Page 42 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
Phoenix leaned back again, seemingly relaxed despite the topic. “You would be surprised, then, by most of our schoolmates. Right, Barrett? Jeremy?”
Jeremy shook his head, but his expression went grim. “I haven’t done it, either, but I’ll admit it happens.”
Barrett met my eyes in the rearview mirror. I wasn’t sure if our driver spoke English, but if he did, I likely picked the wrong topic of conversation. Still, he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, so I guessed he was listening to music in earbuds to give us privacy.
Was that safe? Or safe enough, when it came to their privacy?
I didn’t have a driver’s license, and I didn’t actually know what the rules were for them.
Barrett said, “No one in this family would ever hurt you. We made you doubt us today, though, and it’s too early for us to be messing up like that.” He sighed, the disappointment in his voice directed internally rather than at me.
Phoenix groaned, smacking his hand down on his knee and jerking my attention back to him. “They’re really nice people, Alatheia. I’m not, but then I think you’ve already gotten that impression anyway. Even I don’t make fun of people in the halls, in case you were curious. If anyone gives me a reason to make fun of them, I can ruin their lives in so many other, more interesting ways. That said, I can’t think of any reason you would ever give me to try to bring that kind of vengeance down upon your lovely head.”
Julian swung around again, scowling at his sibling. “Whose life have you ruined?”
We didn’t get an answer since we arrived at our destination. I scanned the area, suddenly curious where they brought me, since I wasn’t paying attention on the drive. I needed to do better, pay more attention in case I needed to find my way home on my own. While we climbed out, I grabbed my phone, openingthe screen with my thumb. It was a burner, but could I download ride share apps on the device? I chewed on my lip as I tried to search stealthily.
I should just ask Phoenix, since he gave it to me. I waited for him to get out of the car, phone still in hand.
“I’ve never had a burner phone before.” In fact even saying it aloud made me feel like I was suddenly in a spy novel or something, so I thinned my lips before waving the phone at him. “Do you know if I can download a rideshare app on this?”
Julian answered before Phoenix could even open his mouth. “That’s not a burner phone. It’s exactly the same as our phones. What did you do, Phoenix, put it on the family plan?”
He shrugged. “Sure. No one will notice, trust me. We have multiple lines available on our plan, so I assigned one to her. When you’re done with her, you can take it off.”
Jeremy sighed. “Ignore him. We aren’t going to be done with you.”
I didn’t argue with him, but I agreed with Phoenix. Even friends who kissed me and told me they wouldn’t humiliate me in the hallway would most likely lose touch with me at some point. Nothing in life lasted, not in my experience. Still, I felt the need to be honest. “I … I don’t know how to thank you for this. I really don’t. And …”
It was harder to find words with them all staring at me as we stood outside the gallery, but I forced my brain to work. “Thank you. I will give it back to you, Phoenix, before I leave for boarding school.” I smacked the phone against my hand as another question occurred to me. “Why did you tell me it was a burner, then?”
“So you would take it.” He shrugged, his wounded gaze meeting my own for a second. Something like fiery hot ice sliced up my spine, making me shiver even as heat flushed my cheeks. “I lie, I told you that. Go inside. I’m meeting my friend, but if youdon’t go inside, Jeremy won’t leave, and he intends to beat up Jo. We don’t need violence on the street. Wouldn’t want to make a scene, would we?”
Jeremy took my hand, his tone unforgiving as he said, “Make better friends, Phoenix.”
I didn’t know Phoenix, but I tilted my head and stared at him for a moment longer. Truthfully, I didn’t know any of them … not really. They really didn’t know me., yet I sometimes convinced myself I did know them, or that I understood their motivations. Maybe it was a reflection of how little I had left in my life, amplifying my feelings until they seemed so important to me despite being little more than strangers. Phoenix just pointed out that they would eventually get rid of me, and I couldn’t debate the hard truth.
Still, I couldn’t leave him alone out there to meet with someone. I wasn’t dumb enough to not realize he likely already used drugs and wanted more. I didn’t interact with people very much, but I watched them, and Phoenix gave off very clear signals. Their shoes told me things most of the time, but I knew other factors told their stories, too. Right then, Phoenix’s eyes said pain, and I didn’t like any of it.
Jeremy held one of my hands, but I had two available. I reached for Phoenix before I could second guess the impulse, despite it being very risky for me. I used to manage to protect my vulnerability better, but somehow the Lent brothers changed that. Aloud, I said, “Come inside with us. Don’t wait out here.”
He stared at me for a long moment, searching my eyes as if looking for answers I was pretty sure I didn’t have. He finally shrugged off my touch. “Thanks, but I’m good out here, trust me on that.”
I quickly glanced at his brothers, hoping they would somehow back me up or something.Aren’t they going to say something?The sounds of the city crowded around me,blaringly loud without them saying anything at all. I nodded.Then that is that, I guessed.What else is there to do?
We stepped through the door, my body stiff as I followed them. Jeremy whispered in my ear, “That was sweet, but Phoenix is going to have to feel motivated enough to leave Jo and the others where they belong before anything we say will matter. Nothing we’ve said or done changes anything while it is his choice. That said, Iwillpunch Jo in the mouth if I see him. Phoenix always warns me when he is coming in the hopes that I will pretend not to notice him purposefully. One day, that’s going to change. Someday, I won’t pretend anymore and I’ll knock him out.”
I might be naïve about a lot of things, but Phoenix seemed easy enough to understand. I looked at Julian, daring him to lie to me. “Is Jo his dealer, then?”
“Yes.” He glanced away before adding, “Phoenix doesn’t deal himself, so far as we know. If that ever changes, maybe I would stop being restrained. I’m not violent, but … anyway. Enough about that. I promised you would see some art. I realize this is Barrett’s friend’s show, but I made the promise.”
The way he looked at me, like he could see into my soul, it made my cheeks heat up. “You did.”
“I keep my promises, as I intend to prove, starting tonight.”
12
“Where are we?” I asked Jeremy, because pretending I knew wouldn’t solve anything. If I ever ended up back in Manhattan for some reason, maybe memorizing the local map would come in handy again. My stomach panged at the thought of leaving the city, and I touched it in surprise. Was I getting attached to Manhattan or to the Lent brothers? I caught my breath, since it wouldn’t matter either way. I couldn’t afford to let either possibility happen, not when my life wasn’t yet my own.
