Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0)(56)

Carlos cringe. “I don’t need to know more, thank you.”

“Obviously, you do. If you’re gonna be mad at him, be mad at me as well.”

“Believe me, I am mad at you.”

“Yeah,” Lisa says softly. “You’ve made that pretty clear.”

Hold the hell up, what he do to her? I swear, if he said some sideways shit to Lisa— “Lisa Montgomery?” a nurse call out.

I know that voice. I look up, and sure enough, it’s—

“Moe?”

Ma’s best friend hold open the door that lead back to the examining rooms. She see me, and her eyes widen. “Mav, what are you doing here?”

Me and Carlos follow Lisa over to her. “Lisa got an appointment,” I say.

Ma told her the deal by now. She give Lisa a tiny smile. “I thought that name looked familiar. How are you doing, sweetie?”

“Okay, I guess. Ready to get this appointment done.”

“You’re in the right hands.” Moe look at Carlos and raise her eyebrows. “Only one person is allowed back with the patient.”

“I know,” Carlos says, eyeing me. “Just want to remind my sister that I’m out here if she needs me.”

Nah, he wanna remind me.

Lisa mumble, “Thank you,” and step around Moe.

I pat her brother’s shoulder. “Enjoy the wait, Carlton.”

Before he can respond, Moe close the door behind me.

She lead us to a room where she check Lisa’s weight and her blood pressure. Another nurse take some of Lisa’s blood and have her go pee in a cup. After that, Moe lead us to an examining room and give Lisa a gown.

“You’ll have to change into that,” she says. “Now, don’t be nervous. It’s a simple exam. Dr. Byrd will ask more questions than anything.”

Lisa take a deep breath. “Okay.”

“We’ll take good care of you. Faye would kill me otherwise. How’s she doing, Mav?”

“She good. Recovering from Thanksgiving. I’m surprised you ain’t stop by.”

Moe’s smile dim a bit. “I didn’t wanna cause any problems. Dr. Byrd will be here shortly.” She grab her clipboard and hurry outta the room.

I frown and point my thumb back. “What’s up with that?”

“Maverick . . . nothing.” Lisa shake her head. “Never mind. It’s not my place to say.”

“Huh? What’s not your place to say?”

Lisa sighs. “You haven’t figured it out yet, have you?”

I know my eyebrows practically touching. “Figured out what?”

Lisa smirk. “You’re actually kinda cute when you’re confused.”

“Oh, word? I thought I wasn’t shit.”

“I never said that, Maverick. You assumed.” She slip outta her blazer and, yo, this girl start to strip down right in front of me. I’m not complaining (I ain’t a perv), but it catch me off guard.

“You gotta take everything off?” I ask.

“Yep.” Her shirt go, and then her bra next, giving me a real good view. Man, I do love the sight of them things. I just be wanting to hold them sometimes. I ain’t a perv, I swear.

Lisa give me the evil eye. “Stop looking at them.”

I look at the wall. “You act like I ain’t seen them before.”

“You are more than welcome to go to the waiting room with Carlos.”

“Okay, okay! I won’t look.”

“Good idea,” she says, and I hear a zipper.

I pick up this weird-looking toy on the table. It’s kinda shaped like an upside-down triangle but got two things sticking out on each side. Handles? I don’t know. The middle part is red and pink. It tunnels down to an opening, like for a ball or something to go in.

“What kinda toy is this?” I ask Lisa.

“That’s a uterus, Maverick.”

I drop that thing so damn fast.

Lisa snort. “It’s only a model, relax. You can look now.”

Her clothes and sneakers in a small pile on the chair beside me, and she on the edge of the examining table in the gown. She swing her feet back and forth. “Carlos really messed you up, huh?”

That’s what everybody say. Granny wanted to call the cops and get him arrested for assault. Ma wouldn’t let her. She said I earned it.

“A little,” I say. I’ll never give him that much credit. “I let him win. I deserve everything he had for me.”

“Oh.” Lisa look down. “Mav, I’m sorry for what I said the other day.”

“You don’t gotta apologize.”

“Yeah, I do. I threw a couple of jabs that I shouldn’t have.”

“It must run in the family.”

Lisa roll her eyes. “I’m glad you can joke about getting beat up.”

“Ay, I’m just saying. Straight up? I’m sorry too.”

“You weren’t lying, there is a lot I don’t know when it comes to the streets.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Wish there was some stuff I didn’t know myself. Anyway, how you feeling? Everything good at Ms. Rosalie’s and at school?”

“Morning sickness sucks, obviously,” Lisa says. “So does afternoon and night sickness. Yesterday was better, I only threw up in the morning. So far so good today. Ms. Rosalie’s been fine. School’s . . . interesting.”