I didn’t enter the draft, but I could have. Thankfully, I came from a family, rather was adopted into a family, that wasn’t hurting for money. I had unlimited access simply because I was trying to do what was right. The way Uncle Carrington, RJ, and Noah looked out for me made me proud to be affiliated with suchgreatness. Although RJ could be rough, his heart was pure gold. Noah wasn’t just the image he portrayed. The man was close to God, and you couldn’t help but feel it when he was near. His wife was just as spiritual.
Going to the fridge, I got another Mike’s and headed back to the TV to watch an old football game airing on ESPN. Jessie Bates III had an exceptional game, and as a former safety on the football field, I appreciated his game. The man was one of the best in the league. As I sat, my phone rang. When I saw RJ’s number, I quickly answered.
“What’s up, man?”
“What’s up, Chozen? I need a huge favor. You get this done for me, I’ll be sure to hook you up nicely.”
“You got my attention,” I said, causing him to chuckle.
“I got a job we’re up for in Buckhead. I need you to run some numbers for me quick as hell. I’m going to email all the specs and pertinent details.”
“Okay. I’ll head up to the office. This must be a pretty big job.”
“It is, and my boy sent it to me at the last minute. I need to be able to submit my bid by end of day tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry. I got’chu.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
“No problem at all.”
I hopped up and went to change into some jeans and a dress shirt. I never went to the office in a T-shirt unless it was unavoidable. The office suite was inside another building that he leased the space from. He was working on building our own office, but finding land at a reasonable price out here was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They wanted an arm and a leg for an acre of land out here. RJ said he’d gotten three acres in Texas for the same price as one acre here.
I hopped in my car and took the fifteen-minute drive to the office. On the drive, my mind went back to Azari. If she was sick, I surely wanted to be there for her. I could probably help her so much if she would allow me to. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see she didn’t have much money, if any at all. I was willing to bet she was relying on Medicaid. They paid the bare minimum.
I could remember being on Medicaid as a kid with my mama. I’d broken my leg when I was seven. The cast they paid for was the most uncomfortable shit known to man, but we couldn’t afford one of the fancier ones that would have been more comfortable. Like Azari, Nikki Long wasn’t about to broadcast all her business by asking for help. I just wanted Azari to realize that I could be a blessing to her just as she would be for me. I wanted to be in love, and she was the woman I wanted.
When I got to the office, I quickly made my way inside. When I got to my desk, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Azari.
I’m worried about you. Please… just tell me you’re alive at least.
“Baby, are you going to try to make it to class Monday?”
I hadn’t said a word in my full voice in days, and I’d been staring at the bouquet of roses Chozen sent to me yesterday. They were so beautiful, but it was his message that literally had me crying my eyes out. My cancer was worsening, and I would have to start treatment. I had an appointment with the oncologist Friday of next week. I didn’t know how I would continue going to school. It would depend on how my body responded to the treatment.
“I’m going to try, Mama,” I whispered.
She sat on the bed and grabbed my hand. “He found out where you live, baby. He’s determined to be with you. That note was so emotion-filled. That man said he didn’t care about your illnesses. He only cared about your heart. Azari, if he wants to be here for you, please let him. I hate to see you like this. Ever sinceyou got the results from your blood work last week, you’ve been in a funk that no one can seem to pull you out of.”
I nodded. I knew she was right. This was just so hard. I didn’t want to hinder anyone else’s life. My life was already at a standstill. I couldn’t even take care of myself, let alone Xavier. He’d been staying with my parents. The last thing I wanted him to see was me in this mindset. I glanced at the flowers again as the doorbell rang. My eyebrows hiked up, as did my mama’s.
Chozen.
I knew it was him. X was with my dad, so I knew it wasn’t them, and Fabian wouldn’t dare. I swallowed hard as my mama stood and went to the door. I didn’t know how he got my address, but somehow, he’d tracked me down. He was related to Noah, and famous people had all sorts of ways to find people. I wanted to get up and disappear into the bathroom, but my hips were hurting so badly, I didn’t want to even move. Going to the bathroom was hell.
When my mama walked back into my bedroom, she gave me a soft smile. “It’s Chozen, baby. Can I let him come back here?”
I wanted to tell her no. I wanted to tell her to make him leave. Not that I looked like a supermodel any of the other times he’d seen me, but today, I looked like death warmed over. My hair was all over my head, and my lips were dry. My appetite was nonexistent. I had to force myself to drink water. I nodded, and she turned to leave the room. I grabbed the bottle of water on my nightstand and took a sip, then tried to sit up more in the bed.
When she led him inside, his eyebrows lifted slightly. He looked even better than I remembered. “Azari, . . . damn, girl.”
He came to my bedside and sat on the edge of the bed. My mama smiled then left the room to give us privacy. He slid his fingers over my cheek as I closed my eyes, doing my best to keep the tears from falling. After grabbing my hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. I knew he was angry because I hadn’treached out, but it seemed his sense of relief was overpowering it right now.
“I was so worried. I hate thinking the worst, but I had begun doing just that. I thought we had a good time the last time we were together, so I was thrown for a loop.” He glanced at the flowers then turned back to me. “What’s going on, baby?”
I could see his nose redden a bit, and I knew it was because he called me baby. He rubbed my hand between his as I took a deep breath. “The multiple myeloma has gotten worse,” I whispered. “My hips and back hurt all the time, and I probably have a low-grade fever right now, because I feel like I’m freezing. My appetite is gone. It’s a struggle just trying to drink water.”
He brought his hand to my hair and gently played in it. “I missed you. Let me be here to help you through this shit. Before you say no, just think about it. I want to be here. Since I want to be here, I can handle it. Please.”
