The Twenty-One (Emerald Cove #2)

by Lauren K. McKellar

And when he kisses me, I am twenty-one kinds of happy.

  “Post-work beach walk?” he asks, his voice breathy in my ear.

  “Perfect.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  It’s seven a.m. when I bang against the door to their apartment. Silence greets me, and I look at my watch, cursing. She has to get up and let me in. Preferably within the next ten minutes, so I’m not late to the florist.

  “C’mon,” I say, pounding harder. My knuckles smart against the metal grid, and I wring my hand from side to side to try and ease the burn.

  I raise my hand to start my pound again when the door swings open. Zy stands there, shirtless, his hair all sexed up, his eyes barely open. His jeans are just pulled on, the fly not completely done up, as if he just thought to dress. A nipple ring glints in the morning sun, a stark contrast to the black ink that crawls over his torso. I shiver. You’d be inhuman to be impartial to that chest.

  “Eleanor, what gives with the knocking?” He croaks.

  “Dani,” I answer simply, and push past him into the dark house.

  Inside, it smells like cigarettes, and I wonder if they’re from Dani or Zy.

  “She’s not awake yet,” Zy mumbles, rubbing a hand against his bleary eyes as he shuts the door behind him.

  “She’s about to be.” I stride down the hall and knock on her door. “Dani, wake up!”

  Behind me, Zy shuffles into his room and collapses face first on the bed before shifting his pillow over his head.

  “Dan—”

  “Just open the door,” Zy yells, and I twist at the metal handle.

  Inside Dani’s room, a narrow strip of golden light creeps in beneath the blinds, highlighting the richness of my sister’s soft curls. She lies in a foetal position on the bed, her sheets pulled up to her chin all child-like. As if cotton can protect her from the monsters in the world.

  It’s a shame it can’t protect her from the monsters in her head.

  “Dan.” I walk over to her side, dodging the clothes littered on the grey carpet floor, and sit on the edge of the bed.

  One brown eye flickers open and focuses on me, then she turns her head and buries into the pillow. I reach out and stroke her hair, letting my hands comb through those unruly curls. It’s what identifies us as sisters to the general public—long, blonde curls. If only the similarities didn’t end there.

  “What time does the lecture start?” she asks, turning to give me both eyes’ attention.

  I smile. “It doesn’t.”

  Dani pushes up and rests on her elbows, studying me. “What do you mean, it doesn’t?”

  I think about Joel and what he told me last night. How if I don’t give her the chance to swim on her own, she’ll keep waiting for me to save her.

  “I mean, it doesn’t.” I spy a pink dress on the floor and pick it up, flicking it over to her. “Get up. We’re going to the florist.”

  And whether it’s from gratitude or maybe even shock, Dani doesn’t question me further. She picks up the dress and holds it to her chest, then throws the sheets back and walks to the bedroom door. When she gets there, she glances back at me, a frown marring her angelic features. “I don’t know what the hell you’re high on, but it looks good on you.”

  I hug my arms around my waist, because I know all too well.

  And I think it might be love.

  ***

  We don’t talk during the car ride to Sydney. Dani blasts music from some R&B radio station that rocks the car, and I pretend that guys singing about bitches and hoes doesn’t kind of make me shudder.

  When we finally pull up at the flower market, I get a space close to the door. It’s almost empty at this time of day—the serious florists come in around dawn. Me being part of such a small-scale operation, I can afford to get here late. After all, flowers are only a small part of Colin’s basket business.

  The car shudders to a stop, and the music dies with it. Silence cloaks us, and I chance a quick look at my sister. Big round sunglasses blink my reflection back at me.

  “Coffee?” she asks.

  “Sure.” I open the car door and Dani does the same as we walk toward the giant warehouse-style building. We stop at a vendor who’s set up a coffee stand outside, and Dani orders a double-shot espresso, while I order a chai latte, because old habits die hard and I’ve drunk that most of my life.

  We walk inside and that familiar smell hits me, a mix of every natural kind of floral scent nature can create all at once. It’s fresh and rich, and hints at the exotic nature of some of the flowers on display today.

  My skin prickles and I pull off my cardigan. The winter sun means it’s quite humid in here. Orange blossoms to my left droop in agreement.

  With every step, the question is on the tip of my tongue. How can I ask her about the drugs and the drinking? Will she open up? Will she stop?

  But every time I go to give in, every time I consider confronting her, I think of Joel. Think of what he’d tell me to do.

  And I stay quiet. Because maybe I need to be her friend first, her keeper second.

  I take my pick of flowers, and a few times Dani even voices an opinion. Half an hour later we head to the car, our arms laden with nature’s best.

  Once the vehicle starts up, Dani turns down the radio. I raise an eyebrow in question, studying her. Waiting.

  “Do you want to talk about last night?” She looks out the window.

  I breathe a sigh of relief. Finally. “If you’re ready.”

  They’re three of the hardest words I’ve ever said.

  Dani doesn’t speak for a moment. Have I blown it? Has she seen through my pretence?

  But as I pull out of the parking lot, she opens her mouth and starts to speak.

  “I never meant to let it get that far.” Her voice is small, distant, and when I chance a look at her, her gaze is directed out the window. “I just ... I needed the escape. To not be here anymore.”

  “Dan ...” I place my hand on her knee and squeeze.

  “Yeah. I know. Stupid, huh?” She looks at me out from under her eyelashes.

  “Not stupid.” I shake my head. “Just ... you mean so much to all of us. Don’t write yourself off.”

  She shrugs, and looks at her hands that twist over themselves in her lap. “Sometimes I just feel worthless. It’s stupid, I know.”

  “If you want to feel desired, all you have to do is look at Zy.”

  “He doesn’t like me like that! I don’t know how many times I have to tell you ...” She pauses, and then sucks in a deep breath, whooshing it out in one go. “Anyway, I promise I’m done. I was just dabbling. It’s fine. Nothing to worry about.” She offers up a sweet smile.

  And for now, I decide to take it.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  When you suspect your sister is on drugs, every minute detail becomes mega. Every jaw clench, every finger twitch, every lingering touch on your skin.

  Even the speed with which she stuffs brochures into bags comes under suspicion.

  “Relax, Ellie.” Dani smiles and rolls her eyes at me. “I promise I’m clean.”

  My jaw drops. “How did you know what I—”

  She leans forward and touches my temple, right beside my left eye. “Here.” Then she points to my jaw. “And here. You’re an open book, Sis.”

  I shrug and pick up another flyer for Cancer Australia and place it in yet another bag. “I just worry.”

  “It’s not like I’m an addict.” Dani smiles. She pauses and takes one of the mint lollies that was supposed to go in the bag, unwrapping it and popping it between her lips instead. “You know how much Mum pays for this, and I don’t have an extra job, like you. She only gives us enough money to get by without embarrassing her.”

  “You’re right.” One side of my lips raises in a smile. “Neither of us earn enough to support a full-blown drug habit.”

  For some reason, the thought comforts me, until I remember my current predicament. Colin. Work. Just another thing to add to my li
st of reasons to stress.

  The door pushes open and Mum breezes in. Her shoes click against the tiled floor. “My little worker bees, getting things done.”

  “Ellie ate a lolly,” Dani says.

  I glare at her. “What are you? Twelve?”

  Mother levels me with her gaze. “Ellie, did you really?”

  I roll my eyes. “For the record, no. But I ... I kind of want to talk to you about something.” I pause and look at Dani. Her face is white as the tiled floor beneath us. “Actually, I want to talk to you both.”

  “Ellie ...” Dani warns. Mum sits on the white chair between us, folding her long tanned legs.

  Dani’s knuckles whiten as she grabs her knees. Her eyes plead with mine to give her a chance.

  It’s either the stupidest or the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but I take it. I give her what she’s asking for.

  “It’s about Colin.”

  “Colin?” Mum frowns. “What about him?”

  “I think he’s been ... well, this sounds weird.” I shift my weight from one leg to the other. “I think he’s been hitting on me.”

  Silence.

  Then Dani’s laugh is so loud, it echoes around the room. She’s borderline hysterical. “You think ... you think ...” She clutches at her chest.

  I frown, and press my lips together. “What’s so funny?”

  Mum laughs too. My stomach twists and I bite my lip. Maybe I overreacted. Maybe he didn’t—

  No.

  He did.

  “Ellie, Colin is a forty-something man who has a wife,” Dani says through her mirth. “Trust me, you’re a babe, but he is so not interested.”

  “He touched my breasts!” I say.

  That shuts them up. Mum’s lips part, her frown drawn thick between her eyes. “He touched you?”

  “Well, he says it was an accident. It was coming out of a hug. Like this.” I lean forward and show them what I mean on Dani.

  “Seriously, that’s nothing. It was probably an accident,” she says, and Mum nods along.

  “That’s hardly assault, darling.” She pushes up to her feet. “Now that you’ve finished with your little story, I’m going to get back to it.”

  “I’m going to quit.”

  She stops walking and turns back to me. Cold brown eyes narrow, and I shrink into myself. I might have learned to stand up to Colin, but fighting your family is an entirely different matter.

  “You will not accuse my longest friend of sexual misconduct.” I lean forward to hear her hiss. “You can quit; get another job; so long as you’re supporting yourself, I don’t care. But do not test me on this, Eleanor.”

  The echo of her heels leaving the room throbs through me.

  As Dani and I continue to stuff paper into bags, self-doubt races through me. When your family doesn’t believe you, what hope is left?

  ***

  “Another day, another dollar.” Hope brushes some imaginary dust from the lapel of my blazer.

  “Thanks again for meeting me here, and bringing me this,” I say, gesturing to the white flowing skirt and navy top I’m wearing. I didn’t have time to make it home to change in between setting up and the event itself.

  I glance up at the well-lit venue in front of us. It’s a bar in the heart of the city full of warm yellow light. The hum of voices filters out onto the pavement, as do the unmistakeable sounds of a swing band. Glasses chirrup against each other in gestures of salute, and the sound of laughter travels out to us.

  “It’s the least I can do.” Hope interrupts my thoughts. “After that stunt a few nights ago with Colin ...”

  “Don’t worry about it.” I shrug her off. If only she knew the half of it. “It’s nothing major. Nothing I can’t handle. And besides ... I guess it at least proved to me one thing. That Joel really is interested.”

  “Ha!” Hope snorts. “As if there was ever any doubt.” She links her arm through mine, and gestures toward the brick building ahead. “Now come on.”

  I follow Hope’s lead. Her black bodycon dress hugs her figure, and her steps are tinier than the ones my white tutu-style number allows me to make. We walk up to the bouncer and the bored-looking girl at the door.

  “Names?” she asks, her gaze not straying from her clipboard.

  “Ellie Mayfield plus one. I was here a few hours ago, setting up.”

  The girl scans her list then draws a big tick next to my name.

  “Head on in.” She gestures to the room behind her.

  “Thanks.”

  Hope and I walk into the room and beeline for the champagne glasses that are doing the rounds. As soon as we have them in hand, my shoulders relax. It’s only a two-hour event, after all. How bad can it be?

  “So, things are going well with Joel, right?” she asks. Two guys walk by us with bodies that look sculpted to perfection under their streamlined suits. Hope’s eyes follow them like a kid in a candy store.

  “Yeah.” I smile, a glow warming my insides at the thought. “Despite a situation with Dani, and Colin’s interruption the other night, things ... things are great.”

  “You should have invited him here.”

  “No, he had some work thing on.” I shrug. “We might meet at the beach later, though.”

  “Oh, moonlight beach walk. How romantic!” Hope smiles, a mischievous glint to her eyes. “So what does Mr Sex On A Stick do?”

  “I don’t actually know,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “He’s a student and he said he does work for some corporation in the city?”

  “Cool,” Hope says, nodding. “He—”

  “You’re dressed appropriately.” Mother’s voice sparkles as she approaches our duo. She’s glamorous as always in a beige pantsuit, her red lips perfectly painted on.

  “Let the air kisses commence.” Hope quietly giggles, and I shoot her a mischievous smile.

  “Your sister changed early and is over there. Go talk to her, please.” Mother points to a corner of the room where a group of suits are clustered. Of course. It makes perfect sense that Dani is in the centre of them.

  Mother leans closer, and hisses in my ear, “And make sure you drop all talk of this Colin nonsense.”

  “On it.” I smile my plastic smile, and place my empty glass on a passing waiter’s tray. My family has no faith in me. How can I smile and be on display here for the next two hours?

  At least, at the end there’s Joel, I tell myself. My reward. My escape from all this madness.

  My phone vibrates in my purse, and I rifle through and bring it out.

  Joel: What’s long and hard?

  I bite my lip to stop from laughing and tap out a quick response.

  Ellie: I don’t know, Joel. I hope whatever it is, though, that it also has mad skills.

  I pocket the cell, but as soon as it’s safe inside my purse it vibrates, and I pull it out again.

  Joel: The time we spend apart. What did you think I was talking about?

  I snort as Hope and I walk through the crowd. When we reach my sister, Dani does the standard air kiss to both Hope and myself before introducing us to her fans. “Hope, Ellie, this is everybody. Everybody, this is Hope and Ellie.”

  A bevy of hi and hellos greet us, and I smile politely and nod to the circle of well-dressed guys and girls surrounding her. It’s a far cry from the man she met in the parking lot only two nights ago.

  “So what do you two do for a living?” one of the guys asks. “Are you a student, like your sister?”

  “I’m just a slave to the Mayfield empire.” Plastic smile. Just keep swimming.

  The group continues to chat, and Dani seems to keep her drinking in check. I’m just finished my third glass of wine when the microphone crackles, indicating it’s time for the speeches. We all turn and shuffle toward the makeshift stage someone has erected in the back of the room, next to the bar.

  “Thank you all so much for joining us tonight, ladies and gentlemen,” the emcee, a man who looks to be in his mid-t
hirties, announces. “I’m Jim Doherty, and I’m from Cancer Australia, and I just wanted to thank you all so much for coming and donating your time, and of course, your money, to this very worthy cause.”

  “Should we sneak out?” Hope whispers, and I bite my lip and nod. Maybe I can even catch up with Joel early. Call on him at his mysterious place-of-work.

  We push our way through the crowd, heads down, trying to avoid obvious detection. We’re right at the front door when it happens. I look up to apologise to the tall man I need to push my way around and am greeted with a very familiar set of eyes. A very familiar face.

  “H ... hi,” I say to Mr Henley. I tilt my head. What the hell is he doing here?

  He frowns as he looks down at me. “Ellie. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “It’s a surprise to see you too.”

  Time slows down. Every detail is amplified. The clink of champagne glasses. The scent of perfume. The rushing of blood in my ears.

  There are a million reasons Henry could be here. He’s not short of money. He could be a benefactor. He could know the owner of the bar.

  But one reason makes all too much sense. It puts together hundreds of little clues that have niggled at me since Joel came back into my life.

  One reason chokes me with fear.

  “I can’t,” I say, shaking my head. I push past him, heading toward the door, Hope hot on my heels.

  The emcee announces his special guest speaker.

  I trip, smashing into a waiter.

  Glasses crash to the floor, and the strong smell of wine filters through the space. Liquid splashes up my legs. Every head in the room turns to look at me, but I don’t see them.

  I only see Joel, standing on stage.

  The special guest.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Silence cloaks the room. All eyes are on the stage. On the man I’m falling in love with all over again.

  My jaw is somewhere near my stiletto-shod feet.

  “I ...” Joel starts to speak, then closes his mouth. It’s as if he can’t find the words, and all I’m wondering is why the hell is he up there and what kind of job is this?

  But somewhere inside me, I already know. It’s in the weight of my heart that suddenly feels like a dumbbell as it thuds around my chest.