Page 121 of Curvy Girl Summer

“A good friend of mine is in the hospital, and I’m so sorry to do this, but I’m not going to make it tonight,” I blurted out instead of hello.

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Lennox. I just got to the hospital. I really do hate to do this.”

“Aw, man…” He let out a loud breath. “It sucks, but I understand. Take care of your friend.”

“Thank you. I’ll give you a call later.”

“Aight.”

He disconnected the call without saying goodbye. It was the first time he’d done that, and it stung a bit. But I couldn’t hold on to the feeling for long. The worry I felt in my core superseded anything else. Shoving the phone into my bag, I hopped out of the car and ran through the sliding emergency room door.

“Ma’am.” The security guard stopped me. “You need some help?”

I guess I looked as frantic as I felt.

“I-I’m looking for a friend of mine,” I stammered, casting my gaze around the waiting room. “He…” My voice broke and trailed off as I tried to get my words together.

“Okay.” He pulled his pants up by the belt. “We’ll do what we can to help. Just take your time. These floors can be slippery so”—he gestured to my feet—“just slow down.”

Tears stung my eyes, and I nodded.

“Who are you looking for?” he asked as I turned away from him to scan the lobby. “What’s the name? If they’re here, the people at intake will be able to help you.”

Loudly tapping against the desk, he drew my attention back to him.

“What does he look like?” he asked.

I blinked rapidly. “He’s tall, muscular, sponge curls—”

“Was he wearing jeans and a white polo shirt?”

“I’m not sure.”

He looked just above my hair. “Is that your guy?”

I whipped my head around, and the moment I laid eyes on him, I felt relief. He was walking away from the registration desk with his head down, staring at paperwork. Barely holding on to his jacket as he studied the papers in his hands. He didn’t look up until I was a few feet in front of him. When I saw the huge bloody bandage high on his right arm, I stopped in my tracks.

“Aaliyah?” Ahmad’s tone matched the shock on his face. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you okay?” I asked, taking a tentative step toward him. “Asia said you were at the hospital, and I just… Are you okay?”

“Just a little banged up, but I’m fine.” His eyes swept down my body. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” My mouth went dry. I didn’t have an answer that made sense. “I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I just heard you were in the hospital and just…”

Our eyes locked, and he seemed to be trying to pull the rest of the sentence out of me. But I couldn’t find the words. I couldn’t findanywords.

“Just what?” His voice was soft and his gaze questioning. “Why are you here?”

“You’ve been there for me all summer and”—I shifted from one foot to the other—“I just felt compelled to be here for you, too.”

He lifted his hand to touch the bandage, and I noticed the black band on his finger.

“You’ve been such a good friend to me, so I wanted to show up and be the same to you,” I explained in a rush.

“You didn’t have to show up here to prove your friendship, Aaliyah,” he replied quietly. “You’re good.” He reached out and let his fingers slide down my arm. “You’re—”

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