If Only You Knew (11 page)

“Willing to help, huh?”

“Yeah,” Lauren continued. “Like maybe we should try to hook up with him to get the info or advice we need to get on with it.”

“I don't know, Lauren. I mean, my brother's dead, they got my moms all shook, I'm looking over my shoulder all hours of the day and night, lying low, wondering if someone's going to come get me, or the police, or who will get to me first—”

“Can we please talk about something else?” Lauren begged abruptly, turning his face to hers. “I only have you to myself for a few hours, and I've been waiting for this—for you to be standing in front of me—for way too long to be talking about this now. We're going to figure out what happened to your brother. And if either of my fathers had anything to do with his death, we're going to figure that part out, too. Trust, we're going to get to the bottom of this. But let's figure it out another time,” she said, turning his face toward hers. She kissed his lips softly once, and then again, and again. He responded in kind, pulling her close to his body, their breathing bodies, their beating hearts, moving as one. After their tongues did their slow, hot dance, Jermaine pulled back and placed her hands in his. He looked over at her bed, and then she did, too. And together, they walked slowly toward it.

“Wait,” Lauren said suddenly, pulling away from him and walking toward her stereo system. “I made a mix on my iPod for you. It's mostly old school stuff, Jodeci, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, and what not. But each one of the songs means something to me, and every last one of them
reminds me of you,” she continued as she pushed a few buttons. Stevie's “Visions” blasted through the speakers.

“You ain't got no Soulja Boy up in there? No Fitty? T-Pain?” Jermaine laughed.

Lauren was a little stunned.

“I'm just kidding,” he said, pulling Lauren onto his lap.

“See? You know you wrong,” Lauren giggled. “Come here,” she said, tapping her lips with her pointer finger.

They kissed passionately, their soft moans going unheard over the din of Stevie's piano. Lauren used her palms to slowly lay Jermaine across her bed, then laid on top of him, squishing her body against his. She wriggled a little when his hands slid up her thigh and under her skirt, his palms cupping her butt.

If not for all that moaning and Stevie's song and the preoccupation with the hugging and kissing and rubbing, one of them might have heard the short but reasonably loud alarm that sounds when someone walks through one of the several doors leading into the Duke estate. One of them might have even heard the keys hit the ornate circular table in the foyer. Or one of them might have heard the creaking of Lauren's door as it opened.

Jermaine saw her first.

Lauren heard the gasp.

She lifted her head just in time enough to see her twin flee—down the stairs she went, two by two.

Lauren jumped off Jermaine and ran after Sydney, calling out to her like her very life depended on it. Truth be told, it did. She needed Sydney to keep her trap shut about what she saw, lest she and her man end up on the obit page of the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Syd, wait up!” Lauren yelled again, she, too, taking the steps two by two, Jermaine on her heels. The two of them burst through the glass door and pushed the heavy iron gate open.

“I forgot my notes for my meeting—I have to go,” Sydney called out, shutting the car door to their father's Mercedes, which she'd apparently borrowed to double-back from church.

“Just wait, Syd, let me explain.”

“No, no explanations, Lauren,” Sydney snapped. “You probably ought to consider getting your boyfriend back in the house, though, before the neighbors see him. Or maybe Mom's nosy friend?”

Lauren hadn't considered the nosy friend. In fact, so excited was she about seeing Jermaine, she had forgotten that Keisha had them all tapped out like the damn FBI. Instinctively, her eyes darted wildly, looking for signs of someone in the bushes, or peeking over the massive brick fence surrounding the property, or the surveillance cameras that stood sentry over the Duke estate.

Lauren looked at Jermaine and dropped her eyes. “You better go,” she said simply.

“Okay, for the record, I so heart Jason,” Carmen playfully swooned as Sydney showed her the text message Jason had sent during her last period. Attached to it was a video of a dancing teddy bear holding a sign that read:
THINKING ABOUT YOU.

“I have to admit, he's really adorable,” Sydney gushed, tapping back her reply as the two strolled through the outdoor courtyard full of students enjoying the sunny afternoon.

“So when are you guys going to make it official?” Carmen asked impatiently as she waved across the large atrium at a group of girls from her drama class. “I'm, like, dying to go on a double date!”

“Uh, Carm, we just went on our first date two days ago,” Sydney reminded her friend as she stopped to check the pile
of books in her arm for her chemistry workbook. “Can we please have a little time to get to know each other before sending out the wedding invitations?”

“Whatever, smart aleck,” Carmen retorted as she waited patiently. “Aren't you the one who told me not to play hard to get when I met Michael?”

“Yes.” Sydney reluctantly copped to the charge.

“Well then? Girl, you're the only one who's going to be mad if someone else makes a move on him. You see how scandalous these desperate hoochies can be,” Carmen hinted none too subtly as they resumed walking.

“No, I hear you,” Sydney agreed with her friend. “I just want to take my time, is all. Once word gets out, every damn body is going to be up in the business. I just want to enjoy getting to know Jason without reading about the two of us on YRT just yet.”

“Good point…I mean seriously, damn Barbie and Ken, you guys are totally about to become Brookhaven's Brad and Angelina…
Sans
the babies of course.”

Sydney laughed and shook her head, imagining herself and Jason on the run from the paparazzi with a multinational brood in tow. “Yes, definitely
sans
the kids.” She stopped to open the double doors that led back into the school.

As they stepped through the doors and into the building, Carmen shivered slightly under her purple-and-white
Thomas Pink button-up shirt. “Damn, why didn't I grab my wrap when we stopped at my locker,” she complained.

“Umm-hmm, and you know the library is going to be even worse,” Sydney mused, thankful for the lightweight cashmere cardigan she decided to wear that day.

“Hold up, Syd,” a familiar voice called out from behind the girls.

Sydney turned into the crowd of students. “Lauren,” she responded hesitantly.

The crowd finally parted and Lauren stepped forward. “Hey, Carmen. Um, Syd, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Hey,” Carmen replied flatly.

“Um, sure…Carm, can I catch up with you in a minute?”

“Sure. I'm actually going to run back to my locker, grab my wrap. I'll meet you back here later,” she responded. “See you later, Lauren,” she offered, heading back out the doors.

“So what's up?” Sydney asked, trying to keep things light. As a general rule, the girls hardly ever spoke in school. Not to mention, the two had been avoiding each other like cold sores on prom night since the Jermaine debacle on Sunday.

“Can we find somewhere a bit more private?” Lauren asked, indicating the library.

“Sure,” Sydney said, leading the way to the individual soundproof reading rooms in the back.

“Damn, how'd you find out about these spots,” Lauren asked as she dropped her vintage Louis Vuitton duffel handbag on the desk and looked around the small room that came equipped with a desk, two chairs, laptop, and flat screen TV.

“If you spent a little more time in the library, you might know about them, too,” Sydney answered mockingly as she pulled a couple of peppermints out of her Bottega bag and offered Lauren one.

“Whatever,” Lauren said simply as she accepted the candy.

“So, what's up?” Sydney asked, settling back in her chair.

“Okay, so obviously Keisha is not playing around.” Lauren started with the least debatable topic of conversation, popping the peppermint into her mouth.

“No kidding,” Sydney agreed bitterly. “That spa day shit? Like, whose mother hires a private investigator to spy on her kids?”

“I know, I know,” Lauren concurred with a shake of her head. “I feel like I'm in the middle of a damn Jason Bourne movie or some shit.”

“And what's so bad is, she knew every damn thing. She knew about the photo album, me going to see Aunt Lorraine,
you trying to keep in touch with Jermaine. Shoot, she even knew about my damn breakup with Marcus,” Sydney exclaimed.

“It's crazy,” Lauren replied.

“And don't you think it's so bizarre how protective she is of Altimus? Like she didn't even bother to try and figure out what all the snooping we're doing is for.”

“It is…but maybe she's just embarrassed that we know about her hooking up with Dice's best friend,” Lauren offered with a shrug. “It is kinda sleazy…”

“True. But still…”

“I'll tell you one thing. I'm scared to take a damn dump now without Keisha running a medical report on my intestines,” Lauren joked sarcastically.

“Shut up, Lauren,” Sydney laughed.

“What? What did I say?” Lauren feigned mock innocence as the twins shared their first laugh in a very long time.

“I swear, some days I don't know whose egg you came from,” Sydney giggled.

“Um, excuse you, that would be my egg that you came from, thank you very much,” Lauren immediately countered with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

“But seriously, Syd,” Lauren said soberly. “There is one thing that Mom and Altimus don't know about.”

Sensing the shift in tone, Sydney straightened up. “What are you talking about?”

“I probably should have told you this before but…” Lauren mumbled, pulling at a tiny ship anchor on her gold charm bracelet.

“Lauren Duke, if you don't spill!”

“Okay, so remember about two weeks ago when I went to the spa with Mom?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, even though I went, I didn't exactly
stay
at the spa,” Lauren explained.

“You're losing me,” Sydney said. “You went but you didn't stay?”

“Well, when Mom and I split up for our treatments, I kinda snuck out of the spa and went down to this fried-fish joint in the West End looking for Jermaine,” she finally spilled.

“You what?” Sydney asked incredulously. “Lauren, are you crazy?”

“Sydney, I had to,” Lauren whined. “Jermaine had been ignoring the IMs and the text messages I tried sending from the computer lab, I didn't know what the hell was going on, I was scared! I had to find him and make sure that he was okay,” she insisted.

Crossing her arms, Sydney shook her head. “You're incorrigible,” she stated.

“I know, I know,” Lauren continued. “And I'm not even going to tell you how when I got down there I almost got into a fight with one of those funky ghetto bitches he used to deal with. Or at least that's what she was trying to make it seem like.”

“Lauren, were you really about to get into a fight, in the hood, over some dude?” Sydney questioned her twin sister incredulously. “Seriously?”

“That's just how much I love him,” Lauren answered simply.

Sydney looked down at her black Chanel ballet slippers as she remembered the surge of pure anger she felt when she saw Marcus walking with Caroline and Trina in the parking lot. “I feel ya,” she replied quietly.

“So anyway, what I was about to say was that right as me and Boom-quisha were about to go to blows, Uncle Larry snatched my ass up,” she continued.

“Who's Uncle Larry?”

“Mom's
brother,
” Lauren paused dramatically.

“Wha—what,” Sydney stuttered.

“That's exactly what I said,” Lauren said as one of the cell phones in her bag started buzzing. She pulled out the KRZR, read the I Luv U text, and put it back.

Sydney looked at her suspiciously. “Um, when the hell did you buy that old-school flip phone?”

Exhaling loudly, Lauren shook her head. “That, my dear, is a whole other story. Let me finish telling you about Uncle Larry first.”

“Okay,” Sydney said, completely flabbergasted by all the intel her sister had managed to withhold for so long.

“So anyway, apparently he's Mom's only brother,” she started again. “His name is Laurence and I'm actually named after him,” she continued proudly.

“But why would we not know him?”

“I can't call it,” Lauren admitted. “According to him, they were all really tight back in the day—him, her, Dice, and Altimus. Hence, the whole naming me Lauren thing. But from what I can guess, when Dice got sent away, some shit happened. And Mom just stopped dealing with him and anybody else she didn't like completely.”

“Or maybe he just wasn't feeling the whole ‘hooking up with your baby's father's best friend' thing,” Sydney surmised sourly. Lauren shrugged her shoulders in response. “But even still,” she continued, “how did
you
know to look for him?”

“I didn't,” Lauren answered truthfully. “Like I said, I was in the West End, in this little fried-fish spot called Pride, when me and homegirl were about to get into it. At the last second, he snatched my ass up outta there.”

“Whoa,” Sydney said.

“Did I mention that everybody up in there but me seemed to already know he was related to us?”

“Kinda like everyone but us also knew that Altimus was shady,” Sydney muttered sarcastically.

“But wait, it gets worse,” Lauren responded as she flipped her hair over her left shoulder. “So after he drags me out the joint—and I finally stop thinking that I'm being kidnapped—he says something real crazy about how I should stay out the hood and let Altimus
and
Keisha clean up the mess they made.”

“Huh? Mess?”

“Yeah, it was real weird. That and how neither me nor Jermaine is safe. Which I totally thought was some over-exaggeration scare topic until I finally talked to Jermaine face-to-face the other day at the house—”

“Speaking of which.” Sydney seized the opportunity to interrupt. “I wasn't going to say anything until you brought it up, but all that Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers business in the house? I hear you on the love thing and all, but ain't no love in the world saving you from becoming Atlanta's next senseless tragedy if Mom or Altimus ever, ever, ever found out Jermaine was up in the house. Let alone, in your room. I don't want to get my butt kicked trying to save your life, either. So let's not repeat that stunt again, okay?”

“Oh, trust, not even if I wanted to,” Lauren said with a sly grin. “Jermaine swears he was going to piss in his pants before I realized that it was just you.”

Sydney shook her head and cringed as the image of her
sister straddling Jermaine flashed through her mind. “Tell him the feeling is mutual,” she replied.

“But like I was saying, Jermaine made it so clear that his life would be in danger until he or the cops figure out who the hell killed his brother!”

“Holy shit,” Sydney whispered. “This just keeps getting worse and worse. Like for real, for real, I don't know what the hell we're in the middle of. Last week Tuesday, I snuck over to Aunt Lorraine's house.”

“Wait, I thought you met with the planner last Tuesday.”

“Guess you aren't the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve.” Sydney laughed bitterly at Lauren's look of surprise. “Anyway, so Aunt Lorraine texted me—thank God Keisha doesn't have the common sense to read the incoming text message numbers on the bill—to let me know Dad sent a letter.”

Mimicking her sister, Lauren crossed her arms and shook her head. “And you talk about me?” she asked.

“Whatever. And as I'm picking it up, she tells me that Dad is easily looking at fifteen more years if he's convicted.”

“What?” Lauren gasped, genuinely horrified.

“I know,” Sydney responded sadly.

“But– but–” Lauren stuttered. “Syd, I know I've been super skeptical this whole time, but after talking to Uncle Larry and now Jermaine…I just don't think he did it.”

Sydney shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “Welcome to the club,” she said. “But it's like, our intuition against their word. We'd look crazy trying to go to the police to report our parents.” Lauren inhaled deeply as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

Sydney reached out to rub her sister's back. “Don't cry, Lauren, okay?”

“I'm just so frustrated and confused,” she sniffled as she put her head down into her hands. “This is not how my life is supposed to be turning out!”

“I hear ya…” Sydney agreed as her cell phone started buzzing. She pulled it out quickly. “Hello? Gimme five minutes and I'm on my way,” she responded before hanging up. “That was Carmen. She's been waiting for me upstairs.”

“Oh, okay,” Lauren said, wiping her eyes. “I guess I should probably get going, too,” she replied, grabbing her compact out of her bag and powdering her face.

“Wait,” Sydney said as she stood up. “Now, what's the deal with that phone?”

“Jermaine gave it to me,” she admitted with a small smile. “He knew I couldn't talk to him on the one Altimus pays for, so he got me another one on his new line.”

“That was really smart,” Sydney said as she pushed in her chair and waited for Lauren to finish reapplying her lip gloss.

Lauren looked at Sydney for confirmation on her makeup.
Sydney gave her a nod. “He's really a great guy…” she mused, fluffing her hair. She stopped suddenly. “Speaking of which, what's the deal with you and Jason Danden? I over-heard Dara whispering something smart about you two when I walked in to the cafeteria the other day.”