Page 43 of The Impact (Parachutes #3)

Chapter Eleven

Vin

Vin didn’t get to where he was by following rules.

His designer oxfords tapped against the hospital floors he took with flowers in one hand, a brown paper bag in the other. As he neared the room, Vanessa was on her way out.

“Dalvin…” Sweet surprise coated his name in her nurturing voice, traced with some Southern twang from her ancestors. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He kissed Vanessa’s cheek, not missing her fluster.

“Is she…um…is Tahli expecting you?”

Robert stepped into the hall, as Vin replied, “Tahli should always expect me.”

Vin could have imagined the small smirk playing on Robert’s lips as he passed them.

“What’s up, kid?”

Tahli’s slanted eyes doubled in size, lifting from the salad in front of her that Drew poured dressing onto. Baby love. Unblemished sepia skin now dotted with battle scars. Dark circles indicated lack of sleep. Her blue and white hospital gown hung off one shoulder. Still breathtaking.

“What are you doing here?” She gazed at him, and Vin dissected it to see if anything had changed since the accident. It hadn’t. Two stark contrasts settled in her eyes: she hated him and still loved him.

“I brought you something.”

“That’s cool, Vin, but I already picked her up lunch.”

Vin ignored Drew as Tahli eyed the bag. “Is that…?” A gap of suspense parted her lips. “Is that a Sappore bag?”

Vin watched Tahli salivate over one of her favorites.

“Heard you ain’t been fucking wit’ the hospital food, baby love. But you gotta eat.”

She turned to Drew. “You didn’t eat either, babe. Why don’t you try the salad?”

Drew gawked at her, and Vin tried not to be too smug about it. “I’m okay, Tahli. You eat the salad. I got it for you.”

Vin walked the bag over, removing the fragrant sandwich from it.

“I’ll do you a favor, Drew-Drew, and for you, that’s a privilege. She doesn’t want the salad. Let her have what she wants.”

“Vin,” Tahli warned. But at least she wasn’t putting him out. Her guilty eyes trekked to Drew. “I’m sorry. It’s just food, babe.”

“Yeah. It’s just food, Drew-Drew.” Vin unwrapped the paper and broke the sandwich in half, ignoring the flame of his skin at her pet-naming Drew.

“Tahli…” Drew went flustered, and Vin understood. Because to Tahli, it was just lunch. To two territorial men, though…

“When I asked what you wanted, you said anything?”

“She lied,” Vin cut him off, taking the seat beside her bed.

“You said it didn’t matter?”

“It always matters.”

“Dalvin,” Tahli threatened again, and Vin smirked at his ringing phone.

“Tahli, if you wanted a sandwich, I would’ve gotten it for you.”

“It’s okay,” she mumbled with a mouthful of her first bite, eyes shut in satisfaction.

“Is that place close by? You think you’ll want it again?”

Tahli shook her head.

“What is that, anyway? It looks spicy. Can you even eat that–?”

“One of the doctors was looking for you,” Vin interjected, making Drew taper his glare.

“Me?”

“You,” Vin pointed at him.

“Which doctor?”

“The white one,” Vin shrugged.

“Which white one?”

“Go fucking find out.”

Drew was smart enough to show skepticism but dumb enough to leave.

“Was a doctor really looking for him?” Tahli sucked sauce from her lips. His baby love was in the hospital. Someone had hurt his heart.

“No. But I can tell he hasn’t learned yet that you don’t like talking while you eat. At least not for the first few minutes.”

Tahli chewed, too engrossed to reply at first. “He’ll learn.”

For some minutes, Vin answered emails on his phone to the sound of her eating.

“Was it crowded there?”

“It wasn’t too bad. Ulgar said get better and if you die, he’s taking it off the menu.”

“Fine, I won’t die,” she mumbled. After a moment. “They bought me chicken salad last night.”

“That’s cool.” Vin sent off an estimate to his assistant.

“With big pieces of celery.” Vin looked up from his phone.

“You should’ve sent it back. Got something else, but I know you didn’t.” She only swallowed another mouthful. “How much did you eat?”

“Like three bites.”

After another minute, “Then they bought me cereal this morning. With an orange. Corn Flakes.”

“So, you haven’t eaten shit,” he grumbled, and Tahli sighed. She reached for the remote, turning up an old SVU episode. Vin leaned back in the chair. They were deep into the show when Drew returned.

“None of the doctors were looking for me.”

“I must’ve heard wrong.” Vin fired a glare right in his eyes.

“Oh SVU. This that episode with CeeLo–”

“Big Boi,” Vin and Tahli both corrected Drew. Then Vin stood, barely able to tolerate him without wringing his neck.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yeah, I’ve got back-to-back meetings.”

Drew didn’t know Tahli enough to catch the disappointment in her nonchalant query. But Vin tried to not let it go to his head. He was a comfortable habit.

“I’ll come check on you tonight. Bring you some lobster rolls from Jack’s. How that sound?”

She shot an uncomfortable glance Drew’s way. “I may be going home today.”

“Not happening.” Vin knew she’d hate to hear it.

“How do you know? We haven’t talked to the doctor yet. He hasn’t made his rounds and we’ve been waiting–”

“I spoke to him this morning. Had him paged at like 6 am. You still got a few more tests—an MRI and a CT scan that I encouraged. Sit tight until we make sure you’re good. One more day, Tahli. I’ll bring Jack’s... Key Lime pie if you behave.”

“Or I can go get it.”

“Or you can get lost,” Vin sniped back to Drew.

“Okay!” Tahli cried out. “And the winner of the dick-measuring contest is.”

“Me. Always me. You know that,” Vin chuckled on his way to the door.

“Hey, Vin.”

Drew jogged behind him like a real dumb brave nigga.

“Listen. Don’t you think given the circumstances, you and I could come to some middle ground?”

“I don’t respect you,” Vin spun to assert when they were out of Tahli’s earshot. “I don’t reach middle ground with niggas I don’t respect. You a sneaky mothafucka that rode the bench for 15 years.”

“I didn’t–”

“You did. And then when I got past that, you let this happen,” Vin nodded towards Tahli. “So every day you wake up breathing, you better thank me instead of God for it.”

Drew snickered before visibly rolling his tongue around his mouth.

“Look, Dalvin. Truth is, you wouldn’t like anybody with Tahli if it’s not you. But that’s my fiancée. So maybe if Tahli needs something for dinner, I’ll go get it for her. And when we hear from the doctor, we can call and let you know.”

Vin folded his burly arms, amusement allaying his death glare. “Say it again. One more time. With your fucking chest . Man up.”

“I just feel–”

“Nah. I’m a stop you there. ‘Cause what makes you think I give a fuck what you feel?” Vin grit in his face.

“That’s the mother of my children lying in a hospital bed because I left her well-being in your soft-ass hands.

So honestly, Andrew , what you feel don’t mean a mothafuckin’ thing to me.

That shit is in one ear and pissed out of my dick. ”

Drew’s smooth jaw visibly flexed. “Dalvin, you can bring all the sandwiches and lobster you want. The amount of hurt you’ve caused Tahli; she’ll never forgive you for it.”

Vin flexed his tense hands.

“If you want me to make you disappear, my man, all you gotta do is ask. Matter fact, just keep talking the way you talking.” Vin was still on the law’s radar, but for Drew, he’d make an exception.

Amid their eye-boxing, Tahli called out, “I don’t know what you guys are talking about, but if you’re gonna fight, can you do it before my dad comes back?”

Vin grinned. “All good, baby love. Get some rest.”

“Baby love, huh?” Drew tittered.

“That’s right. She’s still baby love…and you still soft as baby shit.” Vin gave in his departure.

Vin didn’t believe in walking away without proper goodbyes. Over the years they’d argue, and Tahli would storm out for work or an errand. Not even five minutes would pass before her phone would ring.

“I’m not talking to you, Dalvin.”

“I know. I’m not talking to your silly ass, either. But I love you. Drive safe. ‘Cause you know you drive stupid when you’re mad. See ya stank-ass later.”

Vin snuffled at the memory. Vin would always say things like, One of us could get into a car accident or some shit. We can’t forget to say I love you.

Who knew? Who knew one of them would get into a car accident? Who knew they’d forget to say I love you?

Vin had an influx of business to catch up on. But first, he had to make a stop.

Detouring after crossing the George Washington Bridge, he had his driver head for Midtown. When they pulled up to the building, Corey double-parked.

“Circle the block, C. I’ll be done when you get back.”

She was laughing with a coworker. He was sure it was a coworker because the woman was her polar opposite – white, at least in her sixties.

“No, when he starts doing that stuttering thing and he turns all red, I can’t take him seriously,” Bianca giggled, her back still to Vin. The woman she was speaking to noticed him first, and her smirk-accompanied stare prompted Bianca to turn.

“Oh! My God.”

“Hi.”

“You scared me.”

“Not my intention.”

“Wow. Look at you,” she quipped, folding her arms. Protective body language. Understandable for his new reputation with her.

“Look at you,” he gave back. She was dressed in business casual attire, wearing black slacks and a turtleneck sweater, paired with stiletto heeled boots. Her sleek ponytail and minimal makeup really put her natural beauty on stage.

“I should call you The Flash. Or like Quicksilver or something.”

“You into that? My son loves all that.” Milo. Video games. Comics.

“I’m a Marvel girl,” she divulged.

“Hey, Bianca, I’m gonna head inside. Good seeing you, Mr. Hayes.”

Vin bowed his head, stunned eyes following the older woman until she was a distance away.

“She knows me?”

“Everyone here knows you,” Bianca grinned.

“Again, I’m sorry about that. The…Flash shit,” he let her know.