“Okay, I’m close but I don’t know where I’m going.”
“I’m not…”
My headlights light her up and she rushes toward the car. I release a lighter breath than the ones I’ve been taking on the way here.
She jumps in and I quickly lock the doors as I look around and see mini camps of homeless people, some staring our way, but most too drunk or high to notice we’re here.
“What the hell are you doing here, Clare?”
I deserve an answer after coming to her aid. I take in her appearance, and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Her makeup has run down her cheeks, the little black dress I know used to cling to her, hangs limply in certain places and her hair isn’t as perfectly maintained as it used to be.
“Tar had some business to do, then we had a fight and he left. Can we please get out of here?” she snaps.
A bang on my window has me jumping in my seat and my heart pounding in my chest.
A skinny guy with only two broken yellow teeth in his mouth stands too close and I push my foot down on the gas, not caring if I hit anyone.
“Anything could’ve happened to me,” she begins to say once we’re back on the highway. “Fucking asshole.”
I turn the music on hoping it will soothe her and save me from saying the wrong thing.
It seems to work and it’s not until I pull up to her gates that she sits forward and says, “Why did you bring me here?”
Looking her in the eye, I say, “Because it’s where you live?”
“No-no. I need to go to Tariq’s.”
“I thought you hated him? He just left you in the middle of a homeless encampment where anything could’ve happened to you.”
How is it I need to remind her?
“How can I tell him that if I’m here?”
Losing my patience, I snap, “I’m not a taxi service, Clare. I’ve got an early class tomorrow and I have an assignment to start before I can even think of going to sleep.”
“Please?” she pleads.
“Clare, I’m worried about you. I think you should stay here, or come to mine. We haven’t seen each other in so long. I can run you a nice bath, you can sleep tonight and sort this out tomorrow.”
For a moment I think I’ve gotten through to her, but she shakes her head and I notice her hand shaking.
“We can do all that tomorrow, but I need to see him now. I won’t be able to sleep. I need him.”
Her anxious need worries the hell out of me, but I put the car in reverse and don’t bother speaking another word.
Her leg bounces the whole journey to Tariq’s house and when she doesn’t see his car here, her anger returns but I block out her rant and see that Darius is sat out on the front porch.
He’ll recognise my car for sure and I certainly don’t have time to deal with him. When I woke up this morning and he was gone, I vowed everything I felt for him had to be locked away. I have to get used to him being nothing more than the father of my daughter and one day I will get there. I just hope it’s soon.
“Go on, get out,” I mutter, and it hurts when she doesn’t catch my tone.
“I’ll call you tomorrow, yeah?” she rushes out throwing open the door. She doesn’t even say goodbye and I don’t hang around to watch her walk up the front path.
We’re obviously on different paths and I pull away knowing I won’t hear from her tomorrow.
21
Darius
