Part 13 (2/2)

She dialed her voice mail and listened to the message.

Eden. It's Ben. I'm in trouble. I went to the mall to try to find...my friend, and I got picked by the police for not being in school and...

Oh, Lord.

Well, it's more complicated than that; in fact, it's beyond weird, but I'll tell you later. Anyway, look, they ID'd me from my fingerprints-remember when you took me to that SafeKids program, because of my diabetes?

Eden did remember. It was right after they moved to Las Vegas from New Orleans. At twelve, Ben had been, by far, the oldest kid among all of the toddlers at the police station, and he'd been beyond embarra.s.sed. But Eden had insisted. Because he'd partic.i.p.ated in a similar program back in New Orleans, they'd been able to find him more quickly, after Katrina.

Well, congratulations, because of that, I'm in the system. And they now have my name and Greg's address, and because I don't have any other priors, they're going to bring me home in some kind of police-department house call of shame, and deliver me into the hands of my loving parents.

”Oh, c.r.a.p,” Eden said aloud.

Yeah, Ben's message said, as if he'd heard her. I told them that my mother worked until late, but that I also live with my real b.i.t.c.h of a drill sergeant older sister, who's in charge of making me do my homework and making my life miserable. I didn't mention Greg because, Jesus. But I told them that you'd be home in the afternoon-that you usually met my bus, like I'm a freaking kindergartner and they actually bought it. So please I told them that my mother worked until late, but that I also live with my real b.i.t.c.h of a drill sergeant older sister, who's in charge of making me do my homework and making my life miserable. I didn't mention Greg because, Jesus. But I told them that you'd be home in the afternoon-that you usually met my bus, like I'm a freaking kindergartner and they actually bought it. So please, please get over to the house by five o'clock-just sit on the front get over to the house by five o'clock-just sit on the front steps, you know? Like you're waiting for me? Bring ID-they're going to want to see ID. And maybe, just maybe we'll be able to pull this off. And Eden? I'm steps, you know? Like you're waiting for me? Bring ID-they're going to want to see ID. And maybe, just maybe we'll be able to pull this off. And Eden? I'm so so sorry... sorry...

The phone system's automated voice clicked on. ”To replay this message, press-”

Eden hung up the phone and checked the time. It was 4:45.

The city bus was finally coming, but it was heading in the wrong direction, away from the squalid little house that Ivette still shared with Stupid Greg.

What she needed was a cab, p.r.o.nto.

She started to run to the nearest hotel where there was a taxi stand, but in the middle of crossing the street, she stopped, realizing what she really needed...

Was Izzy.

Eden looked wildly around, hoping that he was still out there, somewhere, watching her. Just because she didn't see him didn't mean he wasn't there.

If she'd had his cell-phone number, she would have called him, but she didn't have it. Not anymore. She'd thrown it away when his response to her letter had been silence.

But here and now, he didn't appear-like some knight in s.h.i.+ning armor.

She was on her own. Which was exactly what she'd wanted, wasn't it?

Eden quit hoping for miracles and hiked her bag farther up on her shoulder and ran.

NEW Y YORK C CITY.

WEDNESDAY, 6 M MAY 2009.

Being in New York again was surreal.

It really hadn't been that long since Dan had last been here-and yet it seemed like forever.

Jenn's studio apartment was exactly the same as it had been last February-tiny. It was cramped with the bed folded up into the couch, and even smaller with it pulled out.

Jenn had clearly left the place in a hurry when she'd gotten the news he'd been injured, and the bed was out and open.

She now set their two bags in the minuscule nook of a kitchen-that had been fun, watching her hump his bag up the building's front stairs while he'd stood impotently off to the side and seethed with frustration. had been fun, watching her hump his bag up the building's front stairs while he'd stood impotently off to the side and seethed with frustration.

But he wasn't allowed to lift anything heavier than the remote control-a direct quote from the doctor.

”Close your eyes,” Jenn had ordered him. ”Just don't watch.”

But he had had watched-in particular he'd watched her a.s.s, which looked awesome in the jeans she was wearing. watched-in particular he'd watched her a.s.s, which looked awesome in the jeans she was wearing.

Except he wasn't allowed to do any strenuous activity-including have s.e.x-for another five to seven days.

Well, which was it? Five or seven? In some ways the point was moot, because as badly as he wanted some, he wasn't getting any tonight. Although Danny was pretty d.a.m.n sure that five days from now the was-it-five-or-seven question was going to matter pretty intensely.

”We're going to meet Maria for dinner,” Jenn told him now, and his surprise must've shown on his face.

He was exhausted. He wasn't normally such a baby, but the flight had been taxing and all he wanted to do was to crawl into Jenn's bed and sleep.

And okay. Not true. What he really wanted was to crawl into Jenn's bed, pull her down beside him, f.u.c.k his brains out, and then then sleep for about fourteen hours straight. sleep for about fourteen hours straight.

”To talk about the custody thing,” Jenn reminded him.

Dan looked up from staring at the bed. ”Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry. Great. Thanks for, um, setting that up.”

”We're not meeting her until eight,” Jenn told him as she came over and peeled his jacket off his shoulders. ”You look like you need help here.” But then she took his T-s.h.i.+rt and pulled it up and over his head.

”What are we doing?” Dan asked as she efficiently went for the b.u.t.ton and then the zipper of his jeans. He knew d.a.m.n well that she wasn't going to break any of the rules that the doctor had given him on discharge from the hospital. She'd sat in on the session and had actually taken notes. No s.e.x. They'd exchanged an aw, s.h.i.+t aw, s.h.i.+t look when he'd mentioned that. look when he'd mentioned that.

”You are getting naked,” Jenn told him with that smile that he loved as she pushed his jeans down his legs, her gentle hands careful of his bandaged wound. ”And I I am going to give you a ma.s.sage very different from the ones I gave you in the hospital with its curtain walls and zero privacy.” am going to give you a ma.s.sage very different from the ones I gave you in the hospital with its curtain walls and zero privacy.”

Danny looked at her as she knelt before him, unfastening the laces of his sneakers. ”Seriously? You rebel, you.” He sat down to help her.

She laughed up at him. ”I cleared it with the doctor after reviewing his list of rules. I asked him to clarify and I was right. No s.e.x means no strenuous intercourse. It doesn't mean you can't lie back and think nonstrenuous and relaxing thoughts while experiencing the time-honored tradition of the happy ending.”

Dan laughed as together they got him out of his sneakers and socks. ”You said that. To the doctor. Excuse me, Captain Chan, sir, I was wondering if it's okay with you if I give Dan a happy ending... Excuse me, Captain Chan, sir, I was wondering if it's okay with you if I give Dan a happy ending... ?” ?”

Jenn laughed, too. ”Actually, the term happy ending happy ending didn't come up. I also stayed away from didn't come up. I also stayed away from hand job hand job and and b.l.o.w. .j.o.b b.l.o.w. .j.o.b and even and even f.e.l.l.a.t.i.o f.e.l.l.a.t.i.o. I kept it more scientific and medical and asked was the no-s.e.x rule merely about avoiding strenuous activity, or was there a medical reason you should avoid e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n. He smiled and said he had no problem with e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n.”

”Wow,” Dan said, slipping off his briefs. ”If I'd've known that, I would've had you do me in the airport bathroom.”

She laughed again. ”Always the romantic...”

He reached for her, but she moved back, out of his grasp.

”You have to promise to lie still.”

”I can do that,” he said.

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