The shuttle from the airport wound its way along the sun-dappled coastal road, the ocean glittering to Alex’s right like a vast, restless mirror. He pressed his forehead against the cool window, watching palm trees blur past, his mind drifting back to the last time he had made this trip. 

It had been two years since he’d seen Ryan, his step-brother, and even then, it was just a quick weekend for their parents’ anniversary. 

But things had changed since those awkward teenage days when they’d shared a house after their folks remarried. Ryan had always been the confident one, the athlete with the easy charm that drew people in. Alex,...