Never . But you should have seen her, heard her. She’s shipping me off and she’s doing this to break us up. She’s out for revenge. She’s plotting something, Kumar. She’s plotting against all of us. You didn’t hear her, see her. She hates me.”
“You aren’t making any sense.”
Sasha turned with her arms crossed. “Really? I’m not making any sense because this makes no sense! Why would Lee agree to send me away? We’re a team. We just did the biggest score in the business. She didn’t do it alone. It was the three of us. All of us! We saved her ass!”
Panic swelled in her chest, stunting her breathing. She pressed her palms over her face, assailed by a terrible sense of bitterness. Kumar said nothing. His silence only added to her torment. Wasn’t he panicked? Didn’t he care?
From her position in the room, she had a clear view through the partially opened bathroom door. She took a step toward the open door and Kumar cut her off. He gave her a nervous smile. “We’ll think of something. In fact, I’m on the case already. I got something in the works.”
“What were you doing in there?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing.”
“Move!” She tried to escape him.
Kumar caught her arm, tried to drag her to him, but she broke free. She entered the bathroom before him. On the sink was a pouch that looked familiar. She’d seen it before, at his place. It lay unzipped, with rubber tubing hanging out.
“I can explain,” he said, stepping in front of her.
“You still using, Kumar?” Stunned disbelief cooled her rage, replacing it with pure fear. If he had slipped, they were doomed. No way in hell they could beat Michelle at her game if he had turned to his habit.
“It’s not that simple. I’m not strung out—”
“Dear God. You are? You’re using! You never stopped, did you?”
“Listen to me. Let me explain this.”
“Explain what? What! That you’re a junkie? That you’ve been lying to me all this time? Making me feel guilty for suspecting, questioning? Explain it!” She hit him hard in the chest. “Say something!” She struck him again. Kumar stumbled. “Explain how you will quit. That it was your one and only time. A slip I caused for hooking up with Lee. Explain how your sobriety is all based on me. Explain it!” She slapped him. Kumar took the blow without a fight. “Say something! Explain it, damn it! Explain how it’s the last time. That you want to change. Just like Pops! Just like Pops!”
In tears, Sasha broke from the room. Kumar went after her, catching her in the hall. He grabbed her by her arms, struggling and twisting with her. He refused to let her go. “I’m not Pops. I made a mistake. One mistake.”
“It’s not one mistake if you’re using. It’s suicide! Why, Kumar? Why?”
“Damn it, don’t you think I know that? I’m trying here.”
“Let me go.”
“I love you! I need you to trust me.”
“Let me go! My life is falling apart and you’re getting high! Same thing as my father! You’re no different. I’m so stupid.” She shook him off and kept going, blinded by her tears and pain.
***
Michelle watched Kumar and Sasha curiously from the end of the hall. Her sister in tears, Kumar desperate to convince her of the un-convincible: love can cure a junkie . She shook her head and withdrew. Doubling back the way she came, she made sure Kumar couldn’t see her in the hall. When she turned down the next hall to her room, she came upon Abahti.
“You and I have unfinished business,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Fine.” Michelle entered a guest room. She had no intention of anyone seeing her and Abahti together in the room she shared with Lee.
Once inside, she closed the door. Abahti stood with his arms crossed like some tall spruce, void of feeling or emotion. The man had a raw dislike for her. It never wavered. But she held strong. Never let them see you sweat , Pops would say. “Has Lee told you?”
“That you’re going to Prague?
“You aren’t making any sense.”
Sasha turned with her arms crossed. “Really? I’m not making any sense because this makes no sense! Why would Lee agree to send me away? We’re a team. We just did the biggest score in the business. She didn’t do it alone. It was the three of us. All of us! We saved her ass!”
Panic swelled in her chest, stunting her breathing. She pressed her palms over her face, assailed by a terrible sense of bitterness. Kumar said nothing. His silence only added to her torment. Wasn’t he panicked? Didn’t he care?
From her position in the room, she had a clear view through the partially opened bathroom door. She took a step toward the open door and Kumar cut her off. He gave her a nervous smile. “We’ll think of something. In fact, I’m on the case already. I got something in the works.”
“What were you doing in there?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing.”
“Move!” She tried to escape him.
Kumar caught her arm, tried to drag her to him, but she broke free. She entered the bathroom before him. On the sink was a pouch that looked familiar. She’d seen it before, at his place. It lay unzipped, with rubber tubing hanging out.
“I can explain,” he said, stepping in front of her.
“You still using, Kumar?” Stunned disbelief cooled her rage, replacing it with pure fear. If he had slipped, they were doomed. No way in hell they could beat Michelle at her game if he had turned to his habit.
“It’s not that simple. I’m not strung out—”
“Dear God. You are? You’re using! You never stopped, did you?”
“Listen to me. Let me explain this.”
“Explain what? What! That you’re a junkie? That you’ve been lying to me all this time? Making me feel guilty for suspecting, questioning? Explain it!” She hit him hard in the chest. “Say something!” She struck him again. Kumar stumbled. “Explain how you will quit. That it was your one and only time. A slip I caused for hooking up with Lee. Explain how your sobriety is all based on me. Explain it!” She slapped him. Kumar took the blow without a fight. “Say something! Explain it, damn it! Explain how it’s the last time. That you want to change. Just like Pops! Just like Pops!”
In tears, Sasha broke from the room. Kumar went after her, catching her in the hall. He grabbed her by her arms, struggling and twisting with her. He refused to let her go. “I’m not Pops. I made a mistake. One mistake.”
“It’s not one mistake if you’re using. It’s suicide! Why, Kumar? Why?”
“Damn it, don’t you think I know that? I’m trying here.”
“Let me go.”
“I love you! I need you to trust me.”
“Let me go! My life is falling apart and you’re getting high! Same thing as my father! You’re no different. I’m so stupid.” She shook him off and kept going, blinded by her tears and pain.
***
Michelle watched Kumar and Sasha curiously from the end of the hall. Her sister in tears, Kumar desperate to convince her of the un-convincible: love can cure a junkie . She shook her head and withdrew. Doubling back the way she came, she made sure Kumar couldn’t see her in the hall. When she turned down the next hall to her room, she came upon Abahti.
“You and I have unfinished business,” he said in a gruff voice.
“Fine.” Michelle entered a guest room. She had no intention of anyone seeing her and Abahti together in the room she shared with Lee.
Once inside, she closed the door. Abahti stood with his arms crossed like some tall spruce, void of feeling or emotion. The man had a raw dislike for her. It never wavered. But she held strong. Never let them see you sweat , Pops would say. “Has Lee told you?”
“That you’re going to Prague?
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