Infrunami

11

KEHLANI

It's so hard to read him most times but he's definitely supportive. We were now in the car driving to the hospital and New York traffic was being a bastard.

His hand rests on my thigh which immediately stops me bouncing my leg up and down. His touch is frightening yet calming.

"We're 5 minutes away, your brother is fine." He reassures and I nod. Every time we have a good moment, something else happens.

We get there in 10 minutes. I forget that's he's even with me whilst I speed-walk into the building. I pick up my pace, jogging over to the front desk.

"Do you have a-

"Kehlani!" My dad's voice roars from behind me. I turn and he pulls me in for a hug.

"Hey daddy," I look up to him but his eyes are on Amir. "He dropped me over here once we found out." I explain.

"Good evening sir." Amir says to my dad and he nods in response.

"Thank you for bringing my daughter here but you can go now, she'll be leaving with her mother." He says sternly.

"Dad it's not the time- is Kieron okay?" I redirect his focus on the situation at hand. He pulls me in closer to him- most likely so Amir can't hear.

"He had a drug test but it was failed and was suspended for the rest of the season. The same night he...overdosed." My dad sighs.

"Overdosed? As in drugs?" I say a little louder that I wanted it to come out. I turn over to Amir who was on his phone, giving us the space my dad wanted so badly.

"He's going to be fine. But basketball, his career is over." My dad blares as a vein forms in his neck. I understood he was angry but my brother was in a hospital right now.

"Dad forget about basketball, he overdosed. He needs help."

"He's in a private hospital, he's definitely getting help." He scoffs.

"No, professional help. Like therapy." I reply and he jerks his head back at the statement.

"Therapy? He doesn't need no therapy he needs some fucking self control!" My dad shouts which makes both the receptionist and Amir's head look up to us.

"Is everything okay here?" The receptionist asks and the both of us nod.

"Dad-

"No Kehlani I am leaving. I have a meeting to get to to try and save your brothers career," He replies. "And tell your friend to leave." He eyes him once more before walking out of the hospital.

I walk over to Amir who stood up once he saw me. I hope he knew that I wanted him to stay.

"You okay?" He asks me.

"I'm okay, thanks for dropping me off here." I give him a smile but he doesn't buy it.

"You want me to go and pick you up later?" He asks.

"I don't want you to go Amir."

"I don't want to feel like i'm intruding." He rubs the back of his neck.

"You're not, I want you to stay with me." I look up to him and he nods. He plants a soft kiss on my cheek before planting another on my jaw.

"I'll stay baby." He whispers in my ear before sitting back down. I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling at the word. I look down to see him and I know he finds my reaction amusing.

Baby.

The way it rolls off his tongue is just sexy. I could never get bored of hearing it- from him.

I look back and my mom is already looking at Amir. She makes a face but I can't point out what it is.

"Hey mama," She pulls me in for a deep hug before letting go. "Is he okay?" I ask her.

She hasn't been crying but she looks extremely disappointed. It was usually me but that was the bad one, never Jamie.

"Kieron's fine, he's going to be fine. But as for basketball, he's done." She sighs.

"Can I see him?" I ask her and she pauses before looking behind me to Amir.

"What about him?"

"He's a big boy, he can wait around 20 minutes for me." I retort.

She squints her eyes at me before walking over to sit down next to Amir. I look at the two greeting each other as a smile forms on my face, nearly making me forget why I was here. My mama loved him yet I had no idea why.

I walk back to the receptionist who already knew what my request would be before I fully got to her.

"Room 51, 2nd floor." She gives me a smile before looking back down to her computer.

I get up to his room in 4 minutes. The hospital was huge yet most of it was empty. I knock on the door twice.

"Come in." He replies and I do.

He smiles as soon as he sees me which then turns into a frown. I want to break down and cry at the state of him. I never realised how much he lost his weight and how fragile he looked. Only now it looked so visible.

"Oh Kee..." I look him up and down, taking a good look.

"I'm fine Kehlani, I promise you that." He says.

"Drugs Kee? What about basketball?" I sigh as I sit down.

"If you're going to scold me about basketball just get the fuck out." He says coldly. We've had arguments but he's never once talked to me like this before.

"So you're mad because you fucked up your own career? Now you to take it out on me." I sniff.

"I'm mad because everyone is acting as if I already didn't know. I'm mad because when I was struggling nobody fucking noticed. I'm mad because everyone bothers about me once i'm in the fucking hospital."

"Kieron don't do that shit to me. I'm always the one checking up on you, you distance yourself from me. From us. From everyone. I don't hear from you from months sometimes but I still text and call. I always cared." I feel a tear dropping down my cheek but I wipe it immediately.

"You don't understand. I ain't ever had support, just pressure from everybody. I fell out of love with this sport years ago. I've been taking drugs for years this shit ain't new. Maybe if somebody fucking noticed-

"You're a grown fucking man Kieron!" I yell. We look at each other in silence for a few seconds before I start again.

"Why can't you take accountability? Why are you blaming this shit on us? When did we ever fucking see you? The last three Christmas' were you there? Huh? We are fucking adults and have lives and issues of our own, you ain't nobodies kid no more." I retort calmly as I stand up.

I look back at him but he's quiet. I walk out the door as a nurse comes in. She says something but i'm already out the room before I can hear it.