Never Again, Tomorrow

Part 2

Sasha's crises always called for a hefty dose of her best friend Genna. Genna was a petite ball of fire that had a way of elevating any mood. This is why Sasha nearly tripped off of her bed to answer the front door when she heard Genna pounding.
    "I brought wine," Genna said as she walked past Sasha into the kitchen.
    "Gen, there isn't enough wine in the world for this conversation," Sasha replied.
    "Well, we are going to have to start somewhere because...Damon? Really?" she said uncorking one of the few bottles she brought into the house. Genna poured herself a glass and tossed its contents back like it was a shot of liquor.
    "Gen, you might want to slow down. I need you to be far from drunk dialing status. I can only handle one catastrophe at a time," Sasha said taking a seat at the kitchen island.
    "I just can't believe he had the nerve to show up here after he left you without an explanation!" Genna shouted.
    "Gen—" Sasha tried to interject.
    "Why didn't you call me as soon as you got off of that yacht? I wanted to be the first one to give him a good kick in the—" Genna continued.
    "Gen! Am I going to be able to get a word in anytime this evening?" Sasha fussed.
    "I'm sorry. I just hate the heartache he put you through. You deserved better," Genna retorted, handing Sasha a glass of wine. Sasha gave Genna a sad smile and sipped quietly.
    "So, what did he want?" Genna asked.
    "Promise me you will control your temper," Sasha said.
    "Have I ever lost my temper before?" Genna shouted. Sasha smirked, playfully glaring at her best friend.
    "Fine, I swear I will not lose my temper," Genna said sarcastically. Sasha reached for the Chanel bag that was draped over the back of her chair.
    "Swear on Chanel," Sasha said.
    "Taking it all the way back to junior year of college? This must be serious," Genna retorted.
    "Except back then our Chanel bags were as fake as that toupee on Professor Donahue's head," Sasha chuckled.
    "Oh my god! Remember my bag had the word 'Channel' plastered all over the inside? I can't believe we really thought we were hot stuff!" Genna said laughing.
    "You would sweat bullets every time you had to open it to pay anywhere, just in case you ran into Charles," Sasha said exaggerating a swoon.
    "He was so sexy...whatever happened to him?" Genna asked.
    "Cougar chaser. He married the Psych 101 Professor, Ms. McPherson. They have two kids together," Sasha shrugged.
    "She was like one hundred years old when we graduated!" Genna exclaimed. Sasha shrugged again.
    "Ugh! Well, that snapped me back into reality. Ok, I solemnly swear, on this authentic Chanel bag that I will be borrowing for my date on Saturday, that I will not lose my temper when Sasha shares her news about the dirtbag of the century known as Damon Roth," Genna said grinning. Sasha nodded.
    "According to him...he loves me and wants a second chance at a relationship," Sasha said.
    "Oh hell no!" Genna yelled.
    "You promised," Sasha replied, seemingly unphased.
    "Well, I lied! Fashion gods be damned," Genna retorted.
    "No kidding, and you can forget about borrowing this bag on Saturday. I don't need your bad juju on my favorite purse," Sasha responded.
    "What did you say?" Gen pressed.
    "I didn't," Sasha said, taking a sip.
    "Explain," Genna pressed.
    "I ran into my bedroom and locked the door until you got here," Sasha said.
    "Sasha!" Genna replied.
    "Don't judge me, help me!" Sasha replied.
    "The kind of help you need, only a psychiatrist can provide," Genna retorted.
    "Fine, I'll have Janice schedule an appointment on Monday. So?" Sasha asked.
    "So, what?" Gen retorted.
    "What am I going to do?" Sasha cried.
    "You're really debating this?" Genna asked unable to hide her bewildered expression.
    "No...maybe? I don't know," Sasha said dropping her head on the counter.
    "Ok, let's start with your wonderful, handsome, and exuberantly rich fiancé, Luis. You do realize you're still engaged right?" Genna countered.
    "Shit! He's been calling me. I completely forgot to call him back," Sasha said.
    "Con number 1, Damon is bad for your mental health. Every time he's around, you get amnesia," Genna replied.
    "I've got to call Luis right now, he's probably worried sick," Sasha said reaching for her phone. Genna snatched it away and tossed it on the sofa.
    "Nope, not until we finish this. Did he tell you why he left?" Genna said. Sasha contemplated whether or not she should tell Genna the truth. On one hand, Genna was her best friend and they didn't keep secrets from one another. On the other hand, telling Genna the truth could put her in more danger than even Sasha could fathom.
    "A lot was going on in his family after his dad died. It was...a complicated process to work through," Sasha said.
    "Sounds like bullshit but fine, I'll bite. Say you forgive him, then what? You just pick back up where you left off?" Genna pressed.
    "Of course not," Sasha replied.
    "Then what?" Genna probed.
    "I—I haven't thought that far. All I know is that I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach and I can't seem to shake it. Like I'm supposed to stay connected to Damon somehow," Sasha said.
    "That's not intuition, that's alcohol," Genna replied.
    "I'm serious, Gen," Sasha retorted. "Call it whatever you want but it's there and I can't help but feel like I owe it to myself to find out what this feeling means. Right?"
    "Wrong! You are worthy of more than a weak excuse and a tired apology. You deserve a man like Luis who shows up for you without question and truly loves you. Don't sabotage your happy ending hoping that you can turn this villain into a hero," Genna finished.
    "You're such a realist," Sasha replied rolling her eyes.
    "And you watch too many romantic comedies but we aren't talking about flaws right now. We are solving your nonexistent problem," Genna replied feigning sincerity.
    "I know and you're right. Luis is my fiancé. We are starting a life together and I'm happy. I refuse to let Damon's reappearance cloud my judgment. Thank you for talking some sense into me," Sasha said.
    "My pleasure, I'll send you my bill. Now that we got that out the way...how'd did he look?" Genna said with a devilish grin across her face.
    "Like someone, I never want to see again," Sasha stated.
    "Ooh, that good huh?" Genna asked.
    "Yup. That damn good," Sasha replied.
Just as Genna was about to open her mouth to give what Sasha assumed would be a witty retort, she froze.
    "Gen, what's wrong?" Sasha questioned searching her friend's expressionless demeanor. Genna's body began trembling, forcing the glass out of her hand, turning it into shattered pieces at her feet. Genna mouthed as if she were attempting to speak but nothing came out.
    "Gen! You're scaring me!" Sasha exclaimed.
Genna's eyes flooded with tears as her body dropped to the floor. Sasha rushed to her best friend's side, frantically searching for what could have crippled Genna this way. Her question was soon answered by the blood seeping out of Genna's side. Genna had been shot. Sasha had no idea how this could've occurred. There had been no noise, no warning. One moment they were enjoying themselves as they had done in the kitchen countless times before and the next moment, the pair were trapped in a dire situation. Sasha tried to steady herself as she dragged her injured friend's body behind the sofa, hiding away from the view of the windows.
    "Ok, ok, you're gonna be ok. Please just hold on Gen. I'm gonna get you to a hospital, I promise. Just hold on," Sasha sobbed as she frantically patted herself down searching for her cell phone.