He opened his mouth and made a face as soon as the swab hit the inside of his cheek. “It feels weird,” he said.
“You okay.” I smiled.
“You did great.” Nurse Nikki finished up, labeled everything, then stood.
“Give me about an hour. Maybe two max. If y’all haven’t eaten, I’d suggest you go grab something and come back. I’ll call as soon as it’s ready.”
“I’m hungry,” Dakoda announced, as if on cue.
“I bet,” I said, remembering that the little dude didn’t get to eat the candlelit bagels his mama had whipped up. He definitely needed to eat. “Don’t worry, lil’ man. I got you. Come on.” I reached for his hand, and he took mine easily. We stepped out of the room with Lyrius right behind us and walked back into the front. I shook my head the moment we hit the lobby and spotted Jaylen laid up against the counter, flirting with the receptionist at the front desk. Same old Jaylen. If there was a pretty woman somewhere, his ass was going to be tuned in.
“What? Y’all done already?” he asked, his eyes landing on me.
“Yeah,” I said just as Nikki walked around us and spoke to the front desk girl. I smirked as Jaylen straightened up like he suddenly remembered why he was here.
“So it’s done?” he asked.
“Results will be ready in about an hour,” she said. “Maybe two.”
“I’m hungry.” Dakoda tugged on my hand again.
“I got you,” I said, glancing down at him before looking back at Jaylen. “We gotta go grab lil’ man something to eat.”
“Aight.” Jaylen turned toward the exit. “Bet. Let’s?—”
“Excuse me.” Nurse Nikki cleared her throat, making Jaylen stop walking and turn around. “You promised me something.”
“Damn, I did.” I saw it click for him as he started walking in her direction. Before he could take two steps, I grabbed his arm. I didn’t have to time to be playing around with Jaylen. I needed to get Dakoda some food.
“Before you go on your little pussy mission,” I muttered, holding my hand out, “run me those keys.”
“You funny.” He looked at me. “How you think I’m paying for this?” he added.
“With my money,” I said flatly.
“The money paying,” he shot back. “But this”—he patted his chest—“got us through the doors.”
I stared at him for a second. This nigga. He smirked, then pulled the keys out of his pocket and dropped them in my hand.
“Bring me back something. I’m about to work up an appetite.”
I shook my head, closing my hand around the keys. Lyrius looked away, but I caught her eyes roll as we headed toward the door and out of the clinic. Dakoda still held my hand, and Lyrius walked on the other side of him.
“Uncle Jaylen not coming?” Dakoda asked.
“Nah,” I said, unlocking the truck. “Uncle Jaylen busy.”
We got back in Jaylen’s truck and drove a few blocks over to the gas station. It was one of the good gas stations too, the kind with hot food in the back and old ladies who called everybodybabywhether they knew you or not. I got Dakoda some chicken tenders and fries, grabbed a few things for Lyrius and me, and spent the whole time trying not to notice the way people kept looking at me. I wasn’t a mainstream celebrity, but I was a local star.
One guy at the counter did a double take. “Ain’t you KO?”
“Yeah,” I said, and he looked at Dakoda standing next to me with fries in his hand. “That your little man?”
I looked down at Dakoda, then back at him. “Yeah.”
He nodded. “I fuck with your fights, man. You be putting hands on niggas.”
“My daddy the best.” Dakoda puffed up a little beside me like he was spitting facts. I didn’t say anything. I just paid for the food, throwing the guy an extra twenty.
