Page 50 of And It’s Still You

The second I saw Onyx’s name pop up on my phone, I broke down. There was no reason for him to be calling me. Hell, he hadn’t called or texted me in years, which meant something had happened.

“What happened, Onyx? Where is Shea?”

For the first time since I’d known Onyx, I heard him crying. He could hardly get his words out from crying so hard, and I immediately thought the worst. They’d taken Shea from me and Ocean.

“Onyx!” I screamed.

There was some rattling in the background before a voice I didn’t recognize spoke.

“Moya, this is Tre. I work for Onyx,” he explained.

“Where is Shea?”

“There’s a truck outside, waiting for you. They’ll bring you to him.”

“Is he okay? Please, tell me he’s okay.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was gut-wrenching. I was trying not to scream at them, but no one was telling me anything. Not only was it breaking my heart, but it was pissing me off.

“If someone doesn’t get to explaining, I’m fuckin’ everyone up when I see them. Is. Shea. Okay?”

With a heavy sigh, Tre answered, “All we can do is pray he will be. For now, I need you to get in the truck and get here.”

The call ended, and it felt as if my entire world stopped. My head spun with memories of me and Shea. The recent ones hurt the worst as I found the strength to drag my feet to the room we started sharing and threw on some shoes. I didn’t care that I was in my pajamas. I needed to get to Shea.

With only the hair on my head and phone in hand, I went outside to the truck waiting for me. Ocean was with Angela, which was a great thing. He didn’t need to be around all this or know something was going on, even though I had a feeling he knew. He and Shea had that type of connection. Their bond was strong and solid, so I didn’t doubt that my baby felt it all.

Since I wasn’t sure where we were going or how long it would take us to get there, I laid my head back with my eyes closed. I tried to think positive thoughts, but the worst ones kept popping up. Having no answers was killing me. Onyx’s cries echoed in my mind, haunting me. To hear him break down like he did was the main reason I assumed the worst. There was no way Shea was okay, hearing Onyx cry like that.

My phone vibrating in my lap made me jump. Seeing Angela’s name on my screen caused salty saliva to fill my mouth. I was unsure of if she knew anything or if she knew everything. A part of me didn’t want to answer. I didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity to listen to or explain what was going on. Knowing Ocean was with her was the only thing that made me answer.

“Hey, Angela. Is everything okay?”

“Hey, Moya. Uh, I don’t know. I was asleep, and something woke me up, telling me I needed to check on O. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. Are you with him?”

Immediately, I bawled again. I didn’t want to be the one to tell her the bad news. Angela loved all her children, but I knew her and Shea’s bond was special. I understood the mother and son bond. It was strong, so to be the one to break the news to her crushed my heart.

Softly, Angela quizzed, “He’s not okay, is he?”

“I don’t think so, Angela. I’m headed to wherever they are now.”

“I could feel it, Moya. The feeling in my chest was far too heavy. What happened?”

I explained how Onyx called me crying and how I’d felt the same way as her. I told her how Onyx had moved up the day for them to move, and how Shea had a bad feeling about it. She started sobbing, and I wished I could’ve been there to console her. We could’ve helped one another be strong, because being alone and not knowing wasn’t what I needed.

“Damn Onyx. I could kill him my damn self.” Angela hissed in between sniffles. “So, they didn’t say if Shea was fine or not?”

“No. They only told me a truck was waiting to bring me to him.”

“Please, keep me posted, Moya. As soon as you get to my baby, let me know. Oh, my God. Please, God. Let my son be okay. Keep your arms around him, Father.”

I had to get off the phone with Angela before I lost it. The cries of a mother over her child were excruciating. I promised her she’d be the first person I called and hung up. The truck came to a stop shortly after. I didn’t wait for the driver to come around and help me out. Seeing Onyx, and who I assumed was Tre, along with another man standing in front of what looked to be a small hospital, had me moving at lightning speed.

Onyx’s pain gravitated me to him. We hadn’t shown any affection toward one another since the day Shea and I got married. Well, up until my house was broken into, but he didn’t hesitate to accept my embrace. We held onto one another, rocking back and forth as I tried to keep my tears at bay. When we finally pulled away, Onyx thumbed away my tears, grabbed my hand, and led me inside.

Upon entering the hospital, I wanted to leave. I’d never been a fan of them, but knowing Shea was somewhere and possibly occupying one of the beds sent a wave of nausea over me. Breaking free from Onyx’s grasp, I found the nearest garbage can and released all the contents of my stomach until I was dry heaving. A nurse came out of nowhere with a cold towel, some water, and crackers.

“Are you okay, Mrs. Collier?”