Page 143 of Demo
Sanders whips his head in my direction. “Knox—”
“I think maybe I can keep the situation from escalating if I go in alone.” I swing the door open and get out, then turn and face Sanders before I slam it shut. “Ten minutes. Got it?”
He nods.
I jog up the cracked sidewalk that leads to the shitty house and rap on the door before trying the handle. It’s unlocked, and since I hear music coming from inside, I know someone’s home, so I just head in.
The inside hasn’t changed much since the last time I was here. As I walk down the hallway, I see the living room to the left where the disgusting torn and faded couch sits. The memory of that night a few months ago has me walking faster toward the door to the basement. It’s open, and I can hear the music getting louder as I approach.
However, as I start to round the stairs, I hear my name and spin on my heel to see Marcus standing at the kitchen counter with a bottle of amber liquor, pouring some into shot glasses. He is giving me a sly look, and I am momentarily caught in a stare-off with him, until he breaks the silence. “Why didn’t you tell me your ball-and-chain was such a charmer?”
He nods away from me, and I turn my head toward the kitchen table, where I see the back of Lizzie’s head before she slowly turns to look back at me, giving me a cringe that tells me she knows exactly how stupid she was to get herself into this predicament.
I rake my eyes over her face, which is flushed. Her eyes are a little glassy, but she doesn’t look completely fucked up, so I hold out hope Marcus hasn’t slipped her anything. She nods at me, as if she is answering my unspoken question.
“Join us for a drink, won’t you?” Marcus addresses me as he heads over to the table, holding three shot glasses in a triangle shape between his hands. “Lizzie and I are just getting acquainted. She was just telling me about the time she had to call a former city councilman for a quote after he put a dick pic on the internet, and he asked if he could send her a better photo because the angle wasn’t right on the one he posted!”
Taking the offered shot, Lizzie lifts it up in cheers and says, “The thing is, it was actually a very impressive angle,” and the two of them burst into a fit of laughter before tossing back their drinks. I leave mine on the table.
Marcus is wearing a gray gym sweatshirt with matching sweats. His hair is a little disheveled. He looks like a guy any of us would want to hang out with. Which is deceiving as all hell.
I pull my baseball cap off my head, run my hand through my hair, and replace it, backward. “Look, I hate to break up the party, but I have to get Lizzie back home before she gets totally shitfaced.” I close the distance between me and her before Marcus speaks up again.
“You know, your wifey is much more direct than you are,” he says. “You should take a page from her book.”
I look down at Lizzie, and she shrugs.
“Lyzbeth, here, wanted to know what happened the last time I saw you. So, I’ve been filling her in. And I think she appreciates my honesty.” He lifts his hand in her direction, in question, and she bobs her head up and down.
“Very much so,” she says, then looks back to me, eyes hard. “I’ve gotten quite an education.”
Chapter 40
LYZBETH
Iknowcomingherewas not one of my better ideas, but I had to know. What’s the saying? “Curiosity killed the cat?” Yeah, just call me Garfield.
I see Knox swallow hard. He takes a step closer and puts his hand on the back of the chair I’m sitting in, which has my jacket draped over it. “Look, Lizzie, I’ll tell you everything. Let’s just get out of here before I have to carry you out, OK?”
“Oh, I dunno, Knox. I’m not sure you’re strong enough to carry a woman like Lizzie out of the house,” Marcus says. I would be offended and humiliated by those words if I weren’t a little bit nervous right now, and a little bit shitfaced. But also, I’m pretty sure that was meant as an insult to Knox, so I’ll let it slide.
“You gotta start lifting weights like me, Knox, then you can do this!” In one swoop Marcus bends down lower than me in my seat and grabs me under the ass, hoisting me over his shoulder. I yelp while he spins me in a circle, but we stop abruptly when Knox grabs my hips and pulls me down.
I try not to sway, but the alcohol is definitely taking its toll. I’m actually a little thankful for my nerves, since they are keeping me the tiniest bit sober. “Alright, enough,” Knox says through gritted teeth. “What the hell do you want, Marcus? Huh? What’s your play here?”
Marcus wipes a bead of sweat from his brow. “Aww, we’re just having a little fun here, is all.” He looks between the two of us, then back to Knox’s untouched shot. Then he snaps his fingers, “Oh, wait! Duh! You’re into something a little heavier. How could I be so stupid? Wait right here!” He jogs down the short hallway to the living room that is just inside the front door.
Knox grabs me by the elbow and spins me so I’m in his face. “What the actual fuck?” he seethes through gritted teeth.
“Don’t you dare start on me!” I snarl back. “I know this was stupid, but you can’t blame me for wanting answers.”
He sighs, and his look softens. “Are you OK?”
I nod. “Yes. I mean, I’ve drank enough alcohol to sedate a small horse, but I’m OK.”
“Did you take anything?”
“No.”
