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"K, you really won't tell me what you two talked about?" I nagged, my hands rubbing tissue oil onto stretch marks after we'd taken a shower together. It was Monday morning, and I'd been begging for about two days for Ketura to tell me what Cheyenne talked to her about, to no avail.
"Koffi, how many more times will you ask?" she shook her head, her hand poking a fork into the bowl on the bed for a piece of fruit from the salad she'd made earlier.
"As many times as it takes for you to be honest with me."
"I've been honest with you since we left your parents' home on Saturday, K. I can't tell you what she talked to me about. It's confidential and it has nothing to do with you."
"Confidential?" I confirmed. "Confidential isn't the same as private, like you've been saying. Confidential is what you say when I'm trying to get you to tell me about one of your cases. Is this about a case?"
Ketura sighed, the dark chocolate skin of her forehead wrinkling slightly when she realised she'd said too much. "Yes, K. It's a case. I won't tell you the details, because it's not your business and it would be unethical for me to do so. All you need to know is that she reached out to me because she believes I'm the person for the job, and I don't want to let her down."
I sucked in a breath and put the cap of the tissue oil bottle back on, moving to get dressed. "Can you at least tell me she's okay? She looks so... troubled. She didn't have the easiest upbringing and... I just want her to be okay."
I looked at Ketura cautiously, knowing my words could possibly agitate her, but hoping she would see the genuine innocence in me wanting someone I once cared deeply about to be okay.
"Koffi, how long were you and Cheyenne friends before I came into the picture?" she asked, her tone lacking anger or malice.
"Years." I admitted. "We attended the same school and lived in the same building. We spent a lot of time together growing up."
"I think you should reach out to her." she said, sliding her feet into her soft slippers and standing to put on her dress. "She needs as many friends as she can get right now."
"What?"
"I know that's so weird coming from me, but she's going through a lot. She needs people. Your mom was right about not throwing things away so easily, even if it stung a little."
My mind was blown. I had no idea what to say, so I just stared back at K, whose facial expression was so sincere, I felt like I was dreaming.
"Where would I even begin, chérie?"
"Just reach out. Let her know you'd like to support your friend. Let her decide whether or not she wants to open up." she said like it was the simplest thing in the world.
I shook my head, buttoning down my shirt as Ketura tried her braids into a high ponytail that lifted her full face and made her look impossibly gorgeous. "Okay, chérie. Whatever you say."
