All But One

Chapter 39

"What's going on here?" I ask, staring past my mother to Hakeem.

A multitude of emotions rush through my mind, leaving me overwhelmed and shaken.

"Let's go out into the hallway, and we can talk about it." My mother says firmly.

I watch as she pulls the door open, motioning for me to go through. However, my body doesn't follow. I stare at her in disbelief. I find it hard to believe that she would withhold this information from me. My mother doesn't usually keep things from me.

I turn away from her, my eyes falling back on Hakeem's bruised face. My vision blurs slightly as tears form. I fight them back, not wanting to cry in front of Hakeem.

"Roxie..." He whispers, reaching out towards me.

The sound of my name leaving his mouth completely shatters my resolve. I collapse onto the side of his hospital bed, letting my tears fall onto his outstretched arm.  He pulls me into his side, allowing me to bury my head in his chest. 

"It's okay, baby." He whispers into my hair. 

His soothing voice, along with his calming caress help to ease the emotional storm in my mind. 

"Roxanne." My mother repeats from her position at the doorway. 

"Could I have a moment, mom?" I ask, through tears. "Please?" I add.

There's a long moment of silence before I hear the door close. 

"She left." Hakeem confirms. 

I pull away from him to take a moment to assess his injuries. I take in the bruises that cover most of his visible skin and it takes everything in me to not personally find his father and make him pay. 

"I'm so sorry he did this to you." I say through my tears. 

He assures me that it's okay, and he will heal, but the look of pain in his eyes makes it difficult for me to believe him.

I stare at his beaten figure as a feeling of helplessness overtakes me. I wish I knew how to ease his pain, but there is nothing I can do besides simply be there for him. I carefully shift my position, so I can gently wrap my arms around his shoulders. 

"I'm here for you." 

"Thank you." He responds, resting his head on my chest. "I missed you."

Hearing those three words come out of his mouth nearly push me to tears, again. All those moments where I checked my phone for a message from him rush to the forefront of my mind. 

"I missed you, too." I say, meaning it with every fiber of my being. 

He lifts his head off of my chest, moving so he can make eye contact. I look into his deep brown eyes, remaining motionless as he inches closer. My eyes flutter closed as I lean forward to close the gap between us. 

Just as his lips brush against mine, a loud noise sends me flying back. 

"Roxanne." My mother interrupts. "You've had your moment. You need to get to school." 

My jaw tenses as I refrain myself from saying something I'll regret. Instead, I give Hakeem one last hug and get up. I try to ignore the longing in his eyes as I walk to the door, but, I know it's mirrored in mine. 

My mother closes the door behind us and pulls me to the side of the hallway. 

"Look, Roxanne. I know you're wondering why I didn't tell you that Hakeem was in the hospital." She starts, in hushed tones. 

I simply raise an eyebrow at her, unsure of where she's going with this. 

"I'm just trying to protect you. I didn't know how you would take the news, and I didn't want you to be hurt." She continues, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

I stare at her in disbelief. Did she really think spending the last two days scared and confused was better for me than knowing? What exactly was she trying to protect me from?

"It's because of his father, isn't it?" I ask through clenched teeth. 

"What! No... Of course not..." She says. But, I can tell by the way her eyes dart away from mine that she's lying. 

"Hakeem is nothing like his father." I say, shifting so her hand slips off of my shoulder. "He's the same guy you invited over for dinner. Nothing has changed, and nothing will." I add, before turning around and heading to the exit. 

I find my car in the parking lot and get in as quickly as humanly possible. I take in a long, deep breath as my fingers tighten on the steering wheel. 

"It's okay. It's okay." I mutter to myself, trying to calm down. 

I turn on the radio, hoping the loud music will ease my frustration. Instead of a song, an ad about car insurance begins to play. Almost instinctively, I start flipping through the channels until something catches my attention. 

"...expected to be in court by the end of the this week. Rodney Rashford has requested representation from one of the top law firms in the city ahead of this highly anticipated trial."

Hearing his name on the radio causes me to freeze in my seat. He's the one who caused Hakeem all that pain. 

I turn off the radio before speeding out of the hospital parking lot,  nearly flattening a random pedestrian, but I'm too frustrated to care. 

If I ever see Rodney Rashford again, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind.