Drawing the Line

by KD Williamson

  Emmet stopped the police-issued Chevy Impala in front of a ranch-style home right smack dab in the middle of Buckhead. The shrubbery was overgrown, and the grass was mostly waist-high weeds.

  “This address isn’t on the list of open cases you gave me.” Rebecca glanced at Emmet.

  He exhaled noisily. “No, this one has been handed over to the Feds. They’re not big on giving out info, so I like to check in with the mother at least once a month. Make sure she’s in one piece. I’m late. Shoulda stopped by a couple weeks back.”

  So, the man who played it by the book had a huge soft spot as well. That was something she could get behind. Even though Emmet had only given her the bare bones regarding the situation, it was still enough to figure out. “Human trafficking.”

  “Yeah, and these guys are good but not very original. Lured girls, aged sixteen to eighteen years old, with the promise of a modeling contract. A shit-load showed up, and they really leaned on the ones who didn’t have a lot of support.” Emmet shook his head. “You know how it goes. It’s been over two years. A couple of them had aunts, uncles, or something. A lot of them have moved away. Who can blame ’em?”

  “No one. That’s a hard reminder to live with,” Rebecca answered.

  “Exactly.”

  “There’s no car in the driveway. So…”

  “Yeah, I saw that. Probably shoulda called ahead. She’s usually home though.”

  Rebecca looked at him. “You wanna leave a note or somethin’?”

  Emmet shook his head. “Nah, I’m gonna go knock anyway. If she’s not home, I’ll call her tonight.” He got out of the car and was back a few minutes later. “Let’s go. Nobody’s home.”

  “Okay, why don’t you let me drive?”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, I’m fine.”

  “I know, but I’m a little tired of being chauffeured around. No offense.”

  Emmet’s face reddened. “Damn, yeah sorry. It’s nothing personal. Even when I’m with one of the guys I usually drive. I didn’t mean—”

  “Emmet,” Rebecca interrupted.

  He blinked. “Huh?”

  “Shake it off. It wasn’t a personal attack.”

  “Good. We’ll figure each other out eventually, huh?”

  Instead of answering, Rebecca grunted and opened the passenger side door.

  A few seconds later, she pulled away from the curb.

  “You’re not a big talker, are you? We’ve been riding together almost a week. I can count on one hand the conversations we’ve had that weren’t case related.”

  Rebecca cut her eyes at him. “And you are.”

  “I’m what?”

  “A big talker.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Emmet’s forehead wrinkled.

  “Balances things out, then, don’t you think?”

  He snorted. “No, not at all.”

  Rebecca bit her lip to keep from smiling.

  “Mind if I turn on the radio? I’m a little tired of hearing my own voice.”

  She did smile this time. “Knock yourself out.”

  He turned it on and immediately pushed number three out of the five programmed stations. Hip-hop music filled the car.

  Rebecca cringed. “No.”

  “What?” Emmet turned the volume down.

  “I said no. Find somethin’ else please.”

  The wrinkle was back on his forehead. “Oh, for real?”

  “For real, for real.” Rebecca glanced at him to let him know she was serious.

  “Okay, then. I can live with that. Rock, country, or alternative?”

  “No to country too.”

  “Yeah, I can’t stand it either.” Emmet’s voice was laced with laughter.

  “Good, as long as we understand each other.” Rebecca wondered if he was always this easy.

  “Okay, let’s call it that.”

  Rebecca merged onto I-75 and ramped up the speed to match everybody else’s. By the time she hit her stride, she was going eighty miles an hour. Out of the corner of her eye, Rebecca spied Emmet taking hold of the passenger grab handle. Good for him. He didn’t exactly drive like a grandma, but he wasn’t much faster either.

  Emmet cleared his throat. “Uhm…”

  Ignoring him, Rebecca eased into the fast lane. The car in front of her braked. She grumbled under her breath in response. Rebecca moved closer, hoping the driver would get the hint and switch to the other lane. Instead he braked again, making her do the same. “Oh, come the fuck on! There’s a special place in hell for people who don’t know how to drive!”

  “Uh, Rebecca? We’re supposed to observe the same traffic—”

  “Shhhh!” She held up a hand in front of his face.

  Determined, she gripped the steering wheel and changed lanes, intent on passing the asshole in front of her. Rebecca peered out the driver side window as she accelerated, staring at the guy. He mouthed “fuck you” as she flew by him. “Yeah, no thanks. Men who drive like you are cock light!” Even though he couldn’t hear a word, Rebecca gained a certain amount of satisfaction.

  A startled gasping sound filled the car.

  Rebecca glanced at Emmet. His face was red and his lips pressed together in a thin line. But it was the shock and the glaze of fear in his eyes that made her laugh out loud. “What?”

  “Jesus Christ! What do you mean, what?” Emmet screeched.

  “Oh, you’re fine.” She waved off his concern.

  He glared and reached for the radio. He pushed number three again and turned it up louder.

  Rebecca’s work day didn’t have any incredible highs or devastating lows, but she still felt the need to unwind. She could either go with her melodrama-soaked classic-movie collection or something a lot more badass. Crying wasn’t an option, so Imitation of Life was out, and there was no way in hell she was in the mood for a love story. Sandra Dee was just shit out of luck.

  Peyton rubbed against Rebecca’s leg. She glanced down at her. “What?”

  She stared and meowed loudly.

  “Okay, you don’t have to yell.” Rebecca bent over to pick up her empty food bowl. Peyton swiped at it, sending it tumbling to the floor.

  Rebecca sighed. “Doing stuff like that is counterproductive. I know you know that.”

  Peyton meowed again and blinked. Those big green eyes and that sweet face made her look so innocent. Before moving to Savannah, Rebecca could’ve sworn she wasn’t a pet person, but loneliness and meeting Peyton at the ASPCA had made her out to be a liar.

  “Yeah, you know.”

  As Rebecca retrieved the bowl from the floor, Peyton nipped at her wrist. “Stop it. I’m going as fast as I can.”

  This time, the yowl was a lot louder and longer. Her black-tipped tail swished at the same time.

  “Jesus.” Rebecca filled Peyton’s bowl from the dry food bin on the counter and opened the refrigerator to get the wet. “I got all the drama I need right here, yeah?”

  Peyton screeched and reared back like she was either going to jump on the counter or on Rebecca’s leg. “Don’t you dare!”

  She stretched instead.

  Rebecca put Peyton’s food where it belonged on the floor by her water. She’d made her movie decision—badassery all the way. She mentally flipped through her DVD and Blu-Ray collection, concentrating on Samuel L. Jackson. There was just something about that man’s presence on the screen that was all attitude, and sometimes he even projected it in real life. By the time he was done with Hollywood, the term “motherfucker” needed to be retired. No one would be able to use it better. Why couldn’t he be her uncle or a distant cousin? He’d definitely be someone she’d seek out and get to know.

  She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a bag of movie-theatre butter microwave popcorn. That, along with a Coke and a couple of beers, was an easy dinn
er. As the microwave beeped with finality, Rebecca made her decision: Jackie Brown. Couldn’t go wrong with Samuel L. Jackson and Pam Grier in the same movie.

  Almost an hour later, the ringing of the doorbell irritated and confused her. Peyton, as she always did, scurried away at the sound. Rebecca racked her brain and came to the simplest and most likely explanation. It had to be Rick. She stood and didn’t bother to pause the movie. Backing up slowly toward the door, she kept her eyes on the television and started mouthing Ordell’s words. He was right: an AK-47 was the best thing to use to kill everyone in the room. Rebecca chuckled. She needed a little levity to prepare to deal with Rick and the whole situation they were wrapped in.

  She turned and nearly tripped over her own feet. Through the curtain that covered the glass part of the door, Rebecca saw the outline of a woman. As she got closer, the outline became clearer, illuminated by the light on the porch. Rebecca pulled the curtain aside and was in no way prepared to see a wide-eyed Dani staring back at her.

  Rebecca’s vision tunneled and all she could see was the light and Dani. Even though the movie blared, she couldn’t hear it. Her heart beat so loud that the sound filled her ears. Fear, the first emotion that snaked its way to her belly, was quickly followed by guilt and resignation. Everything Rebecca had done to hurt Dani, everything they’d done to each other, flashed before her. She’d done her part the past few months of their relationship to help change Dani from an open, generous person into someone apparently closed off, wary, and argumentative.

  Behind her glasses, Dani’s eyes narrowed, and she pressed her lips together. Her whole face seemed to harden. “Open the door, Becca.”

  Rebecca stood frozen, absorbing the moment slowly through her pores. Visually, Dani had barely changed at all. Her hair, in a messy ponytail, was longer, but it still looked just as dark and thick as it always had. She was as pale as ever, but there were spots of color high on her cheeks seeping downward. The thin line of her lips had reverted to their normal fullness.

  “Open the fucking door, Becca!” Dani smacked her hand against the glass.

  Those sounds together were enough to yank Rebecca from the weird world of memories she’d visited. She met Dani’s gaze and unlocked the door. Dani stormed inside as Rebecca quickly stepped out of the way, but not before she was hit by a familiar scent, Midnight Pomegranate. She savored the smell; it had stayed with her for months after she left.

  Rebecca closed the door but stayed near it, putting as much distance between them as possible. Things had never been violent between them, but Rebecca knew that sometimes emotional bombardment could be more painful than a physical blow. She wanted to be as far away as possible when things started to fly.

  Dani kept her back to her but her body was angled toward the television where she seemingly stared.

  Rebecca cleared her throat. “Sorry, I know that’s loud.”

  “Jackie Brown?”

  “Yeah.”

  The exchange was almost polite and totally weird. But, at the same time, it was a testament to the fact that she was in the presence of a person who knew her better than anybody, or at least she used to.

  Dani turned.

  Rebecca flipped on the light.

  Even though the movie blared in the background, the quiet between them became a living, breathing thing.

  “I wasn’t gonna sit around and wait for you to make an appearance. We both know you don’t do personal confrontation until you’re about ready to explode.”

  Just like that, Dani launched the first missile, hitting Rebecca square in the chest, drilling through the other side, and unleashing a tide of anger, resentment, and a dull throbbing pain.

  She lashed out accordingly. “First off, don’t come at me like that! This is my house. I haven’t done a damn thing to you! It’s been four years.” Rebecca did her best to wrangle her emotions. “I was trying to give you…give us both some time to get used to the idea of me being back here.” Each word was uttered through clenched teeth.

  “So, it’s okay to keep Rick dangling in the middle while you make decisions for everybody?” Dani scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “That’s not what I said!” She balled her hands into fists. It was hard to put a cap on her rising temper. So, Rebecca didn’t even try.

  “It might as well be! First you had him hiding things from me, and now he’s just plain miserable.”

  Before she knew what was happening, Rebecca took a couple steps forward, pulled by feelings she couldn’t contain. “Hold up! I didn’t have him doin’ anythin’. That was his choice.”

  “Yeah, and it was the only choice he thought he had! You know how he is. He was trying to protect both of us.”

  “I know that!”

  “He shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place!”

  “His choice,” Rebecca spat at her.

  “God, are we just gonna talk in donuts?”

  “Isn’t that what we always did?”

  Dani covered her face with her hands and actually growled. Seconds passed before she lowered them. “No, it wasn’t.”

  It had only been five minutes, and Rebecca was already tired. Everything she’d learned about herself, the changes she’d made were instantly forgotten. Right now, she inhabited the body and the mind of the person she’d been years ago. It was her house, but all she wanted to do was leave. “How’d you find me?”

  “I never met your aunt, but I did know who she was, remember? Wasn’t hard to find the address.”

  “Fine. So, what do you want, Dani?”

  She was met with laughter. Honest to God laughter. Dani’s eyes were bright with emotion. “Oh, is my being here inconveniencing you? You were the one who left with no warning and moved back with just as much!”

  Rebecca huffed. “Whatever.” Her response was petty but the only thing available.

  Dani’s glare was piercing and intense enough to melt plastic. “I didn’t come here to rehash everything.”

  It was sure starting to feel like it. Then again, how could they not? Rebecca pressed her lips together to keep from responding, which didn’t work. “Really? I can’t tell, goddammit!”

  “Yes, really. Somebody has to be the bigger person in all this, and we all know it won’t be you. I don’t have the time or the patience to stand by while you chew your feelings and figure out what you’re gonna spit in my face.”

  Dani’s comment cut deep. Rebecca hated the person she used to be and learning to love who she’d become had been a long, winding road. Still, there was a very thin line between love and hate. “Oh, fuck you! You never had time for me before, so why the fuck would you start now? Because it doesn’t matter anymore?”

  All the color in Dani’s face drained. “I made some mistakes, but I tried. You know I did,” she croaked.

  Rebecca closed her eyes. It felt like they were in a middle of an argument they’d had a million times before with the same results. Familiar words sat on the tip of her tongue waiting to be spoken, and she lost the battle. “Consistency is fuckin’ key.” She pointed a finger at Dani, stabbing the air around her with each word.

  Dani gasped, and the guilty expression Rebecca had seen over and over in the past made an appearance. After four years, it was shocking to learn that the wounds they’d inflicted on one another could still be so raw and gaping.

  Rebecca opened her mouth to apologize.

  “Rick…has been a friend to both of us.” Dani’s voice was thick, ragged. “We live together, and I don’t want him to continue feeling torn up about it. He shouldn’t have to sneak or hide to spare our feelings. He can be in both our lives. I’ll do my best to stay out of your way, and you do the same.”

  Dani moved toward her, and then she brushed past Rebecca without a word or even a glance. Their shoulders bumped. Rebecca stiffened as a burst of electricity radiated f
rom the area all the way to her fingertips.

  The door slammed, and with it came another bout of anger at herself, at the woman who obviously still affected her, and the entire situation.

  Chapter 7

  “Despite what you say, you act like I don’t mean anythin’ to you!” Becca huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Yeah, that’s why I’m standing here being yelled at. It’s something I enjoy.” Dani rubbed her forehead. She could practically feel her blood pressure rising, and it did nothing to help her headache. They stood in the middle of the living room screaming at each other.

  “Please! That has nothin’ to do with me. You’re just tryin’ to make yourself feel better.”

  “God!” Dani’s tone was loud, shrill. Exhaustion set in, making itself comfortable. Dani covered her face with her hands and sank onto the couch behind her. “I’m in medical school.” Her voice softened. “I can’t just play hooky because you’re feeling lonely. It’s my last year. I’m trying to fit everything in—”

  “I’m not somethin’ you just fit in, and you’re fucked up for even sayin’ that. Rick says you treat your patients like they’re dipped in gold and everybody loves you.” Becca teased out the words. “That doesn’t track. I’m supposed to mean somethin’ to you, and look how you’re treatin’ me.”

  Dani’s chest burned as if someone had actually stabbed her. Anger filled the hole left behind. She balled her hands into tight fists as the ache increased. “You said you understood. I can’t just coast through med school. I have to be dedicated. You said—”

  “Ohh, here we go.” Becca threw her hands in the air and started to pace, her hazel eyes wide and wild. “How many times are you gonna fuckin’ say that?”

  “Until. You. Hear. Me.” Dani’s jaw clenched so tight that it felt like she chewed each word before spitting them out.

  “You think you’re the only person in your class who’s in a relationship? Some of them are even married!”