Page 101 of Not My Type
“How it feel?” I ask Nickoi as we walk out of the hospital. He got his wound dressed and he’s ready to leave now along with the others.
“It good mon,” he says quietly.
I sigh to myself. The bwoy say it good.
“Okay...” I trail off. “The thought of you getting hurt scared the shit out of me,” I say with a laugh looking up at him.
“Mi nuh surprised,” he teases, wiping off my smile.
“Nuh upset mi,” my lips in a straight line. He tucks in his bottom lip, liking my ‘attitude.’Yuh forget seh you and him lef?
I still remember... but that doesn’t change the fact that I care about him. Okay ma’am.
His friend walks over to us and he acknowledges me before he looks at Nickoi. “Don mek mi show you a pree.”
Dem ever a show him a pree...
“Ah, Zara sit in the car,” he drops the fob key in my palm.
Wah dem up to?
Anuh fi wi business dat, gwaan in a the car!
I open the car door and sink into the seat, tension coiling in my gut. Something feels off. The low, hushed voices. The way their eyes sweep the parking lot—sharp, careful, calculating.
Yuppp... they’re up to no good.
A movement in the corner of my eyes makes me look to the side to see Suzanne waving at me. I wave back with a smile. She gets in her car and pulls out behind Junior’s Porsche.
The back door pulls, I jerk back.
“Sorry, sorry...” Rick smiles apologetically. “Yuh good?”
A me fi a ask him that still ...
“Yes, are you?”
“Y’know it could a worst,” his eyes heavy with something deeper than just exhaustion. I feel for him... genuinely.
“True,” I agree. Nickoi’s phone starts ringing and I look at it. Should I?
I pick up the phone, spot the caller ID and swipe the screen. “Hello?”
“Zara a you this?” I hear his mom’s voice.
“Yeah,” I say.
“Mi son alright? Cause mi a hear some news weh mi nuh like enuh,” she says worriedly.
“He’s okay,” I assure her.
“Alright him deh near yuh now?”
“Nickoi?” I poke my head out the window, something about interrupting him gives me a weird thrill. I like getting on his nerves. The cool air brushing against my skin is the cherry on top.
He looks around at me, brows pulling together. “Zara?” his voice dripping with annoyance. I tilt my head and show him the phone with a cool expression.
“A yuh mother.” He moves toward me, jaw tight, yeah, he’s annoyed. He reaches for his phone, fingers brushing mine.
