Truth or Lies?

by A. Gomez

  41

  Josh opened the door, taking the bags from the guy. He was about to close the door when I came from behind him and caught it before it closed.

  “Whoa!” I caught the delivery guy off guard. He jumped back about two feet. I giggled at the sight.

  “I am so sorry,” I said, still giggling. “I just wanted to get a good look at you and down the hallway.” I peeked my head out, looking down the hallway in both directions. Hm, I didn’t see any cameras.

  “You wanted to meet me?” A smile spread across his face. He was eyeing me up and down, coming closer.

  “No,” Josh’s deep voice boomed, answering for me. “She just wanted to see if you were really who I said you were.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side. I smiled apologetically at the delivery guy and wrapped both my arms around Josh’s waist.

  “I’m sorry if I startled you.”

  “Oh, uh, it’s fine,” he said, eyeing Josh’s intimidating build.

  “Thanks, man,” Josh said and closed the door on the delivery guy.

  I let go of Josh and hurried to the kitchen. The food smelled wonderful. I didn’t realize just how hungry I was until that very minute.

  “Baby,” Josh called after me. “For next time, can you please not come out looking so tempting for everyone to see? The way you look now is for my eyes only. I don’t want anyone else having that privilege.”

  I was way too hungry to pay attention to whatever he was saying. I just answered with a “yes” and began eating.

  Josh opened two beers and sat across from me. We were quiet during our meal together, wolfing our food down. It was as if we hadn’t eaten in weeks. Two rounds of good sex could possibly be the culprit. After I got seconds, I began to look around his kitchen and what I could see from his kitchen out to his apartment. It was nice, warm, and had a homey feeling. It was a two bedroom from what I could see but I didn’t know what the second bedroom held. I thought the fireplace and impressive view was the cherry on top.

  “You like it? My place, I mean,” he asked, reading my thoughts.

  “I love it,” I gushed. “Especially with you in it. It could use some flowers though.”

  He leaned over the table and kissed me, “I’m glad to hear it. I bought it on an impulse because of the view. I’m glad you approve.”

  “Babe,” I began, “I forgot to mention that we’re having brunch with my parent’s tomorrow morning. So, that means you’re going to have to go to my place and get me a few things.”

  “Of course, baby. We can go as soon as we’re done here.”

  “I can’t go,” I said flatly. “Not dressed like this. I don’t even have shoes.”

  “Baby, just put on the jeans and shoes you came in wearing and wear one of my shirts. I can give you a jacket too.”

  “No,” I replied icily. I stopped eating, placing my hands in my lap. Josh stopped chewing, his eyes flashing up to mine. “I will never wear those clothes ever again. And that includes the bra and panties. Do you understand me?”

  I could see Josh swallowing his food down, hard, “Um, yes, baby, okay… is everything all right? Did I say something wrong?”

  I got up from the table, my mind racing again, my rage beginning to get the better of me. I did not want to lose control again. I needed to calm myself down. I needed to get ahold of my emotions somehow and not turn to Josh for sex every time I felt like this; it wasn’t healthy. I walked over to the fireplace and stood next to it, feeling the warmth, gazing out the large windows and sliding doors. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind. I thought of Josh and how gentle he was with me early this morning. I thought of our first morning together on my sofa. I thought of our first-time making love on his sofa just a few minutes ago. My heart rate began to slow and the rage was beginning to dissipate.

  Josh was behind me, rubbing my shoulders and arms, “Baby, did I do or say something wrong?”

  I took a deep breath, opening my eyes. I turned around and laid my forehead on his chest. “I’m sorry, Josh. You did nothing wrong. I never mentioned that everything I was wearing, Chang gave me. In fact, I had two suitcases full of clothes and shoes he gave me when y’all showed up. I had to pack because I was sold.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight against his bare chest. I could hear his heart beating. It calmed me even more and I could feel my body relaxing.

  “Well, that explains the odd email I got earlier today.”

  “What do you mean? What about the email?” I asked.

  “One of the agents that’s still at the estate taking inventory mentioned that your things were still there and wondered if you wanted them.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “Nothing, yet. I was going to ask you about it since I couldn’t imagine you taking your suitcase if you were in the middle of getting kidnapped.”

  I snickered. “Tell him to donate it. All of it.”

  “Will do.” He paused, eyeing me with concern. “Are you okay now?”

  “Yes,” I sighed. “Your view is so amazing, it really helped. And just being with you as well.” I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed his perfect lips. “So, can you go get me a few things? I can just lie around here staring out your doors and windows, waiting for you.”

  “Uh, baby, I can’t do that. What I mean is I can’t leave you alone or rather I won’t leave you alone.”

  I sat down on the sofa closest to the fire and curled up with my feet to the side of me. “Josh, I know you feel like you need to be over protective after what happened but I’m here now and y’all got Chang.” He sat next to me, clasping my feet and placing them on his knees. He began to rub them. I sank deeper into the sofa, resting my head on a pillow, twirling a piece of hair around my finger, admiring my Greek God. This was super relaxing. The music was still playing overhead but it had changed to Frank Sinatra.

  “Baby, there’s something you should know,” he said as he raised one of my feet to his lips, kissing my big toe.

  “Mm? What’s that?”

  “We didn’t get Ginger. Ginger got away before we could get her but we have a pretty good idea where she is, so those agents are there now.”

  “Is she far? Wherever you think she’s at… is she far from here?”

  “Well, kind of,” he answered, clasping my other foot and rubbing it.

  “Then why worry? Chang is in custody, that was her meal ticket, I think, and now that he’s gone she’s just trying to stay hidden, so why would you think she’d come after me?”

  “Because she wanted to kill you. Not just because Chang told her to but because of David too. She killed Stevens, for god’s sake!”

  “So that explains your FBI mode since we got here—you coming out this morning holding your gun and all the weird security in the hallway. Which, by the way, you still have to tell me how you knew that guy was coming.” I was feeling very soothed and relaxed now with all the foot rubbing and the warm fire. I really didn’t want to leave this spot.

  “Yes,” he nodded. “And I’m not leaving you again.”

  “Josh, I’m not leaving this apartment with nothing but your shirt, your jacket and barefoot,” I declared. “And I’m not canceling on my parents either. Besides, if I do, they’ll just end up coming here. All of them.”

  “I’m not leaving you, Isabel Grace, and I’m not calling another agent to come stay with you either. Especially with you looking so…” he trailed off, gazing at me from head to toe. “Can you call your mother and ask her to get your things?”

  “I suppose I can, but then my entire family will come here to deliver my clothes and they’ll see me like this. They’ll see us like this.”

  “Ha! Don’t be silly, baby, they’ll just see you like this. I’ll be dressed and presentable. They won’t suspect a thing of what we’ve been doing. Besides, your father already knows my intentions and I have his blessing.”

  I laid there, eyeing him quizzically. “What are you telling me, Josh?�
��

  “I mean, since I spent six weeks with your parents, we got to know each other really well, and they bombarded me with questions about me, my family, you, my line of work, my future and I have a feeling your father might have had me investigated.” He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me onto his lap. “Your mother didn’t bother drilling me or trying to catch me in a lie. Probably because she helped me through that shit I went through. She and I just had normal conversations. I really love your mom, by the way. Your dad kind of makes me nervous, though. Lots of fun to be around but still makes me a little nervous.”

  “Okaay, so?”

  “Sooo… I asked your dad for your hand!” He smiled his boyish grin, giddy as a schoolboy. “And he said yes… with his blessings!”

  “You asked my dad for my hand… in marriage?”

  “Of course, baby. Is there any other type of asking for your hand?”

  I sat there, smirking, my smirk turning into a smile, reaching my eyes. My smile then turned into full-on laughter. Loud guffaws, rolling on the floor laughter. I couldn’t stop. It was just too funny. My parents have the best sense of humor and poor Josh had not a clue. I felt so sorry for him but I couldn’t stop laughing.

  “Hey, you’re kind of hurting my feelings.” His boyish grin was gone and a scared little boy’s face took its place.

  “I’m sorry, Josh. I don’t mean to laugh.” I tried to control my laughter but I hadn’t laughed like that in a very long time and I was kind of enjoying it. “You’ve just been played by my father and mother.” I turned it down to giggles. “My father knows I won’t marry anyone that’s not a Republican, so that’s why he did and said what he did. Otherwise, he would have told you, ‘you’ve lost your mind, son,’” I said, using my very best twang in a deep voice. “He knows me better than you, obviously, and my mother… well, she just loves everyone, so she just goes along with my dad.” I began to guffaw again, rolling on my side, complaining that my side was hurting.

  Josh’s expression turned unreadable… no, not unreadable but pained and lethal. Oh, shit! I was quickly contrite and sat up, composing myself. Isabel, there you go again, acting before thinking.

  “Josh?”

  He stood up and slowly padded to the sliding doors, his arms across his chest. His shoulders were rising up and down as if he were beginning to sob. I could barely hear him, only the low, soft intake of breaths was audible. Oh, my gosh. I hurt Joshua. I felt the worst kind of pang in my gut. I padded over to him and stood behind him, placing my hand in the middle of his back. I didn’t know how to begin. I didn’t know what to say. But in all fairness, he hadn’t asked me to marry me: he had just asked my dad and automatically assumed I’d say yes. That right there was nuts, not to mention it pissed me off. But I couldn’t think of that right then.

  “Josh… I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” I dropped my hand from his back and began to wring my hands. “I do love you… and I’m happiest when I’m with you… but… it is kinda what I’ve always wanted in a man.”

  He jumped in the air, turning around like a ballerina and shouted, “Then lucky for you, I a Republican! Ha!”

  I gasped, my eyes wide.

  He was laughing. Josh was never sobbing but rather laughing when his back was to me. Sneaky devil. “Baby, your mom is the weak link. She was the one who clued me in. I love your mom.” He grabbed me by my upper arms, pulled me to his lips and kissed me hard.

  He let go of me abruptly. I heard a faint pinging that was steadily growing louder. “Baby, hold that thought.” He ran to his laptop, put in an earpiece and it looked like he was answering a phone call. Huh, he can get calls through his computer?

  “Now? It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m not leaving Isabel,” he said firmly to whoever was on the other end. I curled back up on the sofa next to the fire, kind of pissed that he had a marriage conversation with my parents and not me. “No way am I letting Hawkins come stay with her.” He sounded exasperated, running one hand through his hair. He was quiet for a while, listening to the other person. He gazed at me, his jaw muscles clenching. “Okay, yep, I’ll be there.” He closed his laptop.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, baby, it’s just work. I need to get to the hospital though, so let’s find you something to wear,” he stated, striding to his bedroom.

  “Babe,” I called after him, not wanting to move from that wonderfully cozy spot. “I don’t want to go. I can wait here. I’ll be fine, really. I handled Chang. If Ginger happens to come around, I can handle her.” I was yawning and stretching out on the sofa, trying to figure out how his remote control worked so I could watch TV.

  He came out of his room with two pairs of pants, two undershirts, one pair of socks, a smaller jacket and a hat. “Here,” he said, placing them on the sofa, “try some of these on for size. I brought out the smallest pairs I had.

  “Please be reasonable and let me stay here. I heard something about a Hawkins that can come here? Why don’t you call him and have him stay with me?”

  “No, Isabel, Hawkins will take one look at you and do everything he can to break us up.”

  “Seriously? You realize it takes two to tango? Do you not trust me? Do you think that I would pick him over you?”

  “Isabel, I don’t have time to think about all that right now.” He balled his hands into fists, emphasizing his stress level. His tone was getting somewhat curt with me. “Just, please, get up and get dressed.”

  “I’m going to look ridiculous, Josh. People are going to stare and besides I won’t be able to walk in your ginormous shoes.” I didn’t budge from my spot, still trying to work his remote.

  He reached me in one stride, taking me by the shoulders and swiftly pulling me up onto my feet so fast I heard the wind in my ears. I was so taken off guard I let out a soft squeak.

  “Isabel Grace Langley,” his tone was low and menacing, “get these fucking clothes on now or so help me I will put you over my shoulder and take you as you are. Sans panties and all.” His demeanor was intimidating and a little scary for that matter.

  I swallowed hard, staring into his eyes, my jaw dropping. He was not to be trifled with. I was frozen. I couldn’t move. I had never seen Josh like that. I couldn’t make sense of it. What was his problem? Was he really that jealous?

  He saw the confusion in my eyes and softened his expression. “Baby,” he breathed, hugging me, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to behave like that but it’s me who’s really scared. I can’t lose you again. I know I’m behaving like a madman but I don’t care. I trust no one else to take care of you and I can’t bring myself to leave you alone.” He exhaled sharply, letting me go so he could gaze at me. “Every day I beat myself up for not listening to you and taking you home with me. Every day I hate myself for telling you no and placing you in that situation. I was beside myself with so much rage and fear that your father had to put things in perspective for me. I’ve never felt this way, and so, my emotions were presenting a problem while doing my job.” He chuckled lightly, adding, “I guess Conny was right to not want us in a relationship while on this case.” Josh kissed my forehead. “Please, for me, put these clothes on and come with me to the hospital. I’m begging you.” Josh’s fear was so tangible it left me speechless.

  I knew that kind of fear, when I saw Gator Leg attack Betty and then every day after that. I only blinked, nodded and began to dress. He brought out a belt to hold up the jeans I picked from the pile, so I did my best to fasten it to where it would stay. I tucked the shirt inside the jeans, rolled up the jeans as well as the sleeves and put his dark socks on.

  He was smirking playfully at me. “Baby, you look beautiful.”

  “Whatever,” I huffed. “Just find someone to borrow smaller shoes from so I don’t have such a hard time walking.”

  “Okay, don’t get angry.” Oh, no. Every time a guy starts his sentence with, “Don’t get angry,” we all know the girl is going to get angry. “But I do have a pair of smaller shoes…�
�� He stalked into his closet and came out with a pair of very girly-looking fuzzy, black boots. “…that an ex-girlfriend might have left.”

  I placed my hands on my hips, eyeing him, my eyebrows raised. “Well, well, well… I thought Billy said you’ve never brought a girl up here. I reckon he’s a liar… or you’re the liar,” I said in my best Texas twang. Josh opened his mouth to say something; his expression had a twinge of fear. I started giggling, not letting him speak. “Honey, you don’t need to explain anything to me. Whatever you did in the past with whatever girl, I don’t want to know about. It’ll only make me jelly.”

  He started breathing again, relief plastered all over his face. “Thank you, baby. Don’t forget the jacket. You don’t have to take the hat if you don’t want. I just thought since your hair is wet…”

  42

  We drove to the hospital in silence. His truck was warm and the rhythm and humming of the engine was lulling me to sleep. I closed my eyes just for a minute. I felt warm lips on mine, leaving a trail of gentle kisses down and around my jawline in their wake. I opened my eyes just as Josh was unbuttoning one of my buttons to kiss my chest. I took his face in between my hands, bringing his lips back to mine. He let out a soft groan.

  “Hey there, green eyes. Did you have a nice nap?” he asked, his lips still against mine.

  I nodded, tugging on his lower lip.

  “Let’s go, baby.” He pulled away. “We can’t get carried away right now. Maybe next time.” He smiled from ear to ear.

  “Mmm, sounds like fun,” I added, smiling wickedly at the thought of having sex with Josh in his truck. He got out of his truck first. I waited patiently for him to come around to my side just like he wanted. He took my hand and helped me out, the cold wind cutting through every fiber of my body.