“Because it’s Saturday, the sun’s out, and I need retail therapy. And you clearly need a refresh after whatever sinful thing you did last night that made you miss church.”
“I do need new lipstick,” I confess instantly.
“Good,” she says, grinning. “Let’s go shopping.”
Two hours later,we’re in the city, and Zaza’s already knee-deep in bags. I trail beside her, pretending to care about shoes while my mind keeps looping back to last night.
Nope.
I shake it off and stare very hard at a pair of sunglasses instead.
“So,” Zaza says, trying on a hat in the mirror, “how was it?”
I groan. “Are we really doing this?”
“Obviously,” she says, fluffing her curls. “You’ve been humming since you got dressed. You’re lucky I didn’t make you take a pregnancy test.”
I snort. “You know I’m on birth control. And whatever else my mum decides to cook up for me.”
“Right,” she drags. “But did you remember to take it?”
“I fucking took both just to be sure.”
Her eyes widen. “Both?”
“Both.”
She puts the hat back slowly. “Alright. So you’re not pregnant. But all of that? You must really want nothing to do with that man.”
Before I can respond, her phone buzzes.
She checks the screen, and her face shifts.
“Hello?” she answers, wandering a step away from me.
Now I’m suspicious because, since when did she step away to answer phones? I pretend to keep browsing, but obviously I’m listening.
“Yeah… mm-hmm… No, I told her I would… Yeah— okay. Okay, alright.”
She hangs up and turns back.
“Heyyyy,” she says lightly. “Remember when you said you’d talk to Jabari and apologize?”
My stomach tightens.
“Yeah…”
“Well,” she says, adjusting her bag strap, “he’s on his way here.”
The sunglasses nearly slip out of my hand.
“He’s what?”
She smiles, all innocent. “Figured it’d be easier if you two just handled it in person.”
I blink.
Then laugh.
