by Davina Stone
He pulled it over with a frown, and the knot in his stomach intensified. Don’t let this be Judith cancelling. Shit, why did his mind always have to go there?
Alarm bells rang as he realised it was Avery. Even his cracked phone screen couldn’t hide the message behind the words.
Come and get me.
Now!
He jumped up, knocking the table so that Dan’s fork jabbed into the side of his mouth, which gave rise to a loud exclamation along the lines of “clumsy fucker”.
He didn’t care. “Come on, we’ve got to go,” he said as he thumbed into his screen on my way.
“What’s happened?”
“Avery’s in some kind of trouble.”
“Was that who the message was from?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe she’s just bored.”
“That’s not how it came over. Come on.”
Still chewing and sweating, Dan stood and felt around in his back pocket for his wallet. “I’ll get this one, you barely ate anything anyway.”
“Thanks,” Carts said, speeding for the door.
By the time Dan joined him he already had the engine revving and they took off into the busy Saturday evening traffic.
When they drew up outside the party house, the heavy beat of music could be heard even before he killed the engine. As they took the path up to the house, it was clear things were getting messy. There were kids milling all over the front patio and lawn, shouting and squealing with laughter. A girl was holding her friend’s hair away from her face while she vomited into a bush; a couple were making out by the front door. Carts averted his eyes.
Inside, they got a few weird looks as they shouldered their way along the packed hallway.
When they reached the kitchen, Carts anxiously skimmed the heads, looking for Avery’s chestnut brown hair. Knowing that she’d be a good head taller than most of the other kids here, panic set in when he couldn’t see her. He was getting more strange looks; he understood why. Him and Dan were clearly the odd ones out; too young to be a parent and too old to be one of them. The crowd moved like parting waves to let him and Dan pass, eyeing them over the rims of their glasses with the hazy bloodshot look that came with too much alcohol consumption and dope.
Fuck! Where was Avery?
And then he spotted a glint of purple hair. Big hoop earrings, dark-rimmed eyes. Zammy, leaning against the kitchen sink, smoking a giant riff. Holding it between two purple-tipped fingers, she puffed smoke from out of her lower lip and didn’t look surprised or even interested when her eyes met his.
He pushed through the throng towards her.
“Your Ave’s brother aren’t you?” She took a sip of red wine out of a plastic cup.
“Yes, she messaged me fifteen minutes ago. Do you know where she is?”
Zammy shrugged. “No idea.” She called out, “Hey, Brett, have you seen Aves?”
A hairy guy slouched over. “Last I saw of her she was with Duke. But that was half an hour ago.”
A ball of fire took over Carts’ chest.
Vocal cords quivering with rage, he gritted out, “You better get your arse into gear, RIGHT NOW and help me find her.”
Huge terrified eyes. That’s all he registered when the door to the bathroom flew open with the full force of Dan’s shoulder behind it.
Adrenaline did the rest. In two strides Carts was pulling the guy off her, spinning him round by his collar.
“Fuckin’ hell—” Duke’s eyes were bloodshot, the words slurred. And then something that resembled a human bullet catapulted past Carts’ left elbow. It took a moment to register that Dan now had Duke pinned up against the bathroom tiles, his feet dangling three centimetres off the floor.
“You little piece of shit.” Dan’s fists were white-knuckled as he gripped Duke by the front of his T-shirt, his jaw jutting as he eyeballed him. “What were you doing to her?”
“Get off me, you fucked up weirdo.” Duke’s legs were wheeling in the air. Meanwhile, in two strides Carts made it to where Avery was cowering next to the toilet. “Are you okay?” She nodded mutely, pulling her skirt down over her thighs with trembling fingers. He ripped off his jacket and put it round her shoulders, helped her to her feet, barely daring to think what would have happened if he hadn’t seen her message.
“You’re the fucked-up weirdo, mate.” Dan was shouting now, his nose an inch from Duke’s. “You’re lucky I don’t ram those teeth down your ugly throat.”
“Stop it!” Avery’s face was sheet white. “Please stop; can we just leave?”
“He hasn’t hurt you, has he?” Carts asked quietly. She shook her head, even as her lower lip trembled and her eyes welled. “I’m okay, it didn’t get that far.”
Slightly reassured, Carts took hold of Dan’s arm firmly. “Let him go, mate.”
He felt Dan resist, then he gave Duke a final shake for good measure and dropped him.
“Piece of shit,” he muttered, dusting off his palms.
In his moment of reprieve, Duke made a beeline for the door. Carts immediately stepped across the doorway, staring him down.
“Duke,” he said with icy calmness, “you need to apologise to my sister.”
As if his name pulled him up short, Duke’s gaze skittered to Carts’ face, then away. “I didn’t do anything she didn’t want,” he muttered.
The icy control inside Carts threatened to turn into blistering rage. “You know that, eh? You know that for a fact, do you Duke?”
Duke was worrying at his lower lip with his teeth and swaying slightly, still pissed, but sobering up by the minute. Carts’ eyes never left his face. “Did you ask, ‘Is this what you want, Avery? Do you like the way I’m touching you, or would you rather I took my hands off your body?’” He bit back the bile rising in his throat. “Do you understand the word no, Duke?”
“She never said no—”
Now it was his turn to want to pin the guy up against the wall, but before he could do anything he might regret, Avery stepped forward. “I did say no,” she said hotly. “I said I wasn’t happy being in here with you alone. I said could we go back to the party…”
“What bit of that didn’t you get?” Dan growled, rolling up his sleeve, ready to go back in for another round of pin the arsehole to the wall.
Carts stuck his arm out again, this time to stop Dan, and drew himself up to his full six foot six and a half.
“Apologise to my sister.”
Silence.
“I said, apologise. Because you sure as hell aren’t leaving this room until you do. And you’d better fucking mean it.”
Now there was only the rasp of their adrenaline-fuelled breath. “Sorry,” Duke finally muttered to the floor.
“Look her in the eyes when you speak.”
“Aw fuck, will you let up? Okay, sorry.” Duke glanced at Avery then away. “I thought you were into it too.”
Carts’ feet had never felt so firmly planted. Power flowed into his chest and shoulders. Next to him, he felt Avery’s indignation flare as she too drew back her shoulders. “And I thought you were a nice person.” She kicked off her shoes and stood proud in her natural glorious height. “I thought you liked me, for me. But you aren’t nice. You’re horrible and this is a horrible party and you’re all—” she bent down, picked up one shoe and hurled it at his shin, “—horrible.” Ignoring Duke’s yelp of pain, she curled her hand into Carts’ and with her head held high said, “Please take me home.”
For the most part they drove in silence. Avery snuffled and Carts kept a hand over hers whenever he didn’t need it for steering.
They dropped Dan off on the way, since his apartment was en route. Dan reached over the back seat and rubbed Avery’s shoulder. “You alright, Aves?” She nodded. “Despite tonight, not all guys are complete arseholes.”
“I know.” She dimpled under her hair and Carts’ shoulders relaxed a tad to see her cheeky spirit returning. “Just most of them.”
“You got your
own back with your stiletto,” Dan said.
“Yeah, I reckon.”
“I could go back and get them for you.”
“They were ten dollars at Best and Less. And I couldn’t walk in them anyway.”
“Made good missiles, though. Nice shot.” Next, Dan pushed a gentle fist into Carts’ shoulder. “You did good tonight. I’d probably have been arrested for assault, but you gave it to him just with the verbals. Man, I admire that.”
He gave Carts a headlock hug over the back of the seat then shifted his butt out and slammed the door. “Talk soon,” he said with a wave, and Carts watched his friend’s powerful frame pound up the path and take the stairs to his apartment.
When they got home, he pulled the plastic bag out from under the seat where Avery had lodged it. Had that really been a mere three hours ago? He felt suddenly weary, like the lifeblood had been drained out of him. “Do you want to put your coat on?”
Avery shrugged. “Nah. Doesn’t matter if Mum sees me like this. It’s going in the bin anyway. Stupid dress.”
Carts smiled into the darkness as he cut the ignition.
“Okay, c’mon then. Let’s face the music,” he said.
“That’s not actually funny right now.”
As it happened, there was music playing as they went up the drive. Avery’s face lit up. “Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp, second movement.” She stopped, head tilted, listening. “Wait, the flute joins the harp… now.” She beamed at him as, sure enough, the dulcet duet of harp and flute floated down the garden path from the house.
“It’s my very favourite piece to play,” she said.
He put his arm around her and she rested her head against his shoulder as they continued walking.
“I’ve neglected my music so much. And my friends at orchestra. I’ve been so mean to Bec, the lead violinist. I feel so bad.”
“Don’t.” He stroked her hair off her forehead. “It’s a valuable life lesson in what really matters. And better to learn it now, huh?”
“Mmm, guess so.” She snuggled into him and he saw the goosebumps stand out on her arm under the porch light.
When Mum threw the door open her jaw dropped as she surveyed Avery in her little morsel of silver.
“Good lord Avery, you didn’t wear that did you?”
“Shhhhh.” Carts put his finger to his lips and escorted his sister inside. “She’s had a rough time.”
“Well, I’m not surpri—”
He shook his head and a little hiccup came from Avery.
“Not now Mum,” he said. “Just be kind.”
His mum’s face crumpled as she looked from him to her daughter. Avery stood with her hands dangling and her head low. And then he knew Mum got it; without the need for words, she knew exactly what to do. “Oh, darling…” Her voice cracked with emotion as she held her arms wide.
With a sob, Avery walked straight into them.
“Are you sure there’s no brownies in here?”
Judith dug her nails into her palm as Mark strolled over to the pantry and opened it.
“I haven’t felt the need to make any recently.” Mark either didn’t notice the bitter edge to her voice or chose to ignore it. If this fiasco went on much longer, she’d have to push him physically out the front door. “Could you go now, please?” she said for what felt like the hundredth time.
His eyes rounded. “Why so snarky? Are you about to get your period?”
It took everything she had not to fly at his throat. But if she escalated this, he’d stay longer just to play smartarse, to try and wear her down. “I’m really tired, that’s all.”
She watched with distaste as he foraged in the cupboard, a sliver of flabby flesh showing around the waist of his jeans as he reached up, found the biscuit jar, took off the lid and peered inside. “Shortbreads. Better than nothing.” He put the jar on the bench, removed one and munched. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll email you our business plan. Under peril of death, do NOT show it to anyone. You’ll change your mind when you see what we’ve put together. It’s going to be huge. You’ll get your six grand back ten times over. It’s called MegaV, Wars Within the Multiverse.” He rattled off some more jargon and now the clock above his head said 10.46 and she just had to get him out of here.
“Okay,” she said, jumping off her stool. “Email me whatever, I don’t care. Now it really is time to go.” She went over and gave him a little shove in the back.
He resisted. “What’s the hurry? Not your best effort, by the way.” He waved the shortbread in the air. “Anyway, gotta have a slash. I drank too much to celebrate with the guys.”
She felt like a sheepdog as she herded him out of the room and called out as he closed the bathroom door, “Put the seat down when you’re finished.”
Leaning against the wall, she waited, chewing anxiously on her thumbnail as the sound of Mark peeing went on and on. How much had he drunk? No normal bladder could hold that much, surely?
And then it happened.
The doorbell buzzed.
A swarm of bees hijacked Judith’s stomach. For long, agonising seconds she hovered on the spot. Another buzz, longer this time.
Her mind raced to find a solution. If she could get Carts into her craft room before Mark exited the toilet, she’d have time for a brief explanation, enough at least to make it clear she didn’t want Mark to be here. She skidded down the corridor and flung open the door, her mouth tipping into a manic smile.
Carts’ face lit up. “Hi.”
Judith opened her mouth, the words about to tumble out, when the toilet flushed. Carts’ gaze flicked past her shoulder, a sharp crease forming between his brows. The creak of the bathroom door, then footsteps strolling along the corridor.
“You’ve got company.” Carts’ voice was strangely expressionless.
“I—oh. No. I mean yes, sort of. But he’s just leaving.” It was almost unbearable seeing the deep pain in Carts’ eyes as they met hers. She longed to reach out, but it seemed like a huge void yawned between them and there was no way to cross it.
Then her whole body jolted as a hand landed on her shoulder. “Hallo there.” Biscuity breath stirred her hair. “I’m Mark and you are…”
Carts’ head jerked like he’d been punched. He swept a hand across his forehead, stepped back and almost stumbled on the stone wall next to the path. “Obviously, not good timing,” he mumbled.
Yanking his collar up, he turned and strode down the path.
The words screamed inside her head. No, no, no.
Pitching headlong after him, she grabbed his arm as he reached the gate. “Please don’t go.”
Carts stared at her hand, then at her face. But it was like he didn’t see her at all. “I’ve got the message, Judith,” he said quietly.
“No, no you haven’t, it’s not how it looks.”
He paused, hunkering into himself as if barricading against a storm. “I’ve made a fool of myself before in a situation like this.” His mouth twisted into a bitter little smile. “And you know what I’ve learned?” He tugged his arm gently from her grip. “It’s always worse than it looks.”
Chapter 17
When Carts reached his car, he clicked the boot open, then the fuel tank, and finally set off the alarm as he fumbled madly with the remote.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” The words spluttered out through gritted teeth as he finally managed to stop the beeping and flashing.
Inside the car, he sat shaking uncontrollably. His eyelids pricked and he dashed the back of his hand angrily against his lashes.
Just twenty minutes ago he’d believed that he was invincible. As though some mysterious forces of nature had suddenly aligned and for once everything in the universe was comprehensible. He’d left his parents’ place confident that Avery was okay, that Mum understood, and that little idiot Duke had bean taught a valuable lesson.
He’d got the message across, without violence or losing his cool.
And he’d been so fucki
ng proud. So self-assured as he’d walked up the path to Judith’s house. Because finally he, Carter Wells, knew what it meant to be a man.
And then…
Wham. Yet again he’d been slammed into a brick wall.
When that guy walked out of the bathroom he was right back in the moment when Lucy… fuck, it was almost the exact same scene, except Lucy’s personal trainer had only been wearing a towel…
His fists crushed the steering wheel and he ground his teeth into his cheek to stop himself from weeping piteously.
Suddenly the words of Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” taunted him. Oh, the fucking irony! At the most tragic moment of his life, the lyrics of a bloody eighties song had to tunnel their way into his brain.
Yeah, it sure was over now.
There was no kidding himself about that.
He blinked back a big salty tear and stared blindly out into the quiet street. His future yawned empty in front of him; images of eating cold baked beans out of the can in his sterile little kitchen as year after year passed him by. Taking his stupid old records out of their dusty covers and playing them incessantly as the paint peeled off the garden fence and his dreams of happiness lay buried under weeds and broken pavers.
A life without Judith.
A sudden knock on the window took him by surprise. He glanced up, blinked. It looked like Judith, so now he guessed he could add hallucinations to the list of things wrong with his existence.
The hallucinatory Judith made a winding motion with her hand.
He rubbed his eyes this time, but she stubbornly refused to disappear.
She even smiled.
Hope flared in his chest as he found himself groping for the electric window button.
The window slid down. A little. Then jammed. Damn that weird hitch he’d meant to get checked at the last service. Another jab at the button sent the window up again. He tried again; down an inch.
Judith’s smile turned into a lopsided grin. And he couldn’t help but return it.
She made more pointy signs, which he realised meant she’d come around the other side of the car.