Page 38 of Fervor

I nodded as I watched her walk to the front desk, then they led her to the back. Hopefully, we would know something soon, because I was sinking by the minute, especially after hearing from Giselle what happened. She’d read the note. She didn’t have to tell me that part. Yunique felt everything I did, but her memories of her trauma were holding her back.

My phone buzzed in my hand, and I looked at it to see it was a message from Vegas.We’re boarding our flight. Keke is a mess of emotions. How is Nique?

I don’t know yet. They won’t let us back. Your mom just got here, and they allowed her to go back there. So hopefully we’ll know something soon. Giselle said they told her they will be putting her in ICU.

I waited for his reply as Giselle talked softly to her father. I wanted to be in the room with Yunique to see for myself what was going on. My nerves were about to get the best of me. My phone buzzed, and I saw he’d just responded,Okay.

I sat back in my seat and twiddled my thumbs for a moment, then stood and paced. This waiting hadmeabout to go into an anxiety attack. She and I would be roommates in a minute. When I saw Doctor King emerge, I literally ran to her. She grabbed my hands and said, “She’s gonna be okay. They aren’t allowing visitors right now though. Only her doctors can see her today. I’m assuming I would have to clear her for visitors. It wasn’t just a simple anxiety attack. She had a mental breakdown.”

I closed my eyes and released a sigh of relief. Despite not being able to see her, I was just glad to know that she would eventually be okay. Had I lost her, it wouldn’t have been good for anyone in the vicinity of me when receiving that news. I nodded and went to the waiting area to grab my keys from the table next to where I was sitting.

I couldn’t sit here in the waiting area all this time. “Does anyone want anything to eat?” I asked.

“No, thank you,” Giselle responded.

I nodded. “I’ll be back.”

As I walked away, Dr. King said, “Harlem?”

I turned to see her walking toward me. She grabbed my hand and led me outside. Once the doors shut, she said, “If you need to talk, I’m always here. I know this whole thing has been difficult for you. She’s trying. Please don’t give up.”

“I had no intentions of giving up. I love her, Doctor King. She’s the woman I was meant to cherish for the rest of my life. It’s hard seeing her struggle… It’s hard being without her… It’s hard knowing that I’m part of the source of her trauma.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “What do you mean?”

I swallowed hard and looked away from her. “The man that violated Keondra was my father.”

Her eyes widened even more, and her hand covered her mouth. “Oh my God.”

“Yeah. So I don’t know if she’ll want to be with me anymore. Regardless, I’m not going to stop loving her. I love that woman with my soul. It happened so fucking fast. So, I can’t give up on her… no matter what she decides to do. I’m gonna always be here, checking on her, making sure she’s okay, and letting her know how much I still love her.”

She gave me a hug, and I heard her whisper, “My God.”

I closed my eyes, soaking in her motherly embrace. This was a time I could have used a consoling hug from my own mother. This love shit was painful as fuck. I think I’d rather get shot than to deal with this type of heartache. When she released me, she said, “Whenever they get her set up in her room, I’m going to talk to her and evaluate her. Is it okay if I reiterate anything you’ve said to me?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s nothing I haven’t already said to her.”

She nodded. “Okay. Does Giselle have your number in case there are updates before you get back?”

“She has Yunique’s phone, so she has my number.”

She brought her hand to my cheek. “Okay, baby. Things will get better. Believe that, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I nodded and walked away, heading to my SUV to get away from here.

I parked in the parking lot and just stared at the hospital. I tried to eat some chicken, but after eating one chicken leg and French fries, I was done. My appetite for food was nonexistent. I only craved to be near Yunique. I hadn’t accepted a call from my brother in days. I’d only messaged him, saying I would get back with him. I knew he was worried about me, but I couldn’t verbalize that shit to nobody else.

At least the ones that knew already had a clue. They knew Yunique’s story and why she was the way she was. My brother wouldn’t understand. Despite me being the oldest, he was the most ruthless. He was hostile on the streets… act first and think later. He had more of Mo in him than I cared to admit. Thankfully, that perverted shit wasn’t passed down, as far as I knew.

I was more like my mama. That was because I sympathized with her. I watched her struggle to take care of us. My heart was soft, especially toward good women. Yunique was a good woman. She was past good. Her ability to have me at her beck and call, doing whatever she wanted me to do, was a miracle.While I could be soft as hell with the right woman, I wasn’t the type to beg or be strung around.

Yunique was so fucking different. The way our gazes unraveled each other that first night in Tahiti stayed on my mind. Our hearts were wide open… free to love each other. The night I told her about Mo being my father stripped all that shit away. It felt like God had given me access to heaven then kicked me out and said,My bad. You were supposed to be in hell.

It made me wonder if this was my punishment for all the lives I’d ruined with drugs. The shit I sold tore families apart and killed people. I’d fucked up countless individuals, whether with drugs or my fists, not to mention the ones that had suffered an eternal fate for trying to fuck me over. At some point, I knew I would have to pay for my sins. Maybe this was it.

I closed my eyes to try to take a nap, but before I could, my phone rang. When I looked at it, I saw it was the unsaved number again.Giselle.I answered quickly. “Hello?”