Page 70 of Revive

“Can you please take a photo of me with everyone, with my new camera.”

“Of course. Let me just free up my hands.” I head on inside with an empty tray of cheese and dips. Sliding it on the kitchen bench, I come face to face with Taylah.

Surprisingly, she doesn’t glance my way.

Hiding in the kitchen, she hasn’t said a single word to anyone. Including Hendrix.

Pleasantries are not even an option at this stage, the long and firm line drawn between us, cannot be erased. One woman on each side. One woman claiming her own part of him. One woman who’ll have him. One woman who won't.

Washing my hands, I make sure any excess food residue has one hundred percent been cleaned before I touch Dakota’s pride and joy. Not only is she meticulous about who touches it and how, when you’ve spent as much as I have on camera paraphernalia you want to make sure their condition stays pristine for a very. Long. Time.

I make my way through the guests. Each photo I take Dakota’s smile gets bigger, and my heart wants to break out from my chest in pride.

She takes a photo with Emerson and Jagger, Jagger and Drix and then the two of them by themselves. When Dakota finally decides on a pose and orders me around with requests about the angle of natural lighting, I capture their sixteen years of unconditional love. From the beginning I wondered what their relationship would be like. Whether he would hold my mistakes against her, or if she would be the reason he gave me a second chance.

I see the way he looks at Dakota, and I excitedly anticipate the idea of having children of our own. We’re older now, but we’re not too old to start a whole new life together. Guilt and pain free.

I pretend that the photo isn’t coming out right and take a few more. My thoughts run into the future, thinking maybe this is when the stars finally align. I’m ready, and I know deep down inside he will forgive me one more time. For the last time.

Putting the camera down, Dakota bounces to her friends and he’s left alone, cornered by me, and with nowhere to go. Determined to get to our happy ever after, I make it my mission to wade through all the bullshit first.

“So, you and Taylah, huh?” I try to be unaffected by the acidic taste left in my mouth after saying their names together. “I'd like to say it was a surprise, but we both know I saw it coming.”

“What do you want, Sasha? Once and for all just spit it out.” Exasperated his words come out through clenched teeth. “Please.”

“Be with me.” More important than the other three words he's said to me a million times. These are the key to our future.

“I'm sorry, what did you just say? I could've sworn you said be with me, but that can't be right.” Laced with sarcasm and hurt, I feel the years of rejection take its toll on him. “Sasha, you need to stop playing games. This isn't fun anymore.”

“I'm not playing at anything,” I shout defensively. “Be with me.”

As the demand leaves my mouth, Taylah comes into view. Her jaw clenched, a fake smile plastered on her face, as she warns us we’re about two seconds from ruining Dakota’s birthday.

Drix storms off muttering to himself, and Taylah heads over to Dakota. Weighing up my options, I follow Drix. There’s no time like the present.

Slamming Dakota’s bedroom door, Drix and I stand in the middle of her room, waging war. “You did this the last time you saw me with Taylah. Stop. Doing. It.”

Ignoring his warning, I let it out. I tell him how I feel. “I'm ready, Drix.”

His eyes dart to mine, and I know the statement does exactly what it was meant to.

Said to me by a broken boy, with the promise he made me in his darkest hour. I repeat the one thing that will bring him home.

Sitting up in the treehouse,I wait for Drix to meet me. Not expecting him to show, I'm rewarded with three knocks on the makeshift wooden door.

Scoping out the space he looks for the furthest corner in the room, and makes his way to sit there. Knees up, shoulders hunched over, he's hurt and defeated.

Knowing about what happened with him and Jagger, I jump straight into the mess. There’s nothing left to sugar coat, and I don’t deserve it to be.

“I'm keeping the baby.” I inform him of my decision, even though he knows me well enough to expect that anything else wasn't an option. “It's Jagger’s”

The silence fills up the box-like space, like water rising. It pushes me under, making it harder to focus. Harder to breathe.

“Say something, Drix.”

Shaking his head, he stares out the window. “I've got so much to say, Sasha, but none of it changes anything.”

“Why aren't you mad?” I push. “You beat the shit out of Jagger, why aren't you screaming and shouting at me?”

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