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The lack of sleep last night starts to catch up to me. The moment I let my guard down, and sleep starts to lull me, my brain conjures up the images. Blood is everywhere, all over my hands and painted against my pink nightgown. I pop my eyes open quickly, placing a hand against my rapidly beating heart. I count to ten and try to do the breathing exercise my therapist taught me. Eventually, the remnants of the nightmare start to recede.
I pinch my arm to keep myself from falling back to sleep. Until I get my hands on a Perc, it’s best I stay awake. I stare out the window as the city flies by.
Stepping off the bus, I toss my trash bag over my shoulder. Pulling the hoodie over my head, I keep my eyes fixed on the pavement in hopes no one recognizes me. Making the short trip to my only friends’ small blue house, I walk up the steps and knock twice on the white door. After three minutes pass and no one answers I knock again. The door swings open, and a very angry Trina is standing in front of me in a red silk robe.
“Who the fuck is knocking on my…. Summer? What the hell are you doing here?” She asks once she sees it’s me.
She looks over my head back out onto the street, before grabbing my arm and pulling me inside.
She shuts the door and glances up the stairs. “What are you doing here? You know Nic has goons all on this block looking for you.”
I flinch at the name of my ex. The one time I tried to do the relationship thing it backfired on me. Typical.
“Raina kicked me out,” I say, pushing the hoodie off my head and dropping my trash bag at my feet.
Trina’s eyes narrow and she folds her arms over her chest. “What did you do?”
I love that my best friend knows me enough to know that nine times out of ten, I fucked up.
I snort, “Tried to sleep with Mitch.”
She stares for a moment and then we both burst out laughing. “Is she serious? She actually believed that bullshit?”
“Apparently, her and mommy knew it was coming.”
Movement on the stairs has me looking up. A tall slender white man is coming down the steps, pulling his blazer on. He looks to be in his late forties. He has a dusting of gray hair at his temples and lines around his eyes and mouth. He glances nervously at me before turning back to Trina.
“You’re leaving?” she purrs at the man.
I look away when she runs her hand over his chest. I don’t do well in awkward or high-pressure situations. Hell, I just don’t do well period.
“I have a flight to catch at noon. I left your money on the nightstand,” he says the last part low as if I don’t know how my best friend makes her money.
What Trina does would be considered prostitution to some. She calls herself a sugar baby. She dates older men that provide for her financially.
“Okay. I’ll see you the next time you’re in town?”
The man smiles and nods his head up and down. He turns to me. “Nice to meet you.”
“Uh, you too. I hope you enjoyed the services.” I flinched as I realized what I’d just said.
The guy’s eyes widen. Trina groans and places her hand to her forehead. He quickly makes his exit after that. As soon as the door shuts behind him, Trina turns to me.
“Really, bitch?”
I shrug. “You know how I get when I’m nervous. Plus, he reminded me of one of my old substance abuse counselors,” I say, shivering as the memory of their resemblance replays in my head.
“Well, he’s not.” She turns around and heads into her living room.
I follow behind her, leaving my belongings in her foyer.
“I swear whoever created Viagra needs their ass kicked. I don’t know why everyone wants to fuck all night.”
She flops down on the couch and picks up a half smoked blunt out of the ashtray on her coffee table. I sit down beside her and place my head against the back of the sofa. Trina fires the L and the sweet smell of cannabis fills the air. My mouth waters for a hit.
She passes it to me, and I place it to my lips taking a long drag. The smoke fills my lungs and I immediately feel my body relaxing. I exhale and choke, passing it back to Trina.
“You look like shit,” she says taking another hit. “When’s the last time you slept?”
