Broken Pieces

Chapter sixty-seven

I grinned at my best friend of all time, Andrea, as she fussed over me. “I'm fine. For the umpteenth time today, Andrea, I'm fine. There's no cause for alarm. I'm almost sure it's just a stomach bug.”

“If it's a stomach bug, you would be sure not almost sure,” Andrea persisted after deviating from our topic of conversation when she saw my grimace of pain for the second time since we began talking a couple minutes ago. I chuckled at the irony that this wasn't only a deviation so as not to continue our unpleasant topic, Andrea was genuinely concerned more than me that felt the pain. Andrea had heard me vomiting twice earlier that morning and had gone berserk and all mother-bear on me.

“For weeks now, you've been constantly moving from one place to the other. When you got back from Wyandotte, instead of a vacation, you went to California. Then you had to travel to Florida to sign a deal with a distribution company and a fashion store. All these is too much for you. That's why you're sick. Oh look at your skin ... so pale.”

The look on her face was the same one I had given myself when I saw myself in the mirror that morning. A look of pity and astonishment. I knew I had been coming down with something for some time now especially with how my body had been acting of late but I'd had too many more important things to do to worry about that. However, the way I looked and felt right then made me think about going to see the doctor as soon as possible.

“I would make an appointment with my physician,” I said, mostly in an effort to alleviate Andrea's worry.

“That's not enough. I need to see you do it. Never mind seeing you do it, I would drive you to the hospital.” I rolled my eyes at Andrea's attitude but nodded my head because it was better than a cab anyway.

The worry finally cleared from her face and she moved back to our former topic of conversation. “I totally support what you're trying to do and I truly admire your courage. I still can't get over my surprise that you went to see Dex and told your dad the truth. You also went to see Allison which is good. But I don't think you also have to…”

Andrea's words trailed off uncertainly and I sighed because I knew the reason for her hesitation. I opened my mouth to talk but shut it when Andrea shook her head. “Wait! I'm not saying you shouldn't go see her but it's not really necessary now that you aren't feeling well.”

I sighed again but this time it was because though, I didn't want to argue with Andrea, what I wanted to say had to be said. “It's very necessary, Andrea. I need to see her. She is the last loose end I can think of and I don't want to go back to Dr. Williams without completing the assignment she gave me. She told me to try to see Tia at least once again. So, I have to try to find her. I would go to her old house or something. She didn't really have a stable house though.” The last part was muttered under my breath but I knew Andrea heard and I saw that look she reserved for Tia cross her face. She really didn't like her at all.

Andrea muttered under her breath and I frowned at what I heard because it sounded something like. “I might end up regretting this.”

“What would you end up regretting, Andrea?”

Andrea huffed and gazed directly at me but her eyes didn't quite meet mine. “Megan works at The Night.”

My jaw dropped. “Megan, as in Tia’s younger sister, works at your club?”

Andrea nodded with an unrepentant glint in her eyes and that made me gape some more. “Since when and why did you never say anything?”

Andrea winced before she spoke. “You know I become a judgy bitch whenever Tia is mentioned. So when her sister that I knew was a junkie too applied for a job at the club I manage, I rejected her of course but she looked clean and swore she was … So, I hired her reluctantly but I decided I wasn't going to tell you. She tried to ask of you a few times but I always shunned her. I know we only met once when I confronted her and her sister but it seemed they both never forgot me.”