Flaws

Chapter 37 - Coming Clean

"Love is giving someone the power to destroy you but trusting them not to." Unknown

The next morning when Chibs arrived, with coffee and donuts and Tig behind him, Hazel was still sleeping. Violet tried to stall but he wouldn't allow it. Tig kept her from following as he knocked for a second before walking right into the bedroom.

"Hazel?" He called out quietly. "Love?"

She stirred, waking up slowly, and sat up sleepily. "Hi."

"How are you feeling?" He sat on the edge of the bed. "Vi said you were hurtin'."

"I was, am, just had a crazy bad migraine," she lied. "Nothing serious."

He pulled a face. "Migraine, aye?"

"Yep," she forced a smile. "Is that for me?"

"It is," he handed her a coffee. "Violet didn't say you had a migraine."

Hazel froze for a second before attempting to play it off. "No? Silly girl, you know how she is."

"She said you got your period," she blurted out.

Embarrassed and panicking over the lie Hazel forced a laugh. "Oh well, you know, the hormones and all are what caused the migraine."

He didn't believe her at all. "I came by to tell you Pope is dead."

"He is?" She was clearly excited by the news. "Did you?"

"I did," he stoked her cheek. "No one hurts my girl without paying for me. Smug shite kept kept talking, until I killed the fucker."

"He's an asshole alright and he's so much talk. I wonder how badass he is or if it's all a show."

"All show," he huffed. "Tried to tell me you two," his voice trailed off.

"We what?"

Chibs shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. "This is all over, Hazel. I need you to come back to me now."

"I have to pee." She wriggled out of his embrace.

Leaving Chibs alone she locked the bathroom door and began to cry. He could hear her sniffles as well as Tig and Violet through the door as he looked around the room. The prescription bottles on the nightstand was disconcerting. He snatched it up and saw one was antibiotics and the other a non narcotic pain killer.

"So he said that about me? That he and I..."

"Aye." He stood up as she excited the bathroom. "I knew it was shite."

"Yeah, I'd never sleep with Pope," she mumbled.

"What is this?" He shook the medications at her.

Hazel inhaled sharply. "Just medicine."

"Hazel, what are you lying about?"

Closing her eyes she began to relay the story. The ecstasy, the drinking until finally she couldn't stall any longer.

"I was pliable that way, easier for the harder shit, but uhh, Pope wasn't all talk. The ecstasy, Chibs, it made me happy and crazy and I ended up having sex with one of the Niners."

"You fucked em'?" His tone was hard to pinpoint. She could tell he was angry but it didn't feel directed at her, he sounded so sad but his expressions read as surprised more than anything.

"Yeah," she whimpered. "And uhh, since I couldn't take my pill," she broke down. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Filip."

"That's what this is?" He tossed the bottles on the bed. "That's where you were yesterday?"

"Yeah," she turned away from him. "I had an abortion."

Chibs didn't move to comfort her, he didn't say anything, he just listened to her cry. It was so hard to read him because he didn't even know how he felt.

"Hazel," he sighed. "I'm sorry, love."

"You didn't do this," she stammered. "I did this. I hate myself and I hate that I had to do this."

"Hey," he finally hugged her. "It's fine, you made the right call."

Hazel didn't admit her fears to him. She kept the worry that, although practically impossible, it was somehow Chibs' baby to herself, she didn't tell him how disgusting she felt. She remained silent as he held her.

"I need a minute," she whimpered. "Please."

He nodded and left the bedroom to find Tig and Violet huddled together in the couch. Moving by them he left the apartment and waited on the fire escape with a cigarette in hand.

"I'm worried about her, Alex."

"Chibs is too," he admitted.

"I keep trying to make her happy again but it's not working. I'm not sure what to do."

Tig shuffled on the couch and draped his arm over Violet's shoulder. He was surprised when she had told him the truth, not by Hazel's actions but by the fact she trusted him enough. He promised he wouldn't tell Chibs and she trusted him without question, he was touched by that.

"Maybe she just needs a few days," he suggested. "I don't know, I'm not good with figuring you girls out."

"I guess," Violet sighed.

She clamped her mouth shut as Chibs walked by again and knocked on Hazel's door. "I have to go," he mumbled. "I'll be back tonight, poppet."

"Where are you going?" Violet asked quickly.

"She told me the truth," he glared at her. "I'm no help to her right now."

"You're just gon-"

"Vi," Tig cut her off. "Let him go. He's gotta settle that shit in his head."

Chibs nodded at Tig and left he apartment quickly. "This is going to fuck with her head."

"She'll be fine." He said. "Bring her out here, we'll watch some TV together and eat. Getting her out of that room is gonna help."

Violet nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry, Vi," he kissed her quickly.

"Me too," she let out an airy chuckle. "Let me get her."

He nodded and sat back on the couch as Violet forced Haze into the living room. Tig put on an exaggerated smile for her. "Hey girl, how you doing?"

"Been better," she sniffled. "What are you doing here?"

"Chillin' with the Yettons," he laughed. "Here, don't tell that old man." Pulling a joint from his cut Tig smiled as they girls' mood seemed to lighten instantly.

"Reminds me of that Scary Movie scene, chillin' killin'," Hazel said with a smile. Violet laughed in agreement.

"Never saw it," Tig shrugged.

The three of them sat in the living room passing the joint slowly between them with the TV playing low. Hazel felt herself lighten but she still ached over Chibs.

"Will he be back?" She asked out of the blue.

"He will, girl," Tig assured her. "Chibs is...emotional. He's gotta process shit. He'll be back."

"I don't wanna talk about him," Violet said. "We were having fun."

"I can have fun," Tig chuckled. "But first I need food."

Violet nodded and ordered some pizza, thrilled that Hazel seemed to be laughing and smiling genuinely and that Tig was coming around. Things finally looked up and they all felt it.

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