mouth, but it was too late. I got my wish. Coffee seeped all the way down her chin.
I took in my best friend through a misty blend of gratefulness and humility. “Thanks for dragging me out last night, by the way. You were right. I needed it.” More than I realized.
She towed her legs into the chair, seemingly uneager to voice the infamous I-told-you-so speech that I was more than entitled to hear.
My back sank into the chair’s wooden slats. “I knew this time apart from Riley was going to be tough, but sometimes I feel like I’m drowning. There’s no way I’d make it without you guys.”
She wiped a streak of coffee off her mug. “Sounds like A. J. was the real lifejacket last night.”
“Maybe, but you’ve rescued me from rock bottom plenty of times. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Girl, I’ve been taking diving lessons since the day I first met you.”
I snagged the cushion from the next chair over and threatened to swat her with it.
Laughing, she latched onto the table to keep from toppling over. “So, does this mean you guys are friends again?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, I think it does. Well, sort of.” I stared absently at the magazine cover. “I still sense there’s something left unspoken. Sometimes when he looks at me, it’s like I can feel this silent pain in his eyes. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“You need to be careful, Em.”
“Jae, it’s not like—”
She sprang out of her seat and glared at the clock as if it’d committed some monstrous betrayal. “Shoot. Is that clock right? Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” Her voice squealed in escalating octaves. “Professor Greaves is gonna kill me. I was supposed to meet him in the ETC at ten-thirty to set up for a presentation.”
She made it to the bedroom and back again before I had time to set my dishes in the sink. I tossed her a banana right when she reached the door. “Something to supplement that imposter breakfast combo you had going on earlier.”
“Thanks for looking out.” She slipped the banana into her purse and winked. “We’ll finish talking later.”
“After work.”
“Be careful,” she called behind her.
A breeze from the stairwell coursed into the apartment and settled over my shoulders. Yet rather than stifle, the silence following me down the hall felt surprisingly like a friend. One I’d missed.
I wasn’t naive enough to think things were back to normal between A. J. and me. If I were honest, they’d never be exactly as they’d been, but something broke last night. I sensed it.
At the bathroom sink, I dropped my pressed powder, flexed my hands against the counter, and stared in the mirror. My chin still bore the mark left by that thug’s ring, but the dark circles under my eyes were gone. No imprint of restlessness to hide.
How could one good night’s sleep reverse the effects of countless nightmares? The meltdown with A. J. must’ve had more impact than I thought. I felt lighter. Freer than I had in weeks.
Jaycee’s sticky note train waved at me from under the ceiling vent. “I am courageous. I am not alone. I am loved. I will make it through.” Maybe I would. Even if I wasn’t fully whole yet, life seemed a little less broken today.
A sense of assurance stayed with me all the way into Portland until I parked Riley’s Civic in my usual spot. Fresh graffiti defacing the bricks on the front of the building stared back at me.
The agitation in my stomach grew into a slow boil. Dee. I yanked open the door and barreled across the street. He wasn’t getting away with this.
I blew into the office. Little Brandon’s head popped up from Trey’s chair.
“Where’s Trey?”
Brandon lowered his feet from the desk. “Just missed him. Got a call, then hustled out. Said somethin’ about final signings.”
The divorce. I couldn’t think about that right now. At least it’d finally be over.
Basketball dribbles rang from out back. Still fuming, I stormed through the screen door and
I took in my best friend through a misty blend of gratefulness and humility. “Thanks for dragging me out last night, by the way. You were right. I needed it.” More than I realized.
She towed her legs into the chair, seemingly uneager to voice the infamous I-told-you-so speech that I was more than entitled to hear.
My back sank into the chair’s wooden slats. “I knew this time apart from Riley was going to be tough, but sometimes I feel like I’m drowning. There’s no way I’d make it without you guys.”
She wiped a streak of coffee off her mug. “Sounds like A. J. was the real lifejacket last night.”
“Maybe, but you’ve rescued me from rock bottom plenty of times. I don’t know how you do it.”
“Girl, I’ve been taking diving lessons since the day I first met you.”
I snagged the cushion from the next chair over and threatened to swat her with it.
Laughing, she latched onto the table to keep from toppling over. “So, does this mean you guys are friends again?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, I think it does. Well, sort of.” I stared absently at the magazine cover. “I still sense there’s something left unspoken. Sometimes when he looks at me, it’s like I can feel this silent pain in his eyes. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“You need to be careful, Em.”
“Jae, it’s not like—”
She sprang out of her seat and glared at the clock as if it’d committed some monstrous betrayal. “Shoot. Is that clock right? Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” Her voice squealed in escalating octaves. “Professor Greaves is gonna kill me. I was supposed to meet him in the ETC at ten-thirty to set up for a presentation.”
She made it to the bedroom and back again before I had time to set my dishes in the sink. I tossed her a banana right when she reached the door. “Something to supplement that imposter breakfast combo you had going on earlier.”
“Thanks for looking out.” She slipped the banana into her purse and winked. “We’ll finish talking later.”
“After work.”
“Be careful,” she called behind her.
A breeze from the stairwell coursed into the apartment and settled over my shoulders. Yet rather than stifle, the silence following me down the hall felt surprisingly like a friend. One I’d missed.
I wasn’t naive enough to think things were back to normal between A. J. and me. If I were honest, they’d never be exactly as they’d been, but something broke last night. I sensed it.
At the bathroom sink, I dropped my pressed powder, flexed my hands against the counter, and stared in the mirror. My chin still bore the mark left by that thug’s ring, but the dark circles under my eyes were gone. No imprint of restlessness to hide.
How could one good night’s sleep reverse the effects of countless nightmares? The meltdown with A. J. must’ve had more impact than I thought. I felt lighter. Freer than I had in weeks.
Jaycee’s sticky note train waved at me from under the ceiling vent. “I am courageous. I am not alone. I am loved. I will make it through.” Maybe I would. Even if I wasn’t fully whole yet, life seemed a little less broken today.
A sense of assurance stayed with me all the way into Portland until I parked Riley’s Civic in my usual spot. Fresh graffiti defacing the bricks on the front of the building stared back at me.
The agitation in my stomach grew into a slow boil. Dee. I yanked open the door and barreled across the street. He wasn’t getting away with this.
I blew into the office. Little Brandon’s head popped up from Trey’s chair.
“Where’s Trey?”
Brandon lowered his feet from the desk. “Just missed him. Got a call, then hustled out. Said somethin’ about final signings.”
The divorce. I couldn’t think about that right now. At least it’d finally be over.
Basketball dribbles rang from out back. Still fuming, I stormed through the screen door and
Similar Books
