Volume Fourteen

I tried to open my eyes but it was blurry, I blinked slowly a few times as it started to clear. I heard beeping next to me to make me look over to see there was an IV in my arm, I grabbed my head groaning.

A nurse walked in looking surprised, I guess she didn't expect me to be woke. She walked right back out as I furrowed my eyebrows.

Why the fuck am I in the hospital? What the hell-

"My baby!" I realized sitting up pressing on my stomach, it felt different.

My heart dropped as tears came to my eyes in realization, I miscarried.

"Esme." My OB Dr.Pebbles spoke coming in.

"I didn't want to miscarry." I cried to her. "It may seem as though I didn't care but I always wanted kids, I wanted everything with my baby."

"You didn't miscarry." She spoke making me stop and look at her.

"I didn't? So why is my stomach-"

"You had to have a surgery to make sure you didn't miscarry." She pulled out a ultrasound and a xray. "I don't know what happened from when I seen you to a few days ago-"

"A few days? I been here for a few days?"

"You've been here for 5 days now."

"Is my baby okay?"

"Yes, it's breathing, fed and healthy right now."

"Can I know what happened?"

"Your baby was in distress, it wasn't receiving enough oxygen. We had to make a small cut in your stomach and help it before you and it both died."

"Are we okay?"

"As I been saying, stress is a major factor, less stress less hospital visits."

"Okay."

"I'm going to get the nurse to bring you some meds and some food. Eat half the food then take the pills."

"Okay."

"Oh, the man that bought you in is in the waiting room. He's been here since he bought you in and haven't left the waiting room since."

"You can send him in."

"Will do." She nodded closing the door.

I looked around for my phone seeing it no where to be found, I sighed. I just know everybody was going crazy from not speaking to me but I'm pretty sure Q told everybody where I was anyway.

The door opened and I expected to see Q but instead I seen Nas.

"Why are you here?" I asked in alert.

"Chill." He spoke. "I came to make sure you was aight."

"But why are you here?"

"I found you outside the apartment building and I bought you here, I tried to call Black but he ain't answer and you know I don't got nobody else number." He shrugged then dug in his pockets. "Here's your phone, I charged it for you."

"Thank you." I took it still looking at him. "Why you bring me here?"

"What you mean? You could've been dead. You hate me, not the other way around."

I stopped talking and just looked at him furrowing my eyebrows a little, I grabbed my phone seeing it was blowing up. I checked all my messages responding to who I wanted to, the most important people.

"I'm leaving." He spoke making me look at him. "I just wanted to make sure you was-"

"How much Black paid you to be the bad guy?"

"What you mean?"

"I'm not dumb, I been knew he had you on his payroll but he never would tell me what you did in his life. I got you jumped, you almost died. If you was as evil as you wanted to be, you wouldn't have gave a fuck about me."

"Imma head out." He spoke trying to leave.

"You always told me he was going to break my heart, is it because you wanted me or you knew everything?"

He just looked at me as I kept putting two and two together, Nas was never a rapist or even a bad guy. Black was. Black was evil. Black was heartless.

"Can you take me home?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll wait for you out there."

I paged for my doctor as she gave me the discharge papers, they took out my IV and gave me a sandwich to go. Once I was dress I walked in the waiting room, Nas was sitting there on the phone. Once he saw me he got up and opened the door for me leading me in his car.

"So where are you?" I heard a girl ask from the phone.

"I'm at the hospital, I'll slide on you when I'm done."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you." She spoke making him lowkey smirk.

"Can you tell me everything?" I asked.

"Everything like what?" He asked as he started driving.

"From the beginning."

"When we first walked in, Black and I was both interested but we both saw it was Black you wanted. When I first grabbed on you, it was me grabbing you but I saw how that didn't work for you so I backed off. From then on, Black saw that I was your weakness, he used both of our situations and milked it."

"What do you mean?"

"I was homeless." He chuckled. "The cars, house, shit even clothes was his."

"What?" I scrunched my face up.

"Well, they were his. They mine now because I make my own money but if I wanted to continue having everything I had I had to play the bad guy."

"But for what?" I wiped my face trying not to cry. "He already had me, what was his purpose?"

"That's one thing I can't answer, I don't know his reasoning."

"This doesn't mean we're friends or even cool."

"I know." He chuckled as he pulled up as we both got out.

We got in the elevator together then when we reached our floor we both went our separate ways. I got in the house thankful that I dropped Hero off to Dylan cousin for a few days or she would have been dead.

"Brah, I'm tired of doing this shit with you." Q said as soon as I called him. "I take time out my fucking day everyday to make sure you okay and you always being inconsiderate of other people feelings and keep disappearing yo."

"I was in the hospital."

"What? For what? Where you at now?"

"It's time I tell you the truth about everything, can you come over?"

"I'll be there in about twenty minutes, I'm handling something."

"Okay."

"I love you Es."

"I love you more."

He hung up the phone as I called Emae, she answered the phone but before she said anything I asked can her and Hendrix come over. I knew Q and them will get here around the same time, it was time I stop hurting in silence.

My doorbell rung and I opened the door to see Nas, I looked at him wondering what he wanted.

"I forgot to give this to you." He handed me a envelope making me scrunch my face up as I opened it.

It was the rights to Black apartment, my shop, Hero birth certificate and papers along with a restraining order.

"He said when you have those other papers to give it to me so he could sign it."

"Okay." I nodded not trying to show how hurt my feelings really were.

"You good?" He asked as I started feeling a little dizzy. "I got you, did you eat?"

"No."

"You got something to eat in there?"

"I don't even know."

"I'll just try to find something."

"Okay." I said calling Jae. "Hello?"

"Bitch, Imma curse you out cause it's 5 in the morning but then again Imma curse you out cause I haven't spoke to you in mad days."

"Jaelyn, where you at that it's 5 in the morning?"

"Bitch I'm in Spain! Barcelona!" She yelled laughing.

"What? With the fuck who?"

"Dai, Baby and JoJo."

"You having fun?"

"Bitch, if I didn't have you I'll move here." She spoke making me laugh. "Now why haven't you been answering?"

"Black wife dropped the chargers on us, I went to go see why and they were moving. He told me I'm not anything to him but his best friend little sister. I told him I was pregnant and he told me I was trying to trap him and said he could never be a father to my child so I guess I fainted and Nas found me and took me to the hospital."

"I'm coming home."

"I'm fine, I'm hurt but I'm fine."

"Today is our last day here, you'll see me tomorrow cause I gotta put you on about a few things too."

"Okay, we'll talk tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you more."

"Can you eat salmon or it's bad for the baby?" Nas asked.

"It's fine."

"What about shrimp?"

"Yes."

"Pineapple?"

"I don't even have pineapples in my fridge." I scrunched my face up. "What are you trying to make?"

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"No."

"Last question, you ever ate quinoa rice?"

"I don't even know what that is."

"Alright." He said then walked out making me look at him.

After like two minutes a knock was heard, I ran out the bathroom opening the door. Hendrix and Emae was standing there as she looked me up and down.

"You look bad." Hendrix spoke.

"I know."

"I have to ask a question and I want you to be honest." I looked at Hendrix.

"Go head."

"Was Nas homeless and wearing Black clothes?"

"Why you asking bout Nas?"

"Answer the question."

"Yeah, he was living off Black but Black made him put in some work to make his own money."

"I'm waiting on Q to tell y'all everything so I don't have to repeat anything."

"Where is Black?" Emae asked.

"We broke up, he had a wife and a daughter."

"Niyah was still in the picture?" She scrunched her face up.

"You knew about her?"

"We all went to high school Emmy, I was at the wedding. But they told me they got a divorce, actually you told me that." She looked at Hendrix.

"He told me he wanted one and they been stopped fucking with each other on that level so they was divorced to me."

A knock on the door stopped me from responding, I opened the door for Nas as he had stuff in his hands. I looked down then looked at Hendrix and Emae, he spoke to them then went in the kitchen.

Just as I was closing the door Q stopped me, he looked around hugging Emae then stopping at Hendrix and Nas.

"Why they here?" He asked.

"You coulda asked me that yourself don't-"

"Say some smart shit to me and get embarrassed in front of ya girl." Q looked at him. "You could take a ass whooping for ya manz, wassup?"

"Q stop, I invited everybody here."

"For what?"

"I'm pregnant." I spoke making everybody look at me except Nas since he obviously knew. "7 months tomorrow."

"What the fuck?" Q looked at me as he backed up, I knew he was mad just by that.

"By Black?" Hendrix asked. "He know?"

"I told him, he said he's going to sign all his parental rights to me because he wasn't getting trapped again."

"What?" Hendrix said. "Black ain't say that shit, Niyah probably texted that to you-"

"We were face to face, I also got booked because I beat Niyah and Black ass and she tried to kick me in my stomach." I told. "Plus, I kicked they daughter in the face."

"Es." Emae sat down looking at me, well my stomach.

"And I just got out of a five day coma which Nas saved me and my baby."

"I wanna fuck you up a little less now." Q looked at him.

"I'm in so much pain all day everyday, my breast hurt, my feet hurt, mostly my heart hurts. I don't want to be pregnant, that was never in the plan but the quick moment where I thought I miscarried hurt me more than anything Black did. I'm not ready to tell anybody else I'm pregnant, Dylan, Jaelyn and y'all are the only ones that know."

"I'm going to be a aunt." Emae smiled as her eyes got watery. "I can't believe you been going through all of this without me even knowing."

"You have a life, I don't ever want anybody to stop their life to think about mine."

"I'm your big sister, I wouldn't be living life if something was wrong with you."

"I'm sorry." I hugged her.

"Congrats little sis." Hendrix smiled hugging me. "Don't ever let anything Black do cause you to hate me cause whatever he did, he didn't tell me. I didn't even know you caught them together, he ain't tell me none of this."

"I would never take it out on y'all, Black is a grown ass man."

We talked for like thirty more minutes then Emmy and Hendrix left, Q was in his own world as Nas was still cooking in the kitchen. He was in his zone so I didn't say shit to him, I walked to Q leaning on his shoulder.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Nah, I'm just- shit I don't know what I'm feeling."

"I understand."

"Go say this shit to Face, that nigga gon wake up." He spoke making me laugh.

"Is he okay?"

"He lost all brain functioning yesterday morning, he brain dead."

My smile dropped as a tear dropped, I was expecting to hear he was breathing on his own but this wasn't a movie, this was real life and I was really never going to speak to my best friend again.

"Can you take me to the hospital?" I asked.

"Es-"

"All I want to do is hold my friend, please?" I asked quietly.

"Eat whatever he cooking first then we could go."

I was going to say no but I had to stop thinking about my emotions and think about my baby.

"You think you Spencer nigga?" Q laughed making Nas laugh as he put the pineapple in front of me.

"What is all this?"

"Quinoa rice and brown sugar glazed salmon with garlic herb shrimp."

"But why the pineapple as a plate? This is dope. I gotta take a picture of this." I spoke tasting it. "I didn't even know you could cook."

"It's a hidden talent." He shrugged. "But I gotta go, let me know if you need something."

"Thanks for everything you did for her brah." Q stood up. "Despite everything you could've left her for dead and you didn't, I respect that."

"Ain't nothing." They dabbed then he left out as I started eating.

"This so bomb." I said as Q ate some. He should've made more.

"Imma go take Jala home real quick then Imma come back to get you, by time I come back you should be full and took ya shower and shit."

"Okay."

He left out leaving just me, I finished eating then got into a shower. I spent like 20 minutes there then got dressed into some comfortable clothing packing a bag because I was going to work tomorrow morning.

Q called me as I made sure I locked up everything since I got a habit of not doing that, I walked downstairs getting in the car. We sat in silence as he drove me, when he pulled up to the hospital I hugged him then walked in.

I waved to all the nurses then walked into his room, he had a beard making me chuckle. He would hate how he looked right now but I loved it. I put my bag in the chair then got on the bed laying on him.

I tried not to cry but I did.

I needed Face in my life, he was a person that was irreplaceable.

~

"Goodmorning y'all." I smiled at all my employees. "We need to have a meeting."

"Somebody getting fired?" Grace asked.

"No." I chuckled. "As y'all noticed I haven't really been here like that but that's because there's a problem with my health."

"Are you okay?" Nae asked.

"Yeah, I'm doing good so far but I'm going to need some time off soon so while I'm out someones going to be a manager." I said making them look at me. "I haven't picked anybody as of now but I'm observing everybody to see who ready."

"Can you not pick me?" Harmony asked. "I ain't ready to handle that responsiblitly."

"I respect ya honestly." I chuckled. "Anybody else feel that way?" I asked making three hands go up. "Then I won't consider y'all for the position."

"Thank you." Harmony laughed.

"I do thank y'all for y'all patience and not prying into my life or even gossiping about me."

"How we gon gossip about the person who gave all of us a chance?" Paris, the gay boy, asked making them agree as I smiled hard.

"Word, that's like biting the hand that feed us." Grace said.

"And that's why lunch is on me." I smiled as they all started cheering making me laugh. "Y'all real fake but get to work."

I was going to change, positively though. I was going to try to be more of a positive person.