by Kylie Rae
Her heart soared. He was always there when she needed him.
Whitney- Can I come over?
Kevin- Of course
She hugged her phone to her chest and grinned at the ceiling. For the moment, she forgot about the horror scene she’d woken up to.
Whitney- Be there soon xoxo
A short time later Whitney knocked on Kevin’s door, her skin crawling with her ever present anxiety. When he opened it to greet her, the smell of weed hit her in the face. She managed a smile at his glassy red eyes and dopey expression. She’d never seen him like this, and it was adorable.
“Ben’s here,” he said.
“I figured.”
He chuckled and reached for her hand. “Sorry I didn’t mention it before.”
“It’s okay.” She held onto his hand with everything she had and let the warmth spread through her body and soothe a few more of her nerves.
They went to the living room and Kevin flopped back onto the couch. He patted the cushion next to him for Whitney. She lowered herself on to the edge of the seat and eyed all the paraphernalia with a new level of interest.
Ben finished packing the bowl of the pipe and noticed her expression.
“You wanna hit this?” he asked. This was the first time he’d met her, but seeing her in her obviously distressed state caused the guilt to hit him in the chest.
“Nah, man, she doesn’t-” Kevin began, but Whitney cut him off.
“Maybe.” She bit her lip and avoided Kevin’s eyes. “It’s supposed to be good for... anxiety... right?” They hadn’t really talked about her issues yet. And it wasn’t good to bring them up in front of his friend, but she needed something to help. She’d take anything at this point.
“Definitely.” Ben didn’t even miss a beat. “Calms you right down.” He held the pipe and lighter out to her.
Whitney took them and felt awkward. She’d only smoked joints before. “Um, how do I...”
“I’ll show you.” Kevin didn’t appear alarmed either. But maybe that was because he was already stoned. He grabbed the pipe and demonstrated. “But don’t inhale too hard.” Kevin said as he coughed out a cloud of smoke. “Especially if it’s been a while.” He passed them back to her.
“Right.” Whitney did as instructed. She felt the burn in her throat and chest. She exhaled slowly, imagining her stress flowing out of her with the smoke. She already felt a little lighter. “Thanks.” She set the pipe on the table. “I’m gonna go in your room,” Whitney said to Kevin and kissed his cheek.
“You okay?” His mouth turned down and his brow scrunched up in such a cute picture of concern that it melted Whitney’s heart.
“Yeah, fine.” She flashed a smile at him before closing the door behind her.
“Uh-oh man, you better go get you some,” Ben said with a laugh and he picked up the pipe.
“What?” Kevin looked lost.
“Wow, you’re oblivious. What time is it, man? Chicks don’t show up in the middle of the night to talk. Get in there.”
A second passed as he digested Ben’s words. They registered after a second and his face lit up. “Oh!” Kevin jumped up and ran to his bedroom door. He tripped over the corner of the couch on his way and nearly face planted. But he recovered quickly and slipped into the room.
“Dumbass,” Ben muttered and took another hit.
WHITNEY STOOD WITH her back to the door, most of her clothes already on the ground at her feet. Kevin took a moment to enjoy the view of her soft curves and then approached her to kiss her neck and shoulders. He ran his hands over her exposed skin and she moaned, leaning back into him.
Whitney turned to kiss him and tugged on his arms to bring him falling onto the bed with her. Their mouths remained connected as she helped him out of his clothes. Their hands stroked each other’s bodies, they pressed closer to each other, just touching wasn’t enough.
Kevin moved on top of her, still kissing, still groping, still rubbing. But then Whitney’s breath caught in her chest and her eyes flew open. She pushed him away with so much force that he almost fell over the edge of the bed.
“What? What is it?” He asked. “Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?”
Whitney’s breath came in desperate gasps. “Just–ten seconds!” She curled up in a ball and clutched her chest.
Not knowing what else to do, Kevin counted to ten in his head and watched her body relax back into the pillows. Her breathing returned to normal after one final deep exhale. But then she covered her face with her hands and cried.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Kevin moved closer and stroked her arm.
“I’m–I’m sorry,” Whitney said through her sobs. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Nothing’s wrong with you.”
“I–I need to go home.”
“Okay...” He tried to catch up with the whirlwind of emotion that had torn through the room.
Whitney scooped up her clothes and disappeared into the bathroom. Kevin got dressed and waited for her to emerge. She looked a little better, and she managed a tight-lipped smile, but her eyes were red and puffy.
Kevin walked her to the door and Ben looked at them with a raised eyebrow.
“Call me later,” Kevin said and hugged her tight. “We’ll make plans.”
“Okay.” She wiped a few stray tears away and left.
KEVIN RETURNED TO THE couch with a sigh. He rubbed his face and stared at the floor.
“That was fast,” Ben cracked.
“Shut up, man. She had a panic attack.” Once the blood had returned to his brain, he’d been able to put it together. The comment about anxiety and the ten seconds thing... why hadn’t he noticed before?
“Oh.” Ben fumbled with the lighter still in his hand and took another hit to fill the silence.
“She’s been a little high-strung since the mugging.”
“Shit... I’m sorry.”
Kevin waved away his words and picked up the pipe.
Ben chewed on his cheek and decided he needed to come clean. “So, uh... speaking of... I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”
“What?” Kevin stared at the wall. His eyelids grew heavy as he dozed.
“I know... I know who mugged her.”
“What?” Kevin snapped to attention. “Who?”
“Uh...” The fury on Kevin’s face made him hesitate, but then the words jumbled out. “It was Corey. He was trippin’ and didn’t realize what he’d done until the next day.”
“What the hell, man!” Kevin leapt to his feet and clenched his fists at his sides. “And you didn’t say anything?”
Ben flinched and shrunk into his chair. “I wasn’t–I didn’t realize–I’m sorry.”
“Get out!” He pointed at the door and spit flew off his lips.
“What?” Ben was dumfounded. Kevin had never yelled at him before. “Go home! Get out!”
At a loss for words, Ben stood and walked to the door. Kevin glared at him the whole way.
Once out in the hall, he figured he needed to text Corey, just in case Kevin went to the cops.
ROBIN STOOD ON THE sidewalk and watched the ambulance drive away. They’d loaded up the dead body of Whitney’s neighbor only moments before and police officers scoured the park for clues. Robin sipped her coffee and thought about how she was going to break the news to Whitney. Sure, she hadn’t liked him or anything, but yet another crime committed so close... she was going to panic.
She was always panicking.
Robin sighed and went back into the apartment building. Maybe she wouldn’t tell Whitney. She wasn’t one to read the newspaper, so she might not find out until... Until the police knocked on her door and asked her if she’d known Vernon well or seen anyone strange lately. Because that’s what they did, right? They questioned the neighbors?
She groaned and trudged up the steps. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she dug it out to see a text from Rose.
Rose-
Did you know this man that got murdered? Is this park near your apartment? Should I call Whitney?
Robin sighed again, took a moment to smile at how fast Whitney’s mother had known about the murder, and then considered how to respond. She could see where Whitney got her anxiety from, that was for sure.
Robin- No one we knew. I’m sure the police will catch the guy who did it soon enough. No reason to worry
Barely a second passed before another message blinked onto the screen.
Rose- Okay, if you say so. Talk to you later, dear.
Robin tucked her phone back in her pocket and shuffled the rest of the way back to her apartment. She downed the last of her coffee and wished she’d bought two cups while she’d been out. The stuff she had at home just wasn’t as good. But she’d have to power through; she needed to press her suit and fix her hair for an art thing later.
To say she wasn’t in the mood would be an understatement.
BEN RAPPED HIS KNUCKLES on Corey’s door and bounced on the balls of his feet while he waited. The boards on the porch creaked under his weight. It was early, especially for him, but he thought he should talk to Corey face to face about the Kevin thing. And the sooner the better. He knocked again and wondered if Corey was still asleep. Maybe he should have called first. But then the trailer door opened a crack and Ben saw the chain still latched across the gap.
“What?” Corey squinted at him through the opening. The room behind him was dark.
“Just coming to chill, man.” Ben put his hands up in defense.
“Why?”
Ben shifted back a step. “What do you mean, why?” Corey had never been aggressive with him.
“Cops with you?”
“Of course not. Dude, you okay?”
Corey stared at him for a long second without answering. But he removed the chain and opened the door to let Ben in. Ben looked around while Corey relocked the door. He’d covered all the windows in the living room. The tiny hallway that lead to the bedroom was dark, and the door shut. Only one light was on in the kitchen over the table. Spread over the top was Corey’s gun, in pieces along with cleaning supplies.
“So, what’s up?” Ben followed him to the table and sat across from him.
“Just getting ready.”
“Ready for what?”
Corey didn’t answer and continued to clean the gun. Ben watched him for a while and pulled a pipe from his pocket to grind up a bowl.
“How’s your buddy?” Corey asked, now reassembling the gun.
“My buddy?” Ben took a hit and choked on a cough.
“Yeah. Kevin.” Corey waved away the pipe when Ben offered it.
“Oh... I dunno. He kicked me out after I–uh–told him what I knew. He was pretty pissed at me.”
“He gonna rat me out?” He pushed one bullet after another into the magazine and kept his eyes on Ben’s face.
“I–uh–I don’t think so. He didn’t say he was.” Ben watched how efficient Corey’s hands were with the weapon, and a heavy weight landed in his gut.
“Hmm.”
Ben hesitated before taking another hit. He was too stressed out to not smoke right now. He wracked his brain for something to say that would calm the man down. He couldn’t let something happen to Kevin, too.
“You’d better go home, Ben.”
“Huh? Why?”
“You don’t need to be seen with me.” He replaced the clip and pulled the slide back. “Go home.”
Corey didn’t point the gun directly at him, but he still understood the threat that hung in the air. “Sure, man, if you say so.”
Ben stood and walked backwards to the door. He wanted to keep Corey and the gun in view at all times.
“I’ll call you if I’m out and about.”
“Okay.” He reached for the doorknob.
“And Ben.” He turned back. “Tell your buddy to be careful about his next move.”
Ben nodded. “Right. See you later.”
Back outside, he tried to shake off the sense of foreboding that had come over him. He hadn’t realized how cold it was in there until he felt the sun warm his skin. His first impulse was to call Kevin, but he knew that was probably a bad idea. He’d need more time to cool off before hearing from Ben. He just had to hope Corey didn’t do anything drastic before then.
Chapter Fifteen
“Good morning, sunshine!” Robin’s voice blared out of the phone.
Whitney grunted. She hadn’t meant to answer, but her eyes hadn’t been open enough to hit the right button.
“Are you still in bed?”
“Mmm...” Whitney smooshed her face down into the pillow, the phone resting next to her head.
“It’s almost noon!”
“So?”
Robin laughed. “Okay, I’d probably sleep late too if I didn’t have to work. But get up. Come have coffee with me before I go to an art viewing.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now!” Robin laughed again, but Whitney thought she sounded tense. “Come on. I could use the company.”
“Fine... fifteen minutes.”
“Sounds good.” Robin hung up and Whitney rolled over to stare at the ceiling.
She felt like she’d only been asleep for an hour. Shed gotten home from Kevin’s and tried to watch a movie while she paced the living room, too wound up from her panic attack to do anything else. It had taken some time before she’d relaxed enough to lie down. But even then, her mind continued to race. She’d barely drifted away as the sun came up.
Whitney stretched and rolled over to the side of the bed. “Get up,” she said out loud. “Move.” She stayed on the edge, staring at her feet. She stood and sat back down. Instead, she slumped over onto the floor on her hands and knees and crawled to her dresser for a change of clothes.
Twenty-five minutes later, Whitney walked into the coffee shop. Robin sat at a corner table with two cups in front of her. She was biting her lip, staring at her phone, and didn’t notice her approach. She jumped when Whitney plopped into the chair next to her.
“There you are! I was about to call you.”
“Sorry, moving slow today.”
“No problem. Here, this should help wake you up.” Robin slid the extra cup across the table to her. She debated on bringing up the death of her neighbor. She wouldn’t have heard about it yet if she’d slept all morning, but it was only a matter of time. Hearing it from her best friend should make it better, right?
“Thanks.” Whitney wrapped her hands around the cup, but she didn’t raise it to her lips.
They remained silent for a few minutes. Whitney stared at her feet and her eyes glazed over. Robin watched her friends’ face over the rim of her own cup. She was so pale, and the purple under her eyes made her look like someone had punched her. Her hair was oily and unwashed, piled on top of her head. Her clothes were wrinkled like they’d been sitting in her laundry basket all week.
“Are you doing okay?” Robin asked at last. Vernon’s death could wait until later.
Whitney didn’t glance up, but her body tensed. “I’m fine. Why?”
“You just... don’t seem like yourself lately. I’m worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” Whitney repeated. Her hand squeezed her cup and the corner of the lid popped off. She didn’t move to fix it.
Robin eyed the cup and hoped the scalding liquid wouldn’t flow out over Whitney’s hand. The last thing she needed was another injury. “It’s just... are you sleeping okay?”
Whitney’s gaze moved up and her eyes nailed Robin to her chair. “Why do you ask that?”
Robin didn’t let her stare her down. She wasn’t used to this defensiveness from Whitney, but she wouldn’t let it stop her from saying what she knew she needed to say. “You seem tired, that’s all.”
“Mmm,” Whitney looked away again without answering.
“Have you thought about... counseling? Maybe?”
“Why would I?” Her tone hardened.
“Wel
l, you’ve gone through a lot. Anyone would be stressed. You seem-”
“I seem like what?” Whitney’s teeth clenched and her grip tightened again and popped the lid off completely.
Robin hesitated, but she couldn’t stand by and see her best friend deteriorate. “You seem to be falling apart at the seams.”
“I’m fine,” Whitney said again.
“No, you’re not. I know you. I’ve known you for so long.” Robin took a deep breath. “Maybe... Moving up here might have been a mistake.”
Whitney stood up, her cup fell, and coffee covered the table. Robin grabbed napkins, staring up at Whitney in shock.
“I said I’m fine!” Whitney’s eyes were like ice. “I can handle this. I don’t need help. From you or anyone else.” She turned and rushed out of the coffee shop.
One barista came over with a towel and a mop to help Robin clean up the mess. Robin held back tears, trying to figure out what to do now.
SHE LEFT THE COFFEE shop a short time later and called Whitney’s parents again. It was time they were aware of what was going on. Last time Whitney had spiraled, they’d needed all hands-on deck to get her to see a doctor. Robin thought it would have been easier this time, now that she understood what the warning signs were, but she’d been wrong. Maybe they would be able to help.
“Robin!” Rose answered the phone midway through the first ring. “It’s so nice to hear from you again so soon!”
“Yeah...” Robin faltered. She didn’t enjoy being the messenger of bad news or stress. “Um...”
“What’s wrong?” Rose’s tone changed at once. “Is it Whitney? What happened?”
Robin took a deep breath as tears pricked her eyes. She felt like this was all her fault. She’d convinced Whitney to come here. The words tumbled over each other as she tried not to cry. “Well... it’s Whitney. She hasn’t been herself lately. I wasn’t sure if I should say anything before, but today... She’s been on leave from work because of her stress levels since the mugging and she’s not sleeping... I’m just worried about her.”
“Oh, dear... What we should do?”