Page 124 of Lyric Squared

I cleaned up and stepped back out on the floor. To my surprise, both Luca and Laike were packing up to leave. The shift in energy could be felt from across the court as I sped over to the bench to see what the issue was.

“Y’all niggas good? What’s up?” I asked, waiting impatiently for a response while grabbing my bag, too.

“Lyric was rushed to the hospital.” Luca grimaced. “My mother just called.”

My heart dropped to the bottom of my laced Nikes. With trembling hands and lips, I asked, “For what?”

“We don’t know yet. We’re headed that way,” Laike answered.

Both Luca and Laike had come in Luca’s truck. I’d driven my own but driving in the condition that I was in wasn’t likely. However, Luca’s truck would run my blood pressure up. The big motherfucker was a road hogger and was a lot of weight to push the way I needed it to.

“I’ll call you and let you know what’s up when I have more information,” Luca told me, pulling his bag over his shoulder.

I leaned down and grabbed my keys from the side of my gym bag and tossed them in Laike’s direction.

“Get us there, my nigga, and as fast as you can.”

I didn’t have any details and neither did I have the right emotional competence to make the drive myself. The last thing I wanted was for us to end up flipped over on the side of the expressway because I was thinking impulsively instead of for other drivers, too. And unlike them, I was privy to knowledge that they weren’t. Though there was urgency in their words and movements, had they known her current condition then they’d be in an internal uproar just like me.

“You rolling?” Luca asked, slightly confused by the decision I’d just made.

“Damn right,” I assured him, taking the lead and heading out of the door first.

After I was settled in the passenger seat, I slid my hand into my bag, searching for my phone. Locating it wasn’t a complicated task being that I didn’t have much in my bag. When my screen lit up with black hearts, my chest began to ache. The missed calls I didn’t even attempt to return. Instead, I opted for the message that I’d been sent while playing ball.

Pregnancy isn’t for the weak. Paralyzing lower abdomen pains are going to take me out. She’d sent me almost an hour prior. Shortly after, there were three calls made and I’d missed every one of them.

FUCK!Trying to keep my composure in the passenger seat was a bit more complicated than one would imagine. It became obvious that I was doing a horrible job at it when Laike turned toward me with a questionable stare.

“Nigga, you good? The fuck you got going on over there?”

She’s fucking pregnant, I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but the words wouldn’t surface. Nothing would. So, I nodded instead.

The pressure worsened with each second that passed, and we hadn’t pulled up to the hospital yet. I could feel myself perspiring as the minutes ticked away. I felt like I was swimming in a pool of my own sweat although the air conditioner was blasting.

Laike’s dramatic stares made me wonder if he was even keeping his eyes on the road. So when we finally exited the expressway, I visibly sighed with relief. As the hospital appeared in plain sight, I placed my head in my hands and began a quick, silent prayer to God.

Please, God. Be a fence. Protect my child and Lyric from all hurt, harm, and danger. I trust you, Lord. Amen.

When I lifted my head from my hands, Laike’s eyes were on me again. By this time, we were pulling into the parking lot.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He sucked the skin of his teeth while asking.

Tired of the secrets and tired of the lies, I turned in Laike’s direction before looking straight ahead. I knew that this wasn’t a way for anyone to find out their best friend was fucking their sister, but I’d had enough. I also understood that Lyric wouldprobably hate me for months to come for what I was about to say, but I didn’t care.

As Laike pulled into a vacant spot in the emergency entrance, I cleared my throat. This wasn’t how I imagined sharing the news. I was certain this wasn’t how Lyric had imagined it either. They were about to find out the truth regardless, so prepping them was better than allowing them to go inside her room and be blindsided. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let that happen.

“Lyric, she’s–” I started, but was cut off by banging on the window.

Liam, their father, appeared behind the glass. Instead of rolling down the window, we all opened our doors and exited the truck. He immediately began to fill us in as we breached the emergency room doors and headed down the hallway.

“She’s in one of the temporary rooms. She was at some brunch place eating with that lame ass nigga she calls a boyfriend. Cole or whatever the hell his name is. She stood up to go to the bathroom and fainted,” Liam explained. “There’s some other shit going on, but I’ll let her tell you about that.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood at the revelation I’d made. He was referring to Collin although he didn’t get the name right. What she was doing with him, I had no clue of. There were missed calls and a message from her from an hour ago, so I was certain it was around the time when she’d lost consciousness. Nothing made sense.

“She’s right in there. The third room.” Liam pointed. “I’ll be outside. I can’t stand to look at my baby in that state right now.”

We stepped into the hospital room to find Lyric with her eyes closed, seemingly resting, but I knew she wasn’t asleep. Laura was beside her bed, holding one of her hands. In the empty chair by the door sat Collin, who’d nodded off. Throwing all caution to the wind, I stood over a sleeping Collin. Using my thumb andindex finger, I thumped the center of his forehead with every ounce of frustration and strength I possessed. It sounded in the quiet room, causing everyone around me to look in my direction. I didn’t give two fucks.