I was quiet as I moved down the hallway, my Keds quiet on the carpet. I glanced down at my phone and quickly muted it as I moved along the wall towards the living room. It was Erika's boyfriend, I knew that, but his voice was familiar. The cadence was low but more tenor thanbaritone.
"I'm gonna be out of town for a while," he said. "Some stuff came up. I just came to pick up that duffle bag I left over here lasttime."
"Oh, okay, sure." Erika sounded disappointed, but I was so focused on trying to figure out why I knew the man's voice that I didn't hear her coming around the corner until she was already there. "Oh! Jesus, Harlow, you scared me! But I'm glad you're done. JC is here to pick something up and I wanted you to meethim."
She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room and my eyes nearly bulged out of my head. I could tell the exact moment that Joshua Caruso recognized me. He had been standing in the doorway to the dining room, pacing. Once he saw me he edged towards the door, his eyes focused. I stepped further into the room, my eyes on him as I moved closer to the front door as well. My chest rose and fell as my heart raced. Grayson's brother was just like I remembered from the party and resort. He was handsome, his usually brushed-back, blond hair was shaggy though, hanging in strings around hisface.
"Harlow, this is JC. JC this is my best friend." JC, for Joshua Caruso. If Erika noticed the tension, she didn't comment. "Why don't you guys talk while I go grab that bag? Be rightback."
Erika left the room and Grayson's brother moved closer to the front door. A million thoughts raced through my mind. The guys were already on their way back. They hadn't been gone for very long so that meant they hadn't gone very far away before the search had been called off. If I could just keep him here until the guyscame.
"We didn't expect you," I saidquietly.
"I'm sure," he replied quietly, inchingcloser.
I shuffled on my feet, doing the same. If he tried to get out the door, there was no way I could stop him. He was easily twice my size, though still smaller than Grayson despite being the older brother. I hoped that if he saw me in his way, he wouldn't just bowl me over. I couldn't be sure. Hehadbeen violent towards the guys and Grayson, but they were all guys, and they had cornered him. He probably felt like a trapped animal. I crossed the room and propped myself against the table right next to the front door, letting my hands cup around the table edges and loosening my shoulders to appearnonthreatening.
"So, you're the mysterious boyfriend," I started, playing off that I didn't know who he was or who he was related to. "You look familiar, but I can't place you. Have you ever been to theschool?"
"The high school?" heasked.
I smiled. "What other school would I be talkingabout?"
He shrugged, scratching his arm. I glanced down, noting that despite the hot, summertime air outside, he was wearing long sleeves. "Are you cold?" Iasked.
"No," he saidquickly.
"Sick?" Ipushed.
"No."
I looked at the floor, crossing my feet and resting the entirety of my weight against the table. I slid my phone out of my hand onto the table. "Rash?" I guessed, nodding at the scratching. He stoppedimmediately.
"It'snothing."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Do you want me to take a look?" I satup.
"No," he snapped. "I said I'mfine."
Erika popped her head around the corner. "Hey, give me a few more minutes, Baby. I thought I put it in my closet but it's not there. Let me check the laundryroom."
"It doesn't matter," he said, stepping towards the door. I stood upfully.
"No, no, I'll be real quick. If you need it, I don't you to leave here without it and get in trouble." I could have hugged Erika. She didn't even know it, but she washelping.
Josh watched me as she disappeared into the kitchen, heading towards the laundry room by the back door. I tried to think of what else to say. It wasn't until I watched him glance towards Erika as she left that I had an idea. When she was out of hearing range, I relaxed back intoposition.
"So," I began. "How'd you and Erikameet?"
"What does it matter?" He was defensive. I understood that. He didn't know if I recognized him or not and he certainly didn't trustme.
"She and I met on a playground when we were kids," I said. "She was being bullied by this really snooty girl and my brother was too busy hanging out with his friends to notice that I had wandered away. The girl was being mean to her because she said that Erika wasn't good enough to play on the same playground as her." I let a short silence hang in the air before continuing, "Kids can becruel."
"I don't care where she's from," he said. "She's just Erika to me. I care about her. There were other girls before..." he seemed to struggle with something for amoment.
"Other girls?" Ipressed.
"When we were just starting out...just talking you know, I wasn't committed oranything."