Nice Girls(17)

Jayden stayed silent.

“And you know who’s been dealing with a male rape victim downtown? Felix. He’s trying to fucking help people. What do you do?”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Then Jayden muttered something, and Charice sighed, whispering back.

“Where do you want me to go, Dwayne?” I asked.

I was aimlessly taking us northward, back to the safety of the northern suburbs, where life was quiet and uneventful. I was done with the Sewers.

“I live by the lake,” said Dwayne, scrolling through his phone.

“Could you be a little more specific?” I asked, an edge in my voice.

“The Jewel of Liberty Lake. The big apartment building next to the lake.”

He was talking about the tower of glass.

Dwayne turned in his seat, addressing Jayden in the back.

“I love you, man, but you need to keep a low profile. Someday this shit’s gonna come back to bite you in the ass.”

Jayden snorted.

“I believe in biblical justice. You hear me, Dwayne? I don’t go around picking fights. But if someone tries me and I bust their shit . . . that’s on them. They’ve got no one to blame but themselves.”

I felt a shiver down my back. I remembered the flow of red hair, my hands reaching out on their own, that rush of anger burning in my veins.

I glanced up at the rearview mirror. Under a streetlight, I saw Jayden’s eyes looking into mine.





9




At twelve stories high, the Jewel of Liberty Lake towered over the rest of the city. It was a high-end apartment complex. I’d seen those glossy buildings before in Los Angeles and New York City. They had sprung up everywhere, even near college campuses.

But against the backdrop of the lake and the suburban sprawl, the Jewel was a novelty. There was something unsettling about it—it was too bright, too pristine. The lights were nearly blinding. Through the large glass windows, I could see everything inside the apartments—the sleek countertops, flat-screen TVs, houseplants. I looked up and saw a couple lounging on their black leather couch.

It seemed wrong to see inside so clearly. Even the closed curtains couldn’t block out the sliver of a kitchen, a bedroom. They were exposed to everyone, a diorama come to life.

I parked Dwayne’s car in the parking garage. Inside, the lobby was empty, except for a security guard who stared at his phone.

“That dude didn’t even look at us,” said Jayden, laughing in the elevator.

“They’re here for show,” Dwayne said, shrugging. “Cheaper than cameras, I guess.”

He lived on the eleventh floor. Unlike the previous apartment, the hallways at Dwayne’s place were cool and monochrome. I felt a hush fall over us as we crept down the hallway, aware of the wealth that we passed.

We entered a small studio. Dwayne’s bed was only a few feet away from his couch. But the apartment looked no different from the other units I’d seen. His place had the same appliances and sophisticated design, including the mounted flat-screen TV and a leather couch. Dwayne even had a shoe rack with several pairs of Jordans near the front door.

But I found myself drawn to the window. It sat at the end of Dwayne’s studio. It covered one wall, reaching from floor to ceiling. Dwayne had a full view of the lake. During the day, he could see the lake water and the beaches below, all the boats and canoes that traveled down into the distant horizon. Dwayne had pushed his king-size bed against the window, so that each day the lake would be the first and final thing he saw. And the view would be breathtaking, rain, shine, or snow.

I didn’t know how Dwayne could afford it. The Jewel of Liberty Lake was expensive, especially because of its prime spot on the lake. A white-collar worker would have blown a lot of money on it. I wasn’t sure how Dwayne’s grocery store salary could keep up.

Charice looked out the window while Jayden searched through the kitchen cabinets. Dwayne watched him warily.

“Do your neighbors ever spy on you?” asked Charice. She leaned against the window, trying to peer into the apartment window next door.

“The neighbor saw me butt naked once,” said Dwayne, grinning. “Since then, he always keeps the blinds down.”

“I guess no one paid to see your naked ass.”

“You got any blow?” Jayden asked.

“Nah, man, I don’t do that anymore.”

Jayden snickered.

I stayed near the front door, looking up a car service online. I balked at the surge prices—the cheapest ride home was thirty-six dollars.

“You’re allowed to sit down, you know,” said Dwayne as he came over.

“I think I’m gonna Uber home,” I said. “I’ve had too much excitement for one night.”

“I thought you said you liked a mess.”

“I said I liked messy things. Not be in the middle of a mess . . . And it’s Jayden’s birthday, right? You should celebrate with him.”

“You can join us, Mary. I’m not stingy about my booze.”

“I don’t think Jayden wants me here,” I said softly. Jayden had made it clear in the car. He distrusted me, and I was wary of him right back.

At the kitchen counter, Jayden suddenly whooped as he poured some booze into a coffee mug.

“Damn, I love cognac. Next thing you know, I’ll be playing golf in Hawaii.” He passed the coffee mug to Charice, who was giggling.