Mikela: Only twice!? Dammit Candace, once is one time too many as far as Im concerned.

Candace: Drops her head down in shame and concedes, I know. Im sorry.

Mikela: One last question. Candace looks up at Mikelas face. Mikela makes sure she has eye contact with her before asking, Who came onto whom first?

Candaces eyes go wide as shame colors her face again. Before she can shape her mouth to form the lie Mikela knows is coming, Mikela stops her. *****! You came onto her? Didnt you?

Candace: I

Mikela: You know what, save your excuses and lies. I dont want to hear anymore of them from you. Mikela zips up both bags and grabs their handles, pulling them off the bed. As a matter of fact, I dont want to hear anymore from you period. Goodbye, Candace.

Mikela begins to make her exit, but Candace grabs one of the bags to stop her. Mikela demands that she let go, but Candace refuses. Deciding that she cant win in a physical fight with Candace, Mikela chooses to cut her loses and drops the bag. She then walks to the garage with Candace right on her tail.

Candace: Mikela. Please? Just wait – please?

Mikela gives no response to Candaces pleas. Once she reaches her car she attempts to open the drivers side door, but Candace slams it shut from behind her. She pins Mikela to the car by pressing her weight against Mikelas back.

Mikela: Candace, get off of me.

Candace: No! Im not going to let you run away. Not like this. Youre angry and you have every right to be, but please just stay here. You can yell, call me out my name, curse me out to high heaven, I deserve it. But please, just dont leave.

Mikela: You dont seem to get it. You do not get a say in what I do anymore. Not let go of me! She begins to struggle. I have to get out of here.

Candace: No, you have to stay. You have to stay here with me. Talk to me, baby. I know we can work this out. I know I can fix this, I can fix us, but only if you stay. Noticing that Mikelas struggle to escape has subsided, she whispers into Mikelas ear, Please? Just do this for me – for us. She wraps her arms around Mikela, holding her in a bear hug.

Mikela: For us? For you? I dont owe you anything after what you have done to me. She shoves her other suitcase right into Candaces gut, causing Candace to loosen her grip as she falters back. Taking advantage of being free from Candaces hold, Mikela opens her car door and climbs into her front seat. Through her open window she says, And as for us; when we were us, us didnt ***** Bette Porter, us didnt lie about it when us got caught, and us didnt wait until someone else publicly announced it to finally come clean. No us didnt do any of those things, but YOU did Candace. So that means YOU didnt give a damn about us. So there is no more us. Not now, not ever again. She then starts up the car and pulls out of the garage.

As Candace watches Mikelas car disappear around the corner, the finality of her words echo in Candaces mind, but she refuses to believe them. No. There will always be an us, Mikela. I will make this up to you. I will figure out a way to fix this mess I have made. I cant lose you. I just found myself in you.

Turning around, she walks back into the house. Looking around this now empty house, she realizes it will never be a home without Mikela there. Suddenly, the walls feel like they might just close in on her, so she grabs her keys and walks towards Coby. Once she enters her trusted steed, Candace begins her drive to the only other place in this city that she feels whole.

Tbc