Allowing them to talk to their friends and family, to communicate with the people they miss most, hinders their drive to get out of here so they can see those same people. You would think it would have the opposite effect, but at the core of it all, they just get angry.
For this very reason, the facility only allows two visitors per patient. It helps us control who’s coming and going as well as how many people the patients see. Usually it’s the parents.
“I’m sorry. He hasn’t called. We can set up a meeting for Monday if you want.”
“Sure. Or…” Her voice trails off, raising the hairs on the back of my neck, as she stands and heads for the door. “You could pop across the hall and talk to him this weekend. You know, since you’re neighbors and all.”
Neighbors.
Daphne knows.
What else does she know? About dinner? About his proposition? What did he tell her? When? Most importantly, why would he give her this kind of information?
I’m stunned into silence, but even if I wanted to respond, Daphne’s already gone. She knew exactly what she was doing when she walked in here. She was working me over. Letting me know she has something on me. Attempting to get under my skin.
And it worked.
Beautifully.
It also explains why Alex has been avoiding me all week. He told her and in doing so, compromised my position of authority. I’ve been contemplating pushing Daphne to another counselor but couldn’t validate it. Until now.
Alex decided for me. Took away my choice.
It feels a lot like when my mother used to make my decisions for me either through her lack of parenting skills or in the rare moments she decided she wanted to play super parent. There was no middle. No balance. For instance, the Halloween I turned ten and I wanted to go dressed as a Power Ranger. The pink ranger to be exact.
She promised to pick up my costume for me. We were having a costume contest at school, and my best friend was going to be the yellow ranger. We had it all planned out.
But my mom couldn’t find a pink ranger costume, only blue. And in her mind, that was good enough. She didn’t care that the blue ranger was a boy. Or that I would be ridiculed. Or even that the costume was a size too big. It was a costume and I should be grateful I had one at all.
Well, my mother may have pushed me around when I was growing up, but I’m not a helpless little girl anymore. I’m older, wiser, stronger, and I will not let anyone control me or make my decisions. Especially not when it comes to my job. My livelihood. And certainly not some stranger who only wants to get me in his bed. No matter how much I want to accept his invitation.
It’s not happening, and Alex is about to find out the hard way he’s messed with the wrong woman. Born and bred in Vegas means I have thick skin and I know how to hold my own in a fight. One with words and one where fists may fly. His words will determine what kind of fight he’s in for.
Alex’s door is wide open, per usual, when I arrive. Dropping my purse in my apartment, I quickly change into something more comfortable. I can’t exactly kick his ass in heels. I barely have my balance around him, and I refuse to topple over if I have to kick him in the balls.
The first thing I notice when I walk into his apartment is that the bathroom door is closed. Again. He’s hiding. Taking the seat next to Phoenix on the couch, I whisper in his ear. “Say goodbye to Alex and head back home. I’ll be there in a few minutes. I need to talk to him about something, okay?”
He nods, places the controller on the table, and does as I ask, closing the apartment door behind him. I count to ten before I hear the bathroom door open and watch Alex stroll into the kitchen, opening the fridge, completely oblivious to my presence.
“When were you going to tell me you told your sister about us?” I ask, not bothering to move from where I’m seated.
His back stiffens, but he remains bent over. There’s nowhere for him to run except back into the bathroom, and if that happens, I’ll just talk to him through the door.
“What about us?” He asks, his voice taking on a sexy tone as he shuts the fridge but refuses to face me. “I didn’t realize there was an us.”
“You know exactly what I mean, Alex. She knows we’re neighbors. I didn’t tell her, so that means you did. Why? What was the point?”
Rummaging through the cupboards, I hear him mumble to himself, something I’ve found he does more often than not. He continues to avoid answering my question, so I storm over and smack him in the arm, hoping to get his attention.
His very tone, very muscular arm.
My hand stings as I pull it away, but my assault works considering Alex is standing inches from me, staring down at me. “I may have mentioned you live across the hall. I didn’t tell her something was going on between us, though. She must have come to that conclusion on her own.”
I should step back. Put distance between us. I can smell his cologne I’m so close to him. It’s vibrant and refreshing, and the urge to close my eyes and inhale deeply is overwhelming.
“Unless there is something going on here,” he continues. “Is that what you want, Harley? Do you want me to kiss you right now? To devour every inch of you and take you on the kitchen counter. Because I will. All you have to do is ask. But I won’t touch you until you do.”
My breathing becomes ragged. My heart pounds against my rib cage, begging for freedom. My resolve to kick his ass is the last thing on my mind as I step closer to him, my breasts brushing against his granite chest.
“I want you to stop messing with my job.” My words are barely audible, but he hears me crystal clear.
“I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose.”
“You can’t guarantee you haven’t already.”
“I’ll fix it. Nothing’s happened yet. You can’t be in trouble because I rented this shithole,” he states firmly, his arms flying out and motioning around the one-room palace he calls home right now.
“I have to resign as your sister’s counselor.” It’s a statement more for me than for him.
“And then…” His voice trails off with a glimmer of hope in it.
“I don’t know.”
“I want to kiss you, Harley. I’ve wanted to since I first laid eyes on you. I’d thread my fingers through your hair and pull you to me. Taking you on the counter would be wrong, you deserve better, but if that’s what you asked me for, I’d give it to you. Anything to steal your pleasure. So let me know what you decide because I’m ready whenever you’re ready to admit there is something between us. A fire so uncontrolled it could burn the entire block down.”
I don’t exhale until I’m in the hall, resting my back against his door. Phoenix left ours open. He’s staring at me in confusion as he stuffs chips in his mouth, the crunch echoing all around me.
Pull it together, Harley. You have more important things to worry about right now. For instance, feeding your little brother a decent meal.
“Grab my purse,” I state. “We’re going to dinner.”
Phoenix’s eyes light up as he drops the open bag of chips on the counter and races toward me, purse in hand. Going out to dinner is normally reserved for special occasions. Birthdays, good grades, etc.
His report card hasn’t come yet. Tonight’s dinner is my reward for not jumping Alex even though it’s all I want to do right now. It’s the only thing that will alleviate the ache not only between my legs but in my chest.
He may have been wrong to tell Daphne he was my neighbor, but he was right about one thing. There is something going on between us. Something so strong there’s no denying it. That doesn’t mean I’m not afraid I won’t be burned by the fire.
13
Alex
* * *
It was only a matter of time before Harley caught up to me. I’d been playing it safe all week. Locking myself in the bathroom as soon as I heard her come home. Visiting Daphne at night instead of in the afternoons when I knew Harley would still be at work. Making Phoenix promise not to te
ll Harley that I was avoiding her, not that she didn’t realize that after the second day.
He didn’t seem to care. He didn’t ask why. The kid only wanted to play video games and hang out, so that’s what we did. Every day when he got home from school until Harley came home from work.
What I should have done was come clean with her after I accidentally let her name slip on Sunday. It would have been the right thing to do. Still, I held out a sliver of hope that Daphne would keep her mouth shut. That maybe, just maybe, she might care about someone else more than herself.
I should have known better.
That’s the reason she’s here to begin with. Because she doesn’t care about anyone or anything. Her only concern is, or rather was, getting her next fix, and since she can’t do that right now, if I’d been thinking clearly, I could have predicted she would eventually confront Harley.
Her drugs of choice are currently power and control. Over me and over Harley. Her delusion is that, by controlling us, she’ll get what she wants, whatever that may be.
But this isn’t about her. Not even in the slightest. It’s about my relationship with Harley. Avoiding her wasn’t the answer, and I knew it wouldn’t be. Still, I could have played things a little cooler when she called me out. I mean, stuttering like a teenager about to touch his first boob wasn’t very suave. And normally, I can talk my way out of or into anything. If Daphne hadn’t backed me into a corner, I might have.
“Harley? Who the hell is Harley?”
“Ms. Anderson. Don’t you call her Harley?”
“No. I don’t call her anything. In fact, I try not to talk to her if I can help it.”
But you do talk to her. You have to. You may not want to admit it, but she’s the one you turn to. That’s how the program works. She’s your person right now.
“Why’s that?”
“She refuses to give me back my cell phone. Can you believe that?”
Oh, thank God. An opening to change the subject. Exactly what I was hoping for.
“Actually I can. It’s part of their policy. You’ll get it back eventually, I’m sure. Just follow the program, do what they ask of you, and you’ll get it back.”
I don’t bother to tell her that she won’t be rewarded with her precious cell phone until she walks out of here. That’s a conversation for another day. I have enough on my plate to diffuse right now.
“Right. What else did Harley tell you? I saw you sitting outside her office the other day.”
“Not much. She updated me on your progress, explained your outburst, and gave me a few suggestions on how I could help you transition easier.” I’m hoping to gain her trust by being honest with her. The second she opens her mouth, I know it doesn’t work.
“Was that all while you were in her office, or did she make an after-hours call?”
She’s seeing right through my story, through the truth, and straight to the parts I’m omitting. The things I wanted to keep from her. There’s no benefit to her knowing I live across the hall from Harley.
“Listen, Daph. I don’t know what you think is going on, but there’s nothing happening between Har— Ms. Anderson and me.”
“Call her Harley one more time. I dare you.”
“Why do you have a problem with me using her first name?”
“It’s the way you say it. As if just the thought of her makes you come in your pants.” Daphne cringes, her nose wrinkling as she tucks her leg beneath her. Right before a wicked smile makes it’s appearance. I’ve seen that smile before. It’s a clear sign I’m not going to like what she’s about to say next. “It also tells me there’s something going on between you two, and if there’s not, you want there to be. I get it, she’s pretty. Your type, for sure. She’s also supposed to be my therapist or whatever.
“Which makes her off-limits. Not just in my book, either. I guarantee this place would take issue with you fucking her. A conflict of interest or some shit. So, unless you want your tall goddess to lose her job, you need to be honest with me.”
Harley’s going to kill me.
No matter what I tell Daphne, the truth or a shit ton of lies, Harley is going to be the one to suffer the consequences. There has to be a happy middle ground, a compromise.
“You want the truth?” I taunt her for no other reason than I’m irritated with the way she’s acting right now. With the fact she’s threatening me if I don’t come clean. It should be my decision if I want to tell her anything. A decision I would make only after I have Harley’s blessing, and Daphne is robbing me of that choice.
“Always. You suck at lying anyway.”
Fuck.
“Fine but I need something in return.”
“Like what?” she asks, motioning around the room with open arms. “I have so much to offer right now.”
“I need you to keep this between us. This has nothing to do with you, and I’ve done nothing wrong, neither has Harley. I know how you are, though. You can twist the truth until it’s nothing but a speckle of what it once resembled.”
“Whatever. Just tell me.”
“Promise me you won’t use this information against either of us, ever. Whether it be for good, bad, or otherwise.”
“Geez, Alex. You seem to care a lot about this for something that’s supposedly nothing.” She doesn’t say the words I want to hear, so I stare at her pointedly until she relents. “I promise.”
“She’s my neighbor,” I blurt out. “I didn’t know it before I rented the apartment, but that’s the truth. I see her in passing but nothing more. We’re not, and I can’t emphasize that enough, not sleeping together, seeing each other, or whatever else your mind can conjure up. It’s purely platonic.”
“Except you want her.”
“Except that.”
“And you plan to make a move on her.”
She’s so infuriating. Why is she pushing this? If I say yes, she could use the information against me. If I say no, she’ll know I’m lying. It’s irritating. We were so close as kids that she can practically read my thoughts and predict my actions.
“I want to, yes, but I won’t. Not while you’re here. Not while she’s working with you. It’s unprofessional, and I wouldn’t want to put her in a compromising situation.”
“Right, because you’re so sure she even wants you. You really need to check your ego, Alex. Cocky doesn’t look good on you. It never has,” she states, rolling the dice and effectively ending our conversation. She had the information she wanted.
And then she worked me over, kicking my ass in record time. Not only did Daphne get information I wasn’t planning on giving her, ever, if I could help it, I also had to give in to her wants and needs since I lost the bet.
A stash of junk food for her room, books to read, a few trashy magazines, a puzzle, and a deck of cards. Nothing too over the top. Still, I hate losing, especially to her. Especially at this damn game.
I needed to talk to Daphne again. Remind her that she swore she would keep her mouth shut because it’s obvious she hadn’t. She went straight to Harley in an attempt to assert her dominance. To parade her knowledge in front of her to make her squirm.
That takes balls. Her confidence is coming back and not in a good way.
There’s only one other time I remember her acting this way, and it didn’t turn out well for anyone, including Daph. She was riding high, full of herself and her actions, until everything came crashing down around her.
A childish prank to scare the new girl away from Daphne’s boyfriend at the time. She put balloons in the girl’s locker. When she opened it, they came out one by one. Not so bad, right? It wasn’t until the last balloon was set free of its cage that everyone started to laugh.
Congrats on getting your period! Love, Mom.
Turns out, the girl’s mom had just died. Daphne didn’t know that but found out quickly when the girl burst into tears. Daphne’s best friend… she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She was a gossip, so Daph should have known her secret woul
d get out. It’s part of why she doesn’t trust people easily.
Daphne never apologized to the girl. Never confessed it was her even though everyone knew it was. She’s not thirteen anymore. She needs to grow up and own her mistakes.
Starting with confronting Harley. Not because she promised me she wouldn’t but because she did it for the wrong reasons. That’s not okay, and she’s about to find out the hard way. If she wants to play dirty, game on.
Daphne won’t be scared of my threats, but there is one person who might be able to get through to her. Someone who holds all the cards in her hands.
“Yes,” I say to the cute blonde at the front desk as she greets me. “I’d like to speak with Vivian please.”
“I’m sorry, sir. She’s gone home for the weekend. Would you like to leave your information, and I can have her contact you on Monday when she’s back in the office?” She places a hot-pink sticky note on the counter between us as she reaches for a pen.
“Is there any way you can get her on the phone?” I push, not wanting to wait any longer than necessary to fix what Daphne screwed up.
“Can I ask what this is regarding?”
“My sister, Daphne Neil. She’s a patient here.” Not exactly a lie. It is about Daph, about wanting to see if Vivian can help put her in check, but it’s about saving Harley’s ass. It would be better for Vivian to hear directly from me rather than the gossip my sister will spread if I can’t put an end to all this.
“I can try. Give me a minute.” She disappears into an adjacent room as I take a seat in the sitting area I waited in the first day I came here almost three weeks ago.
I was waiting for Vivian that day as well. Waiting to discuss Daphne. It took five minutes for me to know I could trust her and that her primary concern was to help Daph get better. I’m hoping I wasn’t wrong about her because I could use some help right now.
Half Truths: An Opposites Attract Romance Page 9