Chapter 6 #3
Looking to her right, she noticed Irish jogging down the hallway. Immediately, she met her, and they embraced. The tears resumed their stream down Cali’s cheeks. She was so hurt and angry with herself, but Irish’s hug did subtly soothe her guilt.
Irish drew back, gripping her face. “What happened?”
Shrugging, Cali sniffled. “I don’t know but he got into a really bad car accident. He’s on life support, Irish.” She whimpered at the thought of it. “What am I going to do?”
“First thing first, you’re going to pray.” Irish looked her square in the eyes. “That’s all we can do at this point but just know that I’m here for you.”
Cali shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. The doctors are trying to ask me if I want to keep him on life support or take him off. I haven’t even spoken to his family yet. I’m just so confused.”
“Listen, I know this situation is really bad, but we’ll get through this together, okay?”
Seconds later, Cali looked past Irish to see Noble walking in. He was calm with his hands inside his slacks. When he approached them, Cali wiped her face with the pads of her fingers.
“How is he?”
Sniffling, she confirmed, “Not good. He’s on life support.”
“The doctors are asking her if she wants to pull the plug or keep him on there.” Irish filled him in.
“Don’t take him off. He might pull through this shit.”
Noble was the first person to advise her on Rio’s condition. Everyone else looked to her to make the decision, not even bothering to help her sort through her emotions.
“Oh, my God! Where is he?”
Cali’s eyes widened when she spotted Rio’s mother, Ruthia, and his sister, Deasia, rushing down the hall.
“He’s here,” Cali told her as she grabbed her arms. Ruthia was just as distraught as she was.
“Is my son okay?” she asked with gawking eyes and a trembling tone. “Tell me, Cali. Tell me he’s going to be alright?”
There was this plea in Ruthia’s voice that almost made Cali fall to the floor in agony. A mother’s cry could penetrate even the coldest hearts. She peered at Cali, hoping to have good news but there wasn’t any. Rio was standing on the cliff of death, and no one could save him except God.
“Tell us, Cali,” Deasia begged.
Swallowing hard, she prepared her lips to give them the news. “He’s on life support.”
“Oh, Lord!” Ruthia screamed, falling against the wall.
Cali was so overstimulated that she started pacing with her hands covering the sides of her face.
“Cali don’t tell me that,” Deasia cried.
Lord, I can’t deal with this right now…
Mentally, Cali had checked out. She was already in a great deal of distress and didn’t have the emotional capacity to nurse Ruthia and Deasia’s pain.
“It’s okay y’all,” Irish’s raspy tone assured. “Let’s go in here and pray for Rio. All of us.”
Cali was so grateful for Irish because she was two seconds away from pulling out the little bit of hair she had on her head.
“Come on.”
Irish grabbed her hand then ushered everyone, including Noble, inside the hospital room.
Seeing Rio in such a grave state fucked with Noble mentally.
He was one of the most solid members of TLM.
Noble counted on him a lot and it sucked knowing he would have a long road ahead to recovery.
That was if Cali even chose to keep him on life support.
Zayd and Jovanis leaned against the wall, sporting solemn expressions that mirrored everyone in the room.
“Jovanis and Zayd, let me holla at you,” Noble requested.
Walking out the room, he waited briefly before they joined him in the hallway.
“Who was with him?”
“Nobody. He had just left the spot before it happened. He said he was going home to holla at Cali,” Jovanis informed him.
Noble bobbed his head, quickly putting a plan in motion.
Despite Rio’s condition, Noble had to make sure that business still moved forward.
Being the general came with unwanted issues such as this.
Rio ran the pills so with him being out, Noble had to make a wise decision and put someone in his place.
“Zayd, you gotta take over for Rio.”
His brow peaked slightly. “You sure? I thought you would put Wilde in that position.”
“Has Wilde been steppin’ up?” Noble quizzed.
Slowly, he shook his head. “I mean, no, he hasn’t.”
“Then, it’s you, nigga. Make sure you can handle this shit before you agree. I don’t need no fuckups right now,” Noble warned him with an austere glare. “Can you handle it?”
Zayd nodded with confidence. “Yeah, I got you.”
He turned to Jovanis. “Be available to him if he needs you, a’ight?”
He tipped his head. “Cool.”
Noble entered the room, wishing he could give Irish a proper goodbye but knew too many eyes were on them.
She stood behind Cali, who was seated in the chair.
Her hands were on her shoulders, providing Cali with some comfort when Jovanis approached her.
Envy made Noble snort under his breath when his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
Jovanis pulled her head close, kissing the top of it.
A part of him yearned to rewind the last thirty minutes of his life and relive the moment with Irish again.
They had created a secret universe, and they were the only two natives.
It was a start of something, but Noble felt in his heart that it could develop into something special.
This instant chemistry between him and Irish left him confused because he’d never allowed himself to move so freely with a woman.
Noble had to investigate why this had occurred with Irish.
Of course, her beauty was a factor but there was something else that he wanted to explore.
Noble reluctantly peeled his eyes away from Jovanis kissing her cheek.
If he only knew, those lips had been in his possession thirty minutes ago.
Noble licked his lips, hoping to taste the remnants of Irish’s lip gloss.
Subtly he smirked. He loved a good inside joke and Jovanis had no clue he was the butt of it.
Noble couldn’t stay longer. The mood was way too somber for him to consume.
Plus, seeing his pot’na laying lifeless was a scene he wanted to forget.
So, he quietly slid out the hospital room and headed toward his car.
In an effort not to think about Rio’s current state, Noble thought about his unexpected encounter with the ginger-haired beauty.