by Smoke, Lucy
"We can’t lose him,” Knix said. “Marv and Bell will head for the docks, if Bell doesn't already have him. Texas and I will take Harlow." He looked at me. "I'm sorry, Little Bit. I know you want to help, but if he's already off the island, I'd much rather have you out of it while we look for him."
I shrugged. I wasn't going to complain. I had no clue what I would do if they took me with them anyway. There was no way I wanted to be confined to a car and I knew that's what Knix would want.
"Let's head out then." I watched as Grayson went with Marv, his head low as they took off at a jog. I could only imagine what was going through his mind.
Chapter 20
I sighed as Knix pulled up to Erika's house. I understood them not wanting me along and I was okay with that, but somehow it also felt defeating to be dropped off while they all went on a man hunt for Grayson's brother.
Texas shifted around in the front passenger seat. "Sorry that we couldn't take you home, Princess."
"It's okay," I said, holding onto the bag I had grabbed before we all left the resort. The guys had been right. Grayson's brother had managed to get away from Bell and off the docks before we could even track him down. "I haven't talked to Erika in a while. She was excited that I asked to come over."
"We just don't want you going home right now. We doubt he'll connect you with us, but Grayson confirmed that his brother did see you with Marv and the older Caruso definitely got a look at Marv," Knix explained.
He didn't need to. I had already heard it from both him, Texas, and Marv. Bellamy hadn't had a chance to stay behind and talk to me much at all, but I was sure if he had, I would have heard the same from him. I smiled their way as I reached for the door handle.
"Hold on, let me get that for you," Texas said, popping his own door open.
"No, it's fine. I can–” His door slammed shut and I sighed as he reached the handle of mine and opened it from curb. "Thanks," I said, stepping onto the sidewalk in front of Erika's old, two-bedroom, brick house.
"Just text me if you need anything," he said, shutting my door after me.
"I'm sure I'll be fine."
He stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and leaned back on his heels, appraising me. "I know this is kind of a shitty situation," he began. "We brought you in to catch a thief, but things have gotten a little out of hand."
I frowned. No, I realized, they hadn't brought me in to catch a thief. They had brought me in to act as a prop for Marv. A couple's resort would look odd if Marv had been alone. Grayson's brother had probably only brought his aunt because she was the type of woman who wasn't all there and didn't care what he did. She was the perfect prop for him. At least she hadn't been in the way, but I was...and that's why they were dropping me off with Erika.
Knix leaned over and spoke out of Texas' open window. "We'll call you when we're on our way back to pick you up."
I managed to nod my head as Texas popped his door and hopped back into the SUV. Knix shifted gears and eased away from the curb. I stepped back, holding my bag over my shoulder. I watched the SUV disappear down the street before turning and heading up Erika's walkway.
"Hey!" Erika answered the door a few seconds after my knock and welcomed me into the living room. I grimaced at the outdated floral wallpaper. It had been too long since I had seen Erika, but not long enough since the last time I saw the living room.
"Want to go to my room?" she asked as she fiddled with her phone. "My folks aren't home. Mom's gonna be on the West Coast for a few more nights. Dad has a late shift. If you want, you can stay over. We haven't talked in forever." She slid her phone into her pocket and looked back at me, expectantly.
"I'm not sure if I can stay over," I replied.
"Right." Her mouth tightened as she grimaced at me. "Sorry, I forgot...your mom. How's she doing?"
I didn't correct her. "She's fine," I assured her, "tough. She'll get through this."
"Do you want to sit then? We can hang out in here if you don't want to go to my room." Erika gestured to the couch that I had dropped my bag next to. "I'll grab some sweet tea and snacks."
"It doesn't matter where–" I began
Erika hurried out of the room, calling back over her shoulder. "No worries. Go ahead and sit. We can talk or watch TV, see if there's anything on."
I sighed and sank into the already sagging couch that had seen better days. I grabbed the remote and flipped the flat screen TV on before promptly flipping it back off as Erika walked back in with a tray. She set the tray down on the side table and handed me a glass before she took a cookie for herself.
"Okay, let's catch up," she said as she sat in the arm chair on the other side of the side table. "Did I tell you about my boyfriend?"
"I know you have one," I said absently. "But you haven't told me much."
"Oh, Harlow. He's amazing. He's honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me." She nibbled around the edges of her cookie before reaching for her own glass of sweet tea. "I was actually thinking about staying in the area because of him. He’s talking about getting our own place when I’m ready."
I frowned, setting my glass to the side as I really listened. "Don't you think that's too soon?" I asked. "Moving in together? Did you just meet?"
"When you know, you know, Harlow." She sighed, taking a short sip. "It's like this. We understand each other, and it's not like this is the dark ages. We don't have to get married before we move in together."
"I wasn't thinking of marriage..." I said.
"There's nothing wrong with living with a guy." Erika laughed. "I mean, we're eighteen. It's time to move on. We're not kids anymore."
"What if..." I said. "It wasn't just one guy?"
She frowned, finishing off her cookie and reached for a second. "Like what?" she asked.
"What if you were living with multiple guys?"
"Like roommates?" She licked the crumbs off her lips.
"I guess." I stared at the floor, my head a whirlwind of activity.
There was no telling when my mom would get better, or if she would at all. Knix said he thought I was leaning their way and I guess, when we were on the job, I had been. But now that I was away from them, left behind while they searched for Grayson's brother, I wasn't so sure anymore.
"I think that would suck," Erika announced.
I blinked, drawn back to her. "Why’s that?" I asked.
"Guys are messy. I really like JC, but one guy is enough for me to handle. You know what I mean?" Erika picked up her glass and gulped back half of its contents before continuing. "Roommates clean up after each other on the other hand. So, I don't know, maybe it could work. The only roommates I've ever had are my parents." She scoffed, setting her glass on the table. "And that's no experience at all, so I guess I'm not the expert. You want a cookie?" she asked, lifting the plate and leaning towards me.
I shook my head. "No, I'm fine." Something else was bothering me. If I was going to stay with the guys and I was going to be on their team – which there was no yes or no answer to just yet – we'd probably be roommates. It was more than that though. Bellamy had kissed me. So had Knix, and Marv. That complicated things.
"What if they're not all roommates?" I suggested.
Erika frowned, returning the plate to the table. "You mean like you're dating them?"
"Just um…" I began, "hypothetically. Maybe three?"
"Damn, girl, what have you been up to?" she grinned.
I rolled my eyes. "It's a hypothetical question, Erika."
"Sure, sure." She waved her hands. "Well, in that case, it would depend. Do they know about each other?"
"Maybe?" I winced and then sighed. “I would tell them,” I decided.
"If they know about each other and they're okay with it, then things should be fine. But if they don't know and you're living together and they find out later, it might become a big deal. You could end up losing one or both or all of them. If you're actually dating them though, it would be pretty difficult to hide."
"You're right," I said. I wasn't dating any of them though. It had been just a kiss, three of them, with three different guys. Guilt rose up inside me as I slumped down further on the couch and thumped my head back on the cushions.
"I'm going to grab some more sweet tea," Erika said, shaking her nearly empty glass. "Be right back. You want anything else?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm just going to use your bathroom."
She shrugged. "You know where it is."
I stood up and moved to the hallway, ignoring the pictures on the wall that I had seen a thousand times before. Some were of Erika and me as children, others were of her parents and relatives I was unfamiliar with. I made it to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I splashed my face with water and ran it through my frazzled hair. I sighed at my frayed ends, reminding myself to trim it the next time I managed to get some scissors. My back pocket buzzed. Dropping the lock of hair from between my fingertips, I fished out my phone and swiped across the screen to unlock it and read the message.
Knix: Coming back sooner than expected.
Harlow:Did something happen?
Knix: Caruso #2 got away. Probably left town. We're leaving it up to Alex.
I frowned. Did he mean my boss from the diner, Alex? I opened the bathroom door as I clicked down on the text box below to type a quick reply. I was halfway down the hallway when I realized Erika was talking to someone.
"She's in the bathroom right now, but I'm so glad you stopped by, Baby. I really wanted you to meet her."
"I can't stay, I have to go."
"What? Why? Can't you stay for some tea or something? Is it work?"
I was quiet as I moved down the hallway, my Keds quiet on the carpet. I glanced down at my phone and quickly muted it as I moved along the wall towards the living room. It was Erika's boyfriend, I knew that, but his voice was familiar. The cadence was low but more tenor than baritone.
"I'm gonna be out of town for a while," he said. "Some stuff came up. I just came to pick up that duffle bag I left over here last time."
"Oh, okay, sure." Erika sounded disappointed, but I was so focused on trying to figure out why I knew the man's voice that I didn't hear her coming around the corner until she was already there. "Oh! Jesus, Harlow, you scared me! But I'm glad you're done. JC is here to pick something up and I wanted you to meet him."
She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room and my eyes nearly bulged out of my head. I could tell the exact moment that Joshua Caruso recognized me. He had been standing in the doorway to the dining room, pacing. Once he saw me he edged towards the door, his eyes focused. I stepped further into the room, my eyes on him as I moved closer to the front door as well. My chest rose and fell as my heart raced. Grayson's brother was just like I remembered from the party and resort. He was handsome, his usually brushed-back, blond hair was shaggy though, hanging in strings around his face.
"Harlow, this is JC. JC this is my best friend." JC, for Joshua Caruso. If Erika noticed the tension, she didn't comment. "Why don't you guys talk while I go grab that bag? Be right back."
Erika left the room and Grayson's brother moved closer to the front door. A million thoughts raced through my mind. The guys were already on their way back. They hadn't been gone for very long so that meant they hadn't gone very far away before the search had been called off. If I could just keep him here until the guys came.
"We didn't expect you," I said quietly.
"I'm sure," he replied quietly, inching closer.
I shuffled on my feet, doing the same. If he tried to get out the door, there was no way I could stop him. He was easily twice my size, though still smaller than Grayson despite being the older brother. I hoped that if he saw me in his way, he wouldn't just bowl me over. I couldn't be sure. He had been violent towards the guys and Grayson, but they were all guys, and they had cornered him. He probably felt like a trapped animal. I crossed the room and propped myself against the table right next to the front door, letting my hands cup around the table edges and loosening my shoulders to appear nonthreatening.
"So, you're the mysterious boyfriend," I started, playing off that I didn't know who he was or who he was related to. "You look familiar, but I can't place you. Have you ever been to the school?"
"The high school?" he asked.
I smiled. "What other school would I be talking about?"
He shrugged, scratching his arm. I glanced down, noting that despite the hot, summertime air outside, he was wearing long sleeves. "Are you cold?" I asked.
"No," he said quickly.
"Sick?" I pushed.
"No."
I looked at the floor, crossing my feet and resting the entirety of my weight against the table. I slid my phone out of my hand onto the table. "Rash?" I guessed, nodding at the scratching. He stopped immediately.
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Do you want me to take a look?" I sat up.
"No," he snapped. "I said I'm fine."
Erika popped her head around the corner. "Hey, give me a few more minutes, Baby. I thought I put it in my closet but it's not there. Let me check the laundry room."
"It doesn't matter," he said, stepping towards the door. I stood up fully.
"No, no, I'll be real quick. If you need it, I don't you to leave here without it and get in trouble." I could have hugged Erika. She didn't even know it, but she was helping.
Josh watched me as she disappeared into the kitchen, heading towards the laundry room by the back door. I tried to think of what else to say. It wasn't until I watched him glance towards Erika as she left that I had an idea. When she was out of hearing range, I relaxed back into position.
"So," I began. "How'd you and Erika meet?"
"What does it matter?" He was defensive. I understood that. He didn't know if I recognized him or not and he certainly didn't trust me.
"She and I met on a playground when we were kids," I said. "She was being bullied by this really snooty girl and my brother was too busy hanging out with his friends to notice that I had wandered away. The girl was being mean to her because she said that Erika wasn't good enough to play on the same playground as her." I let a short silence hang in the air before continuing, "Kids can be cruel."
"I don't care where she's from," he said. "She's just Erika to me. I care about her. There were other girls before..." he seemed to struggle with something for a moment.
"Other girls?" I pressed.
"When we were just starting out...just talking you know, I wasn't committed or anything."
"But?"
"Erika," he said. "She...ah...she doesn't judge people. She doesn't judge me."
I smiled. "You don't seem like such a bad guy," I said.
He straightened and looked me in the eyes. "Did you think I would be?"
I shrugged. "I didn't know what to think," I admitted. "She hasn't had someone she's been so enamored with. I would really hate to see her heart broken." I took a breath and let my gaze remain on his. "She was talking about you two moving in together in a couple of months. I told her it was too soon–"
"If that's what she wants, I'll do it," he said. "It's like I said, I care about her."
"Then you don't want to lose her over something stupid, do you?" He blinked, startled by the concept that he could.
"Let's say," I continued, "you had to go away and you couldn't tell her why. Would you lie to her and tell her you'd be back even though you didn't know if you ever would be? Would you want her to wait for you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he snapped, his eyes growing cold. "I think it's time for me to go."
His long legs ate up the space between him and the front door. Without thinking, I stood up and pressed my back against it, putting a palm out to stop him.
"Wait!"
"What?" he snapped. I grabbed his arm, the one he had been scratching. Before he could stop me, I shoved his sleeve up to his elbow, revealing the track marks. He shoved away from m
e and jerked the sleeve back down over his arm. "What the fuck?! You know!" He took another step back as I reached for his arm.
"I know it might seem impossible, but if you really care about her, and you don't want to hurt her," I said, "stay."
He grimaced. "That's not possible anymore."
"It is." I clutched his sleeve. "What if you went to rehab? You could get better. It's like you said, she doesn't judge. I've known Erika my whole life. She's my best friend."
"Yeah? Well, she's my–"
"JC?" Erika's shaky voice grabbed our attention. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen with a dark-gray, duffle bag slung over one shoulder. "What's going on?"
Josh pulled away from me, shaking me off. "Nothing, Baby. I gotta go." He strode towards her and accepted the duffle bag while leaning down to kiss her cheek.
She frowned, but let him. "When will I see you again?" she asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "Probably not for a while. I'll call when I can."
"Okay." I watched as Erika pulled into herself and moved away as Josh approached me.
"Move," he ordered. I sighed, but stepped aside.
The door swung open and Knix, Texas, Marv, Bellamy, and Grayson all stood there. Knix had his hand raised to knock.
"Josh!" Grayson stepped forward as his brother moved back, startled. He bumped into me and the duffle bag dropped. The zipper burst, revealing a collection of expensive jewelry and little objects. Stuff that someone might take with them on a short vacation – gold watches and money clips, leather shoes for men that probably cost a couple thousand dollars.
"JC?" Erika stepped forward. "What is all that stuff?"
Looking panicked, Josh looked at his brother before glancing at Erika. Almost as though he knew exactly what his brother was thinking, Grayson stepped forward.
"It's mine," he announced. "I asked my brother to hold onto some stuff I had while I moved out of our parents’ house. I didn't realize my brother was dating you, Erika."
I had almost forgotten that Erika and Grayson had met. It felt like years since we had all been in school together, when in actuality, it had only been last week. Erika smiled, but seemed confused as to why there were so many guys outside her front door.
