Angie, a live-in-the-now singer-songwriter on the cusp of fame, sweeps Mike, a proper Mama's boy and a structural engineer by day, off his feet the moment they shake hands.
They can't deny the chemistry between them, so they start with a boom. What'...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
▪️Saturday, January 23rd, 2018▪️
▪️Phoenix, AZ▪️
I don't know how to ask this. The first time she mentioned the pain killers it didn't alarm me. Her injury was evident. She's been living with it for years. There's so much about Angie I love that not paying attention to the signs at first was easy. Ignoring them when I saw her take her meds, and then take them again was easy too. Maybe I could've turned a blind eye to the red flags longer, but I promised myself to not ignore it when the people I love are going through hard times. I've done it with Louka. I'm not repeating that mistake again.
I've tried at the Dairy Queen this morning, but the birthday festivities, being surrounded by the crew-not the right place or time to press the issue. I must take care of her, and asking hard questions is part of being a good partner. The thuds of my heart should break my ribcage. My fucking organ betrays me by ramping up, migrating into my shoulder, and Morse coding my thoughts into Angie's forehead.
Please, let me in. Tell me the truth. I kiss her silky, light-brown hair, inhale the cacophony of smells from this crazy day. Maybe I should wait and not mess up her birthday, but I'm not even sure when I'll see her again. I can't wait for another indefinite stretch of time. I need to make sure she's okay, and if she's not, if it's as I suspect, there are rehab facilities, therapists. I got out of that trap, and so can she. She's a hundred times stronger than me. A million.
"Did you take something this morning?" The question that's been on my tongue since her party is out in the air.
Angie's head moves so fast her forehead slams into my chin. The impact snaps my jaw shut. The sweet metallic taste of blood means I probably bit my tongue, but I have no time to pay attention to myself. I'm watching Angie and hoping.
"What?" I analyze her expression. She's either going to kick me out or come up with another joke to mask her feelings. That's not what I want.
"Earlier at Dairy Queen. I saw your pupils." I'm craving her honesty. "You were out of it."
"That? I was just tired. One of the longest mornings of my life. Best birthday ever. I'm not complaining, but I'm not a morning person. You know." She rubs the spot where my chin and her head collided, shrugs, and gives me a one-sided fake apology smile.
With anyone else, I'd drop the line of questioning, but she's not anyone. I've neglected the weird behavior of my brother when he got in with the joyriding crowd. I saw the signs then but ignoring them was easier. Enjoying my life at college was more important to me, but not this time.
"No, I think it was more. I've noticed this the time before your concert in LA. Seems like any time there is a performance involved, you changed." I should just go for it. "I've been high. I lived through that, as I've just told you. I get it. You can trust me. What kind of drugs are you on?"
