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DENIM HENDRIX
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Nijea glanced at the clock on the wall, her heart sinking as she realized she was running late for her appointment with Denim.
She hurriedly finished getting ready, her mind preoccupied with the conversation she needed to have with Drew. He was lounging on the couch, scrolling through his phone, completely oblivious to her urgency.
"Drew, can we talk?" she asked, standing in the doorway of the living room. She smoothed down her blouse, her dark skin glowing with the morning light streaming in through the window. Her thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as she waited for his response.
Drew looked up, his expression indifferent. "What's up?"
"I need you to take care of this month's bills" Nijea began, trying to keep her tone calm. "I'm already planning our seven-year anniversary, and I can't handle everything on my own."
Drew sighed, leaning back against the couch. "I got other stuff to handle, Nijea. You know that."
"Other stuff?" She couldn't hide the frustration in her voice. "You're just going to sell weed on the corner like you're still in college. We need to grow up, Drew."
He stood up, towering over her with a dismissive shrug. "You knew what this was from the start. Don't act like I promised you anything different."
Nijea's monolid brown eyes narrowed, her big lips pressed into a thin line. "I just thought things would change as we got older. We're not kids anymore."
Drew stepped forward and gave her a quick hug, his hands barely lingering on her shoulders. "I gotta go. We'll talk later."
And just like that, he was out the door, leaving Nijea standing in the middle of their apartment, feeling more alone than ever. She shook her head, trying to dispel the hurt and disappointment that threatened to overwhelm her.
Grabbing her bag, she rushed out the door, her mind racing as she headed to her car. She couldn't afford to be late for Denim's session.
He was making progress, and she needed to be there for him, even if her own life felt like it was unraveling.
