by Lucy Smoke
"Are you okay?" Grayson's voice was gruff with irritation. I clenched my hands in his shirt as he began to sit up. "Harlow?"
Tears burned at the back of my eyelids. “What—” I gulped down air, but it stopped in my throat, choking me. Still, I tried. “What… just happened?”
“I think some idiot just tried to run us over,” Grayson said, groaning as he shifted a hand over his lower back.
“On purpose?!” I asked, finally lifting my head. I noticed the placement of his hand. “Are you okay?”
Grayson waved away my concern as he frowned, looking past me in the direction the car had gone. “I don’t know,” he admitted.
“You don’t know if you’re hurt?” I tried reaching for his hand again, leaning around him as my legs slid to either side of his hips to pull it away from the spot on his back. This time he let me. I pulled up the shirt slightly. There was a blotchy red mark against his tan skin that I was sure would eventually darken. I paused when my fingertips touched his side. When I pulled his shirt up to reveal what was most definitely a developing bruise half on his back and half on his side, I also unveiled his abdomen. I took a shaky breath and pulled the shirt back down, even though the flutters in my stomach cried foul. He was hurt, I reminded myself. Drool later. Worry now…but those damn abs. I shook my head.
With gritted teeth, Grayson cursed, drawing my attention back to the matter at hand. “I should have gotten their fucking license plate number. Even if that was an accident, they should be punished. They could have killed you.”
“Even if it was an accident?” I ignored the last thing he said—killed…me…almost died…I couldn’t think about it or I would have dissolved into a puddled mess and we didn’t have time for that. “So, you don’t think it was?”
Grayson looked at me, a grimace on his lips. “Come on,” he said, slowly rising to his feet and helping me up on my shaking limbs as well. “Let’s get to the house. I’ll let Tex tell you everything there.”
Instead of arguing, I took his hand and let him lead me away. We practically sprinted the rest of the way to the duplex. I had the feeling I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to be on the streets anymore.
She what?!” Marv’s voice echoed through the house. “How could you let her almost get run over? What the hell were you thinking?!”
“Calm the fuck down, asshole. Harlow’s fine. She’s a little shook up, and you’re not fucking helping!”
“Are you sure you’re okay, Princess?” Texas asked me.
I nodded. “I really am fine,” I insisted. “Grayson saved me.”
Texas didn’t match my smile. Although, in truth, the smile felt frayed and a little twitchy. I was going to have nightmares, I just knew it; imagining that car screaming towards me, except this time no Grayson would be there to pull me out of the way. None of the guys would be there either—not Marv, or Texas, or Bellamy, or Knix. It would just be me, standing on the side of the road. And then the car would hit; I’d topple over it or maybe under it. Crushed by the metal and tires. I shuddered as I sank down into the couch.
“Marv!” Texas finally snapped, drawing the attention of the two men arguing in the entryway. “Lay off. Come in here and sit down, we need to talk.”
Marv shot Grayson one last glare before striding into the living room and taking a seat next to me. Despite the fact that I found his continued hatred towards Grayson annoying, I found myself sliding closer to him and cuddling up to his side. Marv stiffened for a brief moment before he sighed and slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer. I squeezed him back. The tighter I squeezed, the less I shook. He didn’t seem to mind.
“Alright,” Marv said, “tell us what you found. Does it have something to do with the car incident?”
Texas and Grayson glanced at one another. A tense moment of silence reigned before Grayson sighed and stepped forward. “We managed to get in and see the tapes before Josh’s disappearance. From what we can tell, no one helped him escape. He simply walked out on his own two feet.”
I sat up straighter, tilting away from Marv as Texas nodded. “His disappearance wasn’t reported until the following morning.”
“So, we still have nothing?” I asked.
Marv shook his head and moved to the edge of the couch, planting his feet firmly and leaning over to prop his elbows on his knees. “Not exactly.” I watched him brood for a moment, his chin on his hands as he thought. He looked so like Knix in that moment. It made me miss the others. I suddenly wished Knix and Bellamy were there. That we had the whole team. It didn’t feel right without them.
“Then what do we have?” I asked, chasing away those thoughts. We had more important things to worry about than my wants and desires right now. Even if I really, really wanted to run my hands through Marv’s hair and smooth away the crease in his brow. He was just as frustrated with this as me. I wanted the others here. I wanted Josh and—especially—Erika found. I wanted him to get over whatever grudge he held against Grayson. I wanted our…relationship—if that’s what it could be called—figured out. There was a lot that I wanted and couldn’t have.
I sighed as Marv answered. “Well, we know he wasn’t taken. We know he left of his own will.”
“The cameras just show him walking out,” Grayson replied with a frown. “That doesn’t necessarily mean he went willingly.”
“Did anyone have a gun to his head?” Marv argued.
Grayson shook his head. “No, but Erika is missing—what if she’s being held and Josh knows something about it?”
Texas and I glanced back and forth between the two of them, and I could practically feel the tension and irritation oozing off of them. “Oh-kay.” I stood up abruptly, stepping between the two of them. “So, what we know is that Josh left the rehab facility and Erika is missing as well,” I state. “And that a crazy driver tried to run us over—why exactly would you think that had anything to do with the facility, again?” I asked, turning towards Grayson.
He had the grace to at least flush, though I wasn’t sure if it was in irritation or something else. “I—well, I can’t be sure, obviously. But they weren’t exactly happy to have us there and I don’t know, it was just a crazy incident and I thought…”
“You thought it was connected,” Texas finished for him as he drifted off with a frown. Texas clapped him on the shoulder and sighed. “It’s not a big deal buddy. People speed on college campuses all the time. But maybe you two should be more careful anyway.” Texas cast me a look, and I nodded. If I could avoid dying by way of crashing cars and shattered bones on the pavement, that’d be just swell.
“How were you able to get in to see the tapes anyway?” I asked. “They wouldn’t have just shown them to you because you’re Josh’s brother, would they?” I looked to Grayson for confirmation.
He shook his head. “No, we went in as Charleston law enforcement looking to question Josh about a ‘crime’—” Grayson cut himself off and air-mimicked the quotes around crime before continuing, “—he may have been a witness to.”
“And they just let you right back?” I asked. “You’re not too young to be detectives?”
Texas smirked and pulled a genuine looking detective badge with his face and name on it. “It’s amazing what you can do with a little confidence and one of these bad boys.” He winked before tucking it back into his pocket.
“Well…” I said with both eyebrows raised. I shook my head and grinned at him. “I guess that answers that, Detective Johnson.”
He wiggled his eyes at me before striding over with a little more swagger in his step than he had before. Texas slung an arm around my shoulders. “What do you say we kick this popsicle stand and head into the kitchen for some dinner?” He grinned. “I hear Marv made something good.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I think dinner would be great.” I shot a look over to Grayson and Marv. “You guys coming?”
Marv stood and stepped around Grayson, heading back towards the bedrooms. “Eat without me, I’m gon
na call Knix and fill him in.”
I frowned as I watched him go, but even as I was watching Marv—I noticed that Grayson, too, had his eyes on the hallway as Marv disappeared into one of the back rooms.
“Come on, Princess.” Texas tugged until we disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. When Grayson didn’t immediately follow, I kept my voice low and leaned closer to him.
“Texas,” I whispered, “do you have any idea what’s going on between Marv and Grayson?”
Texas sighed as he glanced down at me. By way of answer, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and then seated me at the small, four-person table against the wall. “If you want to know, you should ask them.”
“They won’t tell me,” I pointed out with a frustrated huff.
He shrugged. “It’s their story to tell.” I didn’t know if that meant he knew what all of the hostility was about or if he just knew that there was a reason for it. Whatever the case, I’d find out. I’m done letting them shut me out. Even if I had to sit on them to get it out, I would get answers.
Chapter 6
After dinner, Texas offered to walk me back to the dorm. “I don’t understand why I have to stay in the halls,” I said as we crossed the street from the duplex to the campus.
“You don’t like it?” he asked.
“It’s not that. My roommate is nice, and it’s great being around other girls, but we’re not here to make friends—we’re here to find Josh and Erika.”
Texas tilted his head and squeezed my hand. “It’s not really fair, is it?”
I frowned, unsure of his meaning. With the sun set and far behind the horizon, the night had descended, and the streets were lit with globs of light along the pathways. They threw curious shadows over Texas’ face.
“You kind of just fell in with us,” Texas explained, “and you didn’t really get the chance to apply for colleges or even go on tours.”
“I couldn’t afford it,” I reminded him with a weary twist of my lips.
He smiled and shook his head, turning to face forward once more. “I know, Spider-Monkey.” I groaned low, earning the widening of his smile. “But, seriously, do you like it here? You could stay even after the job is done. We’ll find Erika. We’ll find Caruso 2.0 and then, if you want, you could stay and finish and get a degree.”
I blinked. It sounded like he had put a lot of thought into the offer. “What about Iris?” I asked. “What about you?”
Texas stopped and turned, causing me to stop as well. I realized we were standing across the campus’ green lawn in front of Chipley hall—my dorm. Seconds later, Texas cupped my face—distracting me completely as my eyes shot to his. I glanced down at his lips for the barest of moments before returning my gaze to his.
“We’ll wait, Harlow,” he said, his eyes serious, his mouth firm. “If you want this, Iris can wait. We can wait. The relationship thing, too. If the others don’t wait for you, then that only makes it easier because I will. I will always wait for you.”
My stomach tightened as emotion assailed me. His words were beautiful, and they lit a warmth in me, but they also served as a reminder. They still expected me to choose. Even if they hadn’t said as much, I could feel the pressure building. I didn’t want to choose. If I chose, I could break them apart, and seeing Texas and Bellamy at each other’s throats or even Marv and Knix would hurt me. I couldn’t bear it.
But when Texas leaned forward, his eyes closing and his lips brushing softly against mine, I found my muscles freezing for the scantest instant before melting completely. All too easily, I fell into him—letting him consume me because it felt right. My eyes slid shut of their own accord and I leaned towards him, letting his mouth play against mine. His lips parted, and shivers danced down my spine as his tongue touched my bottom lip. The combination of the warm air and Texas’ equally warm skin under my fingertips as I reached for him made me feel like I was floating in a bubble. My heart galloped in my chest. It was so loud, I wondered if he could hear it. His hands trailed down my hands and his fingers linked with mine.
“Harlow…” His whisper brushed over my cheeks as he pulled back, slanted his head and kissed me more firmly. Our chests brushed, and I gasped when his tongue licked against mine. He pulled back almost abruptly—so abruptly that I nearly fell into him as my mouth, instinctively, attempted to follow his.
Eyes burning with a deep fire, he shook his head at me, releasing my hands. “I’ll wait here. Go inside.”
I touched my mouth with the tips of my fingers, staring at him quizzically. “Texas?”
He clenched his teeth and took a wide step back from me. “Please go inside, Harlow. I need to get back to the others and you standing there, looking so…” He cursed under his breath and my eyes widened. Since when did Texas curse? I mean, sure, I had heard him curse before. But this time was different. “Please, Harlow. I don’t think you’re ready yet, and I don’t think you really want me to maul your mouth right now.”
He tried to smirk to soften his words, but it was too late. My skin was flushed. The skin of my lips tingled. I had to do as he asked, otherwise it wouldn’t be him mauling me, but me mauling him. I turned and nearly sprinted across the lawn towards the front door of my dorm. Sliding my key card around my keychain, I swiped it to the side of the entryway and jerked the handle to open the door.
I rounded the front desk and headed further into the building. When I passed the lobby mirror, I noticed that my cheeks were more than a little pink and my mouth was red. Anyone who looked at me would know what happened. So, I took a little detour to the bathroom before heading to my room. I turned the taps and splashed cool water against my heated skin.
My eyes met their reflection, the normally dull brown sparkling and lit from within. I gulped despite the fact that my throat felt like the Sahara Desert. The nape of my neck was damp with sweat and I knew it didn’t completely have to do with the heat outside. No, it was Texas. The way he touched me—like I was precious and special. I wanted to touch him too. I wanted him to feel the same way I was feeling, as if butterflies were about to burst out of my stomach. It wasn’t until another girl bustled in with a shower caddy in tow that I straightened and moved away from the mirror.
With a sigh and a shake of my head, I returned to my room, slid the key in and tiptoed past a sleeping Lizzie to get ready for bed. I had an early class tomorrow. I almost forgot—I was making a return to gymnastics. It was small, but it was a reminder of what I had spent so much time on in my past. I wondered if this was to help the mission or if this was purely for me.
As I slid beneath the new sheets on my twin sized dorm mattress, I stared up at the ceiling with a mixture of excitement and nerves settling in my chest.
Gymnastics. Erika. Car headlights. Oh, my.
A downpour of freezing cold rain arrived the very next day. Lizzie and I sprinted across campus, huddled under a tiny, black umbrella she had brought from home, but never expected to use for more than one person. As it was, when we arrived at the Student Exercise Center—where she had a nutrition class the same time as my gymnastics course—both of us had soggy shoes and opposing sides that were wet with rainwater.
“Okay, I’ll meet you after class?” she asked, shaking her umbrella to the side and snatching a rainy-day umbrella bag from a console next to the doors.
“Yeah. Lunch?” I asked.
From what Texas had texted me when I woke up, he and the guys would be busy with their own classes, and interviewing students. I was a little irritated that I hadn’t been invited to interview with them, but then Bellamy had texted me with some information of my own to check out later. Then it became less that they were leaving me out and more that they trusted me to go off on my own. Although I found it a bit nerve-wracking, I was more than happy to comply. I wanted to show them that I could be counted on too.
“Sure.” Lizzie waved as she disappeared up the staircase to the side.
I followed the front hallway down to an exercise room, found a locker,
and unzipped my jacket, hanging it inside. My shoes squeaked against the wooden flooring as I made my way into the gymnasium where blue mats had been set out. To the side, there were several other supplies that I guessed would be used later, either in this class or the next. I found that several students had already arrived and were congregated in a group in front of one side of the blue mats. I made my way over, recognizing a familiar face.
"Hey, Harlow!"
"Kelsey." I smiled. "I didn't know you were in this class."
"Yeah," she said as I came to a stop at her side. "It was a last minute change. The original physical education course I signed up for didn't have enough people apparently. Everything else was advanced."
"Well, I'm glad to have someone in here with me."
She beamed. "Same here. Though, I'm kind of nervous. I've never done any sort of gymnastics in my life." Her smile dimmed, and she looked around before leaning forward. "I'm not very flexible."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. "That's nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by," I assured her. "It is a beginner’s class."
The instructor arrived, carrying a sack as she bustled over to us. "Good morning everyone," she called over the group cheerfully. "My name is Mrs. Dennis. If your schedule says Beginner's Gymnastics, then you're in the right place. If not, you're lost and probably missing your Statistics 101 or something else equally brain numbing."
A couple of students chuckled. Even my lips twitched.
"We're going to start out with some stretches, so I hope everyone wore appropriate clothing," Mrs. Dennis called as she dropped her sack to the side.
"You're not going to take roll?" someone asked.
Mrs. Dennis shook her head. "Some of you will inevitably drop out or switch classes before the first week is over," she explained. "I won't take roll until the second week of class. Now, spread out."