Silencing Joy (21 page)

“I’ll get
some
, when I want
some
,” she spits back acerbically. “Jake has to earn it!”
she says with sarcasm. “Besides, he is hurt. It’s going to be at
least a couple of weeks for his shoulder to heal up.”

I can’t believe this conversation is
happening. I am totally and one hundred percent embarrassed from my
toes to my hairline.

“Watch out, Joy. You may stay that red
forever,” Jen says and dances out of the room.

I yank off the sheet and screech when the
front door closes. “Oh my God!” I cry to Will.

Laughter rumbles in his chest until he is in
a complete fit. My mattress shakes with every rumble of Will’s
amused body.

“Ignore her,” he says soothingly through his
laughter as he reaches for me. “I’ll put up a chain on the door. We
can use it to keep her out when we’re
busy,
” Will chuckles
with a heavy inflection on ‘busy.’ I shove my head back under the
sheet too embarrassed to look at him. “Or,” he adds. “I can put a
bell around her neck.”

I laugh and he pulls the sheet away from my
face. He gently presses down my staticky hair and softly kisses me
on the nose. Will always knows what to say to me. Jen is right. He
is a keeper.

The morning passes by quickly and quietly,
which is a welcomed change to the chaos of the past week. I shower
and dress, getting ready to meet everyone for lunch.

Will and I walk hand-in-hand down the
sidewalk to a place that is walking distance from my apartment
building. We are quiet as we pass other college students going
about the daily routine and activities.

“Are we in disguise?” I ask. I laugh quietly
to myself thinking about the hats and sunglasses and holding hands
roadside,
high tech FBI disguises.

“Nope,” he quips.

We enter Sochi’s Grille and scan around
looking for everyone. In a corner, opposite the street-side window
is a long table. At it sits Jen and Jake, along with Kara and
Derek. Jake’s arm is fitted into a white sling.

“Hey,” Will says as we approach. Derek stands
and gives Will a manly one-armed half-hug.

Kara’s face is looking better just after one
night in the hospital. Her lips aren’t as chapped and blistered.
Showered and cleaned up makes her look refreshed. Living with her
aunt should help too. She won’t be in the clutches of her father,
who is in jail anyway, but the sting of his behavior and betrayal
is probably something Kara and her family will have to deal with
for many years to come.

Kara’s aunt showed up the next day while we
were all hanging out at the hospital waiting for Kara and Jake to
be released. She is Kara’s mother’s sister. Her face was flooded
with complete and utter disbelief and devastation at what has been
going on with Kara’s father. Apparently, Kara’s aunt had no
idea.

The way Kara is mooning at Derek helps too,
giving her an amazing glow that has virtually erased the dark days
of torment. I’m happy for her. Derek seems to sort of cancel out
what her father has done. She’s not alone. We have all become
friends...good ones, and we won’t let her down. I don’t think Derek
can ever erase what Tommy did to her, but, from what I’ve seen, I
think he is good medicine.

The waitress comes over, and we all order. We
chit-chat and make small talk. No one really wants to talk about
anything too heavy.

“Did you see the football game last night?”
Derek asks Will.

“Nope. I was busy.”

My face flames in embarrassment as Jen erupts
into giggles. Last night was one of the best nights of my life.
Will and me, enjoying each other, comfortable in the silence, a
regular night transformed into greatness just by being together.
I can’t believe he just said that!
I elbow him in the ribs
and shoot Jen a death glare.

The waitress comes back quickly with our
lunch. Everyone ordered sandwiches except Jake. He ordered a
steak...rare. Jen begins cutting Jake’s steak into bite-size
pieces, reaching up to give him a bite from time to time.

“Dude,” Will asks, “why did you order a steak
when your arm is in a cast?”

“Because I have Jen here to cut it for me,”
Jake smirks.

“You ass!” Jen yells at him.

“I’m a...
smart-ass
,” he counters.

Jen huffs, and tosses the fork and knife
down. She picks up her sandwich in annoyance and bites into it.
This was going to be an interesting relationship!

“So...Derek and I have an announcement,” Will
declares. We all turn to him waiting.

“We’ve been promoted.” Pride shows on his
face and Derek smiles. “Bill is going to have us working on some
high profile cases. He said we proved ourselves in the field and
are moving up. Our security clearance will now be top-secret.”

“That is great!” I squeal.
“Congratulations!”

Kara kisses Derek, and whispers,
“Congrats.”

“What kind of cases?” I ask.

“They wouldn’t be top-secret if I tell you,”
he counters and kisses my nose.

“Top secret?” I question. “Are they going to
be dangerous?”

“Well...” Will is hesitant and glances at
Derek for help. Derek says nothing. Will musters up a soothing
voice. “That is the nature of the job, Joy.”

I think about it.
Why wouldn’t it be
dangerous?
That’s what he signed up for. It is what made him
what he is today. I am going to have to get used to it.

I look up into his eyes and think that it’s
been a great day. No car chases, getting shot at, or sleeping in
jeans. And, to think, he was right under my nose all through high
school...as though destiny brought us together and didn’t give up
until we had made a connection.

Fate is a mysterious thing, it sneaks up on
you when you least expect it. The events that followed Will’s
beating spiraled out of control and morphed it into a new life for
me. I wouldn’t change it for anything. Something amazing came out
of something catastrophic.

I look at Will...then Jen, my best friend,
and Jake. I shift my attention to Derek and Kara, and I smile, very
pleased with the way things turned out. Everyone at the table is
silent, and that’s okay. Silence is definitely okay.

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