When he finally appeared, James’s wet hair looked darker than normal and he’d yet to shave. She wished she could reach through the screen and smooth the coarse hairs on his chin.
His smile was tired. “Hey, beautiful. It’s nice to see your smiling face.”
“You’re late. Rough day? Or did my other boyfriend not want to sleep?”
James rubbed a hand over the bridge of his nose. “Both.”
Worried lines crinkled his forehead, and when he rolled his shoulders, Joni knew something else was wrong. “What?”
“I don’t know how to tell you or what to do. Isaac was so excited. He wants to keep her.”
Joni sucked in a breath and straightened. “Keep who?”
“Maybe I’d better show you.” The picture blurred, and then the hotel room refocused. Kathy’s heavy eye-makeup smeared down her cheek, but it couldn’t hide the green and yellow bruises covering her face.
“Is she dead?”
James huffed. “I wish.”
“How can you say that about Isaac’s mother? What happened to her?” And why is she in your hotel room? The unspoken question lingered.
“I don’t know. Bad drug deal? Boyfriend roughed her up? It could be a lot of things.”
The screen refocused again. James propped his head in his hand. “What do I do? I can’t take off work until Thursday for our date, and I can’t put her out on the street. Joni…”
She covered her lens with a finger and composed her features. Isaac stirred on the bed behind James. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she removed her finger. “You don’t have to explain.” She tried to smile. “You and Kathy have a child, and I won’t come between you.”
“No, it’s not like that. Isaac’s babysitter said she showed up early this afternoon and crashed.” James blew out a breath and ran a hand threw his hair. “I haven’t talked to her.”
“Why didn’t you wake her up?”
His stiff, straight lips twitched, and then the corners turned up. The smile sparkled in his eyes, and he looked like his old self again. “That’s what I love about you most, your innocence. I can’t wake her. It could be days before she is coherent again.”
Joni didn’t speak for fear of showing her ignorance. She waited for him to explain.
“Meth users cycle: binge, tweak, and crash. Get high, stay high for days, and finally their body shuts down. Bingers and tweakers can’t rest, can’t be still, can’t eat. After they crash, it’s best to let ‘em sleep.” He pointed at the screen. “Stop. Don’t feel sorry for her. Remember Mrs. Dawn, the nice babysitter that let her in here. Three months ago, Kathy hooked up with her husband. I rented the house in Tillman’s Corner to keep her away from the crew.” He grimaced. “One of the wives threatened to kill her.”
“Can’t you talk her into rehab or something?”
“Joni, rehab is a social club. A place users and dealers meet. Three times she’s been in and each time she meets new friends.” James clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. “Remember the night we first met, when I couldn’t find Isaac? She’d left him with a dealer and went partying.”
Joni gasped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shook his head. “That’s not something you say to someone you want to impress.” He winked at her, and then his eyes turned serious. “I don’t want her to come between us.”
“She’s Isaac’s mother.”
His expression hardened. “She’s only here because she’s out of money or out of drugs. Probably both. I told you because she’ll start trouble as soon as she’s sober. Whatever she says, don’t believe her. As soon as she wakes up, she’s gone. I swear.”
Was he telling the truth? James stole her breath, yet and still she was in his hotel room. Would he sleep with Isaac? Or Kathy?
Joni may be gullible, but she wasn’t stupid. “I’m sorry, but as long as she’s there…I can’t talk to you.” Trembling fingers ended the call.
Chapter Seven
Joni ignored the texts and calls, but his video message on the second day pierced her heart. Isaac and James waved an exuberant hello. James’s tired eyes beckoned her and his whiskers were thicker than usual. “Joni, we miss you. Message us tonight. We’ll be waiting.”
While her laptop booted, she dashed into the bathroom and washed her face. Pausing to peek in her dresser mirror, she applied lip gloss and brushed her hair.
Kathy answered Joni’s request. The evil smirk warned of trouble. “James is in the shower, but I’ll be sure to tell him you called.”
Isaac leapt on the bed behind Kathy and jumped up and down. “Hey, Joni. I told Daddy you still liked us. He tried to talk earlier, but Momma woke up and made him say the word you said to never say again. Then he took his beer to take a shower.”
Kathy swatted his legs out from under him. “Sit down, you little brat.”
Tears shimmered in Isaac’s eyes. Joni wanted to reach through the computer and slap Kathy. “Don’t hit him again.”
Kathy whirled around and faced the webcam. “My family is not your concern.”
“I’m her boyfriend, Momma.” Isaac sniffed and resumed his bouncing. “She don’t hurt much, Joni. Me and Daddy are tough guys.”
“Shut up!” Kathy made a vulgar finger jester and the screen went blank.
Joni wanted to weep. How could a mother be cruel to a child as sweet and innocent as Isaac? Did James know how she treated him? How could he allow Kathy to hurt Isaac? Surely he could do something to stop it.
She wiped the dust off her alarm clock and set it for eight. She was new to praying, but she pleaded with the heavens for Isaac’s safety. Wrestling with the uncomfortable pillow, she watched a movie alone.
Stephanie came in and tossed a bottle of water on the end of Joni’s bed. “If you don’t stop crying, you’ll dehydrate.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” Her roommate flashed a rare smile. “If your pity party wakes me up tonight, I’ll smother you with your pillow.”
Joni choked on the water as she thought of James. She silently prayed for peace. Finally, blessed sleep claimed her.
Her phone rang at two a.m. She blinked at James’s number and answered.
“Don’t hang up. I’m in front of the Kappa house. Come outside and talk to me.”
Without a word, she ended the call. Careful not to disturb Stephanie, she crept downstairs in her pajama pants and tank top. So what if she hadn’t brushed her hair?
James pushed off the passenger door of his truck and pulled her tight against him. Despite his warm embrace, she shivered in the cool night.
“Where are your shoes?”
She refused to answer. He opened the door, but she hesitated until the cold air forced her inside the truck.
“Scoot over.” He slid in next to her, leaving the driver’s seat empty, and shut the door.
Joni rubbed her hands in the heat flowing out of the vent. “Where’s Kathy?”
Gentle fingers brushed through her bed-head hair. “Gone. I told you she would try to come between us. Please don’t let that happen.”
Not wanting to be hurt again, she resisted the hands tugging at her waist. Those same hands rubbed away the chill bumps on her upper arms and shoulders.
“You’re freezing.” He shifted and elbowed her back. “Sorry.” His warm jacket swung around her front.
She pulled it against her chest like a blanket and tilted her head toward him. “Thank you.”
His arm stretched across the back of the seat. If the sweet emotion swirling in his eyes hadn’t melted her resolve, his next words would have. “Your pillow misses you.” He patted his shoulder.
The instant her head touched his soft shirt her sobs erupted. Reassuring arms wrapped around her and rubbed her back. Kisses sprinkled against her hair. This was where she wanted to be. This was where she fit. Snuggled against James’s side, lying half atop his chest. She wanted to stay here forever. How could she say goodbye to him and Isaac? She loved the
m both so much.
Reality dried her tears. She loved him? Was that why the thought of Kathy ripped out her heart? With a final sniff, she lifted her head and stared at the grape stain below his collar.
A callused thumb traced her lips. “Joni, I—”
“Where’s Isaac?”
He tucked a wayward strand behind her ear and softly said, “With her.”
Blood rushed through her head, making her dizzy. “No.”
She reached for the handle and shoved. James didn’t budge. “You have to save him. Kathy is mean and hateful.”
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips. “Mrs. Addison promised to look after him. Kathy now has a free babysitter, and I bought her a phone so I can video chat with him every day. I’ll give you the number.”
Joni fell against him and choked on a moan.
“I didn’t have a choice. Mrs. Dawn left her husband after she and Kathy talked. If I lose my job, the judge won’t give me custody. I know it’s not the best solution, but it’s all I can do.”
Joni sniffed against his shirt and inhaled his cologne.
“Shhh.” He reached around her for his phone. “Look, you can see for yourself.”
A few seconds elapsed before Kathy blew smoke into the screen. “What?”
James didn’t hesitate. “Show me Isaac.”
“He’s asleep. Are you gonna call every five minutes? Because I’m tired of all the rules.”
The muscled arm around Joni flexed. “Just do what I said or you’ll be back on the streets before breakfast.”
Joni cringed at the vocabulary coming from the speaker. The screen blurred and Kathy’s movements crackled. Isaac’s bedroom door focused. He flinched when Kathy jerked it open, but sighed in his sleep and rolled over. She slammed the door and glared into the phone. “There. Are you satisfied?”
James turned to Joni. “See. He’s fine.”
“Joni.” Kathy yelled and cussed a blue streak before the call disconnected.
James’s chest rumbled with laughter. “I don’t think she likes you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” Joni snuggled into him and closed her tired, burning eyes.
A ringtone and James’s deep baritone voice penetrated her dreams. “Hello.” Her pillow shifted. “Yeah, sorry. I fell asleep outside Joni’s sorority house.”
A male voice blared through the earpiece. “You’re in Mobile? Dude, it’s almost six.” She opened her eyes as the voice continued his tirade. “Cecil’s gonna have a conniption.”
James’s warm lips nudged her fully awake. She stretched and then snuggled into his shoulder.
He winked at her but spoke into the phone. “Cover for me. I’ll be there after lunch.”
~~~
From his expression during their video chat, Joni guessed her date tonight with Trent was killing James.
“You look beautiful. Wish I was there with you.” Because he missed half a day’s work driving back from Mobile, he couldn’t take off like they’d planned. His fingers drummed on the small table in front of him. He bit his lip and gave a pitiful, sad smile. “Call me when you get home.” One hand trailed down his face. “Or not.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “I mean, I trust you. I do. I really do.”
Joni giggled at his apparent nervousness. “James. I’ll call. Stop worrying.” She blew him a kiss and severed the connection.
The night wasn’t as bad as she anticipated. Despite the fact he was a little clingy and his hand loved to trail off her back, Trent acted courteous. The more he drank, the easier it became to avoid his groping. Around midnight, a drunk blonde stepped in between them and plastered her body against Trent’s. Joni watched them disappear up the stairs and sighed with relief. She was tempted to wait a few hours before calling James to show him how it felt to wonder and worry, like she had when he was with Kathy, but Joni was too scared to walk alone in the dark. He answered her call before it rang and insisted on escorting her home.
The next morning, after she returned from Dr. Birchman’s lecture, Trent waited in the common room. The look on his red face didn’t put him in a good mood. “I don’t appreciate you running off last night.”
Joni inspected her fingernails and stepped into the room, keeping the settee between them. “I didn’t run off. You went upstairs. I went home.”
He crossed the room in two strides. “You tricked me into thinking she was you.”
She sidestepped and took refuge in the flowered wingback chair. “You were that drunk?” His glare answered her question. “Did you seriously expect me to hook up with you? I don’t do stuff like that.”
Beefy fists swung loose at his sides until he towered over her. “You did with James.”
She gripped the chair’s arms to hide her trembling hands. “He’s different.”
“How? Did he tell you he loved you? That you were the only girl for him? Did you believe him?” She turned her face away from his rancid breath. “What a joke. He lives with someone else and their kid. Why would he want Little Miss Virgin when Kathy sleeps in his bed?”
Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let Trent see how his words hurt her. Thankfully, Candace walked in the door holding a beautiful bouquet of fuchsia roses. Green ivy trailed down a slender glass vase. “Roses for Joni.” Trent rose to his full height. “Oh. You’re here. I highly approve. These are beautiful.”
The shock on Trent’s face denied him as the sender.
Pulse racing, Joni hurried to the doorway and inhaled the sweetest perfume. The arrangement weighed more than she thought and she gripped it with both hands. On the way to the sofa the velvet petals caressed her cheek.
“Who sent my girl flowers?”
James. She hoped. The flowers and Candace’s presence gave Joni the courage to speak out. “I’m not your girl and thank God last night ended the big brother thing.”
Candace posed in the entryway and a half a dozen sisters peeked over her shoulder. “They’re not from Trent? Then who sent them?”
Joni lied. “I have no idea.”
“Duh, read the tag.” Stephanie ducked under Candace’s arm and strode into the room.
Holding her breath, Joni searched through the foliage for a card. Her heart thundered in her chest as she read it silently. Heat stole up her cheeks as she bit back a squeal.
Stephanie plucked the card from her hand. “Sorry about last night. Wished I could’ve been there. Dreaming of you always. James.”
“Oh girl.” Monica snapped her fingers in quick succession. “I gotta get a man like that.”
“You know it, Sista.” Stephanie and Monica high-fived and bumped hips down the hall. Their giggles faded with each step.
Joni replaced the card while holding the vase with one hand. She couldn’t wait to tell James how beautiful they were.
A hairy fist snatched the card, shredding the delicate baby’s breath.
“Stop it!” Joni reached for the vase now held over Trent’s head.
His palm shoved against her chest. A collective gasp came from the doorway as Joni hit the floor. She shuddered as Trent crushed the delicate petals. She surged to her feet. “Give me back my roses!”
Trent froze. “You want him? Catch.” The arrangement sailed through the air. Joni ducked but the vase clipped the corner of her left eyebrow. Glass shattered on the floor around her.
Tears blurred her vision as she slid to her knees beside the mangled roses. Someone pressed a napkin against her temple. Warm liquid oozed down the side of her face. Blood?
“He’s gone.” Stephanie swept Joni’s hair behind her ear and dabbed at the cut. “You need stitches, and then you are filing assault charges.”
“Stitches?” Joni cried out as searing pain sliced through her head. “Is it bad?”
“Don’t be such a diva.” Candace posed in the doorway. “You shouldn’t have provoked him.” She flounced out the door.
Hours later, Joni rummaged around her mother’s cabinets for a vase to hold James’s roses. She’d ref
used to go to the campus clinic before salvaging them. She touched the bandage on her temple. Thankfully the special surgical glue would prevent scarring. With her parents out of town, her afternoon move back home went unquestioned. Now, all she had to do was prevent James from seeing her face during their nightly chat scheduled in thirty minutes.
Back in her room, she rearranged the flowers and considered covering her webcam. James was smart. He’d wonder why she quit the sorority the night before the Second Degree Ceremony. There was only one thing to do. She had to tell him the truth.
“Why can’t I see you?” The question wasn’t a surprise. “And what happened to your roses? They look like they’ve been run over by a train.”
She had an answer ready for him “I don’t want you to see my ugliness.”
He frowned on the screen. “You’re beautiful and you’re scaring me. Quit hiding behind the fern things.”
She giggled at his description of the foliage, but winced from the pain her sudden facial movements caused.
“Joni?” He leaned close. “Where are you?”
“I quit Kappa.”
He fell back in his chair and sighed. His eyes popped open. “Why?”
“Well…”
Sitting straight, he rubbed his unshaven chin.
She sucked in a breath and blurted. “Trent didn’t like your roses.”
His jaw clenched. “I want to see you. Move the vase.”
She searched for a way to stall him. Maybe telling the truth wasn’t such a good idea. “Promise you’ll still think I’m beautiful?”
His smile was a tight line. “Promise.”
Joni lifted the roses and set them on the dresser behind her. James’s breath hitched as she looked into the screen. After adding concealer, she didn’t think the bruise looked that bad. His expression made her rethink her makeup skills.
His groan broke the suspended silence. “Sweep back your hair.”
She tucked her hair behind her left ear. The words exploding from James’s mouth made her cringe. Steel entered into his eyes and his jaw throbbed.
She had never witnessed this side of him. She knew he’d be angry, but rage simmered in his eyes. “The nurse said it wouldn’t scar, but if it does, my eyebrow should hide the worst of it.”