Chris reaches over to touch her sister’s knee. “You’re right. It was awful. I’m sorry I made you come.”
Deflating, Tempest sighs, “You didn’t make me. I wanted to go. Zia offered to leave with me before lunch and I didn’t take her up on it.” Making a face she grunts, “I thought it’d be fun. Dumb me!”
Christina gives her knee a squeeze, withdraws it and returns to me. “What did you tell Nax when he said that to you?”
“That’s what every married man says.”
Covering her mouth, she laughs, “Wow!”
I hold out my arms, palms up. “What am I supposed to do, fall into the trap hundreds of women have sunken into before me, just because he’s sexy? And funny. And kind. Is that what I’m supposed to do?!”
They shake their heads no, and Tempest mutters, “Hundreds? Try millions over centuries.”
Christina gives her a sideways look. “Millions? You think so?”
“Across the whole world and throughout all of time? Yes.”
“Ew.”
“Women pull that trick on men, too. It’s a fact that women cheat more than we want to believe.” Tempest looks from Chris to me. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I smile, “Because you are a bundle of fun.”
She grabs her water glass, holding it to her chest. “I had a rough day.”
Rubbing my jawline to release the tension it accrued ever since he blurted out his supposed marital status, I ruminate over my situation during a few minutes of silence among us.
When I drop my hands, Chris asks, “You guys want to watch a movie? Get our minds off of Bennett’s jerk friends?”
Tempest frowns, “I have to teach a class tonight or I totally would.”
“Oh right.”
“I’m down for it, Christina. What d’ya want to watch? A drama or—” A knock at the door turns all of our heads.
Rising from the bench I set down my water and go to answer it, glancing over my shoulder to tell them, “My neighbor, John, is a photographer. He wants to do a shoot with me. We were going to schedule it.”
Chris cries out. “Oh fun!”
Relaxed, I open the door wide, and freeze at the sight of James standing dead center. “Mini golf?” he demands.
My blood thins at the shock of what his question implies. “What, are you following me now, James?!”
“Who was that guy?”
Behind me is a rush of footsteps, but I keep my anger locked on James, and don’t look back to my cousins — animal instinct warning me to hold eye contact. I get angry when I’m scared. It’s been like that since I was a little girl, so I snap at him, “It’s none of your business what I do, or who I do it with!”
He takes a step closer. “I was inside of you!”
“Oh my God!” whispers Tempest from my left.
I snarl over her horror, “Apparently the biggest mistake of my life!”
Christina’s voice comes firm from my right. “James, you need to leave.”
But Tempest’s is shaky, “Yes, just go!”
His eyes dart between them, and land on me. “You love me, Zia. I know you do. You’re just too fucking afraid of it. You think that guy I saw you acting all stupid with, could hold space for a woman like you?”
“Follow me again, come here again, and I will call the police.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” he smiles as he walks away in no hurry.
I step outside of my apartment to make sure he gets on that damn elevator and out of my building, my cousins walking out to flank me, strength in numbers. Family.
James cuts me a look before getting on, “You love me.”
“I really don’t.”
He disappears and it feels like a century before the old doors finally close, Chris and Temp exhaling.
But not me.
My adrenaline is on full blast, every muscle locked in place. Christina takes my arm and tries to move me, “C’mon, Zia, let’s get inside,” but can’t.
“He was watching us play golf through the fence.”
Tempest whispers, “I didn’t see him when we retrieved Will’s ball.”
Christina urges us, “Let’s lock the door!”
Tempest gasps, “Did he follow us to the restaurant, too?”
Christina pulls on me again. “I think if he did he would’ve said something about that.”
“You think he left during golf?”
“Maybe? I don’t know!” She tugs on my arm again. “Zia, come on. Let’s go in!”
Staring at where he was, I hiss, “It’s not fair that men are physically stronger than us. I hate that he made me feel afraid in my own home! I hate that he knows where I live! I hate him for making me feel scared! I hate him!”
Tempest offers with a voice tempered to calm me down. “Let’s call Noah! He’ll come over and stay with you until you feel safe again.”
The thought of my brother here changes my cellular structure. What was stone softens and I allow Christina to lead me inside. “You’re shaking, Zia.”
Tempest locks the deadbolt. “Of course she’s shaking! I’m shaking, too!”
“Where’s your phone?”
The adrenaline hangover is coming on fast. “In my pocket.”
She digs it out, “I’ll call him for you. Oh!”
I look over. “What?”
“James texted when he was there!”
Tempest throws out her hand. “You got a text message before we went into City Vineyard!”
Christina holds it out for us to lean and read:
I’m here at the park Zia. Call me!
I exhale, “That’s why he showed up here. Because I didn’t call him back.”
Tempest grumbles, “Still! If someone doesn’t reply you don’t show up to their home!” Looking at her sister, confusion makes her ask, “Why didn’t you use your phone, Christina? You have Noah’s number.”
Christina blinks. “I’m not thinking straight.”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
They walk with me to sit on my couch, one cousin on either side of me, Tempest cross-legged, Christina with one foot on the ground, the other leg bent as she listens and tells us, “Voicemail.”
Tempest urges her, “Call Evan!”
We
