Page 89 of Flawless

I sit down in amazement, staring at Zenon. He smiles encouragingly and lovingly at me.

“What do you think?” Jade asks.

“Z?” is all I manage to get out.

He walks to where I’ve sat down on the couch and sits beside me. Taking my hand in his, he says, “Baby, I think it sounds like a wonderful idea. It’s a grand idea to get you back out there again, but small enough to keep you out of the national spotlightwhile you continue recovering. And it allows you to do what you were born to do. Ultimately, it’s your decision. I say take some time and ponder on it and then give your final answer. No matter what you decide, I have your back.”

“Girl, don’t you ever screw this up again!” Jade stage whispers behind her hand while pointing at Zenon, who laughs.

I lower my head before leaning into him. He releases his hand to wrap his arm around me.

“If I do, lock me up for good, Jade, and throw away the key. I’d have to be clinically insane and not just a recovering addict.”

Jade’s eyes sparkle with unshed tears, and I know that my sis is happy for me.

“Here’s the kicker. Guess what the name of the show would be?”

“What?” I ask.

Lifting an eyebrow, she smirks and tilts her head.

“Nica’s Legacy?” I ask in astonishment.

When she nods, I bounce up out of Zenon’s hands and squeal.

She runs to me and throws her arms around me, and we jump up and down.

After several seconds, I turn to Zenon and say, “I told her that if I ever had a show based on the things I thought most important, that would be its name.”

“Kind of figured that out from your response,” he says.

“Jade.”

“Yes, honey?”

“Thank you.”

“I told you that I was going to get this for you.”

“Not for this, I mean, this too, but not specifically for this.”

Scrunching her eyebrows, she says, “What then?”

“For believing in me enough to kick my ass and being angry enough to demonstrate tough love to me. I needed that. I wouldn’t have gone to rehab if it had not been for you.”

“I’m just glad that you did it, love. It took you being broken enough to agree to it. The thought of losing you scared me. I had sat back for much longer than I should have and watched you slip away from me. I couldn’t take it another day.”

She pulls me into her arms and hugs me tightly.

“I love you, Dani.”

“I love you, too, Jade. And I apologize for putting you in those predicaments with your mother, your husband, and even your children. You didn’t deserve that. Our friendship didn’t deserve that, but I did not make it important enough to preserve what we built. Instead, I worked at tearing it down and you. Would you forgive me?”

“Of course, love. That’s what true friends are for.”

We talk a little longer before I walk her to her car, and she promises to give me at least a week to consider the offer. She says that she’ll email me the terms of the contract for my attorney to look over.

When I return inside, Zenon is there waiting for me with a smile and open arms.

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