Chasing Daniel

by Nia Arthurs

  “And we share those.”

  “Who? You and Gwen?”

  I nod.

  Mom wilts against the wall. “Goodness, everyone has gone completely crazy today.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I love you, but I care about Gwen too. I’m not giving her up. No matter what you say I’ll keep seeing her and—”

  “Fine,” she says.

  I straighten in surprise. “What?”

  “Date her all you want. I’ll allow it. But you can never marry her.”

  “What if you change your mind?” I ask.

  “I won’t.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Daniel. I’m not giving my permission for you to date her, but after the fiasco today, I’d rather you get any crazy flings out of your system before it’s time to settle down. We cannot have a repeat of this.”

  A smile breaks free. At least some good is coming from Richie’s decision to stand up his fiancée at the altar.

  I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. “Love you, Mom.”

  “Your brother and Emily didn’t give me this much trouble,” Mom grumbles.

  We both know why she left Camilla out of that line up.

  I sober and look Mom straight in the eyes. “I know what I’m doing. I know what I feel. Trust me.”

  She nods, struggling to look composed. Her trembling lips give her away. “I should ask Dina about the food for the reception...”

  I watch my mother waddle down the hall and then jog in the opposite direction, pulling out my phone to text Gwen. She answers quickly.

  GWEN: I’m at the pool

  I rush downstairs. The moment I pass through the back doors leading to the pool, a cool breeze hits my cheeks. The sky is darkening, but it’s not quite sunset yet.

  I spot Gwen immediately. She’s sitting at the edge of the pool, her legs in the water and her cell phone in her hands. When I near her, I notice that she’s reading.

  No wonder Aiden always called his sister a ‘nerd’.

  I sit next to her and she jumps a little. “Oh, it’s you.”

  “Hey.” I lean over and kiss her softly, keeping it short and PG rated since we’re in public. When I pull back, her eyes are closed. “What are you reading?”

  “Just reviewing some homework for school.” Gwen sets her phone into her purse and turns to me, inching her arm closer. “How was Richie? What did his parents say?”

  “I’m not sure yet. Richie’s talking to Yeye and Mei An now.”

  “I hope everything works out.” Gwen sighs. I watch her pull her hair back and move it into a ponytail. The move allows me to admire her smooth cheeks and graceful neck.

  Who knew necks could be that sexy?

  “It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?”

  I pull my gaze away from her neck and look into her brown eyes. “Yeah. You ready to go home?”

  She nods and takes her legs out of the water. I grab a towel from the stand near the bar and move to dry her feet.

  “Don’t,” Gwen says, reaching for the towel.

  “Why not?”

  “Your hands,” she nods to my palms, “it’s too dangerous.”

  Before I can puzzle through her statement, my phone rings. It’s Aiden.

  I grin. After the crazy day I’ve had it finally feels like things are getting back to normal. “Hey, Aiden. We’re stopping by soon. What do you feel like eating tonight?”

  “Danny?” Aiden’s voice sounds strained. “You need to get home. Now.”

  I stiffen. “Why? What happened?”

  Gwen steps beside me, her eyes wide. “Is something wrong?” she mouths.

  “The police are here,” Aiden whispers. “And they’re looking for you.”

  25 Gwen

  “What did Aiden say?” I look at Danny.

  “It was nothing,” Danny mumbles. Like I’m blind and can’t see the worry lines creeping over his forehead. Or the way he’s clenching his jaw and choking the steering wheel as he drives.

  Either Danny’s a terrible liar or my years of ardently observing him have given me an advantage.

  All I know is, something is going on.

  The wind buffets his hair. He’s got one elbow resting on the window that’s lowered to combat the stench of Richie’s vomit. The sunset paints his flawless skin in deeper shades of gold.

  “Danny?”

  His gaze flits to me before returning to the road. “Yeah?”

  “I had fun today.”

  “What?”

  The leather seat creaks beneath me as I shift my weight and trace the rugged planes of the hand gripping the steering wheel. “Apart from Richie not showing up at the wedding and Mei An being pissed and your family ganging up on him…”

  His expression softens with a smile. “That was pretty much the whole day.”

  “I got to meet Emily and a bunch of your other cousins. I got to know them, and they got to know me. It was nice.”

  He nods. “My sister approves.”

  “One down, a hundred more to go.”

  He finally cracks a smile. It’s a small one, but I’ll take it. “My mom gave her consent too.”

  “She did?”

  “Sort of.” Danny parks in front of my house. “I wish we could talk more, but I really have to go.”

  I push out my bottom lip. “Do I have to go home? Can’t I come with you?”

  “If I finish up early, I’ll text you. Maybe we can go for a midnight swim at the pool.”

  “Ooh.” I lean toward him. “Sounds romantic.”

  Danny kisses me, but I can tell he’s distracted.

  Feeling uneasy I climb out of his car and watch him drive away. That’s weird. Normally, Danny would wait to see me get in.

  I dig around my purse for my phone as I walk up the stairs to the front door. Aiden. He’ll know what’s going on. Danny acted strange right after my brother called him.

  My finger is hovering over Aiden’s contact number when the front door bursts open. Golden light from the living room spills over the shadows of the porch. My mother’s joyous expression knocks me back a step.

  “Gwen! We were just about to call you. Guess who’s here?” Mom ushers me inside and closes the door.

  The moment she steps out of the way, I see Winnie sitting daintily in the sofa. Her eyes brighten. She pops out of her seat and hugs me like we haven’t been ignoring each other for the past week.

  I stand stiffly in her arms. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see you, silly.” Winnie smiles.

  “Look at you two.” Mom clasps her hands in front of her. “I remember when you were the size of two garbage cans.”

  “Garbage cans, honey?” Dad snorts.

  “You know what I mean. They were so small. Twenty years later and they’re still going strong.”

  “Gwen and I are true friends,” Winnie says, tilting her head close to mine like we’re posing for a picture. “Nothing can break us apart.”

  I barely restrain the eye roll. My parents are lapping this crap up. If only they knew…

  “Let’s go outside,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Gwen, don’t be so rude. Why don’t you take Winnie upstairs?”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Ferguson.” Winnie dips her head.

  “Are you hungry? We were just about to order out,” Dad offers.

  “She won’t be staying long enough to eat with us.” I grab Winnie’s hand and drag her up the stairs.

  The moment we’re out of my mother’s sight, she snatches her arm away from me and glares. “Rude much?”

  “What’s so important that you came all the way to my house?”

  She plops to the edge of my bed, her gaze roving my walls. “You left your mermaid posters up?”

  “Answer the question.”

  She ignores me and wiggles a finger in the air, her expression one of intense amusement. “Remember when you were so obsessed with mermaids, you asked your mom to buy you one of t
hose lame tails. We were sixteen. You looked ridiculous.”

  I frown. “I looked amazing.”

  “Right…” Winnie says condescendingly. “How have you been, Gwen? We missed you?”

  “Oh? Is that why you haven’t texted or called to apologize?”

  “Apologize for what?” Winnie rakes her fingers through her long black weave. “I didn’t know you were into Danny. If you’d just told me from the start—”

  “You’d what? Keep your tongue to yourself?”

  “Does it still bother you?” Winnie flutters her eyelashes.

  “No,” I snap.

  Winnie taps her chin with a manicured finger. “I was drunk off my butt, but I remember the way he tasted. Like mint. And his hands…” She fans her face. “They were so rough. It was intense.”

  I stride to the door and fling it open. “Get out.”

  Winnie leans back and crosses her glossy legs. “Why so hasty, Gwen?”

  “You don’t get it, do you?”

  “Get what?”

  I glare at her. “The reason we can’t be friends anymore isn’t because of what you did to Danny. It’s because we’re on two separate paths. We have separate values. I don’t want to cramp your style, Winnie. But I’m tired of doing things I don’t enjoy or particularly believe in just to keep up with you.”

  “Is that why you’re with a guy like Danny?” She unfolds her legs and climbs to her feet. “Because he holds your precious values? What if you’re wrong?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Danny might look perfect on the outside, but he’s dangerous.” Winnie’s eyes gleam with fake concern. “That’s why I’m here. I figured you deserved to know the truth.”

  “Riiiight. I should believe the dog crap coming out of your mouth because you’re just bursting with love for me.”

  The sarcasm flies way over Winnie’s head. She tosses her curly hair over her shoulder. “I admit, his looks blinded me at first, but after the party, I saw his true colors.”

  I should be stunned by Winnie’s pettiness, but I’m not. After a lifetime of friendship, I’m used to her little ploys for attention. I’ve just finally run out of the patience to accept it.

  “If your plan was to talk me into breaking up with him, you might as well leave now. That’s not going to happen.” I shake my head to emphasize the point.

  “I’m here to tell you in person.”

  “Tell me what?”

  My phone rings.

  Winnie’s lips curve in a dark smile. “You should probably get that.”

  “I’ll call them back. Hurry up and say what you have to say so you can leave.”

  The ringing continues.

  “I’ve decided to press charges,” Winnie says.

  I’m distracted by the sound of the phone and by my growing annoyance. “What does that have to do with me?”

  The noise stops. Then starts again.

  “Against Danny.”

  Her words take a moment to register, but when they do every part of me tightens up like a nut screwed too tight. “What did you just say?”

  “Take the call, Gwen.” Winnie grabs her purse and swings it from her finger. “I’ll stick around and give you a ride.”

  “Get out of my house, Winnie.” I dive for my cell phone and plaster it to my ear. “Aiden, where’s Danny?”

  “Gwen, he just got arrested.”

  I stumble against the wall in shock. “Say that again?”

  Deep voices rumble in the background. “They just put him in handcuffs. They’re throwing him in the car now.” Something like clothing rustles. Aiden sounds like he’s running. “I’m going to the station.”

  “Pick me up. Hurry, Aiden!” I hang up and pin Winnie with a glare. My voice is a dangerous growl when I ask, “What did you do?”

  She dangles her car keys from her finger. “I told you I’d give you a ride.”

  I lurch forward and grab her arm, dragging her down the stairs, past my parents who look on with horrified expressions, out the door and finally down the porch steps.

  Winnie breaks free as we stand off in the twilight. She massages her wrist.

  I wish I felt a drop of remorse.

  “You won’t get away with this,” I snap.

  “With what?” She cocks her head. “All I did was offer you a ride.”

  “How did you know Danny was at the police station? What did you tell them?”

  “The truth.”

  I swear I’m going to pound this girl into the ground if she doesn’t answer me straight in the next five seconds.

  “I’m not playing around with you, Winnie!”

  “Gwen!” Dad’s voice echoes off the coconut trees waving wildly in our yard. “What’s going on?”

  The patter of my mother’s footsteps chases his question. Mom flies outside, wrapping her cardigan around herself. “What’s with all the shouting?”

  Winnie wiggles her fingers. “It was nice seeing you again, Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson. See you later, Gwen.”

  Mom steps in front of me as Winnie flounces away. “Gwen, what’s gotten into you?”

  “I’m sorry, Mom.” Aiden’s car peels down the curve and speeds into view. I arch my neck and bounce on the tips of my toes, eager to see Danny and get more information. “I’ll tell you everything later. I promise. Right now I really need to go.”

  “Is that Aiden?” Dad asks, recognizing the car tearing down the road.

  The moment my brother parks on the sidewalk, I reach out and pop the door open. A glance over my shoulder reveals Mom’s face. The shadows cast over her eyes, but I can feel her little inhale when she recognizes Aiden in the driver’s seat.

  “Come on!” My brother urges.

  I push off the ground with my foot and leap into the car. Aiden drives before I’ve even sealed the door.

  “Tell me everything.”

  Aiden grips the steering wheel, his eyes glued to the windshield. His shoulders are hunched in urgency. I’ve never seen him this anxious before. “Earlier tonight, when you guys were at the wedding, the police stopped by the condo.”

  “What did they want?”

  “They said someone was pressing charges against Aiden. I asked on what grounds and they said they had evidence. I asked for it, but they insisted on seeing Danny in person. Even after I told them I was his lawyer.”

  “I’ll take a wild guess and say that Winnie has something to do with that ‘evidence’.”

  “What?” Aiden looks over at me. “Winnie? Your best friend Winnie?”

  “We’re not friends anymore,” I say bitterly. “She stopped by tonight just to gloat. I thought it was weird until you called and told me Danny was at the station.”

  “This is insane. Danny went outside to talk to the police and the next thing I know, he’s getting arrested.”

  “I can’t believe Winnie would stoop this low.”

  “What does your best friend—” I shoot Aiden a look and he amends, “Why would Winnie have it out for Danny? They don’t even know each other.”

  “They met a few weeks ago. She has feelings for Danny, and when she found out we were dating, she vowed to get him back. It’s as insane as it sounds.”

  Aiden whistles under his breath. “This is why people become monks. Girls are drama.”

  “Not all of us.”

  Aiden shoots me a look. “He’s going to be fine. Do you know how much I charge an hour? I’m a good lawyer.”

  “I know. I’m just worried about Danny.”

  “We’ll get him out of there.” Aiden parks the car in front of the police station. It’s a small, yellow building. The front door is sprung wide open.

  The moment we walk inside, we fall into a world of chaos. Telephones ring off the hooks. Officers dart back and forth, moving with sober purpose. A jail cell lingers in the corner, filled with a variety of characters.

  I recognize Danny’s face among them. My heart drops to my toes.

  Amidst my panic, I feel
a striking certainty.

  I love this man. I will always love this man.

  Now and forever.

  26 Danny

  I hear a voice that sounds suspiciously like Gwen’s and crane my neck to see over my cell mates. A moment later, a beautiful woman flings herself against the jail bars. All the men around me start catcalling.

  My tired eyes meet Gwen’s concerned gaze. Her glossy lips are flattened into a thin line. The hecklers grow louder, but Gwen ignores them so I try my best to do the same.

  Her brown fingers curl around the iron bars. “Danny, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

  “I’m fine.” I set my hand over hers and lean in as much as I can with the huge obstacle between us. “I asked Aiden not to tell you.”

  “How could you do that?” Her eyes spark flames and I almost duck from the heat. “As soon as you get out, we are going to have a long conversation about keeping secrets. Got it?”

  I nod, slightly frightened. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Gwen jerks her chin down and spins away to join Aiden. She’s still dressed in that green outfit she wore at the wedding. I keep my eyes on her. She’s a bright light amidst the dreariness of the busy police station.

  “That your girlfriend?” An inebriated man dressed in a dirty shirt and loose pants points at Gwen’s back. “She foine!”

  The rest rumble in agreement.

  “What did you say?” I glare at him.

  “Nothing.” He chuckles and mumbles in Creole. “Lee China bwai might know karate.”

  For once I’m glad for the Asian stereotype. My cell mates look like hardened criminals. Even the most sensible one looks like he’s cooled his heels off in a cell before.

  They can assume all they want as long as they leave me alone.

  My gaze moves to Gwen again. She’s sitting in front of the detective’s desk. All I can see from this angle is one smooth cheek and her tiny ear. She nods every so often, leaning forward to ask the officer another question.

  I wish Aiden hadn’t called her, but I’m secretly glad to see her face. It’s been a long night. Posing for my mugshot was one of the lowest points of my life.

  I can’t wait to get out of here.

  According to the officers who threw me in my cell, Winnie and her lovely friend Brock are pressing assault and battery charges. Somehow, Winnie found a video of me flinging her off after she jumped me at the party.