Chapter 15 #2
“You know, when I would always be at your house when you got shot. I overheard your momma and Yaseer talking once. He was asking where the hell my father was in the midst of everything going on, and your mom said he works more than he parents. Up until that point, it never dawned on me how abnormal my life was until that day. Mama Marissa was right. But I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
We both have issues with our fathers, and unless you’re ready to face yours, leave mine alone. ”
Q threw his hands up in a silent surrender.
“Are you done with your stuff? I’m done with mine, and I want to relax and watch movies.”
“If you say it’s time for some QT, then that’s what it is,” Q affirmed.
He closed his laptop and turned on the TV. We relaxed in the seats, flipping through movies for the rest of the flight. The last few hours of quality time before we landed were definitely needed.
Xain and Khaleesi finally emerged just before landing and claimed the seats across from us.
Khaleesi laid her head on Xain’s shoulder, still relaxed from the medication she took.
I was used to Khaleesi’s routine. She’d be a little loopy for at least twelve hours after.
Her eyes slid shut, and the two of them were cute together. I had to admit that.
“Everything happens for a reason,” I commented.
“Why do you say that?” Q pried.
“Look at them,” I nodded.
“D3 set off the chain of events that led to them being more than just cordial. If he didn’t pull that stunt, we wouldn’t have taken this impromptu trip, and these two wouldn’t be canoodling,” I explained.
“We aren’t canoodling. I’m just resting my eyes,” Khaleesi yawned, her eyes still closed.
We conversed through the landing process, then customs came onboard to check our passports, and we were on our way.
A call from Amill came through as we were deplaning. “Hello.”
“Jameera, is Q with you?” She inquired. Something about her tone, and the fact that Q was standing next to me and his phone never rang, didn’t sit right with me.
“Yeah, why? What happened?” I quizzed.
“Ummm, your dad is in the hospital. He was in a car accident.”
I dropped my phone. The world around me went mute. My feet stopped moving, and Khaelesi ran into the back of me. That still didn’t get my body moving.
“Jameera!”
“Jameera, are you okay?”
I heard their concerned voices, but they were distant, sounding like they were miles away. Amill’s notification ripped the Band-Aid off the old wound she wasn’t aware of. I didn’t talk about it much.
At that moment, I was back to the day I lost my mother. That phone call notifying me that she was in a car accident. Getting to the hospital and being told that we’d have to say our goodbyes. The fear, the anguish, the loss all came tumbling down on me like a ton of bricks.
It was happening again, and that time the regrets would be heavier.
I was engaged and hadn’t shared the news with my father.
Hell, I hadn’t talked to him at all in over a week.
I blocked his phone number, and had Amill lie when he popped up at her house looking for me.
All of the regret was hitting me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“Baby.” Q’s hand on my shoulder brought me out of my dizzying thoughts before I was pushed over the edge.
“My dad,” I sobbed.
“What about him, bae?”
“Q, she was answering her phone. See if somebody is still on the phone,” Khaleesi suggested from behind me.
His eyes frantically searched around until he found it near my feet. Q helped me sit and placed the phone against his ear. I rocked back and forth, my mind running a mile a minute.
“Okay. We are on the way,” he told Amill, then hung up the phone.
Cupping my chin, Q brought my eyes to his level.
“Look at me. I know that just triggered some of your worst memories, but this isn’t what happened to your mom.
We don’t know anything yet. He needs you, and we are going to the hospital to see what’s going on. ”
Silently, I nodded, and Q grabbed my arms, stopping my rocking. He scooped me off my feet and carried me away from the plane. I couldn’t pull myself together no matter how hard I tried.
I cried all the way to the truck Duke was waiting in at the private aviation ramp. For once, I was thankful we were flying private because we avoided wading through all the people in the main terminal. Q placed me in the rear driver’s seat, and Jameera slipped in on the opposite side.
“Quinten Bentley Jr.?” A deep, monotonous voice came from behind Q.
I looked up and saw a slew of police officers surrounding us.
“What’s going on?” Duke inquired, stepping out of the truck.
“Xain Smith?” Another officer questioned.
“Alright, everybody put your hands up!” An officer yelled, pulling his gun on us.
Everything was happening so fast, and I was still struggling to pull my emotions together.
“What is this about?” Khaleesi questioned, her hands up in the air.
“You too! Hands in the fucking air!” An officer shouted at me, his gun pointed at my chest.
“Aye, man. You don’t have to do all of that. She’s in shock. She just found—” Q moved in front of me as he spoke, but that was viewed as an act of aggression.
The officer cracked Q across the face with his gun, blood spurting from the gash that formed beneath his eye.
Everything unfolded so fast. There was so much movement and screaming.
Q was snatched away from the truck by the back of his hoodie.
Xain was slammed up against the truck, and Duke was on the ground with a knee in his back and another in his neck.
I went down next. My chin smacked against the cold pavement, sending pain shooting through my head.
White speckles infiltrated my vision, and I blinked, trying to see clearly again.
“Aye motha fucka!” I heard Q’s voice, but my back was facing the opposite direction from everyone else. Then…
POP!
“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” Khaleesi’s shrill scream cut through the silence.