Truth or Lies?

by A. Gomez

  The elevator doors opened and David stepped out. “Oh, hey, Isabel, I was just coming up to fill you in on your friend.” He didn’t bother to look at Josh, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and leading me to my office. He was talking low so only I could hear. I glanced back at Josh; his look was intimidating, angry almost, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, as if he were ready for some sort of fight.

  Once we were in my office, David released me from his grip and turned me around so he could look at me. He tucked a stray hair behind my ear. I could hear Josh shift uncomfortably.

  “Do you have any questions for me so far?” David said, sounding arrogant.

  “Um…yeah. Can you repeat everything you just said? I don’t think I got any of that. My mind was somewhere else.”

  Josh snickered, covering his mouth as if he were coughing.

  “Actually, David,” I said, changing my mind. “Why don’t you take us down there to see her,” I insisted. “I’d really like to see her. I know you said she’s in ICU and you’re Dr. David Summers…I know you can make that happen for me.”

  We stared at one another for a few seconds. It almost felt like we were playing chicken—who would give in first?

  “Sure, I can do that,” he said with annoyance. We all headed toward the ICU.

  Josh held my hand as we walked to the elevators, probably for David’s benefit. I decided to squeeze his hand a couple times like before but this time he just turned to me and grinned, not surprised by it at all. There now, moodiness all gone. I gave him a playful smile. David saw our exchange and furrowed his eyebrows. I didn’t understand why this would bother him since he didn’t want to be with me; moreover, he had nurse Ginger spreading her legs for him. Something he had wanted from me but I wouldn’t give, hence slutty nurse.

  The elevator was crowded but we got in regardless. I got in first and David followed, not letting Josh go before him. This put David’s body that much closer to mine since he had to make room for Josh. We literally jammed ourselves in. Josh walked in, his expression unreadable and his eyes glued on David. The elevator stopped again and the doors opened. David placed his hands on my waist and gently maneuvered me further back toward the wall. Everyone shifted and Josh was now separated from us with two people in between David and himself. David practically hugged me and began to bury his nose in my hair. I will admit, I absolutely loved this, being in between David’s arms. I closed my eyes and inhaled his cologne. I essentially ran my nose across his collarbone. There had been so many instances I lost sleep over this man and almost gave in to him. I’d always wanted him but he wasn’t willing to understand or be patient. I felt his hot breath in my hair which snapped me out of my reverie, and I opened my eyes to see I’d placed my hands on his arms as if we were taking a prom photo. David gave me a sardonic grin. If I were not well aware that David was only using me to irritate Josh, I would have some hope, but unfortunately, he was. My eyes darted to Josh—his face looked pained. Well, I wasn’t expecting that.

  The elevator doors finally opened on the first floor. Everyone exited; Josh was already out waiting for us. David kept his hand on the small of my back as we walked out, again for Josh’s benefit. If David wasn’t careful, he was going to get punched and it wouldn’t be by Josh. We headed to the ICU in silence. No one was trying to hold my hand or help me along by wrapping his arm around my waist. We walked into Jill’s room and I gasped at the sight. She was connected to so many machines, all beeping loudly, and they still had her intubated. Stevens was sitting next to her bed in a bloodstained undershirt with his left arm in a sling. He started to stand up but Josh gently pushed him back down in the chair, patting his back and nodding his head in affirmation as if to let him know it was okay to just rest.

  “David?” was all I could muster.

  “She’s going to be fine,” he answered. “They tried to stab her in the heart but missed it by a mile. She lost a lot of blood but thanks to our last blood drive we have plenty to give her. A piece of the weapon that was used broke off and was lodged in her chest, but Dr. Rodriguez was able to get everything out. They want to keep her in a sedated state for today to make sure everything goes well with her. They’re worried about infection now. Plus, being like this will keep her more comfortable for a bit longer.”

  “Thank you, David.” I didn’t take my eyes off of Jill. “Could you please give us a minute?”

  “Of course. I’ll go check on a few patients while I’m down here and come back once I’m done.”

  I waited for him to leave and be out of earshot. Once I knew the coast was clear and he was gone, I started crying. I couldn’t help myself. Stupid tears! Damn female emotions! I was trying to control myself but it just made me cry harder. Josh came to my side and hugged me tight against his chest. He kissed the top of my head. This was entirely my fault. Josh was right; I didn’t know how to communicate. I could’ve prevented this.

  “Stevens,” I said sobbing, “I’m…so…very…sorry! This is my fault; I should’ve gone to Josh with my theory. He could’ve talked to you and you could’ve been prepared. Look what I did to my dear friend,” I said through my sobs. “It should be me in that bed.”

  “Dr. Langley, this isn’t your fault. Please don’t think that for one second.” Stevens stood up; I think I was getting him a bit too agitated. “I’m fine, really, and Jill is going to be just fine.”

  I didn’t entirely believe that but I had to get a hold of myself before David walked back in. I didn’t want to have to deal with him trying to console me.

  “Hey, baby, you’re starting to scare the other patients and their families.” Josh was still holding me, his voice soothing. “We can come back later today or tomorrow when you’re feeling up to it.”

  I buried my face in his chest, giggling. “You’re not funny, Josh, but I agree. Let’s go before David comes back.”

  He kissed my forehead, handing me tissues to wipe my tears. I was grateful for him at that moment. I was grateful he was there with me and I was grateful he could make me laugh.

  “Oh, Josh, I’m sorry! I just made a mess of your handsome blue dress shirt.” I had left a giant wet spot in the middle of his chest from all my tears and mucus. “Please let me take care of that for you when we get to my house. My mama didn’t raise no hick.”

  They both guffawed loudly, catching me by surprise. I looked at them perplexed.

  “Jill’s right, your twang does come out at the most unexpected moments,” Stevens exclaimed through his laughter. “And your expressions…”

  Their laughter was infectious; I ended up laughing with them. Stevens promised he would call or text Josh with any changes. We said our goodbyes; I took one last look at Jill, holding her hand, guilt and regret running through me, and then we headed to the elevators in a rush. I suspected Josh wanted to avoid David just as much as I did, so I tried to keep up with him regardless of my heels. At the elevators, I saw Ginger again but this time she was arguing with David. Hm, I hoped it wasn’t about me because I was not in the mood for girl drama.

  “Let’s go home Josh,” I suggested. “It’s Friday and I’m useless here.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing. Also, you forgot about Samson today. Didn’t you tell me you sometimes go home in the middle of the day and let him out?”

  “Crap! You’re right! My poor Sammy Bear. Just let me pack up; I’ll hurry.”

  We got to my office and I shoved whatever files and books were on my desk into my bag and was set to go. Like a gentleman, he took my bag for me and we started for the elevators. I caught a glimpse of David and suggested we take the stairs. Josh saw David and agreed. I told him I didn’t get enough exercise in heels as it was. He chuckled.

  We made it to his truck without incident. I felt relieved I didn’t have to drive or take public transportation after the day I’d had. I started to relax. We climbed in and he brought the truck to life. It sounded so absurdly loud in the parking garage, roaring like a monster. I wondered if we
’d frightened anyone.

  Josh was quiet. I could sense something was on his mind but he didn’t want to spit it out. Was he the type to speak his mind or was he like my brothers, where I had to pull teeth just to get them to talk? The awkward silence was bothering me a little too much. I eyed him, appraising. He looked at me with curiosity.

  “Spit it out, Rockwall. I know something’s on your mind. You can say whatever you want, I’m not the sensitive type.”

  He pondered on that for a hot minute and turned the radio off to talk. “Are you in love with Summers?”

  Shit! He wanted to talk about David. Well, it had to happen, given my behavior in the elevator. I sighed, “No, not anymore. And yes, I once was but that was a long time ago.” I hoped that was enough for him.

  “I see how he looks at you. It’s as if he’s undressing you mentally. I don’t like it.” His grip visibly tensed on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

  “That’s probably because he is,” I said as a matter of fact. Josh whipped his head to look at me, surprised by my response. “He’s only behaving this way for your benefit. Now that he sees you’re in the picture, he’s probably jealous or angry that I may be giving you what he wants.” My voice dropped and I looked out the window.

  “And what does he want?” He asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

  “He wants the same thing you want. The same thing every man wants. Sex. My virginity. He wants to be the first one with me.” I scoffed at the thought. A painful memory surfaced and I shook my head at how stupid and naïve I was. “A couple of years ago, Doctor David had me convinced he loved me. He was kind, loving, attentive and he would tell me he loved me. I wasn’t waiting for a proposal, no; I just wanted to wait a little longer. I wanted a meaningful relationship. I wanted to be sure. But when he finally got it through his head he wasn’t going to get the prize he so coveted, at least not anytime soon, he turned tail and ran. Ran straight in between the legs of nurse Ginger. She hates me for some reason,” I offered. “I don’t know what David has told her or tells her about our past or about me but she positively hates me,” I mused. “So, you see, I absolutely and categorically know what kind of man Dr. David Summers is.” I eyed Josh. He was stone faced, giving away nothing. He was very quiet. His knuckles looked more relaxed.

  “Turned tail and ran,” he repeated, trying out the words, it seemed. “Is that a Southern phrase?”

  “I reckon,” I answered, grinning with my most Texas twang accent. He chuckled. “So, that’s the short version of the story. Did I answer your question? Do you have more?” I half smiled, still uncertain how I felt about David.

  “A virgin, huh? So, how old are you?”

  “I’ll be twenty-five this month. How old are you?”

  He raised his eyebrows, his eyes bulging. “What the what? How did you manage to stay a virgin this long? And you’re so young to be a doctor.”

  I laughed, saying, “It just kind of happened. I didn’t plan it or anything like that, it’s just what happened.” I continued, “And as for having my Ph.D., well, I suppose it’s because I swept through all my schooling early and at an accelerated pace, hence my graduating early and getting into graduate school at a very young age. I’m technically supposed to be an intern at Cook County and still working to complete some clinical hours but the psychology department needed someone bilingual, and Pam and the department were so impressed with my scores and grades they hired me with the condition that I work strictly under Pam while I study to get my license. She has to oversee everything I do and I have to make sure I run everything by her.”

  “Isabel, with your brains, beauty and your virtue still intact, I’m surprised every man in that hospital you work at isn’t beating down your door.”

  “Yeah, me too.” I gave him a wry smile and we both laughed.

  “You didn’t answer me about your age. Are you going to tell me?” I inquired.

  “I just turned twenty-eight this month.”

  “Happy belated birthday!” I said, surprised our birthdays were in the same month. “When was it and how did you celebrate?”

  “It was the day we had our car accident and I didn’t get to celebrate because of everything that has happened since then.”

  “Oh, Josh, I’m sorry! And I was so awful to you on that day! How can I make amends?”

  “Have pizza and beer with me on your sofa again. And we can look for a game on TV. I can’t think of anything better than sharing that with you.” He smiled his boyish grin.

  “Done. But on one condition: we get into our PJs for this,” I said smiling.

  “Duh, is there any other way?” he said, giving me a crooked smile.

  We got to my house with plenty of daylight still out. Josh called Davis to let him know we were approaching. I supposed my house was where Davis disappeared to when he and Stems left the hospital. Oh, and I saw Agent Allison Stems on my porch. So, they were both here? I still couldn’t get used to the fact that I needed protection from some faceless sex traffickers that might want to kill me. But I supposed after seeing Jill in that hospital bed, I should be on my best behavior and listen to Josh. I got my purse and bag and stepped out of the truck and waited for Josh to come around. He looked alert and vigilant, his eyes scanning everything. We got to my house and walked in together. Samson was there, jumping with excitement, ready for his walk. I said hello to Stems before I headed to my study and she casually mentioned they’d already let Samson out back. I thanked her. She just smiled. I dropped everything on my desk and decided to deal with paperwork later. I decided to come back out to the living room and say hello to Davis too since I didn’t see him. When I got there, Josh had already sent them away and was closing and locking the door. Huh, I guessed he wanted to get going with his mini birthday party celebration. I noticed a garment bag and a little suitcase next to the sofa. Those must be the things he needed to get when he left this morning.

  “Hey, why did they leave so soon? I wanted to thank them again for letting Samson out.” I went to look out the window.

  “They have to get ready for tonight,” Josh answered, picking up his bags.

  “Tonight? What, they have dates?” I was getting excited for Davis, especially after our conversation about him not being able to meet too many girls.

  Josh laughed, “No, they have the night shift for watching your house and the perimeter. We have two agents out there now. You just haven’t noticed them.”

  “You mean they’re outside in a car just watching me and my house? Have they been there from the beginning of all this?”

  “Well, technically they’re watching us, the house, and the perimeter and they are not in a car. It’s better if you don’t know where they are. And no, they were just assigned to this today due to the circumstances.”

  “I just don’t know how to feel about that,” I declared. “I guess I’d better cancel my booty call for tonight,” I said, winking at him.

  “You’re not funny, Isabel,” he said, his face quickly turning sour.

  I snickered. “I think I am.”

  “Never mind,” he said, irritated. “I’m putting my things in your spare bedroom.

  “Sure thing, I’ll just order the pizza and put the beer in a bucket.” I ordered the pizza online and placed the beer in a bucket full of ice. I took the bucket, paper plates and napkins to the living room and arranged everything just so. Josh was lighting the fireplace.

  “Mmm-hmm, you read my mind,” I said with a smile. “I don’t think I’ve used the fireplace but maybe twice since I’ve lived here. I’m always afraid I’ll fall asleep and forget to turn it off.”

  “I’m here now, baby, and I’ll take care of things.” He gave me that boyish grin I liked.

  “Pizza is on its way,” I told him. “I’m just going to take a quick shower and get into my jammies. I promise I won’t take long. Answer the door when it gets here. In the meantime, why don’t you get comfy too? Okay?” I started toward my bedroom when it hit me�
�was I being too bossy again? I whirled, my hands clasped. He was still standing by the fire. “Oh, Josh! I’m sorry! Was that too bossy? I didn’t mean it if I was. This is supposed to be your birthday celebration and I think I sound like I’m barking orders at you. I’m sorry.”

  He walked over to me, his face gentle, taking my hands and kissing them. “It’s okay, green eyes, I don’t mind. I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me being in your home. Go shower. I’ll get my jammies on too and I’ll meet you back here.” I sighed gratefully.

  I took fifteen minutes in the shower. I always felt pretty calm and relaxed after a hot shower. I put on a cute nighty, nothing revealing or sexy, yet pretty, with my short cashmere robe. I brushed my hair and was putting lotion on my legs when Josh came knocking at my door.

  “I’m in the bathroom. You can come in,” I called out. He walked in, his pajama bottoms hanging off his hips and no shirt on. Oh, my. Mister Adonis left his shirt off on purpose…I was sure of it. My eyes went directly to his six pack and pecs. Looking that good should be a sin. He was standing in the doorway of my bathroom looking irresistible. I was wide-eyed and mesmerized at the sight of him. I drank him in as if I were crazed, dying of thirst. He was telling me something but I just didn’t hear it. I was utterly distracted by his beautiful, muscular build. I wondered if all those gorgeous muscles ran down his legs too? I finished with the lotion and headed out of the bathroom. I sat on my bed, hopelessly trying to focus on whatever he was saying.

  “Isabel, you’re not answering,” he declared.

  “Huh? I’m sorry, can you repeat that? My mind was somewhere else.” That was an understatement.

  “The Chinese Triads. I just received information about the Triads and how there are different kinds. I was hoping you could elaborate and give me more specific information.”

  “Oh, sure, I’ll try my best. Just let me close my drapes right quick,” I said, my Texas accent coming out. I could feel Josh grinning behind me as I walked towards the windows.

  “Does everyone in your family sound like you?” He was sitting on my bed.