Page 38 of Watching Ames

“Just in pots, but nothing huge. I’m in an apartment right now since the business is pretty new. But my dream is to have a huge cut flower garden with some unique flowers that are harder to get from distributors.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon filling up the garden beds with soil and planting our newly-acquired seedlings. Wren was a godsend, knowing exactly how to space everything and helping me choose the best spots in the yard to place the newly-potted blueberry bush and fig tree. While we worked, Dev and Alex put together the patio furniture, and we could occasionally hear their bickering when Dev dropped a wrench on Alex’s foot or when Alex abandoned Dev to do some business inside. By the time we were done planting, the guys were done too, and we officially had patio furniture.

The chaises sat just outside the patio doors, the umbrella set between them. The two loveseats were spaced across from one another around the fire pit, with the singular chairs in between them on either side. It all flowed together perfectly, the silver of the cushions just different enough to differentiate them from the gray patio stone.

“Man, you know what this yard needs? A pool.”

“Don’t start with me, Wren.”

“What! Just imagine…a hot day, we come over to swim. Ames in a bikini…” Alex’s eyebrow twitched at her suggestion, and I pushed them both as I walked by them, saving Alex from promising Wren a pool before the house was even decorated.

We ended up in the kitchen shortly after, prepping ingredients for burgers and sausages on the grill, one of the few pieces of equipment Alex had bought for the patio when he moved in. I laid out the toppings on a plate while Alex made homemade mac and cheese, the smell making me drool before it was even in the oven. We stood in a loose circle around the island as we waited for everything to cook, Alex next to me, his arm at some point snaking around my waist in a casual gesture I didn’t mind, while Dev and Wren stood across from us as she told us customer horror stories.

“Hey asshole,” the sudden voice acted like a record scratch across our conversation, everything trailing off as we took in the newcomer taking quick, angry strides in Alex’s direction. Dev was already in motion, stepping in front of Alex and casually resting a hand on the back of his pants, but Alex whispered something to him and he stood down, stepping just behind Alex while still keeping eyes on who he considered a threat. It was the first time I hadn’t seen a smile on his face, and the hard eyes coupled with his tense muscles painted a much scarier picture than I ever could have expected.

“What the fuck do you want from me, dude? And who the hell are you?”

“Bex?” I finally squeaked out the single word, my sister having caught me so off guard that it came out shaky.

Bex finally took a step back from where she’d been poking Alex in the chest with a fingertip, tilting her head a few inches down to meet my eyes, the anger in them softening into surprise when she saw my face. The surprise turned into confusion when her eyes dipped, tracking where Alex’s arm was wrapped around my waist.

“Ames, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. What are you doing here?”

“This guy here blackmailed me into coming tonight. Sent me the lost evidence from my trial, saying he’d release it if I didn’t show.”

“Alex?”

Alex had the decency to wince at the accusation, his grip on me tightening in the same moment, as if trying to keep me from running.

“Maybe we should move this to the patio? We can sit down and Alex can explain everything?” Wren’s sweet suggestion broke the tension a bit, Dev’s hand finally twitching down from his waist, but Bex stumbled back a step when she noticed Wren standing quietly in the corner.

At Wren’s suggestion, Alex dipped his head in a jerky nod, leading everyone outside to the patio. Arm still around my waist, Alex tugged me into a loveseat next to him as everyone else settled around the fire pit. Dev pulled Wren into the other loveseat with him, while Bex settled into one of the singular armchairs we had bought, looking wary among a trio of strangers. Alex’s hand at my cheek brought my eyes back to him as he whispered, “You trust me, yeah?”

“Of course.”

The immediate answer popped out of my mouth, my gut acting before my brain could step in, but the earnest answer earned me a half smile as Alex tugged on my ear quickly before turning back to the assembled group.

The tense silence was back, everyone’s eyes darting back and forth as they waited for someone to start, and seeing as I was the only one who knew everyone here, I decided to start the introductions.

“Dev, Wren, Alex, this is my sister, Bex. Bex, these are my friends. Alex is, um, XO? My admirer?” I grimaced at having to refer to him that way, and having to do so made me further regret not telling Bex about Alex in the first place. She never knew about our friendship, and her dumbfounded look only made me feel guiltier about how out of the loop I’d left her.

“Nice to meet you,” Wren piped up, her attempt at a friendly greeting diminished by Bex’s frown in her direction.

“Does anyone want to tell me what’s going on? Why are you here, Ames?”

“Um, well. I never told you this before you left, and then you weren’t answering my calls or texts.” Bex flinched at my words, and that reaction loosened some of the tension between us, knowing she regretted at least a portion of our fight. “Alex and I became friends. We met at the concert and then started hanging out together atIronwoodand the studio. I found out later he was my admirer. And now I’m staying with him for a little bit, until my locks are changed.”

“Why do you need your locks changed?”

I looked down at my hands, which were twisted into tight fists in my lap. Alex’s hand reached over, twining his fingers through mine, though his eyes remained on Bex as he watched her reactions. His silent support gave me enough energy to answer the question, voice wavering slightly as I tried to hit the highlights as briefly as possible.

“Peter, he…came to my apartment, drunk. He pushed me against a wall and tried to rape me, telling me I liked it rough because of a book he saw me reading. I was able to fight him off and get out of my apartment, but all I had were my car keys. I didn’t have my phone or wallet or even my shoes and I couldn’t call the police because everyone knows Peter’s father is friends with all the higher-ups on the force in the city and all the counties surrounding us. June was out of town, and I didn’t know where you were. So I came here, to Alex’s house. Peter’s assistant has a key to my apartment so I have to wait until my landlord comes back and changes my locks.”

I shrugged, shoulders relaxing as I felt lighter sharing my story out loud for the first time. It felt like it happened so long ago, but I realized that night, one of the most terrifying of my life, had only been a couple of days ago.

I also realized I hadn’t even said the words out loud to Alex, assuming he’d gone back through the camera footage and put the pieces together himself. I glanced over at Dev and Wren, their opposite responses warming me in their severity. Dev’s whole body was tense in anger, jaw tight with a furious twist to his lips and murderous look in his eyes. Wren was watching me, not with pity but empathy, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes as she mouthedI’m sorry. Even though I’d only met them the night before, their responses just confirmed what I already knew: this group was ride-or-die; once you were in, you were in. Alex had invited me into their little inner circle, and Wren and Dev had accepted that without blinking, treating me like a friend they’d had for years.

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