87|What Were Good Were Promises

Warning: this chapter mentions illegal substances, implied violence and suicidal thoughts. If you are sensitive to these topics, please exit now. Your mental health comes; first, I'll see you in the next few chapters...

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Natalie didn't need Scottie's pills anymore because the pain in her ribs was almost gone. She only felt it when she pushed herself too hard or did something strenuous, like running up a flight of stairs or lifting something heavy.

But after the horror show of an evening, she'd had at Heat with Aunty Viv, she needed something to help her pass out quickly. So she took two of Scottie's strong stuff and downed them with the half-finished bottle of wine Emily had left behind days ago and headed to bed.

Hard as Natalie tried to nod off to sleep and forget the nightmare that awaited her in the morning, she couldn't. She'd left the brown package inside her handbag in the living room, but its weight had followed her to bed, keeping her wide awake as thoughts of her meeting