Page 69 of Anything Necessary for Her (Crenshaw Kings #9)
I tried to hold onto my frown, but I couldn’t as a smile burst through before I began laughing hard as hell. Low was still scowling, but when I reached over to massage the nape of his neck, the corners of his mouth began to gradually lift.
“You know damn well I’m not going to leave you.
” I leaned over and kissed him at the red light.
“Ever.” I kissed him again just before he pulled off.
“And I’m sorry for coming to see him. It’s just, I’ve known him for years, and baseball is that man’s life.
I appreciate you for not killing him because I know that’s what you wanted to do. I just hope he recovers and can play.”
“All I can say is I warned that muthafucka, Peep.” He stole a peek at me. “You better start warning these niggas that you got a for real crash out coming behind you. Next nigga gon’ get his life taken. I promise you.”
“I know, and there won’t be a next.”
“Regardless of how you feel though, Peep, going to see another nigga in the hospital ain’t cool. ’Cause you know damn well if the roles were reversed, you’d be on my ass and talking about how I don’t know shit ’bout relationships.”
“You’re right.” I snickered, melting into his butter leather seats and basking in the scent of his cologne. “Just so you know, I am not interested in him in any way. It was a guilt thing that brought me there but won’t happen again.”
“That ain’t enough.” He bent the corner, turning onto my street. “I want some pussy.”
“Low, no. I’m sore from practice. I got you tomorrow.”
“Nah, you got me right now. You wasn’t too sore to take yo’ ass down to the hospital, so bring yo’ ass.” He hopped out the car, then came around to bring me out, scooping me up and closing the car door.
He was eager, so as soon as we got inside my home, he folded me over the couch and got right to work.
“You did amazing today. I just had to tell you.” My peer Briana walked by me, touching my arm.
“Thank you.” I beamed.
After the practice where I couldn’t stop thinking about Trayvon, I was happy to be back on my shit, especially with the show coming up.
“What time should I come to your parents’ tomorrow?” Kailey asked as she gathered her things.
Tomorrow was Saturday, so Kailey and I would kick it by the pool before I met up with Low for dinner and a movie.
“Anytime, but I will be ready to lay out by ten,” I replied as I started to walk off. “My mom is—ah!” I screeched, tumbling over what felt like a big ass boulder in the middle of the floor and falling down onto my ass.
My ankle was on fire, sending me into a whirl of panic just as Nikita rushed over.
“My bad.” She picked her bag up that was strangely in the middle of the floor instead of off to the side or in her locker. No one ever had their bag just in the middle of the floor for this exact reason.
“Oh my gosh!” I cried, gripping my throbbing ankle as Carolyn bogarted her way through the ladies crowding me in order to get a look.
Squatting down, she touched my ankle to look it over as I stared down in horror.
“Douglas, call Dr. Ferris,” Carolyn said, brows dipped as she inspected my injury.
Dr. Ferris was the on-site doctor for Prolific Pointe.
“You did that shit on purpose!” I heard Kailey roar before she hit Nikita right in the face.
A fight ensued as Douglas hollered for them to stop, rushing up with the phone still pressed to his ear as Carolyn chided them from afar.
“Robin!” Carolyn called out to the sign-in assistant. “Help him!”
She did, helping Douglas in breaking Nikita and Kailey up. Nikita was no match for my best friend, whimpering with a busted nose and blood covered teeth.
When Dr. Ferris walked in with his nurse, Carolyn explained to him that my ankle had been hurt before he and the nurse helped me onto the gurney.
“I didn’t do that on purpose!” Nikita cried.
“You did, you stupid bitch!” Kailey tried to run from behind Douglas to get her, but he snatched her just in time.
I was too stunned and worried to even speak as I kept my eyes on my ankle. I couldn’t believe this shit was happening and right when I was to be the soloist in the ballet.
As Dr. Ferris and Nurse Ida rolled me out, I heard Carolyn say, “Kailey, you know we have a no tolerance for violence policy, so you are therefore suspended, and your part in Giselle will go to your understudy.”
“What? What about her? She threw her bag in front of Banks on purpose!” I heard my best friend plead as I was wheeled down the hallway.
Their arguing faded in the distance as I rounded the corner in the bed, and I couldn’t help but to think about how both Trayvon and Kailey had lost things because of me, though indirectly.
Dr. Ferris examined my ankle thoroughly before doing an immediate X-ray.
The entire time I was in the room by myself, I prayed to the Lord that this was something small and that I would be able to dance in Giselle still.
But the burning in my ankle that felt like an unruly forest fire made it feel like my prayers were useless.
“Alright, Miss St. Thomas.” Dr. Ferris walked in without his nurse.
“So, it looks like you have a sprain. It’s not too bad, and that’s simply because it seems like you sort of caught yourself in the middle of the trip.
However, it can worsen if you do not keep it elevated and rest for a couple weeks. ”
“Rest meaning like after practice?” I tried my luck, but he began shaking his head before I could even finish.
“No. Rest meaning you do not dance on it for a few weeks. Week one, use it as little as possible. Week two, do some therapy on it, and by week three, you should be able to gradually get back into dancing, depending on your progress.” He sat down on a rounded stool.
“I want you to understand, Miss St. Thomas, that if you go against what I am saying to you, the results can be far worse. Sitting out for two weeks is nothing compared to having to drop out of Prolific or never being able to dance well again.”
“I understand,” I said softly.
“Great.” He handed me a document. “This is the therapy I want you to attend in a week. They’ve already been notified and will be expecting you. They’ll also report to me on your progress.” He stood. “Is your ride here?”
“It is.” I nodded before Dr. Ferris went to call for Ida, who brought in a wheelchair.
They helped me down and wheeled me out to the front where Low was. My father had come down to get my truck and drive it home for me.
Low helped me from the wheelchair and into the car, before folding it up and placing it into his trunk. Dr. Ferris and Nurse Ida watched the entire time until Low was in the car with me, pulling off.
“What they say, Peep?” he asked after driving for a while.
“Said it could heal so long as I don’t dance for a few weeks,” I replied sullenly.
“Aight. Damn, but that ain’t too bad, right?” He looked my way.
“I guess not, but two weeks is long enough for me to regress. Me regressing could mean I get replaced, or worse, the role goes to Nikita, who I am sure has practiced my solo just in case.”
“I bet you that’s who it won’t go to,” Low promised. I’d texted him while waiting on my X-rays about what happened, or what Kailey had said happened since I was looking over my shoulder at the time, so he knew Nikita was the culprit.
I told my parents, too, and my mother wanted to get one of my sisters-in-law to beat Nikita’s ass since I couldn’t do it and because she felt she was too old to hit her. I was able to calm her down some when I revealed that Kailey had taken care of that and well.
“Carolyn kicked Kailey out of the show for having my back.” I shook my head as I looked out the window, feeling terrible for my friend. “She’s suspended, too, which I’m unsure on the meaning of that at Prolific.”
“Carolyn run that shit?” he queried.
“She basically does, but the actual head is a man named Cary Kirby,” I replied.
Low nodded, clearly soaking up this information.
“What you wanna eat?” He switched subjects.
“A burger, I guess, since I like to eat trash when I’m sad.”
He smirked, rubbing my thigh as he drove.
“Don’t be sad, Peep. Ain’t nobody gon’ take yo’ spot, and the rest of that shit, I’m gon’ take care of.”
Oddly, that made me feel better as if Low had the power to make everything right with just his words.