Remember Me (Sequel To Tragic Endings)

29. I'm Sorry

Aisha's P.O.V.

Sitting at the edge of one of the twin sized beds with my head down, I'm scrolling through the contacts in my phone, my finger hovering over this Chilli girl's number. I can now see that she's apparently been trying to contact me before, texts and missed calls from her on my phone ever since the time of my... accident, but I never responded to her back then, probably because I didn't even know who she was, and I was also way too overwhelmed with stuff, but now that I've been remembering more and more from my oast life, I realize that me and her was actually pretty good friends at some point. So I call her.

"Hey girl," who I assume is Chilli responds after a few rings, and she sounds so sleepy, and I instantly feel bad. Like, I haven't even checked what time it was before I had called her. I glance over at my sleeping daughter laying on the bed next to me.

"Um... I'm so sorry for calling so late," I then say awkwardly.

"Noooo, Aisha, it's totally cool. Holy shit, bitch, do you know for how long I've been trying to reach you though? Are you alright?!"

"Um... I don't actually know. Chilli, right? I'm sorry girl, but I hardly remember you."

Silence.

I mentally facepalm myself, I really wish I had a better way of explaining things.

"I mean like... I know that we are supposed to be friends, but like..."

"So the rumors are true then. You DID lose your memory, Aisha. Damn. I'm so sorry, girl. I don't even know what to say!"

"Yes, but I've been slowly remembering... certain things, and I had remembered that we were cool at some point, and Chilli, I know I sound like a total bitch right now because I'm only reaching out to you now that I need you, but like... I really need help."

"Sure, girl. Whatever you need?"

"Can me and my daughter stay with you for a few days?" I ask then, and there's another brief pause before Chilli asks me with concern in her voice.

"Aisha, what is wrong, for real? Em and you are fighting? Or is your father causing problems again?"

"Chilli, I..."

"Oh God. What did the white boy do this time?"

"I can't tell you that, girl," I whisper.

And it's funny, because I don't even remember her, but I've got this instant feeling of comfort talking to Chilli, because she just FEELS like my friend, but still, I could never tell her what Marshall did. As much as I want nothing to do with him anymore, I would never betray him by snitching on him. To anybody. I would take his secret to my grave.

Chilli let's out a long deep breath at the other end of the line.

"Aisha, girl, I can't pretend that I know what you are going through right now, cause girl, I have no idea. But my doors are always open to you, that goes without a doubt, girlfriend. One thing I will say to you though is that, whatever it is Em did, that man loves the fuck out of you, so don't give him too much of a hard time, okay? Anyways, you can catch the earliest flight to my place."

"Wait, a flight? You don't live in Detroit?" I then stupidly ask her, and Chilli laughs.

"Bitch, no, I stay in LA. You know, you used to live here too before, but after you married Em, you moved to the D with him."

"Oh."

"No worries, girl. I'll send you the address."

"Okay, thanks."