Book 3 [ The Untitled Series ]

Chapter Sixteen

Ashley

Thursday

It was Thursday afternoon and I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed for work when Leon called. Even though he would take Raegan to and from school everyday, he and I hadn't really spoken much. I think it was because of his whole break down at therapy.

I knew I shouldn't have brought it up but when he was dropping me at home on Monday after our session I let it slip. He tensed and didn't respond, and since then had been kind of ignoring me.

I didn't press it though because I was busy with work anyway and he clearly needed some space.

His first call I sent to voicemail, not because I was angry but just because I needed to finish getting ready. Somehow I had let Carmen talk me into meeting with a Real estate agent so that we could look at properties for a potential second club. There was no telling how long that would take.

I went to my closet, grabbing a black skirt and a black button up blouse. I threw them on the bed and had just dropped my towel  when my phone rang again.

Grabbing it from the night stand only a few feet away I noticed that it was Leon again.

" Leon I'm busy, I don't really have time to talk." I answered before sandwiching the phone between my ear and my shoulder and taking a few steps behind me to my dresser for undergarments.

" no time, huh?"

" no, not unless you're dead or dying."

He made a noise that let me know that he was thinking. " well I got shot- if that counts."

" you got what?" I screamed, my current task completely forgotten about as I went to sit over on the edge of my bed. There was a sudden rush of blood over my entire body that had made me feel fairly faint. " please tell me you're playing. Please- I can't."

He chuckled, leading me to believe that he was kidding. " I wish I was playing, then atleast I wouldn't be stuck in this fucking hospital room with this nurse who keep telling me I can't use my phone. Can you believe that? I pay the bill on this muthafucka but I 'can't use it'."

" get to the point, Sir." I heard a woman- who I assumed was the nurse- say in the background.

" aight, aight." He responded to her before coming back to me. " I need you to do me a favor."

" Lee..." I mumbled, doing my best to hold back the tears that I felt pushing forward. Just the thought of him being hurt- and shot at that- was enough to bring me to tears any day.

" don't cry, baby..."

" I'm not crying." I lied.

" you not?" He asked in a tone filled with disbelief.

" no."

" yeah, aight. Then when you get here I don't wanna see no tears or nothing on your beautiful face. Okay?"

" okay." My sniffling betrayed my lie about not crying.

" okay then. Now, My favor... I need you to go to my apartment and get my medicine bag. They tryna keep me over night and I need some shit."

" why can't somebody else do that?" I whined. " I just wanna come see you."

" because don't no fucking body else know where it is but you!" He snapped, which made me tune in. Yeah, there was a duffel bag that he had hidden in his apartment a few years back, and he'd made sure to show me where it was- but I was high.

It was almost four years after knowing him and I had just given birth to Reagan. This was even before Leon was practically living with me- it was when I was practically living with him. And this was also before his work became a major issue but I was still stressed as hell.