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“El, please. This situation is already horrible enough now you want to miss important meetings? No, go. I will be fine. We can go to your house, so you can pack.”
“Ray packed for me.”
“Then I would like to go home.”
I didn’t care what she said. I’d already made arrangements for Xavier to handle my business. I would drop it for now, but I wasn’t going anywhere.
I navigated to her house. We didn’t say much on the ride there. I helped her out the car and complimented her on the way she looked in the green scrubs the hospital let her wear home. She smiled which was a welcomed sight. She started a bath, and I found the Epsom salt under her vanity and dumped some in the tub. It would have been nice if we both fit, but her tub was made for one.
I helped her into the tub and sat on the ground next to the tub to keep her company.
“I shouldn’t have stayed so late by myself at the office. I could have easily left when Liddy left. Then none of this would have happened.”
“Nothing that happened tonight is your fault. You know that, right?”
She closed her eyes and didn’t respond.
“Averie Grace Patterson.”
“Not my whole name…” she smiled a little but still kept her eyes closed.
“Yes, and look at me when I say this.” I waited until she opened her eyes. They were filled with unshed tears. My heart sank.
“None of this entire situation from beginning to end was your fault. Didn’t you tell me that women always take the blame for things they shouldn't? Don’t change now Ms. Girls run the world.”
“Shut up, El,” she chuckled.
She washed. I held her towel open as she stepped out of the tub.
“Go lay on the bed.”
I grabbed the coconut oil mixture she uses as a moisturizer. I undressed down to my boxer briefs and met her in her bedroom. I used the moisturizer as a massage oil and rubbed her body until I heard her snoring. I pulled the comforter over her and climbed into bed next to her.
“Ray,” I whispered into the phone.
“Is Averie okay?”
Countee had called and filled him, Roc and Xavier in on the details of Averie’s attack.
“She’s sleeping. I sent Xavier a text while I was at the hospital but call him to make sure he doesn’t have any questions. He will sit in on the meetings I had scheduled for this week. We will play next week by ear.”
“I will call him now. Are you good?”
“Yes, I have a cut on my hand, but it’s alright. Averie is my concern right now. Call Countee in the morning so we can have a meeting about the security measures moving forward and I want security installed in her apartment.”
“Got it. I will call you in the morning. It’s all over the news already. They aren’t saying Averie’s name, but they are definitely saying the attack happened at Patterson Law Firm.”
“Yeah, bad press is the last thing that she needs while she is trying to figure everything out over there. I will have to reach out to some of my colleagues to find a good PR firm. She is going to need it.”
“I will make some calls for you in the morning.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Ray. Tell Savi I am sorry you are up so late.”
“She can hear you. She is practically on my lap,” he chuckled.
“I’m just glad everything is okay,” I heard her say in the background.
“Yeah, she’s going to be okay.”
