Page 31 of An Uphill Battle

“I’m gonna go shower, okay?” I say, breaking thesilence.

“Sounds good, sister-girl. I’ll whip us up something toeat.”

* * *

Myla’s ideaof making us something to eat was actually ordering a pizza, but that’s fine by me. We polish the entire medium pie off in no time flat, and then she grabs my brush off the nightstand and begins the task of untangling myhair.

She’s about halfway through when the first text from Drake pingsthrough.

Assface:Can wetalk?

Assface:Please, Azalea? Five minutes. Uninterrupted. That’s all I’masking.

“Is that him?” Myla Rose asks, but before I get a chance to reply, two more messages comethough.

Assface:Come on, Bit. It says you’ve read them. I know you’rethere.

Assface:Just hear me out, Azalea. I at least deservethat.

“Do you think it’s possible, maybe even a little, that I jumped to conclusions?” I ask Myla Rose as I read and re-read Drake’stexts.

She ponders my question for a few moments before replying, “Yeah, I reallydo.”

Assface:Okay, Azalea. You win for now. But the minute you’re ready tolisten...

I have shit tosay.

Deep down, and I mean real deep, I know I need to go to him and listen. But I’m scared. It seems like every time I’ve ever tried putting myself out there, it blows up in my face. And I’m so, so tired of shit blowing up in myface.

“Just like you told me with Cash, you need to talk to him and listen to what he has to say,” Myla Rose tells me, her voice soft andsoothing.

“What if I don’t like what he has to say?” My lower lip trembles as my mind races withpossibilities.

“That’s life, sister-girl.”

16

Azalea

Iwaittwo more days before replying to Drake. Not because I want to punish him—okay, well, maybe a little—but mostly because I don’t know what to say. And maybe I’m not ready to hear what he has to say. If he tells me he and Kelly are a thing, it will killme.

Gah!Ifhe tells me they’re together, that means she’ll inevitably start coming around, and I’ll have to plaster a fake smile across my face and make nice with the woman who has my man. Because that totally won’t ruin the dynamics of our little group. I’m honestly not sure if I could even manage to fake my way throughit.

I voiced all of these concerns to Myla Rose before I messaged him back—yes, a text, because I was too chicken-shit to call him and hear his voice—but she told me I’d never know if I didn’t take achance.

So, I did, and now here I am, a week and a day post “The Incident,” laid back in the shampoo bowl at the salon while Magnolia works my hair into a rich lather so that she can blow it out to perfection. If he’s gonna let me down and break my heart, I’m sure as hell gonna look my best so that he knows just what he’s missing outon.

“Whatcha gonna wear tonight?” Seraphine asks as Magnolia towels myhair.

“Red.”

“Red what?” Magnolia asks as she nibbles her bottomlip.

“Red everything. A red dress. Red lingerie. Red lips. He’s gonna swallow his tongue when he seesme.”

“I’m sure he will, but... what if he doesn’t?” Seraphine sounds uneasy asking the question, as if she’s worried I’m gonna lash out, and God, I want to, but she doesn’t deserve myire.

“Well, if that’s the case, then so be it.” I take a deep breath, steeling my resolve. “It’ll be hisloss.”

---