Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
REGANCY
If only that night never happened, then I wouldn’t be haunted.
I wouldn’t feel like a man I didn’t know had so much power over me.
If that night never happened, then I wouldn’t have her.
I wouldn’t have the little person who gave me a reason to open my eyes every day when all I felt like doing was dying.
I wouldn’t have my Kale. Without the evil, I wouldn’t have the good.
I had to remind myself of that while I lay in this bed listening to Savior’s constant sighing and heavy breathing.
My eyes weren’t even open, but I felt how heavy his mind was right now.
I felt it all, and all I wanted to do was reassure him.
How could I, though? I didn’t even know if I would be okay, considering the fact that the man who raped me, taking away my innocence nine years ago, wanted custody of my baby.
The fact that whomever he was wanted anything to do with her even bothered me. How dare he have such audacity?
“You are loved, baby. Now I need you to wake up before this man goes and does something that he can’t take back.” My mother’s words echoed in my ear.
The thing was I wasn’t ready, and neither was the constant banging of my head, but it happened anyways.
The next thing I knew, I was looking at around a dark room.
I assumed it was a while after my mama spoke to me because her words were echoing in my head for a while before I had any type of reaction to them.
The sound of shuffling on the side of the bed made me turn toward it, and there he was.
He was leaned against the hospital bed with his head rested in his palms. He was worried or had other things on his mind.
I rested my hand on his head, and his reaction would’ve made me laugh had I not been too groggy. I was extremely tired.
“Re!” He popped up, and his tired eyes were on mine. Before I could utter a word, his hand was on the side of my face, and he was peering at me deeply. I could see the trouble in his eyes.
“The baby?” I questioned.
“Is fine, and Kale is with your mother,” he answered before I could ask.
I nodded. “Everything around me just went black when I saw those papers. Who would try—”
“A dead man. On my life, I’ma handle this.” He had so much contempt in is voice at that point, his words alone were strong enough to murder.
I looked at him, and I could see the sincerity in his face.
This man was willing to do anything necessary for me, and that was what made me love him more.
I had yet to tell him, but somehow, I had fallen in love the callous man who I never expected to mean so much to me.
I basked in the feel of his hand on the side of my face before I looked around.
“Why am I still here?” I hated hospitals with a passion, so since I was awake, I was eager to get out of there with no care about the fact that I had just woken up.
“You passed out and wouldn’t wake yo’ big-head ass up, so we…” His sentence trailed off just as his eyes lit up like Christmas morning. “Happy birthday, baby.” He had this smile on his face. He had just realized that it was my birthday. I wasn’t even thinking about the day.
“Thank you. Now can we leave?” I asked.
He chuckled. “It’s three in the morning, Re. What do you wanna do?” he questioned.
“I don’t wanna be here if I don’t have to be.” I pouted.
He didn’t say another word. Instead, he nodded his head and walked out of the room seconds later.
When he returned, he was followed by a woman in scrubs and a forced smile.
She came in and checked what I assumed was my vitals and then my temperature.
When she finished, she filled out the clipboard at the end of my bed.
Then we locked eyes, and she nodded. “I’ll have your discharge papers in a few.
” She didn’t wait for my response before she exited the room.
“What did you say to her?” I questioned, sitting up and attempting to scoot to the edge of the bed.
He laughed as he approached me. “What do you mean? I just asked her for the paperwork because you were ready go.”
“Are you sure that’s all?” I questioned.
“What makes you think I said anything else?”
“Her smile was forced, and she was in a rush to get out of here.” I laughed as he grabbed my hand to help me up. “I don’t ne—”
He gripped the gown that loosely clung to my body and lifted it over my head like I was a child. “You know, baby, sometimes you don’t have to yell at or threaten a person or nut up. Just gotta talk, love.”
The way he said that all coolly let me know that he had threatened that lady.
It was just a certain way he looked. I watched him as he slipped my croc on my foot before placing it on the floor.
He was careful and attentive like he was afraid that he’d injure me.
Then he looked up into my face, and I could tell he was about to say something, but we were interrupted.
The nurse walked in carrying the discharge papers.
“Dr. Sellers said to take it easy and try to stay off your feet as much as possible,” she instructed. Once she was finished speaking, she handed me the discharge papers.
I signed the papers and handed them back to her. The faster I could get out of there, the better. After getting a copy of the papers and everything, we were good to go. I truthfully just wanted to get home and into my own bed.
I glanced to my side at Savior as he stood to the left of me holding my purse while Beck stood in front of us both. The elevator ride was quiet except the faint music that played through the speakers.
“Are you hungry?” he questioned.
I looked up, and the doors opened. “Not really.” We stepped off the elevator where I assumed Manuel had the car.
I was right because immediately when we left the hospital lobby, the usual black-on-black Range Rover was parked in the emergency area, and the door was open.
Manuel stood near the door waiting for us to get in.
Once all four of us were in the car and pulling out of the parking lot of the hospital, Savior looked in my direction. “You gotta eat, Chubbs.”
“Who the hell is Chubbs?” A frown covered my face.
Again, this nigga was smiling as if he hadn’t just given me a whole offensive nickname. “Food or—”
“I can make some noodles at home.”
He nodded.
I rested against his chest, closing my eyes.
I just needed to remind myself that everything was okay.
I felt him ease his hand down to my midsection and then rest there.
It was in that exact moment when everything running rampant through my mind ceased, and all I could do was focus on his touch.
It was just that calming at a time like this.
When we reached our building, it only took a few seconds for us to reach the elevator. When I went to push the button for my floor, he stopped me and pushed his instead.
I shook my head because I really didn’t feel like sleeping on his hard ass sofa tonight. “I don—”
“I didn’t buy a new bed to keep sleeping in yo’ lil’ ass bed,” he said like he was proud of himself.
I turned around and looked at him. “You bought a new bed for me?” By then I had a big goofy ass smile on my face.
“No. For me. Yours is too small with that fucking footboard.”
I pursed my lips. “Then what was wrong with the one that you had before?”
“Somebody’s bougie ass wouldn’t sleep in it, talking about another bitch was in it.” He shook his head.
I smiled at his obvious gesture. He was cute, and the fact that he wouldn’t come out and say it was comical.
I leaned into him the entire ride up. The moment we stepped off the elevator, my smile disappeared because we were face-to-face with this female that just wouldn’t stop coming around.
Now, I was wondering if he was sending her mixed signals because no sane human being would keep going where they were not wanted.
“I need to talk to you about our situation, Savior.” She was even bold enough to stand her ass at the door like he was about to let her in and speak to her
I glanced up, and he looked beyond annoyed, but this was his fault. Instead of acting up like I wanted to, I allowed him to open his door. Then before I went in, I stopped and turned around, facing him. I decided to pull a him on him. “Two minutes to tell your friend bye, babe.”
“I’on need it. Melanie knows what the fuck I said the last time.” He nudged me into the door and walked in behind me.
“What about our situation, Savior? Does she know that I’m carrying your baby?”
My eyebrows lifted, and I threw my head back.
I looked directly at him for an explanation.
I wanted to know if there was some truth to her statement.
I knew I would be able to tell in his facial expression.
The thing was it never changed. It was the same blank expression filled with annoyance as when we exited the elevator.
What she said to him got no reaction from him whatsoever.
Once he closed the door in her face, he focused on me.
“The only baby I have is inside of you. Don’t start that overthinking shit.
I’m tired as fuck, and I don’t have the energy to go there with yo’ ass.
Now bring yo’ ass back here and come go to sleep.
” When he finished setting my ass straight, he walked off toward his bedroom without another word.