Page 18 of He Thugged Me First

MECCA

I was shaking uncontrollably and my brain wasn’t registering that we were safe.

Instead, I was still panicking like the shots were still being fired.

I mean, one minute things were fine, and the next bullets were coming from every direction imaginable.

He covered my body with his, and now I was sitting here staring.

What the hell could I say? I was a wreck.

Now here we were in the hospital. He was shot once in his shoulder and the other in the side of his neck.

The bullet barely grazed him. I knew it sounded crazy, but his life flashed before my eyes.

Somebody tried to take him from us. I had talked to my brother, and now he was standing outside talking while I sat on this uncomfortable ass sofa with Mel asleep on my lap.

As soon as I called my brother, he was here.

I could feel the concern oozing off of him.

That wasn’t the only thing I felt though.

I felt his rage. Mazz could usually keep it cool, but he was veering off right now.

“Stop shaking, man. You are about to cause an earthquake in this motherfucker.” His voice interrupted me from my thoughts.

I looked up, and he was looking directly at me with a smirk on his face. He was the only man who would smile after some shit like that. A small nervous smile covered my face.

“Why they didn’t change ya?—”

“Gayze went to get me something from her office.” I already knew he was talking about my bloody shirt. It was his blood. After I put my sister down comfortably, I walked over to his bed and leaned down kissing his forehead. “Don’t scare me like that ever again.”

“Fuck outta here. Don’t be kissing my forehead like I’m some bitch, Mecca. Feel these lips.” He was mugging.

I laughed. “Neg?—”

“Here’s your shirt.” Gayze walked in the room. “Great to see you’re up, Kasair.” She smiled warmly, walking over and grabbing his chart. I watched her walk over and check his vitals.

“Yo’ ass must be on call. I could?—”

“Must be because her ass damn sure ain’t answered any of my fucking calls.” Mazz’s heavy voice filled the space in the room.

Gayze rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Actually, I was on my way home after damn near a forty-eight-hour shift. Try having three nurses and two doctors call off.” Now that she mentioned it, she did seem tired. She put his clipboard back and stepped back.

“Good having a doctor in the family,” Kasair’s stupid ass responded.

She shook her head and walked toward the door. “Have them page me if you need anything.” Yep, I could tell my brother had pissed her off. Sadly, he had the tendency to do that. Mazzier didn’t know how to talk to people; he’d rather talk at them.

“What you waiting on, nigga? Go fix that.” I looked at my brother.

He shook his head like he wasn’t wrong or whatever that thing was that men did. It wasn’t my business, but I was convinced my brother was slow.

“Girl, I was shaking and everything.” I peered into the phone at Love.

Quari was being overprotective and paranoid ever since everything had happened yesterday.

He had good reason, though. Something was going on, and the men were acting strange.

Mazz preferred that I stayed here at the hospital with Kasair.

Of course, Kasair had no problem. He was working my nerves.

Every time I opened my laptop to do some homework, he started talking.

Since the moment he opened his eyes, it was bae this and bae that.

I mean, damn, the nigga didn’t even really call me bae before all this happened.

“Don’t be over there acting like I’m annoying ya goof ass.” He mugged me from across the room.

I giggled. “Get out of my head, Kasair.”

“I ain’t in ya head. Matter fact, I’m about to page one of those nurses. Those hoes would love to talk to me.” He was beating me at this point.

“Do you, nigga. Don’t let the setting fool you. You’ll get both of y’all fucked up. It’s the perfect place too.” I curled my top lip, mugging him.

He licked his lips. “You violent as fuck, with yo’ fine ass. Come here. Lemme whisper something in ya ear.”

“Nope.” I popped the p.

He laughed. “You know how I feel about that word. I’on like being told no or nope.”

I know. Maybe?—”

“Um, hello. I’m still on the phone, nasty people.” Love’s voice filled the room.

I busted up laughing because I had become so caught up in him that I forgot she was even there.

“Man, Love, don’t be on that acting innocent. Shit, you and Quari got me on god parent shit, and I’m way too damn young for it.”

I couldn’t stop laughing and neither could Love. This fool was a nut who left nothing to the imagination. He was definitely a fool.

“I’ll call you in a few. My sister is calling,” she responded after a while.

“Please do. You know I’m horrible at this damn math.” I shook my head. Love was a wiz when it came to math and shit, whereas I was barely holding on.

“I got you,” she promised before hanging up the phone.

“What type of math you got?” Kasair asked, peering at me from where he was.

“Geometry.” I pouted.

“Ain’t that just a bunch of fucking equations, Mec?” He narrowed his eyes, looking at me.

“You make it sound like it’s easy. It isn’t. I just don’t get the bullshit.”

“Come here. Bring the book.” He pushed the button, maneuvering himself up a little. “Bring that lil’ sheet too.” He looked at me seriously, and I did exactly what he asked.

“Wait, let me use the washroom, and then we can dive right in.” I excused myself and ran to the washroom. I wasn’t in there for longer than two minutes before I heard a female’s voice then Kasair’s voice.

“Gone ahead, shorty. I ain’t interested.”

“C’mon. Remember that night at the club I could?—”

“Get fucked up. My girl doesn’t even play them games. You better hope she ’ont hear you. I ain’t in a position to stop her from knocking the scrubs off yo’ ass.”

I had to hold back my laugh as I washed my hands.

Once I dried them, I walked out of the washroom.

“He really isn’t, so know what’s in your best interest. Do your job, sweetie.

” I didn’t even look at old girl. I proceeded to get in his bed.

I was cool as long as he knew not to try me. That’s when I acted up.

“But since you’re here, could you bring me some of those Jell-O cups and apple juices?”

GAYZE

Staring at myself in the mirror, I noticed the fresh bags that accompanied my eyes, and I shook my head.

I ran a level one trauma center during the summertime here in Chicago, so I didn’t know why I was so damn shocked that I spent ninety-five percent of my time in my hospital.

I hadn’t even had time to go see Kenya and talk about my life.

“You’re home for a change.” His voice irritated me.

“Where else would I be? Besides, I’m on my way out anyways.” I smirked and glanced at him. I assumed he was coming in from a long shift.

“Are you avoiding me, Gayze?” he asked. He was about to start his whining shit.

“No. If you must know, I’ve been at the hospital. It’s a trauma center, Chase.” I shook my head in annoyance.

“And that means what? You don’t spend four days straight at a hospital. Are you seeing someone else?”

I laughed and shook my head. “No, but you must be. Your conscience is speaking. Everyone doesn’t work at a suburban hospital with all of five patients and thirty staff.” I could feel my irritation rising.

“Whose fault is that? You could’ve passed.”

“So what? You could’ve accepted? I’m good.

I love my job. That’s about the only thing I love at this point.

” I stood from my vanity and continued to get dressed.

My mood already wasn’t the best, and now it was worse.

The sad thing about Chase was that he couldn’t hide his jealousy anymore.

I could see it in his eyes. The biggest rift between the both of us was the fact that I got the offer and he didn’t.

I didn’t know how for four years, he had hid it, but now it was clear. He felt like I took his job.

“That’s not fair, and you know it isn’t.” He threw his arm in the air.

“What’s not? You know what, never mind. I’m done with this conversation.” I snatched my purse and phone, leaving the room.

It didn’t take me long before I was headed out of the door.

To say I was exhausted was an understatement, but about five cups of caffeine would get me through this day.

I was praying that they’d discharged Kasair this morning because I didn’t feel like seeing Mazz either.

It was cute at first, and the sex was amazing, but it was clear that he needed a female whose life revolved around him.

That wasn’t me, and I didn’t plan on it being.

Good to know some things didn’t change. We both had different time schedules and busy lives.

So in Kasair’s room, he’d pissed me off because I felt like what did he expect?

He knew my responsibilities. Then the fact that later on that day, he called me telling me that he felt like I was on bullshit and avoiding him because I wanted to stay with Chase further annoyed me.

I just needed to clear my brain and get through this shift.

I honestly didn’t feel like dealing with anybody at this point.

It took me fifteen minutes to get to the hospital and only five to get into my office.

I had a budgeting meeting at nine thirty, and I was observing a surgery in two hours.

My time was definitely stretched thin, but I’d get through it.

Shockingly, my budget meeting went fast, and I was able to get a little time to go get some breakfast. Right when I was on my way to the cafeteria, I heard his voice.

I turned around, and Mazz was standing by my office with Styrofoam containers.

My first mind told me to keep walking, but the part of me that wanted whatever was in those cartons walked toward him.

“What are you doing here, Mazzier?” I asked as we stepped into my office.