“How do you feel?” Megan asked, walking over to where I was sitting at the dressing room table with my head in my hands.
“Like Hulk Hogan punched me in the head.” My eye was still almost completely swollen shut and had turned a hideous shade of purple and red. I’d been wearing sunglasses most of the day to hide the damage. The hangover wasn’t helping much either. I’d thrown up twice this morning.
“I’m sorry lovey.” She kissed the back of my head gently before walking away. The heavier footsteps that came next belonged to Luke.
“I come bearing gifts.” He set down a bottle of Gatorade and two pills I recognized as ibuprofen on the table in front of me.
“You truly are an angel.” I popped the pills and chugged down half of the bottle. I’d been pumping myself full of water all morning in an attempt to flush out all the toxins I’d ingested last night.
“What do you remember from last night?”
“You mean aside from getting punched in the face?”
“I’m asking if you remember the conversation you had with Lola.”
“Vaguely, yes.”
“You said you still loved him.”
“I do. Drunk me was just the one that was brave enough to admit it first.” I twisted my rings around my fingers nervously.
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“There’s nothing I can do. Lola was right; I don’t know if he’s changed at all.”
“Well why don’t you ask him?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t.” I was terrified of talking to him. I knew how thin my self-control had worn already. I had no strength when it came to Myles, and that scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t figure out what it was about him that had me coming back for more every time I saw him. “I shouldn’t even want to talk to him.”
“You two are the worst communicators I have ever seen in my life. All you have ever done is avoid talking to each other and run away. Now you’re going to go in there and you’re going to talk to him like a fucking grown up.” His face softened at the way my mouth twisted. “I’m sorry that that came out so harsh, but really Mina, you have two choices. You can keep twisting yourself up in knots or you can go talk to the man like an adult and work out what your next step is.”
Myles and I really were terrible at talking to each other about the hard stuff. Pretty much every problem we’d ever had could have been solved if we’d actually sat down and discussed it. But did I have the strength to go up to him and start that conversation? What would I even say if I did?
“I know you’re right, but I don’t know how to do it.” I finally said.
“Talking about what you heard from Mikko would be a good start probably.” He reached over to squeeze my hand. “You won’t get any peace until you do this, Min.”
“I know.” I guzzled the last bit of Gatorade and stood up. “I’m going to take a walk, clear my head.”
“If I don’t see you in an hour, I’m dragging your ass back here to talk to him.”
“Luke, I promise on my little brother that I’m going to come back to talk to Myles.” While I was thinking about that, I needed to call Cissy and Mikey. I hadn’t spoken to either of them in at least a week. I’d do it later tonight when I’d sorted myself out.
