Somewhere Between Water and Sky (Shattered Things #2) (29 page)

“
Who needs who now, huh?
”

And she loops her arm in mine, and we make our way down the stairs and out into the sunlit street as the night lamps turn off above us.

Chapter Fifteen

About ten minutes into the bus ride, Jessa decides to reroute and grab her car.

“
It
’
s not that much longer of a wait, we
’
re already here, and it will save me a trip later which will save
you
a trip later since you
’
ll be with me.
”

I raise an eyebrow.
“
Oh I will?
”

“
You will.
”

We get to the bus stop right around the corner from Ren
’
s apartment and walk the rest of the way as the city wakes up around us. We pass the spot we found the dance crew the night before and I smile. Before I can stop myself I
’
m whispering lines underneath my breath, dropping cadence with my feet as I walk.

“
Bones crack against the rhythm of your memory / who knew the feeling of a beat / within my veins / would be the thing to get you out of me.
”

Jessa pauses and looks at me.

“
Damn. I like that. Is it a song? Who wrote it?
”

The smile spreads across my face.

“
It
’
s a poem. I wrote it. Just now
—
remembering the roaming dance party last night.
”

Her lips form an O and she widens her eyes.

“
That
’
s the first time you
’
ve shared poetry with me.
”

I nod and she grabs my wrist.

“
Stephanie.
Stephanie.
We really are besties!
”

I roll my eyes.
“
Okay stop. You ruined it. None of that
…”

She hides a smile.

“
Do you want to be blood sisters next? I have a needle
…
.
”
She sticks her hands in the pocket of her golden pants and I shake my head, laughing.

“
Ohmygod.
Stop.
Ridiculous. I
’
m never sharing a poem again.
”

She keeps walking, both of her hands now tucked into her pockets. She
’
s slightly in front of me and only now am I seeing just how high her stiletto heels reach. She
’
s practically walking on her tip-toes. And not falling. She turns her head and winks at me and I throw my hands up in the air.

“
How the hell are you not falling on your ass right now?
”

“
Practice. You
’
ll learn. And you
’
ll share more poems with me too. It
’
s what best friends do.
”

She points to a parking lot on our left and we cross the street, walking to her car. When we get inside she closes her eyes and rests her head on the seat behind her.

“
Just a little nap?
”

I slap her thigh.
“
No. No. Wake up. You fall asleep and we
’
ll be here for hours. Let
’
s go. King-size hotel bed with crisp linens await you.
”

She jerks her head up and nods.

“
Yes. That
’
s right. King size.
”
And she turns the ignition.

.::.

We see the flashing lights as soon as we turn on the street for my hotel.

“
Shit.
”
Jessa mutters under her breath. She looks at me and I squint to get a better view.

“
Maybe there was an accident in front of the hotel. Maybe they aren
’
t actually
at
the hotel,
”
I offer. But I know better. I know my luck. And with my dad just hours away from scratching a menacing message in the sand, I have a gut feeling he
’
s got something up his sleeve.

When we pull in to the parking lot and see the roundabout blocked with cop cars, I groan.

Jessa
’
s phone rings and she answers it.
“
Yeah. We see them.
”
She glances at me and nudges the phone toward me.

“
It
’
s Kevin.
”

I widen my eyes.

She answers with a pinch of her lips.
“
Relax. He
’
s calling from Ren
’
s phone.
”
She shakes her hand and I grab the phone from her, placing it against my ear.

“
Hello?
”

Kevin
’
s voice breaks through and I roll my eyes at the butterflies careening against my ribcage.

“
Steph. Wait for me, okay? Don
’
t go in there alone
…”

I laugh and scratch at my neck, feeling antsy.

“
Wait for you? Kevin
…
I shouldn
’
t have to
wait
for you
…”

He interrupts me.

“
Stephanie. You don
’
t understand. Jude
’
s been tracking your dad and
…”

I sigh.

“
I don
’
t
…
you don
’
t
…”
I can feel the pressure rising in my chest and I swallow it down before I explode. I turn my voice to a whisper.

“
I am not your fucking job anymore. Got it? Hitch a ride with Ren. Show up places where you know I will be
—
do whatever you need to do to satiate that conscience of yours.
But leave me alone.
God. I can
’
t
…”

The words for my frustration leave me and so I just hang up the phone and motion for Jessa to take it.

She raises an eyebrow.

“
Everything okay?
”

“
It
’
s fine. Let
’
s just go. Get this over with.
”
I unbuckle my seatbelt and lean forward to open the door. Jessa grabs my wrist.

“
Steph
…
are you sure?
”

I turn and look at her.

“
No running, right?
”

She nods slightly, biting her lip.
“
Check yes.
”
She answers. She points to the window.
“
But I don
’
t know if you really have much of a chance right now
…”

I turn and see a uniformed police officer at my side, leaning down and motioning for us to unroll the window. I startle and look closer, noticing that it
’
s Max.

Act casual, Stephanie.

I roll down the window.
“
Hi Max,
”
I choke.
“
Long time no see.
”

He wrinkles his nose and pushes up his sunglasses before placing both hands on his hips, pushing back his jacket to where his gun shows. I hide a smile.

All he needs is a porn-stache to round out this look.

“
We had an anonymous tip about some illegal activity going on in this hotel. When we checked the records, the claim was attached to your hotel room, Stephanie.
”
He looks down on me over the top of his sunglasses.
“
Would you know anything about this?
”

I mimic him and point to myself.

“
Wait. Me?
”
I arch an eyebrow and shake my head.
“
I
’
ve done nothing.
”

He looks toward the hotel for a second before leaning his elbows against the window sill. I shift my weight to my left hip and try making eye contact.

It lasts for about two seconds before I puff out my cheeks in frustration. He
’
s not saying anything, just watching us.

I shoot a glance to Jessa who is studying her fingernails.

Well this is a heavy dose of awkward.

I twist my hands palm up.

“
Soooo
…
.
”

Max looks at me.
“
You really have no idea?
”

I widen my eyes and shrug.
“
Aside from the extra lime I stole from the hamburger joint last week, I literally have no idea what I could be charged with
…”

He grabs his notepad out of his back pocket and flips open to a page in the middle.

“
Aiding and abetting known criminals and engaging in prostitution.
”
He shuts his notepad and glances at me, chewing the inside of his cheek.

I will always find you. You bitch. I will always find you.

My dad
’
s voice begins to echo louder and louder and louder and I close my eyes and open them, hoping for some type of relief. It doesn
’
t help much.

Suddenly all I see are hands.

Max
’
s hands, shoving themselves in their respective pockets.

Jessa
’
s hands, now strangling the steering wheel, turning white at the knuckles.

My hand, up against my chin, my fingers strumming my lips like a guitar. The other hand is underneath my thigh, the shaking invisible to prying eyes.

And in my mind, the hands of what seems like a hundred men, grabbing pieces of me that don
’
t exist anymore.

Max shifts his weight and squints at the surrounding cars in the parking lot and then back down to me.

“
Well? Do you have anything to say?
”

I stare at him for a second too long. He shakes his head.

“
Stephanie
…”

Static fills his radio and a man
’
s voice interrupts what I imagine was going to be a not-so glamorous conversation.

“
We have a situation we think you
’
d be interested in, sir.
”

I frown and look at Jessa.

Max listens to the codes given and points his finger at me.
“
Stay here,
”
he orders as he turns and runs back toward the hotel.

Jessa and I look at each other again.

“
I
’
m not staying.
”

She shakes her head.

“
Yeah, eff that. Let
’
s go.
”

I pause mid-reach for the door handle and laugh.

“
Um. Since when we are we censoring ourselves?
”

She shakes her head and points toward Max
’
s retreating figure.

“
Since he scared the hell out of me by appearing out of nowhere. He fucking took all my words from my mouth. Just
…”
She makes a sweeping motion with her hands up her chest and under her mouth.
“
Just gone. All of them.
”

She holds her hands out in front of her and I notice the tremor.
“
Jesus. I
’
m still shaking.
”
She presses her hands against her legs and closes her eyes, breathing deep before turning to look at me.