“No. I’m sure it’s fine. James said what he wanted to say.”
Tilting her head, she says, “I’ll call him,” lifting up the throw blanket. “Where’d I put it? Oh!” and hurries to the bathroom, dialing her boyfriend on her way back and slamming her phone to her ear as she cries out, “Bennett! Oh good, you answered! No, I’m okay, but Zia isn’t. She uh…there’s this creepy guy stalking her and he just showed up at her place. We’re here with her. He’s gone now, we think.” She pauses, listening to him. “The door is locked! Are you busy? Can you come over?” She gives him my address and hangs up.
Tempest asks, “He’s coming?”
“Didn’t hesitate.” Lowering herself to the couch, she stares at me. “Zia, did you ever get a hint that he was like that?”
“You think I’d have slept with him if I had?!”
“No! I’m just…trying to figure all of this out.”
Covering my face with my knees, I whisper, “I’m sorry, Chris.”
She strokes my back, “It’s okay. It’s totally alright. You’re freaked out.”
“The way he looked at me just now! I can’t believe I let him inside of my body! I want to take a shower and never come out!”
Tempest folds me into her arms, rocking me. “You didn’t know he would become obsessive.”
“No! I didn’t!”
Chris whispers, “I’m so sorry for asking you that.”
“I had no idea! I had no clue.”
“We didn’t see his crazy, either. We all thought James was great.” Chris rises from the couch as Tempest holds me tight. “Look, I don’t know why people always make tea at times like this, but you want some tea?”
I sniffle, “Yes, please,” staring off and feeling numb. Time is funky because suddenly she’s handing me a hot mug with a floating tea bag, scent of honey rising from one of my copper spoons left inside. “You just made this?”
She hovers before passing Tempest a second mug. “Yes. Didn’t you hear me talking?”
“No, I didn’t.”
They exchange a look before she goes and returns with a third mug, voice gentle, “You were deep in thought.” A knock at the door spins her around, and makes her spill the tea.
Furious I stand up. “I’m gonna tear his dick off!”
Christina holds up her free hand. “It might be Bennett. He lives in Tribeca, remember? He was only about six blocks away! Hang on.” She hurries over, and Tempest and I rush to be with her.
Christina takes a breath of courage and asks though the metal, “Who is it?”
“Bennett!”
Three pairs of lungs echo an exhale, and she opens the door to find him more stern-faced than ever.
Only he’s not alone.
Nax
Taking a step, I ask, “Zia, are you okay?” more worried now that I see how freaked out she is. Her eyes are red. Has she been crying? Whoever this guy is, I want to teach him a lesson!
Christina looks from me to Bennett. “She’s shaken up,” tone implying that it wasn’t a good idea for him to have brought me here, add more stress.
He informs her, “Nax is going to stay with her. I need you.”
Alarmed she argues, ““What? No! I want to stay with my cousin.” She looks at me again, silently expressing a clear no to the married guy helping Zia.
Bennett takes Christina’s hand, explaining, “My father came looking for me today. It’s time I look for him. I need you.” He pauses, having difficulty admitting he wants support. “You make me feel better when you’re around.”
Christina throws her arms around him. “Your father?”
He closes his eyes against emotion. “He was at Josh’s building. Apparently he thought I lived there.”
She pulls back to see his face, “Oh Bennett!” eyes wide with understanding of what this means to him.
“We’ve left the boys with Josh. I don’t need Elliot seeing me work through this. I’m uh…I’m pretty wrecked.”
“Of course you are! Yes, I’ll go. I want to be there for you. Tempest, you’ll stay with Zia and Nax, yes?”
“I would! But I have to teach a class.” Tempest looks at me, helpless. “It’s too late to find a replacement!”
Bennett drops a bomb I didn’t expect. “Nax just found out a half hour ago that Liz has been cheating on him.”
I snap, “Benny! Jeezus!” my gaze cutting to Zia whose lips fall slack.
Christina gasps, “Oh!” then another, “Oh!” filled with an entirely different meaning. “Let me get my phone. I left it inside.”
Tempest wrings her hands. “I’m going, too. Have to get ready so I might as well start now.”
Bennett locks eyes with me, silently explaining he needed to tell my personal information in order to change his girlfriend’s mind about me. “Call if you need anything.”
“I’m a big boy.”
“That’s why I brought you.”
“I insisted on coming.”
“Same thing.”
As Christina returns with her bag and gives Zia a hug goodbye, Bennett tells her, “You’re in good hands. There’s no better man than Nax.”
I want to punch him, maybe for the first time in my life. No, there have probably been others. He’s very punchable.
Tempest hugs Zia, too. “Call me.”
“I will.”
“You gonna be okay?”
Zia locks eyes with me. “Yes.”
Tempest glances over, nods bye to me and joins her sister and Bennett on their way to the elevator, Christina asking for details about his father as their footsteps bounce off the walls.
I stay where I am until they disappear, doors taking forever to close.
Zia asks, “Are you a vampire?” indicating how I’m waiting for an invitation into her home.
It makes me smile, despite my mood. “Do they make California vampires?”
“If they did, they’d be harder to spot. Not as ominous. Come in.” My long legs come to life, feeling separate from me, each step bringing me closer to her. “I’m sorry to hear about your wife.”
“Me too.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” I turn to watch her locking the deadbolt, mind scrambled and admit, “Yes.”
Zia puts her back to the door, hands behind her, shorter now that her
