closed starter for @dirtyauthority
she probably should have said something. definitely should have said something before she got in the car. she thought about calling when she hit the highway. the two, three hour drive stretched out in traffic, giving her more than enough time to dial his number, let it ring, hear him answer. she could’ve come up with a reason for coming down. or maybe he wouldn’t pick up and she could just leave a voicemail.
but by the time amari worked up the nerve, it was already too late.nso wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn’t even realize she’d arrived until she was parked outside the gym, thumb hovering nowhere near the green call button.n“shit,” she muttered, taking a shaky breath as she stared down at her phone. the voicemail he’d left still sat there, undeleted. the texts too. the drunk ones. it had been a few weeks, and she hadn’t answered. she had her own mess going on. the new album, the label pushing her to move faster than she wanted. her hearing. her mind flicking to the aids tucked into both ears.
she could still leave. start the car, drive back home. but she had to pee now, and the thought of another few hours alone with her thoughts felt worse than just facing this. so she sucked it up. one last glance in the mirror to check her lipstick, then she stepped out, sneakers scraping softly against the pavement. through the oversized windows, she could see the fighters moving. the smell hit her as soon as she opened the door.familiar, sharp, pulling at something buried in her memory.
she swallowed, eyes scanning the space. she knew where his office was, but barging in didn’t feel right. then she saw him.and he saw her. they both stood there for a second, awkward, before slowly closing the distance between them. “hey. i… was in the area…” she let out a small laugh, the lie falling flat the second it left her mouth. she’d never been good at that. “can we talk?”