Needy Little Things(81)
CHAPTER 35
I know I’m in the hospital before I open my eyes. I can tell by the smell. By the sterile chill in the air. My throat burns when I try to speak.
“Sariyah? Mama, I think she’s waking up.”
The sound of my brother’s voice is instantly comforting, which, if the aching in my body weren’t enough, would be proof that I’ve been through hell.
It takes a surprising amount of effort to open my eyes. The lids are heavy and sticky.
“Ri!”
Josiah’s brown face is the only thing in my field of view.
“Back up, baby. Give her some breathing room,” Mama says.
I motion to the mauve cup and pitcher next to my bed. Jojo, in his eagerness to help, spills a bunch of water on the floor.
“Sorry.” He passes me a cup, water dripping down the sides.
“Thank you.” My voice is crusty. I take a few quick gulps of water as Mama rubs my head.
“You’ve been out for almost twenty-four hours. Fractured bone in your foot is the worst of it. Some ugly bruising on your neck. Cuts and scrapes. But you’ll be okay, baby.”
“Dad?”
“He’s okay. Just a couple of rooms down. Deja was fine. A little dehydrated. She went home this morning.”
I sit up quickly and wince. “Went home with who? Did someone find my phone?”
“Relax.” She gently pushes my shoulder until I’m resting against the pillow again.
“As soon as Derrick heard you’d found her, he was in the car speeding down 75. Didn’t even wait for Jasmine. Turns out Deja wasn’t the only one having problems with her mother. She and Derrick will be staying at his mother’s house until everything gets straightened out.”
“What else did Deja say?” I need to know if her and Malcolm’s scheme got exposed or not.
“She said that manipulative young man offered her a safe haven during a rough patch with her mom. Said he snapped a few days after she arrived.”
“Is he dead?”
She waits a moment before responding. “Yes.”
I turn to face her. “Good.” I don’t mumble. I don’t hesitate. I don’t stutter. “Am I in trouble?”
“Because of what happened to Fitzgerald? No, baby. That was an accident. They could clearly see where he slipped in the mud. And even if he hadn’t, look at you. Not a juror in this country would fault you for pushing him.”
I’m surprised by how much I don’t need reassurance. For once, guilt isn’t high on my list of emotions. And it’s not just because he was going to kill me—and I really believe he would have. I have a sense of calmness and trust surrounding my ability that I’ve never felt before. Fitz asked me to give him what he needed. I did what he asked and it turned out what he needed was also precisely what I needed. What Deja needed. What Dad needed. What Crystelle needed. We needed him dead. And I can’t help but wonder if that was what the nail file was about all along. Fitz was there that night. If Danny hadn’t stepped in the crossfire, maybe all this would have been avoided. Even the hair comb. If I hadn’t given Philly those gemstones, I might not be alive right now. I won’t look at need fulfillment as an individualistic thing ever again. Seen and unseen, the ripples are infinite.
* * *
We go back to Atlanta the next day. All of us. Mama insisted Dad come, too, so she could nurse us both back to health and get Jojo back in school. I use Dad’s phone to FaceTime Jude when I’m settled back in my room. I smile when I see his face, but he frowns. I adjust my hoodie to hide the marks on my neck. “Looks worse than it feels.”
Jude rubs his forehead. “You said you’d tell me when you were ready to go to Chefly. I would have gone with you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t have time.”
He puffs up his cheeks and exhales. Waves me off. “It doesn’t matter. I’m glad you’re okay. I’m glad Deja’s okay.”
“Have you spoken to Malcolm? He’s on his way over here.”
He makes sure no one else is around before answering. “Yes. He called and told me everything when you didn’t hold up your agreement to reply to his texts. I was with him when he called the police. He felt really guilty, wanted to confess everything, but I told him to tell them only what they needed to know to find you. I thought that might be what you’d want.”
I nod slowly. I’m angry with Malcolm. Deja, too. But I don’t want their lives ruined over this. “What happened when he called the police?”
“They already knew.”
“What? How?”
“Jed went to them. We hit him up on Instagram and got his number. Long story short, Jed noticed the resemblance between Crystelle and Deja, and when you pointed out that she was following him, he got a bad feeling. Fitz had been acting strange for a while. Obsessing over Crystelle. He didn’t want to believe Fitz would get into anything messy, but then you showed up in town and he found Deja’s burner phone and a bunch of other stuff planted on him.”
“Did he give the phone to the police?” I ask, truly afraid to hear the answer.
“No. He tossed it as soon as he realized what it was. Burned everything else. Fitz was probably planning to pin everything on Jed after he got what he wanted from you.”