was going to have in a moment running into the water, then so much the better.

I dropped my towel and laid it out flat beside E's. Before I could rethink, I took off sprinting to the water and dove straight under.

I heard E's startled grunt and the splash as he dove in behind me. The water was cool in the later hours of the day, losing the extra warmth it got from the sun during the day and it felt great against the heat that still lingered in the air.