Page 24 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“So, tell me.”
As I pulled out of the parking lot, carefully navigating the flooded areas, I glanced over at her. “You don’t have to worry about anything when you’re with me, Sametra. Not the rain, not driving, nothing. You hear me?”
She nodded, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders as she leaned back in the seat.
“I hear you.”
She was still being hypervigilant, and I respected that, but soon she’d do more than just hear me. She’d feel me. She’d believe me.
The ride to her house was pretty quiet besides the gospel playing on the radio. Every so often, I would look over at her and see her gripping the door handle, bracing herself every time we hit standing water or when another car got too close. The fact that she was traumatized pissed me off more than I wanted to admit. This beautiful, strong woman who ran into burning buildings for a living was scared to drive in the rain because some careless motherfucker couldn’t put his phone down. She didn’t deserve this. Didn’t deserve to have her sense of safety stripped away like that. It made me want to find that driver and remind him what his actions had cost those around him.
“Thank you, Dr. Holloway, for getting us home. You solid,” Samaj said, giving me dap as I parked in their driveway.
When we pulled up to the house, she hopped out and headed to open the garage door. I couldn’t read her right now, but I wasn’t trying to. I’d done what I said I would and probably bossed her around enough for one day. I helped Samaj get out and into the house, making sure he was settled before my Uber arrived.
Right on time, I saw the headlights pulling up to the curb.
“Malik.”
I turned around to see Sametra standing in the doorway, looking like she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how or what.
“I don’t need it, you good.”
“No, thank you. For today. For driving us. For...” she trailed off, then seemed to find her courage. “I like Thai food.”
A slow smile spread across my face. “Thai food, huh?”
“Yeah. The spicier the better.”
“Good to know.” I started walking backward toward my ride, not wanting to take my eyes off her. “Be ready at 5 on Saturday.”
“Goodnight, Malik.”
“Goodnight, beautiful. Sweet dreams.”
I got in the Uber, still grinning, already planning where I was gonna take her. I knew it would be the turning point for us. Shit was lining up and I knew it was nothing but God shining down on me. I heard him loud and clear.
Malik surprised the hell out of me, in that chapel and outside of it. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that.Wasn’t him. Any man who had the confidence to make me want him the way I did had conquered Mount Everest. I was hard to reach but he’d reached out and touched me like a game of hide and seek.
His lowkey hood ass shocked me and smiling. I liked that about him. He had just enough hood in him to let me know he had seen some shit, but he stayed professional. And I loved that. I loved a man who could code-switch without losing himself or trying too hard. I knew he didn’t have to try hard at anything.
There was nothing sexier than a man with self-control. One who knows when to show his teeth and when to fall back. A man who understood there was a time and place for everything and owned every room he walked into because of it.
I was in the kitchen cooking dinner for me and Samaj, and damn near burned the taco meat every time that kiss replayed in my mind. That man was smooth. So smooth it forced me to make the first move. His hands on my neck, hands that knew exactly where to press, had me melting. That spot had been stiff and aching for days, no matter what I tried. He touched it once, and suddenly I was cured.
I still couldn’t believe I kissed him. But he was close, in my space, all calm and collected, while my whole body was screaming. His hands made my neck feel like putty, and before I knew it, I was leaning in.
“Ma, the taco shells.”
“Shit,” I said before grabbing a mitten and removing the shells. They were burned to hell, and all I could do was laugh. Because that man had me completely off my square.
“Maj, grab those Doritos walking tacos it is.”
My phone vibrated against the counter. I wiped my hands and grinned at the name. I’d changed his name to something a little less professional.
Malik: What’s my family doing?
Me: Here you go, doing too much. LOL
