THE NIKEL chapter 19

Saundra got into the car with River, crying but not too obviously. "That was fast." River said.

"It didn't seem fast to me."

"You wanna go home?"

"No." They drove around for almost an hour without saying anything and finally Saundra asked River to take her home.

That night she was in the kitchen making a salad and Life came downstairs dressed to leave.

"Baby, I'm going down to the club."

"Oh, ok. Just let me finish up here and I'll be right there." She wanted to tell him what she had been through that day. Couldn't he tell? Weren't they connected enough for him to just be able to look at her and tell that that was one of the scariest days of her entrie life and here he was talking about going down to The Nikel instead of holding her. She wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She wanted him to tell her that he had just been stressed the past few weeks and the she had nothing to worry about. She wanted him to tell her to stop being silly and kiss and hold him. But lately it seemed he hadn't even wanted her to touch him.

"I didn't say I wanted us to go. I said I was going. Can't I have my own space sometime?"

"Life, if you don't want me to go with you, I won't go. Where is all this hostility coming from? I don't know what's been going on with you the past few weeks, but if you want to leave, then leave. You don't have to start a fight with me to get out of the house alone."

"What kind of shit is that to say to me? I aint playin' no games to get out of my own house!"

"Who are you screaming at?!"

"I don't need this!" Life walked out of the house and slammed the door as she threw the salad she was making into the sink. He got in his care and closed the door. He started the engine then turned it off and started to go back inside, then changed his mind.