Page 143 of Are You Going to Love Me

He took sharp, pained breaths. “The next time I tell you to fuckin’ go, fuckin’ go!”

Eden’s body was overwhelmed, her ears rung, but she still held on to the anger while fright tried to cripple her.

“So I’m supposed to fuckin’ know you’re in the middle of some gang shit?”

“All you got to do is listen. That’s it! He could’ve taken your fuckin’ head off, E!”

“Again, how was I supposed to fuckin’ know!” she shouted back.

Maximus roared in a mix of anger and pain. “Stop! Just stop, E!”

Eden’s eyes shot to his, meeting his fiery glare.

“Drop me off and go the fuck home.”

That was the last set of words he spoke to her before Brody pulled up to the emergency entrance of Waynesville Memorial Hospital. Maximus slid his body out of the car and stalked inside, blood trailing his steps. Regardless of how angry she was, that was still her man, and she wouldn’t just leave him herealone. She let Brody find a parking spot and roamed inside to the appropriate floor, the women in the ER directed her to.

In the hallway, she waited in a corner away from Staysha and Keon. Her leg bounced while she tried to calm herself from the brink of passing out. She refused medical attention, refused to speak to either Keon or Staysha. Once she knew Max was fine, she’d go lock herself inside her apartment until she was ready to hear what all of this was about. If she ever got to that point.

“Where are my daughters?” Anzel’s voice rang out with concern, hitting Eden’s ringing ears like nails on a chalkboard.

“Ma’am, it’s a private hall, you can’t-” the nurse attempted to stop her, but Anzel barreled past her. She stopped at Staysha first, examining her.

Shooing her hand away, Staysha huffed. “I’m fine, I wasn’t even there.”

Anzel’s eyes drifted from Staysha to Eden, visibly shaken up and on edge. As she rushed over to her, Eden pulled in a deep breath, fearing that any further explosion would send her to a place she couldn’t recover from.

“Do not come near me,” Eden growled, holding her blood-stained hands up and standing to her feet. “Do not.”

“Eden,” Anzel said with a sigh, “You need to get checked out.”

Eden’s graphic tee was stained with Maximus’ blood and smeared makeup from her tears. “I don’t need you to care about me. I don’t want you near me.”

Anzel swept her eyes over her, seeing what Eden didn’t know. “I just want to know that you’re okay.”

“You haven’t cared about us in years, why the fuck would you care right now? Huh? Because the headlines have your name in them, and you want to do some damage control. Where the fuck have you been when we actually fuckin’ needed you? Huh? Nowhere to be fuckin’ found. I don’t want you,” Eden’s words faltered due to her hyperventilating. “I don’t.”

Staysha rushed to her side, making her sit down. “Eden, look at me.”

“Please. Just. Leave. Me,” Eden spoke, gasping for air.

Keon was on Staysha’s heels. He moved Anzel out of the way. “This ain’t the time.”

Staysha squatted down in front of her sister and held her face in her hands. “Look at me, Eden.”

Eden, with tears in her eyes, looked at Staysha while gripping her shirt. “I can’t bre-”

“You can. Deep breaths,” Staysha coached her the way Poppi used to. “Keon, play Miles.”

Keon quickly pulled out his phone and found the artist and hit a playlist to play.

“Eden, you can hear me,” Staysha spoke softly. “You’re safe. I’m right here.”

“What’s happening?” Anzel questioned, looking over her shoulder for a nurse.

“The fact that you need to ask is telling,” Keon said. “Your daughter is having a panic attack that you brought on.”

“Like you always do,” Staysha muttered over her shoulder before turning back to Eden. “Do you hear me, Eden?”

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