“Mrs. Sky, please take a seat,” one of them said.
Lauren felt the train before it even collided with her. There was no other reason for them to want her to sit. “Demi, do something,” she whispered. He had moved mountains before. Why not now? Why was he so damn docile now?
“I can’t, Lo,” he said. “Just say it. Say the shit. Don’t drag it out.”
“Your son lost a severe amount of blood, Mr. and Mrs. Sky,” the lead doctor said. “He went into hypovolemic shock midway into surgery. We attempted multiple transfusions, but we could not get his heart to pump blood to the rest of his organs. Blood carries oxygen to the rest of the body, and his organs were oxygen-deprived the entire ride here. We did everything we could. I’m sorry.”
“Demi,” Lauren whispered. “Demi,” she repeated. “Demi, do something. Demi, please!”
Demi was numb. He pulled her into his arms and held her because he knew it was what he was supposed to do. It was like his body was on auto-pilot because he was filled with nothing. No thoughts, no feelings, no soul. He was hollow as he stood there. His son was dead. He had just played a round of Madden with the boy hours ago. He had just heard his laugh. He had just promised to spend more time with him. He had just reassured him that the new baby wouldn’t take away any love he had for him. Demi had just felt the warmth of his son’s skin, heard the youth in his laugh. He had just fucking had his son in his possession safe and sound. In the blink of an eye, everything had changed. Time took no victors, it only left behind memories, and this time, those memories came with regret.
Stassi entered the famous Detroit music hall. She was flustered. She almost turned down the job when she got the call, but she was in no position to turn down a client. “I’m looking for R. Blake.” She asked one of the workers.
“Mr. Blake isn’t here, but the boss is backstage,” the man said.
Stassi made her way backstage, and she froze when she saw Day. He was giving instructions to the people who ran the show, and he was commanding in a way that she hated. He lifted his eyes to hers and stopped speaking.
She turned and headed in the opposite direction.
“Stassi!” Day shouted. “Get the fuck over here and quit playing with me, man.”
It was his tone that caused her to spin again. “Nigga, excuse me?”
She was livid as she stormed over to him. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“I’m talking to you,” Day said, stepping into her space. “Now what? Huh? A nigga miss you, Stassi, and you’re playing with me. I know you saw my calls. I know you got the flowers. What the fuck I got to give you? A kidney? Damn, just let a nigga back in your space. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Day, let me say this as clearly as possible. Fuck you!” She answered. They had everyone’s attention backstage, but Stassi didn’t give a single fuck. He had already embarrassed her. She might as well get the shit off her chest. “That’s why this job paid so much? Because it was coming from you? You destroyed my reputation. You made me feel like…”
“Like what? Like you would accept a quarter million for that pussy? Every bitch in this building would do the same, Stass. It’s how the game go. It’s what they wait outside for after the shows! It’s why my DM’s been banging since I got on. It stopped being a game to me.I don’t know when. I don’t know how the fuck you crawled under my skin so deep, but I don’t want to play games with you no more.”
“You don’t know what the fuck you want, Day!” Stassi shouted. “Your ego is just bruised because I was the one to end this toxic shit.”
“I’m having the worst fucking Day, Anastassia, and I just need you to quit being so fucking stubborn and hear me out,” Day stated.
“I’m not being stubborn. I’m setting fucking boundaries, Dayton. That’s something you know nothing about because women do whatever for you; they accept whatever from you. I’m not interested. Whatever moment we shared that made me think this could be something, it passed. You showed me the real you, the one you show to the world. It’s not the same person I holed up with in that hotel room. I could have fallen in love with that man.”
“You did, Stassi. You fell hard as fuck otherwise, you wouldn’t be this pissed. I did too, because swear to God, a nigga ain’t ate, can’t fucking sleep. I’m fucked up at the thought of you being mad at me. I feel like a little-ass boy, man, pining over your difficult-ass.”
Stassi was stunned to silence, as was the rest of the room.
“You don’t even know me,” Stassi said. “You don’t love me. You want to win me.”
“I swear to God, you gon’ drive a nigga up a wall, Anastassia,” he said. “What you want? Huh?” He turned to the key grip that was standing off to the side. “Yo, bruh? The Press here yet?”
“They’re front row,” the man said.
“Public disrespect, public apology,” Day stated. He walked out onto the stage and grabbed the mic, hushing the small gathering of media professionals that had shown up. “Yo, Anastassia, bring ya mean-ass out here.”
“What are you doing, Day? I don’t need more of my business out in the streets!” She hissed.
“Nah, you not hearing me, so I’ma say this in front of everybody. I went on the radio and said the stupidest shit about you. I apologize to you. I was letting the image lead, letting my ego do the talking. The truth is I’m uncomfortablewith the way you make me feel, Stass. I got a real strong feeling that this is on some love shit, and I’m trying to do whatever I can to make it right with you. You’re a breath of fresh fucking air. You keep me on my toes and you ain’t accepting no shit. You give that feeling Grammy-winning albums are written about,” he said. “You didn’t deserve what I did, and you’re so much more than I said. I want to get to know you, Stass.”
Stassi was so damn flattered and embarrassed at this ghetto-ass display of affection that she didn’t know if she wanted to stay or flee.
“Get. Off. The. Mic!” Stassi hissed, shaking her head as cameras flashed in her face.
“Not until you agree to let me make it up to you,” Day said, laughing at her irritation.
