2 If It Bleeds, It Leads

by Amanda M. Lee

  I finally started the car exactly a half-hour after Eliot had left. I only had half a mile to go to the meeting place and my palms were sweaty as I navigated through the dark. I could only hope that Lexie wasn’t hurt too badly.

  When I pulled into the park, my headlights flashed over a dark sedan about 200 yards away. I could see a man leaning against it. I couldn’t be sure, but I was fairly certain it was Kevin Walker.

  I stopped the car a good 20 yards away and put it in park. I killed the engine, but left the headlights on and rolled down the window. I waited to let Kevin Walker talk first.

  He looked frustrated. “Come over here.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why do you think?”

  “How do you expect to do an exchange if you won’t come down here to do it.” He was clearly irritated with me. Good.

  “You bring Lexie to me. Then, when she’s in the car, I’ll give you the flash drive.”

  “That’s not the way this is going to go down.”

  “That’s exactly the way this is going to go down, because I’m not getting out of this car.”

  Kevin Walker seemed to be having an inner monologue. Finally, he made a decision. He opened the back door of his sedan and pulled Lexie out in the line of my headlights. I could see she was a little banged up but she didn’t look like she’d been hurt too badly.

  Kevin Walker dragged her towards my car. I couldn’t tell if he was armed or not – but I figured it was a fairly good guess that he was. When they got to the front of the car, I honked the horn loudly. They both jumped and stopped.

  “That’s far enough. Let Lexie come and get in the car, and I’ll toss the flash drive to you.”

  “You think I’m going to fall for that?”

  “I actually wasn’t sure, but it was worth a shot.”

  “You give me the flash drive, and then I’ll let Lexie get in the car.” Like that is going to happen.

  “I’m sure you understand that you lack credibility in my book.”

  “That really doesn’t worry me.”

  “It should.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I’m crazy. Haven’t you heard? I do wacky things all the time and maybe, just maybe, I’ll decided that holding on to this flash drive is more important than getting Lexie. After all, she’s got to stand on her own two feet eventually.”

  Lexie didn’t react to the statement. I couldn’t be sure, but she looked stoned out of her mind.

  “What is she on?”

  “What isn’t she on? She’s a little dope fiend, and it was the only way I could shut her ass up.”

  I’d been there before.

  “How about we compromise then?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Let Lexie go to the other side of the car, not get in, and then I’ll give you the flash drive.”

  Kevin Walker seemed to be thinking about it. Finally he nodded, letting go of Lexie’s arm and pushing her towards the other side of the car. She stumbled towards the door.

  Kevin Walker moved to the window and held his hand out. “Give it to me.”

  “What’s on here anyway?” I don’t know why I was trying to stall, but I was.

  “What do you care?”

  “I don’t. I was just wondering why this was worth trying to blow people up?”

  Kevin Walker’s eyes narrowed. “Who was blown up?”

  “Tina.” I was taking a stab here, I wasn’t 100 percent sure if he’d know who I was talking about.

  “That crack whore? I didn’t do anything to her. She probably tried to cook meth and blew herself up.”

  I couldn’t be sure, but I kind of believed him.

  I pushed the flash drive out the window towards his hand. “This makes us even now. You’re not going to come after me or Lexie again right?”

  Kevin Walker grabbed the flash drive from my hand with his left hand and reached into his coat pocket with his right. Shit, he had a gun. I didn’t know what to do. Luckily, I didn’t have enough time to put myself into a total panic. Instead, I swung the door open hard so it hit Kevin Walker before he could pull his weapon. He doubled over in pain.

  I jumped out of the car, ignoring my own pain. “Get in the car!” I roared at Lexie. She was too stunned not to listen.

  I raced around the open door and kicked Kevin Walker hard in the nuts. I didn’t know what else to do. He screamed out in pain and grabbed his family jewels.

  I jumped back in the car, shutting the door behind me. I heard the engine roar back to life. By this time Kevin Walker had managed to get to his feet and was trying to grab me from outside the car. I hit the accelerator, hearing a crunch followed by Kevin Walker’s scream as I drove over his foot.

  I managed to turn the car around and start down the dark road again. Someone raced out of the dark foliage next to the road. For a second, I thought Kevin Walker had brought backup. I realized, right before I was about to hit him, that it was Eliot. I slammed on the brakes but Eliot still bounced off the corner of the front bumper.

  “Oh, no,” I wailed.

  “Don’t get out of the car,” Lexie was panicking.

  I jumped out of the car anyway and raced towards Eliot. He was holding his left leg and grimacing in pain. “Did you just hit me with a car?”

  “I didn’t know it was you.”

  I helped Eliot get to his feet and practically threw him in the back seat of the car. He groaned in pain when I slammed the door shut. “You’re a menace.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s like you’re a black hole of stupidity.”

  I was driving back down the road, trying to make sure Kevin Walker wasn’t following us. I was hoping he’d just give up and leave.

  “I’m not stupid.”

  “No, stupidity just follows you around – like static cling.”

  “That’s not a very nice thing to say.”

  “I’m not feeling especially nice right now.” I didn’t blame him.

  “Is your leg broke?”

  “I don’t think so. It just hurts like a bitch.”

  “Well, it could be worse.”

  “How, exactly, could it be worse?”

  “I could have run it over. I’ve done that before.”

  “You did that tonight. You ran over that guy’s foot.”

  “He had it coming.”

  “I’m not going to argue that, but now he’s going to be really pissed.”

  I hadn’t thought of that.

  Since I was finally calming down, I turned to take in Lexie’s appearance. “Did he hurt you?”

  “Not too bad. He just hit me a couple times. Then he gave me some good bud, though, so it’s fine.”

  Life in Lexie’s world is even more complicated than life in mine I decided. I asked Eliot if he needed to go the hospital but he said he’d be fine. We decided the best thing to do was return to my house, let Lexie sleep it off, and then debate where to go next in the morning.

  When we got to the house, Lexie immediately went to the couch and passed out. She’d slept at my house before and that was essentially her bed. I looked at Eliot expectantly.

  “I got hit by a car. I’m not sleeping on the floor.”

  I swallowed hard. “Fine, but if you try anything, I’m going to have to hurt you.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about me trying anything. Right now, all I can think about is sleep.”

  I wasn’t sure if I trusted him, but I was too tired to argue anyway. If he molested me in my sleep, I probably wouldn’t even notice. Okay, that’s a lie. I was tired -- not dead.

  Twenty-Two

  The best thing about waking up in the morning is that first 20 seconds – when you don’t remember what you did the night before. I first noticed this phenomenon when I was in college. I relish it more as an adult.

  I didn’t get that blissful 20 seconds today, though, because the minute I woke – maybe even before
I was even cognizant that I had woken up – I knew something was off. I was not alone. There was a warm body draped over mine.

  I slowly opened my eyes. That’s when I realized there really wasn’t a warm body draped over mine. I was draped over Eliot’s warm body. I’d practically plastered myself to him in the night. And, oh, look at that, I’d drooled on his bare chest. When did he take his shirt off? Nice.

  I discreetly tried to extricate myself from my predicament. I figured if I could get up without him noticing, then I could pretend it never happened. I carefully tried to sit up. Sadly, I was still sore as hell. It also didn’t help that I’d gotten distracted by Eliot’s rather muscular chest. The good thing about it is that it wasn’t overly hairy. It wasn’t naked either. He actually looked like a man. It was clear he did a little man-scaping, though.

  “Like what you see?”

  Crap. He was awake.

  “I thought I saw a bedbug or something.”

  “Sure you did.”

  “It’s true.” There was no way he was going to believe that.

  I tried to push myself off his chest, but Eliot wouldn’t let me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back down on top of him. I hate to admit it, but it felt kind of nice.

  “Mmh, you’re warm in the morning,” Eliot said, snuggling in closer to me.

  I was torn here. On one hand, it felt kind of nice to just relax with Eliot for a few minutes. On the other hand, I could feel something poking into my hip. Crap.

  Eliot must have noticed that I stiffened and pulled away slightly. He laughed as he let me go.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You.”

  “Why am I funny?”

  “You should just admit you want me and then we can get this sexual tension out of the way.”

  “I don’t want you.” Okay, maybe a little.

  “Right, that’s why you can’t get out of this bed fast enough. Because you don’t want me and you’re not tempted.”

  “I’m not.,” I said stubbornly.

  “The only thing I can’t figure out is if you really are scared to have sex with me or if you’re just guilty because you think it will somehow be betraying Farrell.”

  “I’m not with Jake.”

  “No, maybe not, but you’re not free of him either.”

  “I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean.”

  “It means, no matter how much I don’t like it, you two are linked.”

  “I don’t think that’s true.”

  “Really? Then you weren’t just wondering what would happen if he knew we slept in the same bed last night?”

  “No.” Actually, yes, but he didn’t need to know that.

  Eliot smiled at me knowingly. “Whatever.”

  I was starting to feel uncomfortable, so I pulled myself out of the bed. I was still stiff and sore, but it was nowhere near as bad as it was yesterday.

  I noticed Eliot try to struggle to sit up.

  “How do you feel?”

  “I’ve been better.”

  “Your leg?”

  “It’s just a deep bruise. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Well, at least as long as you stay out of trouble.”

  I still didn’t believe I could be blamed for hitting him with the car last night, but I doubted that it was something I wanted to press. At least not now when he was still in pain.

  “I should check on Lexie.”

  “Yeah, hopefully she didn’t steal your television to pawn for drugs while we were asleep.”

  “She would never do that.”

  “Yeah, because addicts are so trustworthy.” Eliot’s attitude about Lexie was starting to grate on me.

  “She’s not an addict. She only uses recreationally.”

  “Is that what she told you?”

  Actually it was. “Yes, but addicts are . . . “ I broke off. I didn’t know how to continue.

  “Addicts are what? People who use every day?”

  “Well, yes.”

  “Does Lexie use every day?”

  I had no idea, but I thought it was probably a decent supposition. “I don’t know.”

  “See, I think you think that addicts are people who live in trailer parks or ratty apartments and walk around with needles stuck out of their arms.”

  I felt uncomfortable with the fact that he might be right. Of course, Lexie did live in a really shitty apartment.

  “Addicts can be anyone who overindulges. You’re a ‘Star Wars’ addict frankly. Your addiction only hurts your pocketbook, though. And I think people who let drugs or alcohol affect their everyday life are addicts. I think, if you’re honest, you’ll admit that Lexie falls into that category.”

  Lexie clearly fit that bill – but I wasn’t going to admit that out loud.

  Eliot watched me mulling over the situation. He let me think about it for a few more seconds before continuing.

  “Have you considered putting her in a rehab facility?”

  “No,” I said truthfully.

  “It might do her a world of good.”

  It might, but she’d never go – or forgive me.

  Again Eliot seemed to be reading my mind. “It’s not about you. It’s about her and what’s best for her. She might be mad at you at first, but she’ll get over it eventually. You guys grew up together. She won’t be able to stay mad at you. Hell, I didn’t grow up with you and I can’t stay mad at you – and you hit me with a car.”

  I was still thinking about what Eliot had said when I walked out into the living room. I noticed Lexie was awake and watching reruns of ‘Jersey Shore’ on the couch.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Better than you look.” Lexie always had a way with words.

  “You want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.”

  Eliot pushed me from behind, urging me to force her to talk. No one was looking forward to that conversation.

  “I’ll make breakfast,” he announced. “You two talk.”

  “I’ll help you,” I started to follow him.

  “You can’t cook.”

  “I can cook.”

  “You mean you can microwave a lean pocket.” What? They’re good. “Besides, I think you’re needed out here.” Eliot’s face clearly said he wasn’t going to let me get out of this – no matter how hard I tried.

  Crap.

  I made my way over to Lexie on the couch. I sat down next to her and debated about how to broach the subject of rehab with her. Instead, I decided to delay it. “This show is ridiculous. That Cookie girl is obnoxious.”

  “Snookie.”

  “There’s a difference?”

  “Well, one is a dessert.”

  “And the other is an orange little person with old lady hair?”

  Lexie just shrugged.

  We lapsed into an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Lexie finally broke it. “So he cooks for you?”

  “Huh? Oh, Eliot, yeah he cooks.”

  “So he’s hot and he cooks?”

  “He’s not that hot.”

  Lexie snorted. “Please, you want to totally do him.” She knew me too well.

  “I do not.”

  “You do, too. You just want to still do Jake at the same time. That’s your problem.”

  That was my problem.

  “Too bad you can’t talk them into a threesome.”

  “I know, right?”

  “That would be the best sandwich ever.” Sometimes it frightens me how much we think alike.

  “What’s a good sandwich?” Eliot stuck his head into the room as Lexie and I dissolved in giggles. He looked at me disapprovingly. He could tell I had chickened out on the rehab discussion.

  After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Eliot looked to me expectantly.

  “What?”

  “I think we need to get Farrell up to speed.”

  “That will be a fun conversation,” Lexie muttered.

  “Her brother, too?” Eliot said nodding his head
at Lexie.

  “No way,” we both said in unison.

  “Why not?”

  How do you explain that you’re an adult and you still hide things from your family without sounding like a complete and total idiot? Apparently, Eliot didn’t need me to explain, the truth had dawned on him without our help.

  “You’re kidding me. How old are you two?”

  I ignored the statement. “I don’t think Jake is going to be happy that we went and got Lexie without him.” Or that I slept in a bed with Eliot for that matter.

  “No, he’ll be pissed,” Eliot agreed.

  “Or that I stole the flash drive.”

  “Which we no longer have,” Lexie added.

  “Well, actually . . . “ I was twiddling with my napkin.

  Eliot looked at me suspiciously. “Actually what?”

  “Umm, well,” I got up from the table and went and reached into the pocket of the jeans I was wearing the night before and pulled out the flash drive.

  “Where the hell did that come from? I saw you give it to him.”

  “Well, actually I gave him my flash drive. They looked alike.”

  Eliot was flabbergasted.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Well, I didn’t really decide to give him the fake one until the last minute, and even then I thought it was probably a good idea to have the real one there in case he realized it wasn’t the real thing. Then, when everything went nuts, I kind of forgot about it.”

  Lexie was eying the flash drive with interest. “Do you know what’s on that?”

  “Do you?”

  Lexie seemed to catch herself. “Of course not.”

  “You’re such a liar!”

  Lexie sighed. “Fine, I know what’s on it. I also know that people would pay a lot of money for that flash drive.”

  “A lot of people could die from what’s on this flash drive, too.”

  “So?”

  “What do you mean, so? You can’t be okay with that.” I didn’t even know the girl that was sitting across the table from me right now.

  “I’m just saying it’s worth a lot of money.”

  The words were out of my mouth before I even realized what I was saying. “You need to go to rehab.”

  Lexie gave me her death glare. “I’m not an addict.”