Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick

Author:Phaedra Patrick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 2017-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

17.

AZURITE

memories, release, mysteries

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, Benedict Stone made the biggest mistake of his life. Since then it had weighed on his mind, it broke his sleep and it might ruin his marriage. It made him want to eat, to dull the heavy regret that he carried with him like a wooden yoke across his shoulders.

Before Charlie left for America, Benedict always exercised control in his life. He organized everything, from Charlie’s packed lunches to the sorting out of the insurance to pay off the mortgage on the house after their parents’ deaths. He ensured that Charlie was on time for his football practice each week, and that his school clothes were freshly washed and pressed each Sunday night.

When Charlie grew older and started to bring girls home for tea, Benedict cleaned the house beforehand and brought out the best plates for the sandwiches he’d made. Afterward, when Charlie didn’t offer to do the washing up, Benedict did it. And he never complained once, because he wanted to do the best for his brother.

Whether this influenced Charlie to grow up to be carefree and spontaneous, and rather ignorant of other people’s feelings, Benedict didn’t know. He supposed he gave his brother a safety net, so that if Charlie ever tried and failed at anything, Benedict was waiting to catch him.

But then everything changed.

It was one of those rare English summer days, when the evening was as hot and sticky as the daytime, when events set in motion.

* * *

Charlie had been flopping around the house all day in his shorts and flip-flops, bored and too hot. The sun had burned his shoulders the same reddish shade as his hair.

“Phone Amelia up,” Benedict suggested. “The three of us could drive up to Scarborough and have a picnic on the beach this evening.”

“A picnic with you?” Charlie sniffed. “I’m eighteen, Benedict, a bit old for all that.”

“It’s up to you. I thought it would be nice.”

Charlie lolled around some more, then shrugged and said, “Sure.”

When they got in the car, Benedict knew that his brother had something to say. Charlie had a tell when he was pondering. Around exam time, when he was stressed over his revision, Charlie licked his top teeth over and over. And now, in the car, his tongue moved from side to side like a windscreen wiper.

Benedict stole a glance at his brother. Just look at the size of him now. The spindly white limbs that once smelled of talcum powder were filling out. His freckles were showing, rust colored, on his nose. His eyes were blue, the same as Mum’s and Dad’s. Benedict always felt the odd one out with his dark gray eyes.

He looked down at his own body, bursting around his seat belt. He’d always been thicker set than Charlie, but recently he’d noticed a band of fleshiness that curved over his waistband. Running the jewelry shop and sorting Charlie out meant he didn’t get as much exercise as he should do.

They picked up Amelia and arrived in Scarborough at just past 8:00 p.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.