Nice Girls(19)

It stirred, and I realized that I’d bumped into Dwayne. He turned around and faced me, his face sleepy.

“Hi,” I whispered.

“Hi,” he murmured.

“I’m cold.”

“Do you want the whole blanket?” he asked, moving the comforter toward me.

I shook my head. Instead my hand reached out and grabbed his, the movement slow and gauzy, as if I were wading in water. I wrapped his arm around me. Moved closer. Neither of us spoke as I buried my face into his chest, the soft fabric of a pajama shirt against my cheek. I could feel his chest heave as he breathed, his other arm closing around me.

And I fell back asleep in Dwayne’s arms, feeling warm and steady.





10




I woke up to the smell of coffee. I heard voices in the kitchen, the sound of a fridge door getting shut. The chill of the window burned into my forehead. I’d slept against it overnight, having extricated myself from Dwayne’s arms. I was alone in the bed.

Far below me, Liberty Lake seemed to stretch on forever into the distance, an opaque mass of slate. Not a boat in sight, though the public docks were hidden somewhere to the west. Outside, the wind was blowing briskly, sending choppy waves along the water’s surface. It sounded like a woman’s voice moaning in the air, morose and heartbroken. Even the trees—fiery red and gold and orange—looked dull today under the clouds. Rain was coming. It was the type of weather where people locked themselves inside all day.

When I craned my neck, I could see the beachfront at the bottom of the window. Spots of neon blues, yellows, and pinks were moving across the sand—runners training in their weatherproof jackets.

I realized Jayden was standing a few feet away from the foot of the bed, sipping a mug of coffee. He was also looking outside. He’d untied his hair, his dreadlocks now hanging over his shoulders. He seemed mesmerized by the view.

I finally sat up in bed, smiling awkwardly as he glanced over.

“Morning,” I said.

Jayden only nodded and turned back to the window.

Over in the kitchen area, Dwayne and Charice were cooking—stirring pancake mix, ripping open a package of bacon, and heating up a pan. Charice waved when they saw me.

There were blankets and pillows strewn about on the leather couch and on the floor beside it—presumably where Charice and Jayden had slept last night.

I realized they’d seen Dwayne and me in bed together. For some reason, I felt embarrassed, as if they could sense what a mismatch it was—Ivy League Mary hanging out with the school football star, forcing her way into his bed.

I wanted to hide under the sheets again.

“Sleep good?” Jayden asked as he came over.

“Yeah. I knocked out pretty quick last night.”

“I know.” Jayden handed me his mug, and for a second, I thought he was offering me a sip. But Jayden promptly sat down next to me, facing the window.

“I’m on your bed, man!” hollered Jayden to the kitchen. “You better be cool with that shit.”

Dwayne laughed.

Jayden shifted, getting onto his knees now, pressing his forehead to the window. I tried to give him room, but I felt awkward, taking up space next to him.

“That’s a damn pretty view,” said Jayden, his eyes glued outside. “Even if it’s all gray and shit.”

“I agree.”

Everyone in the city visited the lake, but it was rare to get a view of it from above. The water was vast, impenetrable, its surface rippling as the wind picked up. Liberty Lake was small compared to Lake Michigan, but it was big enough to be the lifeblood of our city.

“You know what my mama used to tell me about the lake?” Jayden asked softly, not looking at me.

“What did she tell you?”

“She told me the lake was full of shit. Poop water. ‘You don’t need that shit water up there. You don’t need to go to that lake too much. It’s full of shit, son.’ I believed her for years until someone told me otherwise.”

“That’s horrible,” I murmured, not knowing what else to say.

“She was trying to protect me, I guess. Doing a piss-poor job, though. And now Dwayne’s living right here, next to the lake.”

I swallowed, my mouth feeling dry all of a sudden. Over in the kitchen, Dwayne was frying some bacon, the hiss of oil filling up the room.

“‘Your cousin Dwayne is so good at sports, Jayden. He’s so polite. He gets good grades. He’s a star. Why can’t you do that?’” Jayden’s voice got even quieter. “Even when Dwayne fucks up, he still gets to live next to the lake. Dude’s on some lucky shit.”

“How did Dwayne fuck up?” I whispered.

Jayden didn’t say anything. His gaze was on the lake, but he was tilting his head now, craning to get a better look.

“What happened with Dwayne?” I pressed again.

But Jayden wasn’t listening. He was staring intently down below.

“They found something,” he said loudly.

“Who did, baby?” asked Charice from the kitchen.

“They found something in the lake. There’s a group of people out there.” Jayden hopped out of bed, wrapping himself in a blanket from the floor.

“We just made breakfast!”

But Jayden was already out the front door, heading down the hallway. I looked out the window again. There was a small cluster of people on the beachfront. Others were moving across the sand toward them.