Coward

Josie's POV













“The decor is so nice.” Charlotte Woods, my best friend of eight years, appraised as she sipped her cappuccino. I didn’t glance around to check if her assertion was correct or say anything in disagreement. “Why are you so quiet? It’s freaking me out. You are never quiet.”

“In a few hours, I face the man who took my father and I can’t even get him punished for what he has done.” My hands trembled a little as I dropped my tea cup on the saucer a little too hard.
I preferred coffee any time of the day but I was a little too keyed up for coffee at the moment.

She raised a perfectly painted checkered color finger at me. “One, you have nothing to prove that he took your dad. Two, whatever punishment he will be given should be after we have your father home safe and sound.” She raised her shoulder in a delicate shrug. “For all you know, this could be one big misunderstanding.

I gave her a droll look. “How do you misunderstand masked men breaking into the house at ass o’clock, knocking me out and carting my dad away? You think he got invited to a beach party and refused because he was afraid of getting a sunburn?” Charlotte flushed and I winced at my sharp tone. “I’m sorry, I’m a little on edge."

“It’s okay.” She brightened. “And you didn’t let me tell you the third thing.

“And what’s that?”

“I’m going to be right beside you every step of the way.” Even after mum had warned me to keep things quiet, I’d still vomited everything to Charlotte a few hours ago.

Besides Grayson, I trusted her more than anything in the world and she was very discreet, she was not a loud mouth like RuPaul, there would be no accidental spills from her. Besides, I needed her help. She had experience in business and Vladimir Sedof was a business shark. My sister and I had literally no clue about our father’s business. I mean, I hardly knew what my father did for a living. I wasn’t going to meet with a man as dangerous and shrewd as Vladimir without some knowledge of the business. But as earlier stated, I was useless at all things business and so was Anna. And my mum, well, it was a good thing going to school was made compulsory because if it hadn’t she’d have gotten no education. Okay, that sounded harsh, even to me. I didn’t hate my mum or anything like that, it was just that her lack of ambition really grated on my nerves. She was very, very content being a housewife. And not the sort of housewife that took care of the house but the type that was there to be pretty and host parties.

“Earth to Josie.” Charlotte mumbled right before my foot was kicked lightly.

“Hey!” I chirped, trying to act like I was paying attention to what she was saying.

“Hey you too. So where did you go off to?”

“Nowhere.” I mumbled. “Maybe we should leave now?” I’d rather get it over with now. The wait was nothing but torture.

“It's just two in the afternoon Jo.” She replied incredulously. “Listen, I still think its a good idea that we bring Grayson along.” I bristled almost immediately. I still remembered the rage coming off Grayson in waves the night before last. He’d been so livid I was certain he would hit me.

“No. He would be no help with Vladimir. You need to see how mad he got after the interview. No, I can’t risk him deterring me. I have to do this without him.” I stated firmly.

“But if things turn dicey, he could be an asset. He is in the military, this kind of thing is what he trained for.” Char tried again. Maybe she was scared of going to the meeting with me? She might be afraid of getting kidnapped.

“You don’t have to come with me, you know.” Half an hour ago, I had practically guilt tripped Char into going with me, but now I think I was better off going at it alone. I didn’t want to, I really didn’t want to but I would if I had to. “Besides, Grayson is an FBI agent now. I muttered mulisly. It was another sore point for me.

“Since when?” She was taken aback by the news, I could tell by how wide her eyes got. Ever since college, we have all become a group of sorts. She and Grayson were friends, though not the excessively close kind.

“I have no idea. He didn’t think it important for me to know. I bet Anna knows about his change in career.” I grumbled, stirring my tea in jerky motions. He told her everything, oftentimes, I found out what was happening in his life through Anna.
He had time to call her when he was away on missions, send her a text message and I was the dear friend he checked in with once in a blue moon.

“Josie.” She called calmly and I looked up into toffee brown eyes ringed in khol. She stared at me intently. “You need to tell him how you feel before you start hating your sister.”

“Too late.” I quipped thoughtlessly. Charlotte and I gaped at each other in astonishment. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I swear!” I raised my arms in the air to emphasize my point.

“How do you mean it then?” Her face was clear of any expression, no judgment in her gaze, only rapt attention.

‘Huh’, I groaned. She was in sister Mary mode. It was what I called her preachy tone that only ever rationed things out for me. When she spoke slowly in those tones, she reminded me of those nuns. All she needed was the uniform and a bible and the image would be complete. Actually, the only reason she didn’t end up taking her vows was because the sheriff stepped in and saved her from that fate.

“Jo? Talk to me.” She insisted in the very rational voice.

I picked at the table cloth. “I don’t hate my sister, I really don’t. I…just get envious of her at times. Sometimes I wish I was her, you know.” I mumbled into my tea.

“Why, because she’s pretty? You are very beautiful woman Jo, you should have more confidence in yourself.” She admonished.

“It's not just that.” Really, it wasn’t. It was so much more than that. It was more like I was invisible and when I was, I was just a nuisance. I tried to find relatable words to explain myself to her. “Everyone reacts to her differently. They care about her opinions and don’t yell at her all the time. Mother grants her liberties she would never grant me. She indulges her. It’s like she’s their little princess and I-I’m a burden! An unwanted task they can’t escape. Like, I could be talking and mum would shush me but when Anna speaks, she doesn’t get shushed. And Grayson is always looking at her!” I yelled, my voice getting progressively louder the more I spoke.
Char was a little shell shocked at my outburst but how else was I supposed to explain my feelings to her? Father was the only person in that house that paid any attention to me. To everyone else, I was the impulsive brat they had no choice but to deal with.

“Tell him.” She repeated.

“I already told her.”

“And what did she say?”

“Well, I hadn’t spoken the exact words, but I hinted at it, then she went white. like all the blood drained from her face and then mum called so I never got a reply from her.”

“When was this?”

“Um, it will be two years next month.”

She hummed, sipped her coffee some more before looking me straight in the face and declaring, “Coward.”