Between Us

Chapter 24

I hadn't texted Sai to let her know I was coming. What if she left to hide from me? This was going to be done secretly. I knocked on the hotel door, and the one who opened it was her dad. His light brown hair was turning streaks of grey and the skin around his eyes bunched as he grimaced into a grin.

"Shyla," he exclaimed. "I've been wondering where you were. I haven't seen you since we came."

"I'm sorry I didn't visit, especially since you two came all the way over for me," I said, guilt now pooling in the pit of my stomach. "It's been a busy time."

"I've spent my time travelling here and there, so don't worry about it. You getting ready for college?"

"Trying to, but even thinking about going to college on an actual campus has me breaking out into rashes."

He let out a hearty chuckle, sweeping his hand in and motioning for me to come inside. He shut the door behind me, the cold wind from the air conditioner cooling me down. "Sai told me you were a little nervous."

The mention of Sai made the smile slip off his face. "How is she?" I asked, lowering my voice.

"Quiet. Hasn't come out of the bathroom since the day you brought her over. At least not when I'm around." The bathroom? I thought. The hotel only had one big room with two beds laid side by side and a flat-screen TV hung on the wall. That was probably the only room she could hide in.

"She was doing so well," I said.

"I just want her to be happy again. Coming here was good for her so I'm glad you're here. Maybe you can talk to her. Find out what pushed her over the edge like that. She seemed so...stable, now. Sober."

I wanted to know the answer to that, too. He showed me to the bathroom where Sai was staying and I knocked.

Quiet.

I gulped, my ribs squeezing. "Sai? It's me, Shyla. Remember?" Of course she remembered. I sucked at stuff like this. "I'm coming in."

Turning the knob, I pushed the door in. She was sitting on the toilet seat, head on her lap and for a brief second, I thought something had happened. There was a blanket laid on top of the bathroom tiles, her phone, charger, some books and an empty plate there. I tried not to cringe and tip-toed so that I wouldn't step on anything precious.

My hand laid atop her shoulder. "Sai," I said, shaking her. "Wake up."

"I'm not awake," she drawled, pushing my hand away.

"What's the matter with you? Why are you hiding away in the bathroom? Why have you been ignoring me? Your dad? Why did you get so drunk that night?"

"Okay, enough with the questions," she snapped, lifting her head. Her eye makeup was smeared across her lower lids and the foundation was streaky with dry tear tracks. I stood there, not knowing what else to say. This wasn't going like how I had planned.

"You're not the only one hurting," I finally said. "We care about you. Seeing you like this kills me."

Sai clenched and unclenched her fists that were settled in her lap. Then she sighed, leaning back against the toilet seat. "I got drunk that night because Stewart broke up with me." She shrugged. "I didn't want to talk to you or my dad after that because I was embarrassed." Her voice broke at the end of the sentence and she swiped upward at her nose. "You guys thought of me so highly, that I was clean again after going to rehab but here I am, the mistake my mom knew I was from the beginning."

"Hey," I said, sharply, "you are not a mistake." She scoffed. "You've been through so much and you're fighting. Stewart is a loser who couldn't see that. So what if you slip a little? That's normal."