Bad choice of words. I cringe, wondering if our interactions will continue to be minefields. I hustle to the bathroom, and when I’m done I brush my teeth, splash cold water on my face, dry it, and put on tinted moisturizer and lip balm. My hair just … is. I pull on clothes and call Joey back within five minutes. “What’s up?” I ask when the line connects.
“Some asshole reporter woke me up ringing the doorbell at six this morning. He’s about to publish a shit stinking tabloid piece about Jack, saying Keri Ann was his home-wrecking piece on the side. He says Keri Ann caused Jack’s girlfriend to miscarry their baby. Shit.” He huffs out the last word. “Is it true?” He doesn’t pause for me to answer. “I thought he was broken up with Audrey Lane when he got together with my sister. Tell me I haven’t believed some bullshit.”
“Okay, calm down, okay? First. No, you haven’t believed bullshit. This story is bullshit. His ex girlfriend is a lying cow. But you know people will believe whatever is printed. So we’re just going to have to deal with it.” But I felt sick with nerves for my friend. Keri Ann wouldn’t have to deal with it alone though. Joey and I would do whatever we could to help her through it. We, we, we. “Give me a second, okay. Let me get online, see if it’s out yet.”
“I don’t think it is. I think he wants to give them a chance to make a comment or whatever.”
“Big of him. I’ll check anyway and call you back. Actually, I’ll come over.”
“No. This asshole is here, sitting outside in his car. I guess he’s hoping I’ll lead him to wherever Jack and Keri Ann are.”
“Okay. Take K’s bike, you can take the cycle paths here to the marina. He can’t follow by car, he won’t know where you’re going. We can catch Dan before he takes the boat back over to get them from Daufuskie.”
He lets out a long breath. “Okay. Thank you. See you soon.”
“See you soon.” I hang up. Then I text him immediately.
Jazzy Bear: If he gave you a copy of his story, bring it. K and J are going to need to see it to know what they’re dealing with.
Here I was hoping not to have to see much of Joseph so I can dissect what the hell went on with us yesterday in his hallway. And also make sure it doesn’t happen again. And now fate has conspired to throw us back together. Fabulous.
I pull up an internet browser and type in Jack Eversea.
Oh shit!
That damn Ashley girl from USCB who Keri Ann told me was all over Jack a few nights ago at the Snapper Grill has apparently decided to post her pics. I scowl at the picture of Jack with Ashley attached to his face like a sultry barnacle as she snapped a selfie. Granted Jack was looking off somewhere else, presumably at Keri Ann since she said he’d eye stalked her all night. But it’s still pretty damning. It only serves to make his ex, Audrey Lane, look further vindicated. Ugh. Talk about bad timing.
I call Keri Ann’s phone and as expected it cuts straight to voicemail. I text her to call me too, just in case. Then I lose track of time checking all the sites and reading the comments from the trolls. Ashley’s Facebook is blown up with jealous friends from college. Some girls I know. Ashley’s a temporary celebrity herself. I guess that’s what she was going for. I shake my head. People are so weird. I wish I’d thought to tell her to hold the pics, but who knew the reporter was about to do a number on Jack.
I try Keri Ann’s phone again. Still nothing.
There’s a sound at my sliding glass door and I jump. “You don’t sleep with this unlocked, I hope,” Joey says as he slides it open and slips inside in running shorts and a hoodie. I hold my breath. I’m assailed with images and sensations of him pinning me against the wall last night. Letting my breath out slowly, I try to act normal. This is going to be so freaking hard.
I probably did forget to lock the door last night. It’s typical that it would be the first thing Joseph says.
“She’s not answering her phone,” he says.
“Cell service is for shit on Daufuskie,” I say, then nod at my computer. “So it gets worse,” I go on and angle my screen so he can see.
He looks over my shoulder and the scent of him freshly showered causes me to cross and uncross my legs. He left me unsatisfied after all. That’s all it is.
And about that … what a jerk.
I instantly feel better.
“Who is this?” he asks at my screen.
“That would be Ashley. I went to school with her. And no, nothing happened apart from her engineering that idiotic selfie of her making out with Jack’s ear.”
Joey scowls at the picture.
I close my laptop, breaking his trance. “I’m thinking I should go with Dan on the boat to intercept them at Daufuskie,” I suggest. “He leaves in an hour. You said the reporter is hanging around the house, so we don’t want to go back there. I can see if Dan can drop us at a dock in Savannah instead, then you can take my car from here and meet us there.”
“Good idea, but you go to Savannah, I’ll go to the island to get her.” Joey folds his arms.
“No offense, but K is going to need her best friend not her overbearing, judgmental, I-told-you-so brother.”
“Wow. Tell me how you really feel.” He sounds fine, but a flicker of hurt crosses his face.