Page 80

- Chapter Twenty-Five -

Amina

––––––––

Iflew back to LA alone.

I didn’t waste time with saying goodbye to Bach. There was no point, and the idea of dragging this process out was torture. My Tesla was waiting for me in the airport lot. The sight of it made my heart choke.

It’s not mine, not really.

I’d drop it off at his house in the morning. The screen lit up, telling me it was after midnight.If I go back now, he won’t be there yet. Violet might be.Seeing her was no better; she’d tried to call me multiple times, I’d ignored each.

Drumming my fingers on the wheel, I made a decision: if I was going to have to abandon this Hollywood dream, I might as well enjoy what I could before I returned to Portland. I hoped Korine could get me hired at Caffeline again.

The engine hummed as I curved along the 101 freeway. It was dark, but I could still see—and hear—the ocean with my windows down. I drove all the way to Malibu. It was the emptiest I'd ever seen the freeway.

Parking in the empty lot, I walked across the sand towards the water. Halfway there I kicked my shoes off, enjoying the feel of the grit between my toes. It was nice... but the gentle waves, the wet sand hugging my feet, was better.

I wonder what it would have been like to see this with someone else.It was a lonely thought. I put it in the jar with all the others. I had a lot of them lately. For an hour, I walked up and down the beach. Exhaustion swallowed me up soon after.

Climbing in my car with a yawn, I checked the time. Could I stay awake long enough to watch the sunrise? That would be nice. Reclining my chair, I stared out at the dark ocean and imagined the sun dusting its red hue across the clouds.

Something tapped loudly on my window. Gasping, I thrashed in my seat-belt. “Ma’am,” the police officer said, tapping again. “Are you okay?”

Sunlight blinded me; I scrubbed my eyes. “Yes, sorry, I dozed off.”It’s morning already?I must have passed out.

“You can’t sleep here,” he said, frowning at me.

“I’m really sorry, seriously.” Wiping drool off my cheek, I turned the engine on. “I’ll move along right now and go—” I couldn’t finish the sentence.Home isn't here anymore.I waited for him to move, then I started back onto the freeway.

I turned on the radio to distract myself with music. Instead, Roshio's voice boomed out. “—unsure why she abandoned her contract, but Amina is a good example ofread your paperwork,folks!”

I was so surprised I nearly rear-ended the car in front of me.What the hell?I twisted the volume up—Roshio was definitely talking about me. “You said you shared a past with her?” another man asked. A sound effect blared out a ridiculousWhhhooooooo!

“Come on, Chuck. It wasn't like that!” Roshio laughed. “Don't be so embarrassing.”