“Stephanie?” I called out for her as I put the phone to my ear. “What’s going on?”
But all I could hear was her sobbing on the other end, and my stomach dropped. “What’s happening?” I repeated as panic crept into my voice.
“Aviana…” she gasped between cries. “Jeremy…my baby.”
My eyes bulged. “What happened to Jeremy?”
“He’s dead. Somebody killed my baby.”
CHAPTER 13
MYTHIC GREY
AFTER DROPPING TAYEoff, I was cruising through the city on my way to Enchant as I checked on Lelani.
“Hey, Mythic.”
I cringed when I heard how weak she sounded. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
“My head is still killing me, and I’ve been nauseous all day.”
“Is the edible that I got you helping any?”
“A little. I actually got hungry and ate something.”
A smiled a bit. “Good. I know it’s tough, but I also know that I don’t completely understand since I’m not in your shoes.”
I wanted to say more. It pissed me off that I wasn’t there for her at that moment because her mother wanted to be. I had left my own house to ease the tension and make it easier on Lelani.
But, instead, I simply told her, “I hate that you have to go through this.”
She blew a heavy breath, saying, “The doctor said that my symptoms will get worse until I have surgery.”
“I just wish I could be there with you. It feels wrong to be away while you’re going through this.”
“It’s okay, Mythic,” she reassured me. “Trust me, you and my mother in the same room will only make matters worse.” Then she chuckled a bit.
Despite her laugh, it didn’t feel okay. I felt like less of a man for not being there to support her through the worst of it. No matter my lack of true unconditional love for her, I was obligated to be her rock, to hold her hand and take some of that burden off her shoulders.
“I know you’re strong, but I’m here for you. If you need anything—anything at all—just call me, and I’ll come home. Your mama don’t scare me.”
She giggled weakly. “I know. But I don’t need the stress of you and her bickering over my head. I’m sick enough.”
As I lightly chuckled, my other line rang. I glanced at the screen, and I felt so much relief when I saw Aviana’s name flashing on my dash. We hadn’t spoken since that night I finally felt her again, and the longing to hear her voice had been building inside me like a violent storm.
“I get it,” I told Lelani, trying not to sound like I was rushing her off the phone. “Let me answer this other call though. I’ll call you back in a minute.”
“You don’t have to. Hopefully, I’ll fall asleep soon. I’ll just see you when you get home.”
“Okay. I won’t stay at the club long. I’ll be there in a few hours, so tell your moms she got a time limit.”
She snickered and replied, “Okay. See you later.”
As I clicked over, my chest started to hammer with need and anticipation. Suddenly, I felt like a hypocrite. I was worried about Lelani and her health, yet Aviana and how much I craved her presence superseded both.
“Aviana.” I even grinned as I said her name. “What’s up?”
Instead of the familiar warmth of her voice, I was met with uncontrollable sobbing.
