Chapter 18 #3
“Oh a more serious note, I have one question for you. How did this all come about?”
“She wrote me a message on my birthday,” I shared, recalling the most pleasant time of my life.
“You were in jail.”
“I know. I didn’t respond. I just pulled up on her when I got out. The first day I touched down.”
“You were with us the first day you touched down at Oat + Olive,” Laike recalled.
“I left and went straight to her place.”
“She was with that nigga,” Luca said, tilting his head in my direction.
“And what was that supposed to mean?” I asked, folding my arms at my chest.
“You don’t play fair,” Luca chuckled as it all came together.
“You said it, you’d rather it be me so it is me, nigga.”
“I’m just happy it’s not this nigga,” Laike retorted, his entire mood shifting as his eyes shifted from us to the doors of the emergency room.
Out walked Collin. It seemed as if we’d spoken him up.
The sight of him was repulsive. I imagined he’d gotten the bigger picture and made his way home.
Obviously, I was wrong. His presence was not appreciated and neither was the smirk on his face when he began to speak.
Not allowing the first words to fall from her lips fully, I lessened the distance between us.
Laike was next to me and Luca followed. Liam still stood against the wall, unfazed and far from worried about whatever was to transpire.
It was obvious that no one was fond of the suited man before me.
“You, my friend, should learn to answer your phone.” He smiled, pointing in my direction.
I attempted to break the very finger that he’d pointed in my direction, but unfortunately, he’d snatched it away before I could capture it in my grasp.
“Unless you want to lose that motherfucker, I suggest you keep it at your side and take your ass home.”
“I just don’t like this nigga. It’s something about him. I just can’t put my finger on it. He gives me stalker, little pee wee vibes,” Laike added, “Your pee wee little ain’t it?”
Ignoring Laike, his focus remained on me.
“Anyway, congrats on the baby,” he tittered.
The sarcasm that dripped from his statement left my blood boiling. I felt myself become unglued, releasing an entirely new, beastly version of myself. Out of my peripheral vision, I observed Luca pull a seething Laike back.
“Let him handle his,” he told Laike.
Cocked and loaded, I launched my clenched fist in the air and didn’t stop until it collided with Collin’s face.
Instantly, his body hit the ground. Completely unaware of my surroundings, I lowered my body to the ground and quickly removed my tool from my waistline and shoved it into his mouth.
It was then that I felt Liam’s hand on my shoulder and heard Luca’s words.
“You slept him, bro. If you go to jail tonight, Lyric won’t forgive you for it,” he said in my ear, hand on my gun.
“We’re in front of an emergency room, son,” Liam reminded me.
Coming to my senses, I tucked my Glock and stood to my feet.
Needing to put some distance between myself and a sleeping Collin, I started for Lyric’s room.
I was too caught up in my feelings and knew that if I stayed any longer they’d be wheeling him to the trauma unit as they tried their hardest to remove the bullets I put in his chest and mouth.
My remedy was near and I didn’t stop moving my feet until I reached her room. Inside, the lights were still bright and her eyes were still closed to avoid them. Laura realized I’d entered and rounded the bed to make her exit.
“How are you, son?” She asked as she passed me.
“Good as I can be right now,” I admitted.
“I’m going to get out of here and let you two have the room. Liam and I will head home. Call us if you need anything.” She patted my shoulder and then continued walking.
“Laike needs to get to his truck. We rode in mine to get here.”
“Alright. They can take my car. I’ll ride with Liam.”
“Appreciate it.”
When she’d finally left the room and it was only Lyric and I, I breathed a sigh of relief.
The day had been long but the last hour had been even longer.
I’d gone from listening to my baby’s heartbeat on the monitor to hearing that there was no longer a heartbeat to be located.
The shit made me sick to my stomach, but I knew that it must’ve been part of God’s plan.
That was the only thing keeping me sane.
“Hi,” she spoke as I neared the side of her bed and buried her hand inside of mine.
“Hi,” I responded with a long, exasperated breath releasing from my throat.
“I love you,” she began to cry, “I’m so sorry.”
“Shhhhhhhhhh,” I hushed her. “It’s not your fault.
It’s nobody’s fault. Don’t worry. We’ll look back at this moment years from now when it doesn’t hurt so bad and understand it was part of the plan.
We still have so much time together for our blessings to come into this world healthy and looking just like you. Don’t worry,” I emphasized.
“Luca hates me, huh?” Tears fell from her pretty brown eyes.
“Luca, Laike, nor Liam are upset with you. Everything will be okay. I promise.”