Page 2 of Whatever It Takes
He shook his head, lowly chuckling as he pulled into our driveway. “Bitch, I’ll kill you before I let you leave me. Go inside and get some rest before my daughter gets home in the morning. I’ll be back after I go pick this money up.”
I scoffed, swinging his car door open and climbing out. I slammed the door, making my way to the front door. He didn’t even wait for me to make it into the house before he sped off. After ensuring the house was secured, I peeled my clothes off, finally letting my tears fall as I went into our bedroom. This place no longer felt like home. I was tired of the fighting and disrespect. Some shit had to give.
I scrubbed the club from my skin in a steaming hot shower. My body relaxed as I slid underneath the comforter in the bed. It was well after 2 a.m., and Seven had yet to walk through the front door. That uneasy feeling returned. I shook my head, knowing I just needed to sleep it off.
I sent Seven a few texts questioning his whereabouts, but they all went unanswered. I knew this was his way of punishingme. Before I could lock my phone, a text message notification popped up on my screen. I clicked the notification, opening my messages. I frowned, looking at the attachments from the unsaved number. Professional photos of Seven and a very pregnant woman were attached. My stomach sank at the photo of Seven and a little boy who had his entire face.
“I know you fuckin’ lyin’.” I scoffed, shaking my head. Not only was he cheating again, but he hid an entire family from me. This nigga was going to feel my wrath.
A few hours later
The constant ringing of my phone woke me from my sleep. I reached over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand, answering it without checking my caller ID.
“Hello?” I answered groggily.
“Bless, wake up!” My brother shouted into the phone, causing me to jolt up.
“Messiah, what’s going on?” I asked, starting to panic. It was now 6 am, and Seven still wasn’t home.
“Seven got hit. Meet me at the hospital on 86th.” He responded before hanging up.
My eyes filled with tears, and I felt my chest getting tight. Regardless of everything we were going through, I didn’t want to lose him. My daughter couldn’t grow up without her father.
I threw on some clothes and rushed out the door. This shit felt like deja vu. The drive to the hospital felt longer than it was supposed to. I spent the entire drive begging God to spare Seven one last time. I spotted Messiah’s truck in the emergency room’s parking lot and parked next to him.
I walked into the hospital’s waiting room, immediately spotting my brother. He was standing against the wall with his shirt soaked in blood. I knew it belonged to Seven. My heart sank at the sight. His red eyes landed on me as I rushed towards him.
“What the fuck happened, Messiah?” I cried. He shook his head, looking at me, his face wet with tears.
“Seven got into it with some niggas out west a few weeks ago. He put that nigga Rell on his ass, embarrassed him in front of everybody. The nigga retaliated. I can’t lie to you, sis, it’s not looking good for him.”
“FUCK!” I yelled, slapping a hand against the wall.
“I’m sorry, Bless. This shit should’ve never happened. I got nigga combing the city right now for that nigga. It’s going to get handled.”
Hours had passed. Every time I approached the desk for updates, there were none. All we knew was that he was in surgery. Just as I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep, a doctor entered the waiting room.
“Family of Seven Jacobs?” The doctor called out.
I jumped up, rushing over to him. “I’m his fiancée.”
He looked at me with sympathetic eyes, causing a chill down my spine. “We tried to remove every bullet that hit him safely. Surgery was touch-and-go. He flatlined three times. We couldn’t revive him the last time. We tried everything, but he didn’t make it. I’m so sorry.”
SEPTEMBER
“Good morning,Blessing. Mrs. Johnson wants to see you in her office.” Dejah, the receptionist, said as I walked into Oasis Cove Physical Therapy. Mrs. Johnson hired me full-time after my internship, and I’ve become the top physical therapist for the past few years.
“Good morning, Dejah. Thanks for letting me know.” I smiled before heading towards my office. I took a seat at my desk and checked my calendar to see which clients I had scheduled for the day. I usually have a full schedule because it’s football season, but over the past few weeks, I’ve only been seeing high school athletes. It wasn’t a bad thing, just rare during football season. After checking my schedule, I left my office and headed to Mrs. Johnson’s.
I hoped she wasn’t on bullshit today. We got along for the most part, but she could be overbearing at times. She’s a gorgeous older black woman, and I loved working for her. Most of the staff here is black, and we all work well together.
“Hey, boss lady!” I said, knocking on her door before entering. She was seated at her desk with a bright smile on her face. That was a good sign. I took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.
“Hey, Blessing, I have a new patient for you. He prefers outpatient treatment because he has a gym in his home, but you’ll have to bring some of your own equipment for his injury.”
“That’s fine. Who’s the new patient?” I asked.
“Saint Simmons, the defensive lineman for the Jags. He tore his MCL about two weeks ago in the first game of the season. It’s a grade three complete tear. He’s finally ready to start his physical therapy. He specifically requested you.”
