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“The engine ain’t shit.” He teased. He circled around it. I could tell he was impressed and just talking shit.
“Prove it. You want to race?”
“You sound crazy. I wouldn’t even do it to you.”
“Sounds to me like you are scared.”
“Scared to hurt your feelings? That’s the only thing I could be afraid of because I sure as hell ain’t in danger of losing. Get home. It’s late. You have a big day tomorrow.”
“I told you upstairs I won’t be going out with you. You heard my offer, and it still stands until I decide to take it off the table, but that’s really all I have for you.”
Another dangerous smile.
“Have a good night, Le.” He walked forward and reached for my door, and I slapped at his hand. I tried to slap it away, but the swipe barely made an impact. When I touched him this time, the ruggedness of his hands stuck out even more to me. He was so damn strong. My core clenched.
“You do not have to open my door, Prince. I am fully capable.” He didn’t let the handle go. In fact, he stepped forward while I slid between his extended arm and the door handle.
“I do not doubt your capability, Le. The question is, if I’m here, why would you need to?”
Damn.
My response was swallowed as I slid inside the car, and he closed the door. I started my ignition, and we watched each other until I pulled out of sight.
Prince
When I pulled back up to McLaren Hospital the next day I had a dual mission. First, to check on my brother. He wasn’t the one admitted, but in all actuality, he was probably the one doing worse. He wasn’t here for the birth of his first child through no fault of his own. I could see on his face last night that he felt like he had failed. There was nothing he did wrong. I knew firsthand that things like that could happen at almost any time. Had I been around a little more I could have prepared him for that. I was here now and I was going to make him my first stop to check his head out.
Eyeing the bright yellow car in the lot with the tags that said you just got passed by a girl on the bumper brought me to my second mission. I knew exactly where she lived, but I didn’t want to pull up on some creep shit. I mean, eventually, if she tried to dodge too hard, it could come to that, but for now, I figured she would only be two other places. The hospital was my first choice because I could see how much her friendship with Satisa meant to her. I was determined to get some time alone with her. Whatever this pull was, I had to find out what it was before it drove me crazy.
I walked into the waiting room and Priest was sitting there, clearly tired but engulfed in his phone. The deep crease in his forehead indicated his frustration.
“Bruh.”
He lifted his eyes from his phone and stood.
“What up bruh? She good. They are going to let her leave in the morning.”
“I get that, but how you doing?” I stood flat-footed in front of him.
“I’m good. Just gotta stay on top of her ass.”
“Don’t kick yourself for this shit. It’s perfectly normal.”
“I ain’t trying to hear that shit. I gotta do better.”
“I know this is hard to hear, but there is likely nothing you could have done to prevent it. Does sis’ need to slow down and take care of herself? Yes. At the same time, she is carrying life, man, and sometimes that shit just hits you. She is getting close and the fact that they aren’t taking the baby and she is going home tells you that everything is good.”
He wanted to say something, but closed his mouth once we locked eyes.
“I know you know. Yo ass should’ve been around. I been stressing like a muthafucka.”
“You ain’t gotta tell me because I know. The kids with ma?”
He nodded while he responded to a text on his phone. My eyes swung in the direction of Satisa’s room. “Le in there?” I asked Priest a question I already knew the answer to,
“Who? Twin?”
“She got a name nigga.”
