by Calinda B
“More than I know?”
“Yeah. Let’s start by fixing my hand for now.”
Where to start? The party, or how much I’ll need her help to get the diamond. I was wrong when I said I didn’t want to be on a team with her. Harlow was right, even if I hate to admit it.
After washing her hands, she applies the ointment and puts the bandage on tight. “I hope the bleeding stops or else you’ll need to go to the hospital. It’s not deep but… well, I’m no nurse.”
“It’ll be okay,” I assure her as I watch her work her magic with the bandage. Pain is present, and the pulse of my heart throbs in the palm of my hand. It resonates to my fingers.
“All done.”
“Thank you, Harlow.” Opening the kitchen cabinet to grab the Advil, she looks at me when I shake the bottle and rattle the tablets. “I bet you have a bad headache, do you want some?”
Harlow takes two tablets and goes to the couch, where she crashes down in the middle. “You have something to tell me, TJ. So let it out before it drives us both crazy.”
“I need you.” The words come out of my mouth before sitting down next to her—she’s not left me anywhere else to sit.
“What do you mean by that? That could mean a lot of different things. It could be about money, friendship, or sex.” She starts to laugh.
“Are you always so articulate when you’re hungover?” Did she really say sex? As if I would ask her for sexual favors. Unbelievable!
“Go on.” She yawns.
“It’s about the diamond. Cassie has decided to have a party two weeks from now. She invited you, by the way. I think it’ll be the best opportunity for me to get the jewel.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“I’ll need your help. When I met you, I remember telling you I didn’t want to team up with you, but it’s obvious I can’t succeed without you.”
Snickering at me, she waves her hand. “Am I supposed to jump up and down at your revelation?”
I don’t know what to say. No, I don’t expect her to jump around like a little kid, but I did expect more enthusiasm. Best to let it go for now; we’ll talk about it when she’s not hungover. A bit disappointed at how fast the conversation has died, I decide to let her cure her hangover by herself while I check my work emails in the privacy of my bedroom.
Turning on my laptop, I replay our conversation in my head and get the feeling Harlow doesn’t want to help me. If she doesn’t want to, or flat out refuses, I’m done with the plan. It’ll never work out. Dad is probably watching over me, disappointed. I fucked everything up.
Just give her time, she’ll come around, I try to convince myself.
Clicking through my emails, I can’t even concentrate enough to understand what is being asked of me. I can’t work right now. My mind is too busy thinking about how to get my hands on that diamond. Fingers tugging at my hair while running them through the strands, I sigh and try to calm myself. Two more weeks. Fourteen days before I have to steal that diamond from my supposed girlfriend.
A small knock on my door alerts me to Harlow’s presence. “I’m going back to bed,” she says from the other side of the door.
“Alright.”
“I’m in,” she adds.
Now I’m the one who wants to jump up and down.
I knew it.
9
Lying in the hospital bed, Ramsey doesn’t look as intimidating as he did the first time I met him. His skin is as pale as the bed sheets, cracks cover his lips, and his eyes have a feverish look.
“Your father is running a fever. The doctor is on his way to examine him. It shouldn’t be long,” Nurse Catherine says with empathy.
Maybe tonight wasn’t the best night to agree to come visit with Ramsey.
“Daddy, they’ll take good care of you. Don’t worry.” Harlow holds her father’s hand like I wish I had been able to do with my father. The emotion in the room is hard to control. For them and me.
“Don’t worry, Harlow. I’ll be okay soon. I must have caught a virus or something, but it isn’t strong enough to kill me.”
“Don’t even say that, Daddy. I can’t deal with this. You’re too young.”
Shit, these emotions are too fucking real for me. I’m having a hard time breathing.
“Harlow, TJ will take care of you until I’m better. Then we’ll go back home and everything will go back to normal.”
The doctor comes in with another nurse. We step away and let them work. Somehow, Harlow makes her way into my arms, and she reaches around my waist.
“He’ll be okay, they know what they’re doing,” I whisper against her head.
“I’m scared, TJ.”
I don’t know what to tell her because I am too, and I barely know Ramsey. The doctor checks the vitals and the machine monitoring his heart. They talk in medical terms—x-rays, virus strains, fever implications—but I’m lost to their gibberish.
“Okay, Catherine, we have to get the fever down first.” She nods and sets to her tasks right away as the doctor turns his attention to us. “Your father needs to rest. I think you should say goodbye for tonight.”
“Is he going to be okay?”
“We are doing everything we can to stabilize his condition.”
“Go home, Harlow. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ramsey’s exhaustion echoes in his low, strained voice.
I leave the room to give them privacy. The rest of the night will probably be quiet given how devastated Harlow looks after seeing her father like this. I would be, too, though. First, the poor man has a heart attack, and now he’s fighting God knows what. I’ll keep him in my thoughts and prayers. Even if I’m not much of a prayer.
“Come on, let’s go home,” Harlow says pulling the door closed behind her and surprising me. I didn’t expect her to be ready to leave so soon. “He’s passed out already. I don’t know what kind of meds they gave him, but I’d love some of the same, because there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”
We walk out of the hospital and to the car in silence.
“Are you hungry? Do you want to grab something on the way home?” I ask while driving out of the hospital parking lot to break the quiet stillness filling the car.
“Not really, but yeah, we could grab something. Although I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat.”
“You should try.” We have to keep our energy up, after all.
Not looking for anything fancy, I stop by Dad’s favorite pizza place and grab two medium pies.
“He is going to be okay, right?” Harlow asks when I get back in the car. She’s sobbing, her head leaning against the window.
“He’s in the right place to get all the care he needs. They’ll make sure he’s okay, and he’ll be back home before you know it.”
“How... how was it with your dad?”
“It was nothing like this. He was battling more than one illness for months, but in the end, it only took three days of pain. And lots of morphine. He was too weak to fight.”
“What kind of illness was it?”
“It’s a long story.”
“The older ones at the Club knew what he had, and they helped him a lot. They helped your mom, too, with different chores and all. The last time I saw Thomas, he had lost a lot of weight.”
“He was half the man he used to be when he passed on.” Skin and bones is what he was, poor man. It broke my heart. “Do you mind if we don’t go into the details.”
“Sorry... I’m so sorry. I didn’t think, I just wanted to talk about something.”
“It’s okay. Spending time at the hospital brought back memories.”
Her hand grabs mine in an attempt to give me comfort. “I think we have a lot in common.”
“Yeah, we do.” It’s the truth. I have more in common with her than I do with Cassie. Yet, I was with Cassie for a long time. It still flummoxes me how we made it work in the first place.
She’s still holding my hand as we ease into the indoor parking lo
t in the basement of my apartment, and it feels weird. Not in a bad way, though.
“Well, the pizza smells so good I might eat after all.” Harlow releases my hand so can we both get out of the car and head to the elevator.
“You’ll love it. It’s the best pizza around here.”
It takes forever to get to my floor—or it could be the scent of the melted cheese hiding inside the carton which is killing me. Once we’re inside, I drop the boxes on the kitchen counter and inhale a slice like a starved pig. Harlow goes straight to her room without stopping. Maybe she changed her mind? That’ll be more pizza for me. No problem with that.
A second slice goes into my mouth before I wander into the living room and turn on the sports news looking for a football game, or even a hockey game. Just some sports to keep my head busy. Thinking of my dad brings so many memories, it hurts. Plus, I don’t like knowing Harlow is sad right now, scared to lose her father.
“Are we eating from the box?” Her voice startles me. I hadn’t heard her at all.
“I thought you had changed your mind.” It takes but a moment to notice she’s changed into my hoodie along with short, tight boxers. “Do... do you want a slice? Help yourself,” I offer moving my eyes from her back to the TV, because damn, I didn’t expect that view. It’s sexy. She’s sexy.
“I hate having greasy fingers, but if this is how we do it, I’m all in.”
I’m not sure if she’s being serious or sarcastic. In the past few days, I’ve come to know her, and she doesn’t like anything that isn’t clean to the extreme.
“You know where to find a plate and everything, if you prefer. I won’t judge.”
Though Harlow hesitates, she decides to give the greasy fingers a chance and snatches a slice from the box. “How’s the hand?” she asks around a mouthful.
“Much better. Thanks to you.”
“Clean your hands after, I’m pretty sure you don’t want it infected by all this juicy fat.”
I start to laugh. Harlow’s so OCD. “Is that part of your obsessive and compulsive issue?”
“You think it’s funny. It’s not, trust me.” She gets up and goes to the kitchen while I’m busy laughing my ass off, then soon returns with a plate, a napkin, and silverware. “You can laugh all you want, caveman. I like my fingers clean.”
“I’m not a caveman, I’m just a man. Sorry, it’s just funny. To me, anyway.”
Harlow takes a huge bite off her fork. “Well, I’ll give you this, the pizza is amazing.” Her full mouth makes her words hard to understand, but I get the gist, and yeah, it’s amazing.
I’m watching her eat; she’s acting like she’s okay but she’s staring at the coffee table with tears in her eyes. She’s not okay, she’s hurting bad. I know all too well what’s going on in her heart. It’s devastating. There is nothing more painful than being helpless.
“Are you okay?” Of course I know she’s not, but I ask.
She shakes her head. “My dad is all I have. I can’t imagine anything more happening to him. He’s dealt with enough already. He needs a break.”
“He’s in good hands, Harlow. Send him your love and positive thoughts. Tomorrow will be better.”
“I have to stop thinking that he’s going to die, because he won’t.” With the back of her hand, she wipes the tears away then takes another bite of dinner.
“Don’t forget, I am here if you need anything.”
She smiles. “Thanks.”
Now that she’s here, I flip over to the movie channel and we settle in to watch John Wick while we eat in silence. I must have eaten one whole pie to her half of the other one. I’m full and sleepy. After the day I had, making it to Cassie’s isn’t in my plans for tonight, so I play the good boyfriend and shoot her good night text.
* * *
Hi, babe, I’ll see you tomorrow. I had a rough day.
That’s okay, I’m out with my friends tonight. We’re at a restaurant.
Good night xx
* * *
Typing the final x, I hit and send and shut my phone down without waiting for her to wish me a good night back.
Harlow grabs the throw from the back rest, curls up on the couch, and covers herself. Her body looks so small and far away. Our eyes meet for a second. “What?” she asks.
“What do you mean ‘What’?”
“You were looking at me all serious and... I don’t know, you were intense.”
“Just making sure you’re okay, is all.”
A small smile appears on her lips followed by a light shade of red on her cheeks. She acts all tough most times, but little things like this get to her.
“No Cassie tonight?” Her bold question surprises me, along with the fact that she avoids looking at my eyes when she asks.
“Why aren’t you looking at me? Too shy?”
Sighing, her face hidden behind her hands, she replies, “Because I’m curious, but it’s none of my business—which you can say to me. You don’t need to answer.” Her rambling is nervous, causing a tremble in her voice.
“I told her goodnight already. I’m staying here tonight.”
“Okay, good. I prefer when you stay. You’re supposed to make sure I’m safe anyway.”
What is she implying? My place is safe whether I’m here or not. “Don’t you feel safe here?”
Our eyes connect again. “I do. Most of the time.”
She should feel safe here, because there is nothing to worry about. “Come here,” I encourage, and she does. Closer now, she leans her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her. “You should always feel safe here, Harlow.”
Giggling shyly next to me, she adds. “I do, for now.” Is this her way of teasing me?
This gets me to thinking. She knew my dad better than any of my friends, and that means something to me. Harlow also knows a lot more about the Diamond Club than I do, so I’ll need her. Right now, she needs me to hold her and give her strength. Somehow, I think my father sent her my way.
More at ease, she melts against me. The tension in her body leaves while she’s cuddling into my side. Holding onto me, she lets her cold fingers slide around my waist, touching my skin under the edge of my shirt.
My already complicated life is about to get even more complex.
10
It must be three or four in the morning when I wake up on the couch, my t-shirt scrunched in Harlow’s fist. Her face reminds me of an angel, the curve of her lips and the line of her nose are perfect. Moving out from under Harlow’s body without waking her brings a challenge. After many twists and lifts, I free myself, but I can’t stop staring at her.
“What am I going to do?” I murmur to myself.
I don’t want to leave her here but waking her up to go to bed isn’t an option. She needs her rest too much. Left with only one solution, I lift her in my arms and carry her to the guestroom. Her room is so organized it makes the rest of the apartment look like a dumpster. After I lay her down, she turns on her side and rambles something I can’t understand. I tug her comforter over her figure to keep her warm. Going to my own room is what I should be doing, but I keep watching her with such curiosity. Something changed between us tonight—and I can’t say I don’t like it.
In my bedroom, once I manage to pull myself away, I fall back to sleep in a delirious haze. It’s like my world is about to take the highest, most death-defying rollercoaster ride, and yet, I am ready for every spin and drop.
What feels like only minutes later, I’m awakened by subtle movements on the mattress. Opening my eyes, I’m surprised to see Harlow curled up next to me. It’s all about the unexpected.
Through tired eyes, I take in her fuzzy hair and the little bit of ink I can see on her hip. Maybe this is just for tonight, because she’s sad, but if it isn’t, I’ll be counting down the days until I can break everything off with Cass. I shouldn’t even be thinking about her now. This is fucked up.
Wrapping my arm around that small piece of ink, I bring her closer to me.
If it’s just for one night, I might as well enjoy cuddling with her. No, this is more than cuddling. I don’t know what it is, but we’re glued together at this point. Her perfume lingering in the air, I breath deep and let myself go back to sleep again. Only this time it is so much better.
The smell of food wakes me up. Although my back is stiff and my eyes are sleepy, I manage to roll out of bed anyway.
“Good morning,” Harlow greets me as I turn the corner to the kitchen.
“Morning.”
“Sleep well?” Straight to the point, as always.
“Yeah, it was different.”
“Different? How? Special, great, or ‘oh, yeah, we are doing this again tonight’?” If it weren’t for the smile on her face, I’d be running for the hills, but she’s in a good mood and being cheerful, so, I’ll take it. Last night was too heartbreaking.
“Harlow, it was great. Trust me.”
“It was. Indeed.” There’s a shyness to her this morning while she whisks eggs in a bowl.
“Need help?” I ask glancing around. There’s bacon frying in a pan, and something else is in the oven.
“No, everything is under control.”
Like every morning, her hair is twisted in a loose bun on top of her head. This morning a lock of hair contours the side of her face, though. It’s different, sexy and innocent at the same time. Why am I noticing?
“Do you want coffee?” I offer, noting she hasn’t touched the coffee machine yet.
“Yeah, I’ll take one.”
Things could be awkward or uneasy at the moment, but they aren’t, which I’m thankful for. Inside me is a longing to touch her. Again. I’m not a touchy kind of guy, or at least I’m not with Cassie, but I want to touch, to feel Harlow.
“When is the party again?”
“Next Saturday,” I answer while filling the pot with water for the machine.
“Any chance you know the type of safe she has? That info would help me figure how we’ll go about this and what I’ll need to bring.”