Page 53 of Love's Free Will

Then—

BANG. BANG. BANG.

My eyes snapped open. Fists were pounding hard on the door. Not a knock. A fuckin’’alarm.

Averi stirred, still half-asleep. “What the hell…?”

I slid out of bed, grabbing my shorts off the chair then going into my nightstand to get my gun just in case I needed it, my heart already picking up speed. My phone was dead on the nightstand. I’d meant to put it on the charger hours ago but… I’d been distracted.

“Stay here.” I told Averi, gun in my hand as I made my way out of my bedroom, down the short hallway, past the kitchen and living room and to the front door.

I yanked the door open, ready to cuss whoever it was the fuck out.

“Yo, who?—”

My words stopped seeing Zay standing there. I relaxed for a second but only a second until I saw his face; he looked... broken. His normally steady frame was trembling, face drenched in sweat, and tears just sittin’ in his eyes like they ain’t know where to fall.

“Aye—” My voice caught in my throat. “What the fuck goin’ on?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Shook his head once.

Then he said it, three words that would change everything for me… “King got shot.”

It felt like the whole world stopped. Behind me, I heard Averi gasp. “What?”

“W-We was leavin’ the club,” Zay choked out. “Some young niggas pulled up mad about a bitch that was in our section. They started talkin’ reckless, and King… he was poppin his shit, you know how he is, shit escalated. I tried to get King back inside but one of ‘em pulled. Just—” His voice cracked. I blinked. My body felt frozen, like I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Zay wiped his face as a few tears had fallen. “They took him to Grady. I been callin’ you—yo shit was goin straight to voicemail. Miss Queenie and Princess at the hospital, she told me to come get you.”

Averi appeared behind me, wearing one of my tees and a pair of my boxers. Her curls were a mess, eyes wide and terrified. “Royal… what’s going on?” I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I was already in motion. Throwing on sweats and a hoodie, grabbing my keys, phone and wallet. “Royal—wait!” Averi tried to reach for me, but I pulled away.

“I gotta go,” I muttered, already heading for the elevator.

“Wait—wait, slow down!” she yelled after me. “You can’t just—talk to me!”

But I didn’t, couldn’t. I didn’t have the words to say to her, didn’t have the patience to try to pacify her feelings. Zay ran behind me, and we were out the building in seconds, jumping in his Challenger.

The ride to the hospital was a blur of red lights and silence. My leg wouldn’t stop bouncing, my cellphone was now plugged in, on Zay’s charger. I clenched my fists so tight my knuckles popped.

“You was right there?” I finally said, voice low and deadly.

Zay nodded, barely able to meet my eyes. “Right next to him.”

“Why the fuck ain’t you stop it?”

“It happenedfast, Ro. One second, we laughin’, next second somebody yellin’. Then shots.” He slammed the steering wheel. “I shouldadonesomething, man. I shoulda?—”

“Stop.” My voice cracked. “Just fuckin’’ drive.”

We pulled up to Grady Memorial, the ER lights casting a cold, sterile glow on the cracked pavement. I jumped out before the car even stopped moving. Inside, it was chaos. Beeps. Stretchers. Nurses movin’ like they was on autopilot.

Then I saw them— Queenie and Princess standing in front of a doctor. As I approached them, my mama’s knees gave out.

“Mama!” I dropped down beside her. Her wail was the worst sound I ever heard. The kind of scream that don’t come from the throat—it comes from thesoul.I looked up at the doctor. He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “No. No, no, no, no—” I repeated, shaking my head. “Tell me he good. TELL ME HE GOOD!”

The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry. We did everything we could…”

Princess burst into tears, clutching Queenie, who just rocked back and forth on her knees. Zay was silent, standing near a wall. I stood up slowly. Backpedaled. Everything felt like it was underwater, muffled and time seemed to have slowed down.

“FUCK.” I yelled punching the wall.

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