Page 50 of Perfect Rhythm

SHADE

How the fuck did I allow this to happen? I thought as I leaned forward in the stiff ER chair, elbows on my knees.

“Do you want some coffee? Some food?” Nyx asked, her hand tracing a gentle line across my shoulders.

“No, I’m good.”

“You sure? It’s been hours, and you haven’t eaten anything.”

“I said I’m fine.” I pushed up from my chair and moved toward the window.

The sunlight poured in, shining like my world hadn’t just fallen apart. But it had, and I wanted the entire night to be erased.

I looked over my shoulder to see if Nyx had followed me. But she hadn’t. She was still in her seat, consoling Xandie, who hadn’t stopped crying since we’d left the club.

I’m sure it probably didn’t seem like it right now, but I was truly grateful to have her by my side. We’d been at the hospital for more hours than I could count, and she’d been by my side for every last one, only stepping away to use the bathroom or grab a snack in hopes that I would eat it too.

I felt a squeeze on my shoulder. “Hey, man, you good?”

“Hell no,” I shot back at Trace. “It’s been hours since they took Jassi back to surgery. What the fuck is taking so long?”

“Shit, the doctor did say the damage was pretty severe. Broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, head trauma. Getting hit by that car really did a number on her.”

“Yeah, I know. But still...” I froze, fear washing over me. “Yo, what if something’s gone wrong? What if they can’t fix this shit, and?—”

“Aye, chill with all that. I’m sure they’re back there doing everything possible to make sure she’s good.”

“What if that shit ain’t good enough? What if?—”

“Don’t,” Nyx said, her arms circling me. She pulled me close and rested her head on my chest. I could feel my insides start to unravel. There was so much pain. So much regret for the part I played in all of this. “You can’t allow yourself to think the worst.”

“Oh my God, Shade,” my mother said as she rushed into the emergency room, my father right behind her. “How is she? How’s my baby?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? You’ve been here for hours. You haven’t heard anything?”

“No. Not since they took her back to surgery.”

I could see the fire building behind her eyes.

“Excuse me,” she said, tightening her grip on her purse and storming toward the front desk.

I turned my attention to my father. “Hey, Pops.”

“Hey, son. How are you holding up?”

“Not good. Not good at all.”

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he said. “Your mother and I prayed the whole flight here. God isn’t going to let us down.”

I nodded, hoping my father was right. Although I had a strong belief in God and his ability to perform miracles, I also knew that when he said our time was up, it was up.

What if that was the case with Jassi? What if she’d fulfilled her purpose in life?

I shook my head, silently begging God—pleading from the deepest, most desperate place in my mind—to let us keep her just a little while longer. I wasn’t supposed to bury my baby sister. That was never the deal. She was meant to bury me.

Finally, my mother returned from the front desk.

“Did they tell you anything?” Xandie asked.

She exhaled sharply, slamming her hand against her hip. “They’re saying she’s still in surgery. But I told them they need to get someone out here and tell me what the hell is going on.”

“Damn it.” I turned away, dragging my hand down the back of my head in frustration.

“So what the hell happened, Shade?” my mother spat. “When I spoke to Jassi yesterday, she said she was going to a listening party. How did that turn into her getting hit by a car?”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

How the hell was I supposed to tell my mother that I had completely lost my shit on Enzo and turned the whole damn club into a war zone? And because of that...because of me...my sister ran out and got hit by a fucking car.

I opened my mouth to speak, but?—

“A lot happened tonight,” Nyx stepped in.

“Shade saw that things were getting wild with some of the guys at the party, so he tried to get us out of there before it got too crazy. Unfortunately, we just didn’t get out soon enough.

Before we knew it, fights were breaking out, and there were gunshots.

When we finally made it out of the building, we found Jassi in the parking lot. She’d already been hit by a car.”

My mother tilted her head. “You must be Nyx?”

I could see the momentary surprise, which melted into a gentle smile. “Yes, I am.”

“I’ve heard so much about you,” my mother said as she pulled her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Of course,” Nyx replied.

“Nice to finally meet you,” my father chimed in.

“Hey! Any word?” Ocean said as he bolted into the emergency room. “How’s Jassi?”

“We haven’t heard anything,” I told him. “She’s still in surgery.”

“Do we know who did this shit?”

“Well, hello to you too, son,” my mother said.

“My bad, Mama.” He kissed her on the forehead before looking back at me. “Do we know who hit her?” His voice was less aggressive.

“As of right now, no. Everyone’s saying they didn’t see anything.”

“Bullshit! I know somebody saw something.” Storming off, he pulled out his phone.

“Looking for the Kingston family,” a deep voice spoke from behind us.

“Right here,” my mother said as she rushed over to the man in blue scrubs. He still had his surgical cap on and a faint line from his mask creased his face. “How’s my baby? Is she okay?”

He exhaled slowly and cleared his throat.

“The surgery took significantly longer than expected. In addition to multiple injuries, your daughter sustained serious head trauma, and that made things a bit complicated.” He crossed his arms in front of him.

“Long story short, the swelling on her brain was so severe we had to put her in a medically induced coma.”

I felt my mother’s body go limp beneath me, and I gripped her tighter to keep her from collapsing. “Oh my God,” she whispered.

Ocean stepped forward, his voice tense. “Are you saying that my sister might not wake up?”

“I wish I could give you a clear answer. All I can say is we’re going to have to let the body do its work, and that might take some time.”

“How long?” my mother asked.

“I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “It could be a couple of days or it could be weeks. We’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.”

“Wait and see how things play out?” I snapped. “How the fuck are we supposed to just sit here and wait?”

The doctor sighed. “I know this isn’t easy, but the waiting game is all we have right now.” He turned back to my mother. “A nurse will come get you once your daughter’s been moved to a room.”

She gave a quiet nod and lowered her gaze.

“This is some bullshit!” I yanked away from Nyx and stormed out of the emergency room.