CHAPTER 18

The bar's atmosphere was the same as always; dimly lit with faint jazz music playing in the backgrounds. Men and women seeking to escape the real world engaged in soft conversations, a glass or bottle in hand. Hiram found his stool unoccupied, like he did most of the time he visited the bar. He set his phone on the counter as he pulled the stool back and sat on it. His eyes scans for the familiar face of Ammika from his end of the counter to the other end.

"She's in the back," a female voice says from behind him. He turned to meet Klara's ever smiling face. She was carrying a tray with two empty beer bottles and a glass.

"Hey Klara."

"Well, you look like shit." She teased walking to the other side of the counter.

"I'm really exhausted."

"Sorry about that. What can I get you?"

Before Hiram could answer, Ammika walked in from the back looking very pale. Their eyes met and she quickly looked away, exhaled sharply and walked to them.

"I'll leave you to it," Klara spoke, taking steps away from the two.

"Hey," her voice was so calm, so soft, weak even. Her eyes darting everywhere but never meeting his.

"Hey," came his gentle reply. "How are you?"

"Ding good." She knew he could tell she was lying, but she also knew he wasn't going to push her to speak up. "What can I get you?"

"Bourbon."

She took a step back, got a coaster and placed it in front of him before turning to grab the bottle. She got a polished glass from under the counter and gently rested it on the coaster, pouring him the drink.

"Ammika," he called, holding her hand as she was walking away. She turned, look at his hand holding hers then looked up to his face. He let go. "What's wrong?"

She saw the sympathy in his sparkling eyes, the concern, how much it troubled him.

"Everything is fine Hiram." She forced a smile before walking away, leaving him to his drink and joining Klara a few steps away.

"For how long are you going to keep this from him? You should just be honest with him. He is really trying Ammie." Klara told her in a hushed tone. "He cares you know."

"I know he does Klara but this is my battle to fight, I don't want to rope him into all this." She answered with a sigh. She felt his eyes on her and she turned but no one was there, his stool was empty, with two twenty dollar notes under the glass of bourbon. She looked for him in the crowd and saw him near the exit, walking out. Her heart broke when she walked to where he had sat and noticed the bourbon was untouched. Her eyes watered, she knew why he had left like that. With the cash and glass in hand, she quickly walked past Klara and into the back room. In there, she pressed her back against the wall and shut her eyes as tears rushed out. With her lips pressed tight against each other, to mute the sound of her soft sobs. She slowly started to slide down the wall, until she sat on the floor, pulling her legs close and wrapping her arms tightly around them. She hated herself at that moment, she hated herself for not being able to tell be honest with Hiram about whatever troubles she was going through. The pained consumed her.

"Hey, hey," Klara's soft voice called to her as she felt a pat on her shoulder.

"Hey what's wrong?" Klara asked as she sat next to her friend on the floor.

"Why is this so hard?" Ammika asked in between her sobs, "Why can't I bring myself to tell him?'

Klara did not have an answer to that. "That should be the least of your worries right now Ammie, I'm sure you'll tell him when the time is right."

She leaned in and rested her head on Klara who wrapped her arm tightly around her.

After a while, the sobs slowly faded away and just as Klara was about to speak, Leo walked in and his eyes fell to the two ladies sitting on the floor. "One of the attendees told me you're back here." He focused on his girlfriend who was drying her eyes with the back of her hand. "Babe," he called. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she answered curtly getting on her feet. "I'm fine." She added forcing a smile and walking out of the room.

Leo watched her as she walked away then turned to Klara who was standing. "What's up with her?"

"I think all this stuff with Teyana is really getting to her." Klara answered. Technically she hadn't lied, but she had not been entirely truthful either. No way she was going to be the one to tell him about Ammika and Hiram.

"I don't think so," he replied in a lower voice than before. "I offered to help with Teyana but she blew me off. I don't know what's wrong with her, she's been acting strange lately." Leo pointed out, hoping Klara knew something and would share.

She exhaled, "I don't know what to tell you Leo, just give her time and space." That was as much as she was going to tell him. She too walked out, leaving him to his thoughts in the room.

On his drive home, Hiram had countless thoughts and questions racing in and out of his head. The greatest question he had was why wouldn't she just tell him what was going on? Were they not friends? Did she not trust him? Couldn't she see that he cared about her? Couldn't she see he was just trying to help?

He felt entitled to know what was going on with her. He felt betrayed. A very faint voice at the back of his head whispered that she didn't owe him any explanation but he didn't want to hear any of it. They had been arguably more than good friends for months now, surely she ought to tell him whatever it was that troubled her. After all, did he not share with her whenever something was up with him?