Something Domestic

III

AFTER EATING THE sandwich, Charisse thanked him. Joshua responded with a nonchalant 'no problem'. He decided he had to get her home. She wanted him to walk her home but they both know if any cop saw her walking with him, they'd arrest him. And Charisse didn't want that.

Joshua walked her to the corner of Main and 1st Street. They didn't talk, only a few glances here and there. Every time their eyes would meet Charisse would blush and carefully guide her eyes the way. It was cute; Joshua was glad he had that effect on her. He stopped at the stop sign with a sigh.

"You sure you don't want me to walk with you?" He asked.

Charisse shook her head. "Mom will have you arrested."

Joshua sighed. "I put my number in your phone in case you just... want to talk, okay?"

Charisse suppressed a smile. "Okay,"

Joshua kissed her forehead before telling her to go. Charisse did and forced herself not to look back. When she stopped in front of her house, she turned. Joshua was still standing there. He lifted his hand and gave a small wave. Charisse waved back before running up the steps. With a sigh, she pushed open the door.

She was pulled into a hug by Maria as soon as she shut the door. She didn't hug back, only stood there and waited for her to let go.

"Miss Walker are you okay?" asked a detective.

"Yes, I'm fine," Charisse answered.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to ask you a few questions," the detective said.

"He didn't hurt me," Charisse said, shrugging as if that statement alone couldn't get him in trouble.

"Who didn't hurt you?"

She started to say his name but stopped. It didn't matter who or what happened. She was safe. Charisse brushed past the detectives and her mother before running up the stairs. She closed her bedroom door with a sigh. She sat down at her desk and started flicking her wristband.

He didn't hurt me, right, she thought. After all, he wouldn't have gotten mad about her asking that question. He wasn't mad that she asked the question to him, though. He was upset that she asked the question at all. And when Charisse realized that she immediately reached for her phone. She scrolled down her Contacts list—which wasn't that long—and pressed Joshua's name. Charisse texted, you're not mad at me, are you?

Joshua forced himself awake when he heard his phone sound off. He pushed himself from his bed and reached for his phone. A smile made its way onto his face when he saw Charisse's name. He quickly typed out a response and waited for her to respond.

Well, you seemed pretty upset... Charisse typed.

Joshua's eyebrows drew in. I was just confused about why you asked that question.

That's a complicated question, Joshua.

He smiled. I didn't ask a question.

If you did, she typed, it would've caused a very complicated answer. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll call you or... text or something.

Joshua chuckled and typed out his response. Bye, baby.

Charisse tittered as she rolled her eyes. She threw her phone on the desk. She ran a hand through her hair, a ghost of a smile present on her lips. With a sigh, she stood to take a bath.

All the police were leaving, and Charisse was glad. She didn't want to answer any questions at all. It killed her when Maria did all of this with her but nothing for Taliah. And she knew Taliah was very jealous of the attention their father and mother gave her. Charisse didn't know why her sister was jealous of that. She wouldn't have wanted the kind of attention her father gave her and it damn sure wasn't easy being a perfect, thin barbie doll.