Page 18 of Walk Thru The Fire

Buck added, “yeah me, too.”

“The fuck I’m supposed to say?”

“Tell her how the fuck you feeling. Fuck you mean?”

“Yeah, what that nigga said,” Kilo agreed. “But talk to her and listen. Don’t go bullying the damn girl,” kilo coached.

“I feel like you talking about me,” Buck spoke.

“Feel it then,” Kilo shot back. “Talk to the girl, Jackson. I gotta go. I love y’all boys.”

“Love you too, bro.”

“Love yo’ ass, too, nigga.” Buck and I responded simultaneously.

“You ’bout to go back in there?”

“Nah. I’m about to go back to the hotel. I’ll text her mama and let her know I can come back tonight.” I couldn’t look at her right now.

“Aight. Hit me up if you need me.”

“Bet.”

I hung up with Buck and headed back to the hotel so I could shower and get a nap. I was going back to the hospital, but I’d sit outside the door instead of inside. I couldn’t be around her right now, but my heart wouldn’t let me stay away.

***

True to my word, I stayed at the hospital while Kasha was still there. I never went inside the room, but I know her parents and Jace told her I was there. The doctor said she’d be discharged today, so I went home to get my truck so she could be comfortable on the ride back. Even though she had me fucked up, I was still taking her back to my house so I could keep an eye on her and Jace. No telling where that bitch ass baby daddy was, and I needed them close.

Her mama texted me to let me know that the doctor had just discharged her. That prompted me to pull my truck around. When they got outside and she saw me, she was confused.

“What are doing here?” she asked, but I took the bags from her pops and ignored her.

“Jackson!” I heard her call my name again, but still ignored her.

“Ma, Stacks gone take us home,” Jace offered the explanation that I refused to.

“Thank you, Jackson, but I’ll go back with my parents,” she countered.

“Can you stand up?” I asked, instead of responding to her. She just stared at me instead of responding. I took that as a no, so I picked her up from the wheelchair and placed her in my truck.

“Jackson, I’m not going with you. I can go with my parents,” she insisted, but I ignored her.

Closing the door, I turned to her parents. “She’s straight. Y’all can come by anytime to see them.” I had already talked to her mama, so she knew I needed them close for my own personal reasons, even if it was an emotional battle for me. They both told Kasha and Jace goodbye and we all left the hospital at the same time.

“You good back there, lil’ homie.” I made eye contact with Jace so he could see my face while I talked to him.

“I’m straight. I am hungry, though.”

“Aight.”

“Jackson,” Kasha out.

“Nah. Not right now.” I didn’t want to talk to her right now, especially in front of Jace.

I never turned to look at her, but I felt her eyes on me until she decided to look away.

After getting Jace and Kasha some food, I took the exit home. The entire ride, I tried to figure out how I was going to handle things with her without snapping her fuckin’ neck. I glanced over at her, and I saw she was silently crying and that shit tore me up on the inside, but she was the cause of this…not me. For her sake, she better hope I can wrap my head around why she did things the way that she did or I’d be wrapping my hands around her neck.

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