“I’m so happy for you, Mo. Seriously. This has been such a long time coming for you,” Nish said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed you, until I saw you the other night. I didn’t even know you were having surgery. I don’t want to fight with you, but I really do like Messiah, Mo. Why do I have to choose?” Nish said.

Choose? According to him, you’re nothing to him, Morgan thought. Somebody was lying, and Morgan grew heated thinking of all the things Messiah had said to her the other night in his car.

“So, y’all are together?” Morgan asked.

“I’ve spent every night with him for the past month. Of course,” Nish answered. “But I don’t want you to be mad at me, Mo. I know you liked him, but he approached me, he pursued me, and it was just a crush to you. I didn’t’ think it would be such a big deal, especially, not something we’d fall out over. He is one of Ethic’s workers and I knew you would never go there; but still, I should have talked to you before I started talking to him. It was fucked up and I’m sorry.”

“And were you sorry when you left me at the motel that night? They raped me, Nish,” Morgan whispered, sharply, her face contorted in pain from the memory. She shook her head, as if she could shake the entire episode away.

“I was high and drunk and so stupid, Mo. I passed out that night, and by the time I came to the next morning, my panties were gone, and I was bleeding down there. I don’t have anyone to run and tell, so I just didn’t say anything, and then I heard Lucas was killed,” she whispered. “I’ve been dealing with my own shit from that night, Mo. We haven’t talked, so I couldn’t tell you,” Nish said. “Messiah came along at the right time and distracted me. You not the only one going through stuff, Mo.”

Morgan’s mind was spinning and the emotion she saw in Nish’s eyes made her more sympathetic. She didn’t know whose side of the story to believe. Nish’s version was backed up by months of social media posts and pictures she had taken in Messiah’s house and car. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

“Look, can we just go in here and have a good time, like we used to?” Nish asked.