Page 61 of Love me Like XO

They were crying again, this time louder and louder, making me cover my ears with my hands. Why were they crying? What was wrong? Whose babies were they? Immediately, my hands went to my stomach. They were mine and they were no longer inside of me, but they were so far away, though their tears were staining my cheeks in theirwhines where they were scratching my ears. Why are my babies crying and why would they no longer with me?

The sound of his voice cracking broke the rampage of thoughts running through my mind. No longer would the baby’s loud enough to where I had to cover my ears. He was talking. His voice soaked in pain. A pain I couldn’t alleviate because I couldn’t get to him.

“I need you, Em. All three of you.”

I needed him too, like the air being pushed into my lungs. I needed him more than that air. I needed him.

His voice cracked again, trespassing into my eardrums past the sounds of the beeping machines.“I love you, Empress. Come back to me.”

I love you too, I just don’t know how to. Not without leaving them. The crime became loud once again, and before I knew it, everything began to fade dark. No longer were the walls around me white. Everything was dark and then I felt like I was spinning, and my hands were on my ears. I wanted to cry too. To scream and whine. To crawl over in a ball and scream for my mother. But I couldn’t. An instinct that I didn’t know existed in my body wanted to get it to them. It needed to get to them. It needed to know why my children were crying and no longer inside of me. Where were my babies? Where was I?

Chapter 11

Superpower

ZERO

She still had yet to wake up, nor had she lost our children. That had to be a good thing, the big man had to have a heart somewhere up there. I spent most of my days at the hospital doing everything I needed from there, because I couldn’t bear to leave either of their sides. I needed her, and the little boys they confirmed she and I were having.

“You know you can go home and take some time away from here,” Ree spoke behind me. “She won’t be mad. What she’ll be mad about is the fact that we called her mom, and Mama Tanya is on here way here to rip a new ass into any and everyone.”

I looked up at her and shook my head before a slight chuckle escaped my lips. “Nah she wouldn’t, but I would. I gotta see her, shit him to make sure they’re still here with me.”

“But they are, Zero. Shit, this room is surrounded by angels. They are fine, gotta be.” She believed what she was saying and that was all that mattered.

Not only was there a war in the streets, but there was one as well in my heart. Malik was able to get the footage of the streetlight cameras. That bitch ass nigga Benson was who ranher off the road, and front seat was the sister I had coddled so fucking much. My own blood had been a part of a ploy to hurt what belongs to me.

“I’ll be here with her, but I need you to go to him. He’s covered in everything going on. I promise I’ll call you with every update, but I need you to go to him, because nothing I can say will bring him back down to earth. He’s hellbent on a vengeance that only you can pull him back from.”

For the first time I looked anywhere but at Empress. I looked at Ree, before nodding my head. Malik was my brother and him taking everything on his shoulders while I checked out said everything to me. Blood wouldn’t have made us closer.

“Where is he?” I stood to my feet to walk closer and kiss her forehead before I felt like I was drowning in quicksand walking away from her. It felt unnatural walking away from them.

“Wally’s having some meeting.”

I knew what meeting she was talking about, and I nodded my head. “Anything changes and I mean anything call me.” I was sure to make eye contact with her.

Ree looked from Empress and nodded her head. “Yes, Zero. I will.”

I gave my baby one last look before exiting the room. I didn’t want to leave her, but what more could I do there? Malik needed me, he needed a nigga, and as selfless as I knew he was he wouldn’t tell me that. He was willing to take everything on his back. That was love and I swear this nigga was my brother for life.

When I pulled off from the hospital I felt a throb in my chest, something yearning for me to turn around, but I didn’t. I didn’t because I knew I needed to make sure our world was safer for when she woke up…when they woke up.

MALIK

A sight for the sorest of eyes was the sight of my brother walking into the bar. Since everything happened with Empress, he’s been held up at the hospital watching her like a hawk. Though I needed him in the stressed he needed to be with her. I hoped him being here didn’t mean she took a turn for the worse because that shit would break him beyond any repair.

“She straight?”

“Yeah. All three of them are.”

“Good.” My eyes searched his for anything different, but they came up with nothing.

“Ree must’ve sent you.”

He cracked a smile for the first time in what felt like forever. “Yeah. Shorty loves you.”

I nodded. “She better.”

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