“I’m here on uncle duty and the little nigga ain’t even got here yet. I’m just here to make sure nothing and no one interferes with his debut or they’ll meet their end. Expeditiously.”
His presence made more sense now. Luca had sent him to the hospital in case Dewayne was dumb enough to come up.”
“Thank you,” I spoke, finally.
“Na. No thanks needed.”
“Well, uh. I’m, uh… I’m going to head to the uh, cafeteria,” Lyric struggled to get out.
“French fries. No salt. Ketchup.”
“Got it. Baisleigh, you running downstairs with me or are you staying?”
“I’m going to join you just in case Luca calls you and needs me to let him in.”
“OK. I’m ready.”
The two filed out quickly, leaving Ken and me alone.
“Is there anything you need?” he asked.
“No.”
“Aight. Let me know if that changes. I’m here until you leave this motherfucker,” he informed me as he slid the chair that was on the side of my bed to the opposite side of the room where he had a clear visual of the door.
“You don’t want to watch television or anything?” I asked, noting his awkward position. He was against the wall with the television. There was no way he’d be able to see it. The only thing he could see was the door and me, of course.
“I’m not here to watch television,” he responded.
“Well, I’m sure it would make your stay much better.”
“A pleasant stay isn’t the goal, Ever. A meaningful one is. Again, if you need me, I’ll be right here… watching the door. That’s all the entertainment I need.”
I understood why Luca and Ken were friends, and I also understood why Lyric was smitten by the deep-tenured, midnight black fella. Just like Luca’s, Ken’s focus was always intact. And just like his brothers, Ken seemed to have a protective nature. He was possibly the only man she could actually trust to have her best interest at heart.
“Maybe there is one thing that I need,” I cleared my throat to say.
“What is it?”
“Luca.”
“Luca is working on finding y’all’s children. I don’t think he can or even wants to put a pause on that for nothing –not even you.”
His brutal honesty was refreshing. I was going to be fine. I knew it. Luca knew it. And so did everyone around us. His head was in the right place. He wanted our girls home as much as I did and didn’t want anything interfering with his search, but I needed to see his face. I needed to hear his voice, and I needed him to look me in the eye as he told me that everything would be OK. Hearing it from anyone else just didn’t mean to me what hearing it from him did. And, at the moment, I needed that.
I wasin and then I was out. In and then out again. My body only allowed me to stay awake for an hour or less at a time before I went to sleep again. I’d never felt so tired in my life. But as much as I wanted to stay asleep, I couldn’t with the familiar scent lingering in the air. There was nothing else like it. I recognized it so easily and so vividly each time it was in my presence.
“Luca?” I stirred.
There was movement immediately and then his hand slid into mine as he stood over me. His hand rested on my head as he began to stroke my messy head of hair.
“Hey,” he responded.
“Hey,” I managed, while my nose flared and eyes suffered from a burning sensation.
“Shhhhhhh,” he coaxed, but it was a little too late and a little too much to ask of me at the moment.
My chest rattled as I inhaled loudly, tears crowding my eyes before falling down my cheeks. My heart was broken. Broken for me. Broken for my girls. Broken for Luca. Broken for my unborn child. Broken for my mother. Broken for Lyric. Broken for James. Broken for Baisleigh. Broken for everyone in my life that I’d plagued with Dewayne’s presence. I was sorry. So sorry. Sorry for me. Sorry for my girls. Sorry for Luca. Sorry for my unborn child. Sorry for my mother. Sorry for Lyric. Sorry for James. Sorry for Baisleigh. Sorry for everyone whose lives my poor decision had affected in any way.
