2. Nakyra
Chapter 2
Nakyra
“ A re you okay?” my cousin Summer signed to me. She sat on the other end of my couch staring at me with concern on her face. She had just gotten off work. She worked as a baker at Sugar Bliss and had dropped off a few of my favorite strawberry and cream cupcakes.
I began to nod before shaking my head and lifting my hands. “ I woke up with a headache this morning. It will pass soon.”
“Your aids?”
Again, I nodded, giving her a weak smile. “Should I be concerned?”
I waved her off. “No. You know it happens sometimes when I use them too often. I’m fine.”
She looked around my living room. Her mouth turned upside down. “Where is Rome? Why isn’t he here taking care of you?”
This time, instead of signing, I decided to speak. “You know he’s up to take over for his dad. He’s been really busy. I don’t need him here anyway. This isn’t my first headache and it won’t be my last.”
Summer’s frown deepened. “That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be here making sure you’re fine.” My aids were off, but I could still read her lips as she spoke.
“I’m not a child. I can handle myself.”
Her eyes narrowed. Summer was protective of me, always had been, since we were younger. She was a year older than me and my mom’s sister’s daughter. It was only those two. Me and Summer, along with her younger sister, were the only kids in the family. I always considered her more of a sister than cousin. When we were kids, I was more timid and didn’t stick up for myself. It used to drive Summer crazy, but she always had my back. Toward the end of eighth grade I started speaking up for myself, but Summer still had a hard time letting go and allowing me to stand on my own. I didn’t fault her though, growing up in my house it was easy to learn to be seen and not heard. So it took a while for me to break that habit in the real world. No one in our family had bothered to learn sign language besides her either, which was one reason I would always love her.
“He’s about to be your husband, Kyra. He needs to be more sensitive to your needs.”
A sigh fell from my mouth. My hands went to my head and I used my pointer fingers to rub my temples. While I loved my cousin, she never hid her dislike for Rome. The two were like oil and water when they got around each other. Both played a big part in my life so I often tried to defuse their issues.
“Are you ever going to let your issues with him go?”
She rolled her eyes then smirked. “When he grows up and starts being a real man.”
I couldn’t help but laugh before reaching for the light blue box that held the cupcakes she brought me.
“Stop. He’s a good guy. You just won’t give him a chance.”
A look of disbelief formed on her face. I knew this conversation was about to make a turn so I went to my ears to turn my aids on. Wincing when she first started talking, I ignored the ache and listened. “I know you think that, but Nakyra, you deserve so much better than him. You can do so much better.” She shook her head. “But I can’t tell you how to live your life so I won’t say too much. I just don’t want you to be tied to someone who isn’t gonna make you happy in the long run.”
“I know Rome isn’t perfect and I’m not saying there aren’t some things he needs to work on, but nothing is major enough to where I don’t want to marry him. He’s a good guy and provider. He makes me happy, Summer, I promise.”
Her shoulders fell and a soft smile formed on her face. “Okay, then I’ll let it go. As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about.”
Bella came over to me and double tapped my knee with her nose, gaining my attention. “You gotta go potty, girl?” I asked, setting the box of cupcakes down and standing up. Her tail began to wag quickly and she turned and hurried toward the kitchen.
“I’ll be back.” I followed Bella to let her outside in the back.
It was cool today for early-fall. The moment I opened the back door, a breeze passed by. Bella loved the large, fenced-in yard we had. Instantly, she darted out and went to the blanket of leaves near the fence to handle her business.
After Bella finished and came back inside, I fed her a treat before going back into the living room where Summer was occupied by her phone.
“Are we still on for the paint and sip this weekend?” she signed when I looked at her. I nodded as I finally was able to enjoy one of the cupcakes she bought me.
“Are we meeting there?” I asked, licking the pink cream cheese frosting from my lips.
“I can pick you up.”
“Even better.” I took another bite.
Summer stayed around a little longer before leaving for home. I always enjoyed spending time with her.
“Come, Bella,” I called out when it was just the two of us. As soon as I was alone I turned my aids off and headed for the stairs. Since Rome wasn’t due to be home for some time, I planned on running a bath and having some me time.
____
I was lost in the current illustration project I had been commissioned to complete, growing frustrated that the facial feature I was trying to draw wasn’t coming out how I wanted. The illustration was for a young adult book. I was currently working on the cover to send to the author to proof before I went forward with the final product.
I had been drawing all of my life but it wasn’t until college that I decided I wanted to take on digital illustration as my profession. While I did anything—from illustrated logos to creating visuals for fictional characters, book covers for authors, and stickers and labels for merchandising—I’d mastered illustrating children’s books. I always loved the vibrant colors the authors wanted when it came to their visions and making the story come to life. My dream was to create my own comic book one day or even an animated series.
I was redrawing the facial features for the third time when a tap on the shoulder gained my attention, causing me to jump. I dropped my stylus to my drawing pad and spun around, noticing Rome standing next to me with an impatient look on his face.
Furrowing my brows, I reached up and turned on my aids.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, looking him over, admiring how he looked in his suit.
“You know I hate when you turn your aids off when I’m in the house. What if I need you and you can’t hear me?”
“That’s what Bella’s for.” He glanced over to where Bella was asleep in her doggy bed on the wall opposite the door of my office.
“Yeah, some help she was.”
I snickered.
“What did you need?”
“Come downstairs for a minute.”
He nodded toward the door. I glanced down at my tablet on my desk. I needed to get this finished, but figured maybe taking some time would help. I’d been working on this cover for the past two hours and it was causing my head to hurt.
Pushing away from my desk, I followed Rome out of my office downstairs. We walked to the living room where a large bouquet of red roses and a white bag were waiting for me on the table.
My mouth dropped and I stepped closer to the table.
“What’s this for?” I picked the roses up and examined them. They weren’t my favorite flower, but they were pretty to look at.
When I didn’t see a card, I grabbed the white bag and picked it up, reaching inside.
“The other night. I know whenever we meet with my parents it makes you uneasy, but you were on your best behavior, so I thought you deserved a reward.”
My eyes squinted as I pulled out the medium-sized white box with gold writing. I dropped the bag on the table and opened the box.
My eyes widened at the diamond tennis bracelet inside.
“Wow.” I pulled the bracelet out and examined it. “Rome, it’s beautiful.” This wasn’t the first time he’d bought me something like this. Rome was flashy and liked to showcase that he came from money as often as possible. I was more of a simple girl and didn’t get moved by such gifts, but that didn’t mean I was ungrateful either.
“You like it?”
Grinning, I placed the bracelet and box on the table and walked over to him. Circling his neck with my arms, I leaned up and kissed him.
“Of course. Thank you.” His arms wrapped around my waist.
“I knew you would. I know my girl.” He pecked my lips. I wished Summer saw this side of Rome, the side that didn’t mind spoiling me.
“I have something to tell you too,” he mentioned.
“What?”
“I have to go out of town.”
My face scrunched. “When?”
“Today, the car is on the way to pick me up.”
Slowly, I released him and stepped back. “When did you find out about this?”
“I’ve known for a few days, but it slipped my mind until now.”
I bit the inside of my jaw. My eyes slid to the side where the gifts were and my stomach sank.
“For how long?” I asked, my voice as tight as my muscles had grown.
“I’ll be gone a week.”
“A week!”
“Five days if I can get business wrapped up quickly.”
“Rome. Seriously?” I didn’t want to come off whiny, but he knew I hated being in the house by myself for a long time. He didn’t have to travel a lot for work, but when he did, it always made me uneasy.
“Don’t do that, Nakyra. You know if I didn’t have to go, I wouldn’t. It’s a few days.”
“Then let me come with you. I can get packed up and ask Summer to keep Bella?—”
“No.” He shut me down, causing my mouth to clamp shut. “I’ll be in meetings all day and it wouldn’t be fair for me to drag you with me.”
“I don’t mind.” By the look on his face I could tell his mind was made up. My shoulders fell forward. “Yeah, okay.”
I walked past him, not wanting to hear anything else. He called my name but I ignored him, reaching up and turning my aids off in the process.
Rome’s last minute trips always bothered me and I hoped once he took over they would become a thing of the past.
____
I was half asleep when the vibration on the bed next to me alerted me of my phone. I reached aimlessly for my phone until I located it. With one eye open I noticed Rome’s mom calling. My brows furrowed as I became more alert.
It was going on twelve at night. I had taken a sleeping pill around eight and the effects were still there.
The sleepiness I once felt quickly disappeared as panic sank in. My heart raced and my stomach tightened. Quickly sitting up, I reached for my aids, to put them in, and answered the phone. Instantly they connected to my phone using Bluetooth.
“It’s about time you answered!” My panic increased hearing the distress in Marisol’s voice. It was clear she was crying. Her pitch was high and her words came out shaky.
“I was sleeping. Is everything okay?”
“No! Rome was in an accident and is in the hospital. You need to get here now!”
“An accident? The hospital? But I thought he had a flight.”
It was around six when Rome left for the airport. I didn’t ask but I assumed his flight was around eight since we typically left two hours prior to our flights.
“None of that matters right now! You need to get here now!” I winced at her loud voice. A sharp pain shot through my brain.
“Yeah, okay. Is he okay?” My heart raced as adrenaline pounded through my veins.
Hurriedly, I scrambled out the bed, almost falling in the process. Bricks piled up in my stomach as she cried in my ear.
“Just get here.” Silence came next.
“Hello? Marisol?” I called out but she must have hung up.
“That woman!” I cried out as tears clouded my eyes. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm down, but it was growing harder to focus. My lungs were having difficulty collecting and releasing oxygen. It felt like my chest was weighed down by boulders.
I knew right now I couldn’t break down. Not when Rome needed me. The way Marisol was on the phone I felt as if I needed to prepare for the worst. Just the thought sent my nerves into a frenzy and caused my stomach to grow queasy.
Racing to my walk-in closet I snatched the door open and raced inside. There was no time to waste.